"Compliance with all applicable legal provisions and our internal rules is an essential prerequisite for the success of the Salzgitter Group; it is a cornerstone of our corporate culture."

Gunnar Groebler, Chief Executive Officer

Compliance at the Salzgitter Group

Along with the performance of our employees, reliable social framework conditions, fair and trusting cooperation with partners, and an appreciative relationship with our natural environment are essential to the success of the Salzgitter Group.

For this reason, it is important to observe generally accepted basic values in our dealings with other people and companies, to comply with the law and to behave fairly towards people and nature. In short: We act responsibly at all times.

Our Mission Statement YOUNITED

In addition to the legal requirements for corporate governance and the recommendations of the German Corporate Governance Code, we have developed the mission statement "YOUNITED" for our Group. Among other things, employees from all Group companies and hierarchical levels have defined a common set of values. It includes values such as reliability, fairness and sustainability.

 

Acting responsibly

Our Executive Board has defined a set of clear principles of conduct for all employees of the Group in the form of a Code of Conduct. They provide guidance in our daily work, which is to be aligned to these principles. These include lawful conduct and ethical behavior, a commitment to fair and honest competition, the rejection of all forms of corruption as well as respect for internationally recognized human rights. It also serves to promote trusting cooperation and honest dealings among employees and with business partners.

 

Zero Tolerance

Compliance with statutory regulations constitutes the irrevocable framework within which the Salzgitter Group conducts its entrepreneurial activities. Violations of the law will not be tolerated.

Picture with link to PDF Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct of the
Salzgitter Group as PDF
 

The topic of compliance is also firmly anchored in the Declaration on Corporate Governance.

Supplier Code
of the Salzgitter Group
as PDF

Picture with link to PDF Policy statement on human rights strategy

Policy statement on human rights strategy
of the Salzgitter Group
as PDF

Our Compliance Management System

The aim of the compliance management system at the Salzgitter Group is to prevent violations of laws and internal guidelines throughout the Group, as well as to uncover violations and respond to them appropriately and effectively. It is based on the three pillars of PREVENT, DETECT and REACT.

 

Code of Conduct and Group Policy Corporate Compliance

The rules of the Code of Conduct form a core element of the Salzgitter Group's corporate culture. The Group's Corporate Compliance Guideline obligates all Group employees to comply with the law and internal guidelines and provides them with concrete rules of conduct for the prevention of corruption, correct behavior in terms of antitrust and competition law, and for the avoidance of money laundering risks.

Compliance training program

Our compliance training program provides all employees with the necessary knowledge on corruption prevention, competition/antitrust law and money laundering prevention to better identify and avoid the risk of violations in relation to their assigned tasks and areas of responsibility.

Compliance Information Desk

The legal departments of the Salzgitter Group are available to all Group companies and employees as contacts in legal matters and guarantee comprehensive legal advice.

Compliance employee communications

Employee communication tools are used to continuously raise awareness of compliance-relevant issues among all Group employees.

CMS at the Group companies

Each Group company has an appropriate compliance management system geared to its size, the nature of its business activities and its risk situation.

Group compliance risk analysis

The compliance risk situation of the Salzgitter Group is regularly analyzed and assessed.

Notification system

The whistleblower system of the Salzgitter Group gives everyone the opportunity to point out violations of the law and misconduct.

Effectiveness control

The effectiveness of the compliance management systems of the Salzgitter Group and the Group companies is regularly reviewed by means of internal audits.

Internal investigations

Any suspicion of a violation of the law or rules is comprehensively investigated and clarified.

Sanctions and improvement measures

Appropriate sanctions are applied in response to any violations identified. Improvement measures are taken to prevent recurrence.

Reporting

The compliance reporting system ensures that the Executive Board is kept up to date on compliance events. The Executive Board and the Supervisory Board are also regularly informed about the further development of the compliance management system and significant compliance events at the Salzgitter Group.

Salzgitter Group's whistleblower system

We have set up the whistleblower system FAIR TOGETHER in order to learn about and counteract violations of the law, human rights or environmental risks and any violations of human rights or environmental obligations in connection with the economic activities of the Salzgitter Group companies or along its supply chains.

Providing information

FAIR TOGETHER is publicly accessible. All Group employees, business partners and anyone else affected by the activities of the Salzgitter Group - whether in Germany or abroad - can contact the Salzgitter Group's reporting channels to submit information. FAIR TOGETHER offers the opportunity to point out violations of the law or other circumstances through which people, the environment, Salzgitter AG or one of its Group companies are harmed, unjustly disadvantaged or natural resources are unlawfully impaired in connection with the economic activities of the Salzgitter Group or one of its suppliers.
 

Reporting Channels

Reports can either be submitted via our electronic reporting portal or directed to our Compliance Hotline or our Ombudswoman.

Our electronic reporting portal can be used to submit reports in numerous languages. Our Compliance Hotline and our Ombudswoman accept reports in German or English. They are also available for a personal meeting upon request and after making an appointment.
 

Confidentiality and anonymity

All information is treated confidentially. The information they contain about persons and facts is only accessible internally to employees who need it to process the case.

Anonymous tips can be submitted via our electronic reporting portal. Our Ombudswoman does not disclose the identity of the whistleblower or other parties involved to the Salzgitter Group at the whistleblower's request.

Frequently, there are follow-up questions to the information received. We are grateful to whistleblowers who give us the opportunity to contact them. To this end, we kindly ask whistleblowers to provide us with their contact details. If anonymity is to be maintained, we ask that you use our electronic reporting portal or contact us via the ombudswoman.
 

No disadvantages for whistleblowers

No whistleblower who, at the time of reporting, had sufficient reason to believe that the information he or she reported was true need fear any disadvantages. The protection of Salzgitter Group employees who provide use information via our whistleblower system is specifically regulated in the Group's Corporate Compliance Guideline.

Fairness

Reporting inaccurate information may unfairly expose affected individuals and companies to suspicion. Therefore, please handle the opportunity to provide information responsibly.
 

Clue processing

Every whistleblower who gives us the opportunity to contact him will receive confirmation of the receipt of his report within seven days. After three months at the latest, we inform the whistleblower about planned and already taken follow-up measures. The responsible Compliance Office examines the validity of each report and discusses it with the whistleblower. The underlying facts are clarified either by the Group Internal Audit department of Salzgitter AG or by the management of the Group company concerned, if necessary with the support of the responsible Compliance Office or the responsible legal department. Once the facts have been clarified, the management of the Group company concerned shall initiate the preventive, remedial or other improvement measures to be taken.
 

Privacy notice

For more detailed information on data protection and the processing of your personal data within the whistleblower system, please refer to our Whistleblower System – Data Privacy.

Registration Channels

Electronic reporting portal of Salzgitter AG

Compliance-Management
Group Legal Department of Salzgitter AG

Via our electronic reporting portal, you can submit reports in 26 languages, anonymously if you wish, and 24 hours a day.

Electronic reporting portal

Salzgitter Group's Compliance Hotline

Compliance-Management
Group Legal Department of Salzgitter AG

+49 5341 21-9229
compliance-hotline@salzgitter-ag.de

Postal address:
Salzgitter AG
Compliance-Hotline/10 RVC
Eisenhüttenstraße 99
38239 Salzgitter

Ombudswoman of Salzgitter AG

Lawyer
Nina Weigel-Grabenhorst

+49 531 310 7 3177
 salzgitter-ombudsfrau@sqr-law.com

Postal address:
Ombudsfrau der Salzgitter AG
SQR Rechtsanwälte LLP
Wolfenbütteler Straße 45
38124 Braunschweig

External reporting offices

If you do not wish to address your information to a Salzgitter Group reporting office, you can also contact the reporting offices of the following authorities and institutions: