What is whistleblowing?
The term ‘whistleblowing’ describes the reporting of (potential) wrongdoing in companies, organisations and authorities by employees or external persons (so-called whistleblowers).
Whistleblowing is not an easy task – neither for the whistleblower, who has to summon up the courage to report misconduct, nor for the company, which has to accept that it has been made aware of an internal weakness.
What exactly can/should be reported?
Violations of national and/or EU law can be reported via our reporting channel in German, English, Spanish, Italian and Slovakian. These are e.g: Violations of competition law, financial irregularities, false statements to authorities, data protection violations, environmental damage, non-compliance with safety regulations in the workplace, sexual harassment.
Matters such as bullying, dissatisfaction with pay or social conflicts etc. should not be reported here. In such cases, please contact your line manager, the Human Resources team or the works councils.
Important recommendations to protect your anonymity
Do not report information from the company network or from your work computer/smartphone. If you attach files to your report, please note the following: Files may contain hidden information that could allow conclusions to be drawn about you personally and therefore jeopardise your anonymity.
Before sending, make sure that attached files do not contain any such information (creator of documents, EXIF data for images, etc.). If you are unsure whether your files contain such information, copy the text of your attachment document into the note text instead or create a screenshot of the attachments and attach this instead. Please note that attaching voice messages may limit your anonymity.
Why should I submit a report?
It is to prevent damage to our company. Honesty, integrity and lawful and compliant behaviour form the basis of Knill Energy’s good reputation and the trust of our employees, customers and other business partners. All our employees are experts in their profession and good observers, which is why we very much welcome tips from you.
Tips for submitting a good hint
In order for a report to be processed quickly and appropriately, it is important that it is as specific as possible. It is helpful if it contains the following information:
- Which persons are affected?
- What has happened?
- How often has the incident been repeated?
- Where did the incident take place?
What happens after a report is made?
The person who has submitted a complaint via the whistleblower portal will receive confirmation of receipt of the report within 7 days at the latest. All reported reports will be investigated immediately and appropriate follow-up action will be taken to remedy the grievance if warranted by the investigation. Depending on the case, a team will be put together to investigate.
The whistleblower receives information about further steps in the handling of the case (including follow-up measures) after 3 months at the latest.
What principles does the Knill Energy Group follow with regard to whistleblowing?
Confidentiality
(Suspected) violations can be reported confidentially by the whistleblower. The whistleblower can report the event by disclosing their identity or anonymously. The whistleblower’s information about (suspected) violations is transmitted directly to the whistleblowing team. They will only be made accessible to other persons to the extent necessary to conduct an appropriate investigation.
Acting in good faith
Anyone reporting a (suspected) violation via our whistleblowing portal must act in good faith and have reasonable grounds to believe that the information disclosed/accessible to them indicates a violation. Early warnings are also welcome in order to avoid violations.
However, any allegations found to be maliciously or knowingly misreported will be considered serious misconduct with consequences under labour law.
No reprisals or other sanctions against whistleblowers
It is contrary to the values of the Knill Energy Group to penalise someone who reports a (suspected) legal violation in good faith. There must be no reprisals or other sanctions within the company against whistleblowers who have acted in good faith. If an employee violates this principle, this has consequences under labour law, up to and including termination of employment.
