Compliance Management
Compliance with applicable laws as well as social norms is of considerable importance to Teekanne. We are committed to corporate governance based on ethical values. As a branded goods company, a good reputation in the market based not only on the quality of our products but also on this reputation is of great importance to us. This reputation must be protected against damage caused by legal violations within the company and the negative publicity they generate. The company and its employees must also be protected from material damage, which could result from fines, penalties or claims for damages. Against this background, we attach great importance to ensuring that our employees are familiar with and comply with the legal regulations that are of relevance to them.
In order to ensure that the law is observed (compliance) throughout the Teekanne group of companies, a compliance guideline has been adopted which consistently defines and demands legally impeccable behavior from every employee. Especially in the recent past, it has become apparent that there is a particular need for regulation in the area of antitrust law and the prevention of corruption. Experience has shown that violations of these regulations also have a particularly negative external impact, and here there is a threat of particularly severe sanctions. We have therefore decided to focus the directive on the areas of antitrust law and corruption prevention. This focus will be continuously reviewed and expanded if necessary.
The compliance guideline applies to all employees in all business areas and countries in which Teekanne operates. Our employees are required to implement and live the contents of the compliance guideline without exception. In order to avoid unclear situations in everyday work from the outset, managers and employees are sensitized in regular training sessions and supported in understanding and complying with the legal regulations.
In addition, a compliance organization has been set up whose compliance agents are available to all employees as neutral and independent contacts for questions on the subject of compliance or for clarification of any irregularities or ambiguities. If necessary, anyone – i.e. Teekanne employees as well as external persons – can contact the Compliance Officer or his deputy directly or send an e-mail to the central e-mail address compliance@teekanne.de.
Whistleblower system for the TEEKANNE Group
Our compliance organization also offers a whistleblower system. You can submit tips at whistleblowing@teekanne.de, which will be treated as strictly confidential and examined in an orderly process. For more information on the whistleblower procedure, please read here:
WHISTLEBLOWING Information for Website Visitors:
At TEEKANNE, we are interested in maintaining, sustaining and also protecting a well-functioning organization. Therefore, TEEKANNE is interested in correcting deficiencies in the organization as much as possible to ensure the functioning and well-being of the group.
Unfortunately, in any organization it is impossible to exclude the occurrence of deficiencies due to the fact that people (company employees and/or external service providers or other parties involved) perform actions that are not lawful, do not appear legitimate and may cause one to feel that “… there is something not right”. It is in line with TEEKANNE’s philosophy and corporate values to create transparency by using the whistleblower system to report, in a strictly confidential manner, actions that appear to be “out of order”, illegal or at least legally questionable. You can submit a report via the whistleblower system without fear of reprisals. However, only the reporting channel via whistleblowing@teekanne.de offers this protection; other, still existing reporting systems in the TEEKANNE Group cannot guarantee this protection.
Finally, we have summarized some important information about the whistleblower system:
The most important question first: What is the function of whistleblower systems?
Whistleblowers make a contribution to the good functioning of a company that should not be underestimated by exposing wrongdoing or even criminal acts. In this context, the word DENUNCIATION (reporting from low motives) is often used. It should be noted here that a whistleblower cannot be equated with a denunciator. The information mentioned by the whistleblower, unlike in the case of denunciation, often provides valuable information for the company that would not have become known without the support of the whistleblower. The focus should therefore be on the fact that whistleblowing strengthens the company and the organization by making any grievances transparent.
What does whistleblowing mean?
In companies, whistleblowers are persons who draw attention to inadmissible, illegal, punishable but also legally questionable or generally problematic conditions or behavior that is not considered “compliant”, even if this is classified as secret or protected information. Whistleblower disclosures typically or often include corruption, antitrust violations, human rights abuses, data breaches, or general threats that the whistleblower has learned about at work or in other contexts.
How is the handling of whistleblowers regulated in the TEEKANNE Group?
The whistleblower has the opportunity to provide information in strict confidence at whistleblowing@teekanne.de. For the entire TEEKANNE Group, only two persons have access to the mails received at the aforementioned whistleblowing e-mail address, namely Dr. Gerhard Held and Richarda Patzer from the Legal, Insurance & Compliance department, who receive the reports and review them in an orderly process. We assure every whistleblower that we will follow up on all tips with the utmost care and in absolute confidentiality.
Date: March 2022