CODE OF CONDUCT

Version: 21.06.2024

Download our code of conduct as PDF

 

Preliminary remarks

 

The fundamental principles of our company include compliance with laws and regulations in our corporate activities and social responsibility towards employees, business partners, society and the environment.

This Code of Conduct serves as binding guidelines for our decisions and the actions of our employees. It is binding for all our company employees and applies worldwide in the business environment, in dealing with the general public and also to daily interaction within our company.

All employees are encouraged to comply with the legal regulations that apply in their working environment to their area of activity, to observe the following standards of behaviour and to act responsibly, prudently, with integrity and fairly both for their own part and in the name of our company.

 

 

  • Basic guidelines
     
    • Compliance with applicable laws and regulations is a matter of course for our company. Our employees are required to comply with the statutory rules and regulations applicable to their area of work.

    • In particular, our company complies with national and international laws that regulate the import, export or domestic trade of goods, technologies or services, as well as the handling of certain products and capital and payment transactions. Our company also complies with national and international embargo and export control regulations.

    • All forms of active and passive bribery are prohibited in our company, whether involving public officials or in business dealings. Our employees are prohibited from asking for, being promised or accepting money or items of value in return for the purchase of products or other services. Any material or immaterial benefit to employees or agents of a commercial operation in return for preferential treatment in commercial transactions is prohibited.

    • Our company is committed to ethical, fair and open competition. Our employees are prohibited from entering into agreements that influence competition in an inadmissible manner. All employees of our company must comply with and ensure compliance with the laws on the protection of competition that are applicable in the respective countries.



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  • Handling of information and intellectual property
     
    • Our company is fully committed to protecting third party intellectual property and copyright. We do not use unfair methods to obtain trade secrets of our competitors or internal and confidential information about them. We are not involved in the unauthorised use, reproduction, distribution or modification of software or other intellectual property.

    • Our employees are obliged to maintain secrecy about company and business secrets and other internal matters. The same applies with respect to information concerning contractual partners and customers that is not in the public domain, even after the termination of the employment relationship.

    • Our company guarantees compliance with data protection regulations. Any processing of personal data must be carried out in accordance with applicable data protection law. Documents containing personal data about employees are treated confidentially and protected against unauthorised access.


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  • Protection of the environment and sustainability
     
    • Our company is committed to its responsibility for the protection of the environment, sustainability and environmentally-friendly use of natural resources.

    • Our company complies with the applicable laws, regulations and standards regarding environmental protection. We maintain our records accurately, completely, timeously, appropriately and comprehensibly in accordance with the relevant statutory and regulatory requirements. We disclose records when statutorily obliged to do so.

    • We reject any purchase, sale, trade or production of counterfeit items. Our company always strives for responsible use and procurement of natural resources in the production and distribution of our products and services. We are committed to avoiding the use of raw materials obtained by illegal or ethically questionable methods.

    • Out of a sense of personal responsibility towards people and the environment, we also require sustainability principles from our suppliers.

    • Our company recognises its responsibility to show consideration for the environment and to be committed to environmental protection. Products, processes and energy consumption are constantly being optimised in terms of energy efficiency in order to further reduce our environmental impact. Our aim is to reduce our carbon footprint, our waste and our water consumption and to utilise the resources available to us as efficiently as possible.

    • By utilising our product technology and services, customers can make their production processes more energy-efficient and resource-saving.

    • We are committed to the increased use of renewable energies. The aim is to satisfy 100% of our energy requirements with renewable energies.

    • Our company does not participate in the unlawful eviction from and deprivation of land, forests and waters in the acquisition, development or other use of land, forests and waters, the use of which secures a person’s livelihood. When private or public security forces are deployed to protect operations, it must be ensured that those affected are protected against extensive violence, torture and violations of the freedom of association and union. Respect for internationally recognised human rights by the security forces must be guaranteed.


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  • Social responsibility
     
    • Our company is committed to equal opportunities and a supportive working environment characterised by respect and tolerance, where the value and dignity of each individual is recognised and all employees treat each other with courtesy, honesty and dignity. Harassment, bullying and intimidation are prohibited.

    • The ban on child and forced labour is observed in our company.

    • Our company respects different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds and is committed to the principle of equality, regardless of nationality, race or ethnic origin, age, disability, appearance and other physical conditions, skin colour, sexual orientation, gender, religion and belief or other characteristics protected by law. Decisions relating to personnel must be free of any discrimination.

    • Our company does not tolerate any discriminatory behaviour towards employees or applicants. Where this is not possible due to a conflict of interest, this circumstance must be reported immediately to the responsible line manager so that appropriate measures can be taken to resolve the conflict. Even the appearance of extraneous considerations should be avoided.

    • Our company encourages its employees to immediately report information on known or suspected statutory or regulatory violations to their line manager or the responsible department. Employees have no reason to fear retaliation for disclosing information.

    • Our company is committed to ensuring that recruitment is ethical, sustainable, transparent and respectful.

    • Our company respects the dignity and personal privacy of our employees and third parties with whom we conduct business relationships.

    • Health and safety in the workplace is guaranteed according to national regulations. Our company complies with statutory regulations to ensure fair working conditions, including those relating to remuneration, working hours and the protection of privacy. This includes ensuring that emergency care, accident and incident management as well as ergonomic and safe workplace design are guaranteed. Personal protective equipment is provided to employees free of charge where necessary. Adequate fire protection is ensured by our internal fire safety regulations and regular fire safety inspections.

    • We respect our employees’ right to freedom of association and collective bargaining. Employees are free to establish an employee representative body or become a member of an employee representative body. An employee must not suffer any disadvantages or advantages as a result of membership of a trade union.


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  • Compliance with the Code of Conduct
     
    • The Code of Conduct must be given to every employee of our company and they must comply with it.

    • Our company will put the basic values contained in the Code of Conduct into practice in all business areas by implementing all suitable organisational measures and appropriate guidelines and processes required for this purpose. Our company will carry out regular checks on compliance with the organisational measures, guidelines and processes introduced in this respect.

    • Depending on their severity, breaches of the Code of Conduct and statutory regulations may result in consequences under labour and civil liability law and may also result in criminal sanctions.