12. Society (SO)
The Geberit Code of Conduct describes the basic principles that have to be met in order to be an exemplary, reliable and fair business partner and employer. The content of the Code of Conduct was updated in 2014 and implemented at Geberit – including the former Sanitec Group – in 2015.
In 2015, the Geberit Compass, a key compliance element, was also updated. It describes the cornerstones of the corporate culture, namely the joint mission, the shared values, the operational principles and the success factors to be considered by all employees. This was presented and explained in the Group-wide employee magazine, which is published in six languages.
In order to guarantee compliance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct, Geberit has established an effective compliance system that focuses on the five following key topics: antitrust legislation, corruption, employee rights, product liability and environmental protection. In practice, the system comprises various elements such as guidelines, continuous training, job orientation for new employees, eLearning campaigns, info circulars, compliance-related audits and the Geberit Integrity Line, a whistleblower hotline for employees. A separate Integrity Line will also be available for suppliers from 2017 onwards for reporting anonymously irregularities in the procurement process.
The reporting year also saw the completion of risk assessment in relation to agents, which involved all local sales companies being surveyed on their collaboration with agents. The outcome of this is that only a small number of companies work with agents and there is no exposure to risk. A code of conduct for business partners was nevertheless drawn up based on the Geberit Code of Conduct and communicated to the agents by the managing directors of the local sales companies.
Anti-corruption and anti-competitive behaviour are particularly material aspects in the GRI category Society. Legal Services is responsible for their implementation.
As part of the annual reporting on the Code of Conduct for Employees, compliance with the requirements set out there is subject to controls. All companies receive over 50 questions on the five above-mentioned key topics. In addition, on-site audits are performed by the Internal Audit Department and corrective measures taken in the event of misconduct. The audits also comprise special interviews with the managing directors of the individual companies on the topics mentioned in the Code of Conduct. The respective information is verified. The findings from the survey and audits form the basis for the annual Compliance Report submitted to the Group Executive Board and are published in this Sustainability Performance Report.
With respect to measures and objectives in the Code of Conduct, see also Sustainability strategy.