The Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG) came into force in Germany on July 2. It gives people who have obtained information about violations of the law in the course of their professional activities the opportunity to report these violations. The HinSchG also guarantees the protection of these whistleblowers. The law prohibits any reprisals against the whistleblower and obliges companies to set up secure channels for providing information.
The Whistleblower Protection Act is therefore an important and useful early warning system. It gives companies the opportunity to react early to any violations of the law (criminal acts and administrative offenses) and to put a stop to them. It also makes a significant contribution to an open corporate culture based on rules and standards.
In line with this requirement, Bergophor GmbH has set up an internal reporting system in accordance with Section 16 (1) HinSchG. Our system not only allows information to be submitted electronically in written form as well as by telephone and, if desired, in a personal meeting - anonymous submission of information is also possible.
The reports are received by our compliance service provider Ratisbona Compliance. The lawyers of Ratisbona Compliance inform the whistleblower about the submission of the notification, evaluate the notification from a legal perspective, initiate appropriate measures and inform the whistleblower about the measures taken no later than three months after the notification has been submitted.
You can access the reporting chanel at www.bergophor.de/whistleblowersystem. Here you will find all the above-mentioned channels through which you can submit a whistleblower report.
If you have any further questions about whistleblower protection and the use of our reporting channel, we will of course be happy to help you at any time.
