Compliance Management System
Compliance at GRITEC and how we ensure compliance.
Compliance bei GRITEC
We see ourselves as a value-oriented company. Compliance with and protection of these principles is extremely important to us. Adherence to our standards is monitored and continuously expanded through training and audits in the areas of compliance, code of conduct, occupational safety, GDPR, etc.
We have therefore introduced a Code of Conduct. This is based on our standards, rules and values, which we have documented and formulated in our mission statement, internal procedural instructions and much more. The Code of Conduct is supplemented by other systems such as the whistleblower system or the measures from the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG).
Code of Conduct
We have developed a mission statement for our company. In our Code of Conduct, we describe how we, as a value-oriented company, adhere to our principles in our business environment.
We expect the same from our business partners. Our expectations are set out in this Code of Conduct, which our business partners undertake to comply with.
Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG)
The Supply Chain Duty of Care Act (LkSG) comes into force for companies with over 1,000 employees from 01.01.2024, including GRITEC GmbH. The LkSG regulates corporate responsibility for compliance with environmental protection, labor and human rights and strengthens sustainable procurement in global supply chains. As a result, people within this sphere of influence, our customers and end users, as well as ourselves as a company, benefit from this.
As a result, we introduced our Code of Conduct for Suppliers on January 1, 2023 and are currently establishing a sustainability assessment for our suppliers with EcoVadis to ensure sustainable procurement. However, we not only have our suppliers assessed, but have also carried out our own certification with EcoVadis. GRITEC was awarded a bronze medal for the first time, making it one of the top 35% of suppliers assessed across all sectors last year.
Among other things, this is an important contribution to our ESG strategy, in which we assume responsibility for our actions in the areas of the environment, social affairs and governance above and beyond the legal requirements.
What does the LkSG regulate?
The German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) holds companies in Germany responsible for respecting human and environmental rights as part of their due diligence obligations. The obligations extend beyond the company's own business area and affect the actions of contractual partners as well as indirect suppliers and therefore have an impact on the entire supply chain.
As a first step, companies are obliged to identify the risks in their supply chain and to plan and implement suitable measures to avoid or minimize violations of human and environmental rights. Another obligation is the establishment of a complaints channel for people within the supply chain and regular supply chain management reporting.
The Supply Chain Due Diligence Act thus strengthens, among other things
- protection against child labor, forced labor and discrimination
- protection against land grabbing,
- occupational health and safety,
- the right to fair wages,
- the right to form trade unions,
- protection against violations of environmental law
Who does the LkSG apply to?
The law has applied to companies with over 3,000 employees since 01.01.2023. From 01.01.2024, it will also apply to companies with 1,000 employees or more, which includes GRITEC GmbH.
What is EcoVadis?
EcoVadis is a purpose-driven company with a mission to provide the world's most reliable corporate sustainability assessments. Organizations of all sizes rely on EcoVadis' expertise and evidence-based assessments to monitor and improve the sustainability performance of their business and trading partners. The actionable scorecards, benchmarks, carbon action tools and insights help improve environmental, social and ethical practices across 200 industry categories and 175 countries.
What does the EcoVadis assessment offer?
The EcoVadis assessment comprises 21 sustainability criteria on the core topics of the environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement, which are in line with the objectives of the LkSG. The aim is to assess, promote and improve sustainability along our entire supply chain. This gives us the opportunity to identify risks in the supply chain at an early stage and avoid or at least reduce them in advance.
Whistleblower system
With our whistleblower system, we offer both our employees and external persons the opportunity to report possible violations of our Code of Conduct (CoC) or breaches of the law in anonymized form. Every report is treated in strict confidence. The whistleblower system also serves as a complaints procedure in accordance with Sections 8 and 9 (1) LkSG.
This applies to suspicion of:
- Corruption
- Fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation
- Violations of competition law
- money laundering
- Data protection violations
- Theft
- Environmental and occupational health and safety violations
- Disregard for social standards and human rights