Complaint Procedure

in accordance with the Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations for the Prevention of Human Rights Violations in Supply Chains

The activities of Hirschvogel to prevent human rights and environmental violations in the supplier network as well as within the group structure are based on the Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains (LkSG). Despite a large number of preventive measures to ensure human rights and environmental aspects, Hirschvogel is aware that a violation of these protected legal positions in the entire supply chain cannot be completely ruled out. In this case, it is necessary to identify the violation as promptly as possible and to take appropriate corrective action without delay.

To be able to identify a violation in a timely manner, Hirschvogelhas introduced a complaint procedure for potential violations of the LkSG. This complaint procedure is available to all persons and other internal and external stakeholders. All persons (e.g., employees, customers, suppliers, other persons) who wish to support Hirschvogel in identifying human rights and environmental violations, or who have themselves been harmed by Hirschvogel or one of its contractual partners, can contact us here.

Behind this complaint procedure is a team of legal, commercial, and technical experts who will deal with your complaint independently, impartially, not bound by instructions and confidentially.

If an initial review of the complaint indicates that Hirschvogel has directly or indirectly caused or contributed to a violation, the team will take appropriate remedial action. Such remedial action may include, for example, employment action against the perpetrator(s) of the breach.

Hirschvogel assures the whistleblowers that in the event of an anonymous notification, no steps will be taken by Hirschvogel that could identify the person making the notification. An exception to this is any misuse of the Hirschvogel complaint procedure.

Furthermore, Hirschvogel ensures the greatest possible protection for the person making the notification and the person affected. However, an investigation into a reported matter will only be initiated after careful examination and if there are concrete indications of a breach of the rules. Information will be handled through a fair and confidential process. Discrimination, intimidation, or hostility that occurs because of a report made to the Hirschvogel Complaints Procedure will be investigated and punished according to the same process.

To be able to initiate remedial measures in a targeted and timely manner, whistleblowers should make sure that the complaint can also be understood by persons outside their field of expertise. For this purpose, it is helpful if you are available for further questions, and you answer the following five questions for reporting the violation:

  • Who is affected? Hirschvogel employees, business partners or others?
  • What happened? Describe the facts as precisely as possible.
  • When did the incident happen? If possible, the exact date or period.
  • How often does it happen? Single or multiple violation?
  • Where did the incident occur? Locality or Hirschvogel plant or partner.

The possible and usable communication channels are listed below. If required, the team can inform the person making the notification about the progress of the processing and the corrective measures taken. For this purpose, the person making the notification must choose a communication channel that allows bidirectional communication. The whistleblower is free to choose one of the two complaint channels.

Currently, two channels can be used as described below.

Phone Hotline

This number is linked to the internal telephone and communication system of Hirschvogel so that your complaint / tip will be forwarded to the entire complaints team. Please understand that you will not be addressed there personally. A 24-hour hotline is not possible for geographical and organizational reasons. However, we ensure that your complaint / information will be dealt with as soon as possible. After an initial review by a team member, the confirmed message will be forwarded to the relevant team specialist for further follow-up and processing. If you would like to be kept informed of the progress of your complaint / tip, please let us know a communication channel through which you would like to be contacted.

Online Contact Form:

Your report will be transferred directly to the complaints management system and checked there by a member of the complaints management team. If the tip is confirmed, the message will be forwarded to the specialist responsible of the team for further follow-up and processing. If you would like to be informed about the progress of your complaint / your tip, please let us know in the contact form a communication channel through which you would like to be contacted.

Within seven days of receiving the complaint and after conclusion of an initial review, feedback on the complaint can be provided to you.

If the complexity of the matter requires a longer investigation and processing time, you will be provided with an interim status after three months at the latest. 

Information and documents on the case will be treated as strictly confidential and in compliance with the relevant data protection regulations. The confidentiality of your identity will be maintained, as will effective protection against discrimination.

The complaints procedure is currently available in German and English. Other languages will follow.

 

Your Hirschvogel Complaints Team