Whistleblower Protection
Austria has implemented the EU's "Whistleblowing Directive" in the "HinweisgeberInnenschutzgesetz"- HSchG (Text in German). Based on this law, the DIETZEL-UNIVOLT Group has set up an internal reporting centre in Vienna, Austria to which whistleblowers can turn.
What offences can be reported?
The HSchG applies to criminal offences in the area of corruption and bribery and to violations of EU law. If you have information or a well-founded suspicion that a company in the DIETZEL-UNIVOLT Group has violated regulations in the areas listed below, you should report this:
- Public procurement
- Product safety and conformity
- Traffic safety
- Environmental protection
- Radiation protection and nuclear safety
- Food and feed safety, animal welfare and animal health
- Public health
- Consumer protection
- Protection of privacy and personal data
- Security of network and information systems
- Infringements to the detriment of the financial interests of the European Union
- Prevention and punishment of criminal offences under Sections 302 to 309 of the Austrian "Strafgesetzbuch" (i.e. corruption and bribery)
Please note that the reporting channel can only be used to report infringements listed here.
Who can report breaches as a whistleblower?
All persons who have received information about one of the above-mentioned infringements due to a current or previous professional connection with the DIETZEL-UNIVOLT Group can contact the Reporting Centre. These are above all
- employees
- temporary workers
- applicants
- trainees
- Self-employed service providers
- suppliers
- subcontractors
These persons are particularly protected by law when making a report. The law also protects persons who assist whistleblowers in providing information or those who could be affected by the negative consequences of a report.
(Internal) channel to be used for reporting
DIETZEL-UNIVOLT has set up an internal reporting office to which employees and external third parties can turn if they have sufficient indications thatviolations of the HSchG have occurred.
There is no provision for anonymous reporting. If you, as a whistleblower, would like a personal meeting, please let us know at the address opposite. Such a meeting will be arranged within 14 days.
Please send your report by e-mail to:
dietzel[at]andlaw.at
andréewitch & partner rechtsanwälte GmbH
Stallburggasse 4
1010 Wien
The reporting office treats your information and your identity as a whistleblower as strictly confidential and protects your data by taking appropriate technical and organisational measures. Your identity will only be disclosed if an administrative authority, a court or the public prosecutor's office deems this necessary and proportionate in the context of proceedings.
Whistleblower protection
If, in the course of your professional activity, you become aware of and uncover a violation of the law as described above, you are a protected whistleblower from the time of the report
- if you can assume from the circumstances and on the basis of the information available to you that the information you have provided is true, and
- if your information falls within the scope of the HSchG.
In these cases, you are protected from negative consequences and reprisals, e.g. negative labour law measures such as dismissal, salary reduction, transfer or disciplinary measures are ineffective, as are premature termination of contracts or withdrawal of licences or permits.
This protection does not apply to knowingly false reports, which may give rise to claims for damages or (administrative) legal action.
Procedure
at the latest you will receive a confirmation of receipt to the postal address, e-mail or other electronic address you have provided, unless you have expressly objected to this or the reporting office has reason to believe that such a confirmation would compromise the protection of your identity.
You have the right to supplement or correct your notification at any time. You will also receive a confirmation for these subsequent notifications within seven days.
at the latest, you will be informed about the follow-up measures taken by the reporting office or why the report is not being followed up. The reporting office will also contact you during this period if there are any queries.
External reporting channel
An external reporting office in Austria has been set up at the "Bundesamt für Korruptionsprävention und Korruptionsbekämpfung" at the Ministry of the Interior (BMI). Please direct your reports preferably to the internal office specified above - a report to the external reporting office is intended above all if it is not possible or reasonable to deal with the report at the internal office or if it has proved unsuccessful.
Data protection
The reporting office is authorised to process personal data of whistleblowers as well as data of third parties who appear in the report for the purposes specified in the law. The rights of data subjects under the GDPR (e.g. right to information, right to rectification, right to erasure, etc. - see our privacy statement) are restricted by special provisions in the HSchG and do not apply as long as and to the extent necessary to protect the identity of the whistleblower.