The Otto Group is digitising its whistleblowing process.
The new system, called SpeakUp, gives employees, suppliers, service providers and observant citizens the possibility to report compliance infringements taking place anywhere in the Otto Group.
Why the change?
The foundation of all Group companies is conducting business in a fair and legally-compliant way: it is what enables customers and partners the world over to trust Group companies. If we break laws, we can immensely damage the reputation of the Group as a whole, which consequently can endanger the Group’s very existence.
SpeakUp is being implemented by Business Keeper Management System (BKMS). It is a modular digital platform that allows potential violations to be reported independently of the time of day or of the whistleblower’s geographical location. The system meets the legal requirements of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, and guarantees the highest level of protection for whistleblowers and private data. It also complies with the more demanding requirements of the EU Whistleblower Protection Directive.
What should you report?
The Group wants to encourage individuals to flag possible cases of “compliance infringement.” This can include breaking relevant laws, violating the directives of the Group’s Code of Conduct, as well as infringing company-internal regulations of the Group or its companies.
More specifically, it can refer to:
– bribery, embezzlement
– the solicitation or accepting of benefits from existing and potential business partners
– conflicts of interest, nepotism
– falsification of documents, deliberate error, gross negligence
If whistleblowers so choose, they can submit their reports with complete anonymity. In order to guarantee this, it is important that whistleblowers do not enter any data that can be traced back to themselves. In addition, wherever possible the whistleblower should not submit their report via any device provided by their employer.
What does this mean for you?
Anyone that has concerns or suspicions about potential malpractice or professional misconduct relating to any member of OI staff should submit a report via the new system (click here). There are instructions on the page for how to submit a report. OI’s old Speak Up system will remain in use for six months to facilitate the transitionary period.
As it is not always easy to judge whether what one has seen, heard or experienced is compliant; therefore, it’s better to submit one too many reports than one too few!
