In July 2021, the Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations for the Prevention of Human Rights Violations in Supply Chains (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz – LkSG of July 16, 2021, Federal Law Gazette I p. 2959) was enacted in the Federal Republic of Germany. Under this law, from 2023, companies with more than 3,000 employees in Germany and from 2024, companies with more than 1,000 employees in Germany, must take appropriate measures in order to address potential risks of human rights violations along supply chains.
The regulations on formal documentation of the measures specified in the law, are not yet applicable to our company. Nevertheless, the guiding principle of the LkSG, namely the avoidance of human rights violations along supply chains, is already a binding part of our corporate commitment as documented in our Code of Conduct (CoC). Based on our CoC, we promote the UN Human Rights Charter and ensure that our economic activities do not involve us in human rights violations. This also applies to the observance of the fundamental rights of employees, the inadmissibility of child labor, and impairments of the environment that can lead to human rights violations. We also promote compliance with these principles in an appropriate manner among our direct and indirect suppliers. In this respect, the requirements set out in the LkSG are not new to us but have long been part of our day-to-day operations. If you become aware of any indications or practices – also insofar as they relate to our direct suppliers or their upstream suppliers – that do not conform to our principles of responsible corporate governance or violate a particularly protected legal position within the meaning of the LkSG, or if you are directly affected by these, we kindly ask you to report them to us.
We have commissioned the company Compliance Beratung + Service GmbH (Hinweisgeberexperte) to record and process incoming information and complaints. Hinweisgeberexperte can be contacted as follows:
Reporting platform: https://brandsupplychain.hinweisgeberexpertemeldeplattform.de/en
E-mail: info@hinweisgeberexperte.de
Postal address: Compliance Beratung + Service GmbH
Hinweismanagement Beschwerdeverfahren
Maximilianstraße 24
80539 München
You can decide whether you submit your information anonymously or provide us with your contact details. Since we stand for open and trustful communication, we would appreciate it if you disclosed your identity. This will make it easier for us to clarify the facts. In any case, your information will be kept strictly confidential. For more information on how we handle your information and complaints, please refer to our Rules of Procedure for the Complaints Procedure.
The attention of each individual can help support transparency and integrity in purchasing at BRAND.
BRAND GMBH + CO KG