Whistleblower system
Coming into effect of the Whistleblower Protection Act
On December 16, 2022, the German Bundestag passed the Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG). Subject to the approval of the Bundesrat, employers (companies, authorities, etc.) must create (anonymous) reporting offices in accordance with the HinSchG. The law came into force on July 2, 2023, and affects companies with more than 50 employees. These are obliged to set up an internal reporting channel (e.g., a whistleblower system). The law is intended to protect whistleblowers from reprisals if they have obtained information about breaches during their professional activities and pass this on to the reporting bodies. The procedure for submitting reports must be possible verbally or in writing and if desired, in person. The reporting office must confirm receipt of the report to whistleblowers within seven days. The reporting office must inform the whistleblower of any follow-up measures taken within three months.
Establishment of a reporting office in accordance with the HinSchG
Companies must set up and operate a reporting office where in particular:
- Employees including employees whose employment relationship has already ended, job applicants, interns, and temporary workers
- Self-employed persons providing services, freelancers, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and their employees
- Shareholders and persons in management bodies
Can report the following violations in particular:
- Violations of criminal provisions; this refers to any criminal provision under German law
- Violations that are subject to a fine if the violated regulation serves to protect life, limb, or health, or to protect the rights of employees or their representative bodies. This includes in particular regulations from the following areas:
- Occupational health and safety
- Minimum Wage Act
- Duty to provide information and clarification to bodies of the works constitution, such as works councils
- All violations of federal and state legislation as well as directly applicable EU legislation in a variety of different areas such as:
- Combating money laundering
- Product safety
- Road safety
- Transportation of dangerous goods
- Environmental and radiation protection
- Food and meat safety
- Quality and safety standards for medicinal products and medical devices
- Consumer protection
- Data protection and security in information technology
- Public procurement law
- Accounting for corporations
- Competition law etc.
Our company pursues the goal of acting in accordance with legal regulations in all business activities. To this end, we have set up a whistleblower management system. The aim of this whistleblower management system is to protect our company, employees, and other persons, as well as our business partners from damage caused by criminal offenses, violations of the Money Laundering Act, conflicts of interest, violations of data protection regulations, etc.
If you have reasonable grounds to suspect that employees or managers of our company, a supplier, or subcontractor are committing breaches of due diligence or violations of the Whistleblower Protection Act, please use our electronic whistleblower system to report this.
Electronic Whistleblower System
Our electronic whistleblower system enables you to submit a report easily and securely. You can also send voice messages with voice distortion. The system allows you to send encrypted and protected messages to our internal reporting office.
Information and access to our whistleblower system can be found under the following link:
https://whistleblowersoftware.com/secure/Luitpoldhuette_GmbH
You can also access this link from your private devices. We recommend this to ensure confidentiality. It is freely accessible. Your name will not be disclosed to our company for confidential messages.
Outsourcing of the Internal Reporting Office in accordance with the Whistleblower Protection Act
We have outsourced our internal reporting office in accordance with the Whistleblower Protection Act to the law firm Costard, Lina-Ammon Strasse 9, 90471 Nürnberg. Further information can be found at www.it-rechtsberater.de.
Please submit your information via the electronic whistleblower system so that we can record and process your information centrally.