Ombudsperson /Compliance Reporting

Group-wide ombudsperson and reporting office in accordance with the Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG) at Klingspor

The Klingspor Group already has a contact system for its globally active employees to receive information on improper business practices and violations of laws and guidelines.

In addition to the early detection of criminal behavior, such as corruption, fraud, theft, misappropriation, the ombudsperson and whistleblower system serves to prevent violations of applicable laws as well as violations of internal policies and guidelines within the Klingspor Group.

For this purpose, Klingspor AG set up an ombudsperson office in Haiger years ago.

In future, the tried and tested ombudsperson's office will also assume the function of an internal reporting office in accordance with the Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG), through which employees worldwide, business partners and also third parties have the opportunity to report irregular behavior at any time, anonymously if they wish.

In order to take effective action against violations and to initiate adequate follow-up measures, notifications can be made through the already established internal channels:

  • E-Mail: omb@klingspor.de
  • Telephone (German and English) during normal business hours at: +49 (0) 2773 922 800

On request:

  • By post: Klingspor AG, Ombuds Office, Hüttenstraße 36, 35708 Haiger, Germany
    Please mark the envelope "Strictly confidential! Only to be opened by the ombudsperson's office".
  • In person by prior appointment via omb@klingspor.de

All information is examined confidentially by the ombudsperson's office; if desired, anonymous reporting and processing is also possible. Whistleblowers are protected against repression by the Whistleblower Protection Act, which ensures that those who disclose such violations are protected against personal disadvantages. We trust that, as in the past the possibility of reporting will be handled responsibly, especially in the case of anonymous information. For the sake of completeness, we would like to make it clear that confidentiality and the protection of informers do not apply to intentionally or grossly negligently incorrect information.

At the same time, however, those wrongly accused should also receive better protection through confidential processing and verification of the suspicion.

Whistleblowers receive an acknowledgement of receipt of their complaint within 7 days and feedback on the content of their complaint within 3 months.

 

The law primarily provides for employees of the company to use the internal reporting office ("ombudsperson's office") for reports, because this regularly promises faster and more targeted processing.

On the government side, an external reporting office is to be created at the Federal Office of Justice (BfJ) as an alternative, while the existing reporting systems at the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and the Federal Cartel Office for their specific area of responsibility will remain in place.

Based on our positive experience with the ombudsperson system in the Klingspor Group, we are pleased about the new legal regulation on whistleblower protection in Germany, which carries forward the practice we have already implemented internally.

Issue: 28.06.2023