More security and protection for whistleblowers
TÜV NORD GROUP has introduced Trust Line, a digital tool that improves the safety and protection of whistleblowers by enabling confidential and secure reporting in multiple languages. Whistleblowers play a crucial role in identifying and resolving internal issues and legal violations, which strengthens trust within the organization. In addition to the long-standing ombudsman Dr. Thiel von Herff, Trust Line offers additional reporting channels that facilitate the global reporting of compliance cases.
Luis Gómez Martín, CEO of ALTER, points out that ‘The trust that customers, suppliers, partners and employees place in ALTER is one of our main assets. A fundamental element of that trust is our strict compliance with laws and regulations and our commitment to conduct our business professionally, fairly and honestly in accordance with the highest ethical standards’.
Each year, TÜV NORD GROUP records 14 to 15 compliance cases, including corruption, antitrust violations, fraud, harassment and discrimination, which is in the lower range of the industry benchmark. On average, there are one to two compliance cases per 1,000 employees in German companies each year. Our group's core values include security, reliability, neutrality, integrity and trust, with a group-wide mandatory Code of Conduct serving as a guideline. Reporting systems are designed to help identify and correct potential problems at an early stage.
Victoria Bujalance, Compliance Officer at ALTER adds, ‘It is essential to ensure compliance is in place, and with NAVEX's Trust Line, we have modernised our internal reporting system in accordance with Law 2/2023 of 20 February, regulating the protection of persons who report regulatory violations and the fight against corruption’
TÜV NORD uses the “Ethics Point” module of NAVEX and plans to include business partner audits and compliance training in the future. You can read a detailed article on this topic in the current issue of internord.
Trust Line is available in more than 25 languages and allows anonymous communication via a toll-free hotline. The system forwards reports to the responsible compliance officers and combines whistleblower and case management for secure and standardised processing. It is accessible via a special website for employees and external third parties and complies with legal requirements on human rights and environmental protection.
Trust Line