Speak Up Line: the SV Group’s whistleblower portal
Ensuring compliance with legal requirements, our SV employees’ code of conduct and our supplier code of conduct is the SV Group’s top priority. Our corporate philosophy is based on integrity and compliance. We do not tolerate any form of corruption, bribery or price fixing and reject any form of discrimination. To meet this high standard, it is important to learn about and put a stop to potential misconduct by our own employees or our business partners. The SV Group has set up an independent and confidential whistleblower portal for this very purpose: the Speak Up Line.
The SV employees’ code of conduct and the supplier code of conduct
In addition to the legal regulations, the SV Group has internal principles of conduct that employees agree to and undertake to comply with when they join the company. Of course, these principles of conduct don’t just apply to SV Group employees. They are also relevant to our business partners within Switzerland and abroad. This is why we have prepared a separate supplier code of conduct specifically for them, which describes the ethical, environmental and social standards in detail. We expect our business partners to consistently adhere to these standards of conduct.
Despite the precautionary measures we take and our good corporate governance practices, we are not immune to the possibility of legal violations or breaches of our code of conduct. We want to follow up on such misconduct, work out solutions and thereby continuously improve. That is why we rely on people using the Speak Up Line to report violations or breaches.
The Speak Up Line
The SV Group’s Speak Up Line is a web-based whistleblower portal that allows whistleblowers to engage in a confidential dialogue with internal officers that is secured by means of special encryption.
Violations of regulations in the following areas – to name but a few examples – can be reported: fraud, conflicts of interest, theft or embezzlement, as well as mismanagement, corruption, competition and antitrust law, harassment and discrimination, serious environmental damage, the protection of privacy and personal data, human rights and the protection of individuals, threats to health and safety and other legal violations or violations of a code of conduct.
A fair process
The most important principle of our whistleblower portal is the fact that it offers a fair process. This also includes the opportunity to send reports and communicate anonymously. We hereby confirm that we will not take any measures to identify anonymous whistleblowers. We guarantee the greatest possible protection for whistleblowers, people concerned and employees who help to investigate a reported violation. Discrimination against whistleblowers and anyone involved in the investigation will not be tolerated. The people concerned are assumed to be innocent until the violation is proven. The investigations are carried out in complete confidentiality. All information is processed as part of a fair, fast and protected process.
How do we process your tip-off?
The system only releases the reports received to the SV Group’s Speak Up Committee for processing. The Speak Up Committee consists of a small number of people who are specially trained and bound to maintain confidentiality.
You will receive confirmation of receipt from the Speak Up Committee no later than seven days after it has received your report. If the tip-off is valid, it will be followed up in the country in question and appropriate action will be taken. This follow-up process may also include obtaining additional information, especially from the whistleblower. The Speak Up Committee will then assess the findings of the investigation and initiate appropriate corrective action and sanctions. The Speak up Committee will send follow-up feedback to the whistleblower(s) within three months of sending them confirmation of receipt. If the case has not been closed yet by this point, an interim status will be communicated. This feedback cannot be so extensive that it affects the investigation of the tip-off and adversely affects the rights of the persons who are the subject of the report or who are named in the report.
Online whistleblower portal
Direct link to the whistleblower portal: svgroup.integrityline.com
If you have any questions about the Speak Up Line, please contact us by emailing: SpeakUp@sv-group.com