The corporate departments Environment and Sustainability (community aspect) and Legal Services (corruption, anti-competitive behavior, compliance with other basic laws) are responsible for questions of social responsibility related to the business activities of the Geberit Group.

Both internally and externally, Geberit places great value on dialog. The suggestions and needs of the local stakeholders are recorded at all production sites in order to counter potential problems such as noise emissions and exploit opportunities for cooperation. Thus, for example, a → round table with regional farmers served to reach agreement on guidelines for the generation of biogas for the Pfullendorf (DE) production site. The introduction of a → Stakeholder Panel is another important measure aimed at integrating the perspectives of stakeholders. Following on from the first panel in 2012, the next Stakeholder Panel consultation is due to be carried out in 2014.

Geberit aims to be a model of ethical, environmental and socially responsible operations. The → Geberit Code of Conduct is the definitive guide for conduct with integrity in the corporate environment. For instance, fair competition throughout the world is an important principle here. Cartels of any kind and other competition-distorting activities are rejected. As a member of Transparency International Switzerland, Geberit is committed to high standards in combating corruption. There are clear guidelines for the purposes of prevention and employees receive continuous training in this area. Compliance with the guidelines is monitored as part of an annual binding survey at all Geberit Group companies (see the individual indicators for the results). Internal auditing is supplemented by on-site audits. In the event of misconduct, corrective measures are taken.

Key areas are focused on during training on compliance. In 2013, comprehensive training on antitrust legislation via an e-learning program was carried out as planned at the sites in China, India, South Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia and the USA. During this training, the respective members of management and the field service employees were brought up to the same level of knowledge and prepared for the market challenges. As in 2011, all sites in Europe will take part in the updated e-learning program in 2014.

With respect to measures and objectives in the Code of Conduct, see also → www.geberit.com > Sustainability > Sustainability Strategy.

The potential for conflict with public interests in the vicinity of Geberit sites is generally regarded as low. As part of environmental management in accordance with ISO 14001, a stakeholder analysis is performed at all production sites. Based on this analysis, the effects of the business activities and production on local communities and regions are assessed.

Geberit maintains good relations with its neighbors and carries out appropriate measures at its sites: for example, open days, involvement in associations, etc.

For further information, see → 4.16 and → 4.17.

According to the annual binding survey carried out at all Geberit Group companies, there were no cases of corruption in 2013.

The topic of corruption is also a component of the audit program for the periodic inspections of the production plants and sales companies by the Internal Audit department. Various audit activities and interviews are carried out as part of these inspections. The annual audit planning of the Internal Audit Department is oriented to risks. Each company is audited at least every four years, or more frequently if it has a heightened risk profile. In 2013, the Internal Audit Department audited a total of 16 companies. This represent approximately one-third of all Geberit companies. In addition, approximately three to four in-depth audits are carried out each year, whereby the audit focus is on the processes of Group-wide functions (e.g. Purchasing, IT, etc.). No cases of corruption were discovered in 2013.

In 2008, more than 98% of employees were informed of and trained in the Code of Conduct. With the aid of short films (“animatics”), the training focuses on gray areas in four topics of relevance: bribery (corruption), sexual harassment, workplace bullying and IT misuse. In 2013, as before, new employees were also trained accordingly as part of the Welcome events. In addition, since 2012 contributions toward increasing awareness of the Geberit Code of Conduct have been published on the intranet.

To raise awareness on the topic of compliance, a “Corporate Compliance Info Letter” was sent to all managers on management levels 1 to 3 in 2013 for the first time. This letter contained information on the latest developments in case law, legislation and practice in the areas of antitrust legislation, product liability and corruption.

No measures were necessary, as no cases of corruption were revealed in 2013.

As a rule, Geberit does not issue political statements and does not involve itself in political lobbying.

As a rule, Geberit does not make donations to parties or politicians. All donations and related commitments (see → EC8) are neutral from a party political point of view.

Cartels of any kind and other competition-distorting activities are categorically rejected. There are no pending complaints alleging anti-competitive behavior. Skills in dealing with this topic are promoted as part of comprehensive training (see → DMA-SO)

Geberit incurred no fines in 2013 resulting from violations of statutory requirements.