The success of the Volkswagen Group, of which Škoda form part of - is underpinned by honesty and integrity on the part of all of our employees. By acting in accordance with national and international laws and regulations, internal policies, guidelines and voluntary commitments, we always repay the considerable trust shown in the Škoda brand by our customers, business partners and stakeholders on a daily basis. An ethos of integrity, irreproachable conduct and fair dealings with each other are not merely something we take for granted – these values are deeply rooted in our brand identity. Upholding and further strengthening our system of values is one of the main duties of our company.
For the Volkswagen Group, compliance is adherence to legal requirements, internal corporate policies, ethical principles, and self-imposed values for the protection of the company and its brands. In the long term, a company can only be successful if it acts with integrity, complies with statutory provisions worldwide, and stands by its voluntary undertakings and ethical principles, even when this is the harder choice. We remain committed to this principle and compliance must be second nature to all Volkswagen Group employees.
The section further explores the following compliance topics:
Volkswagen Group Australia's Code of Conduct is the key instrument for strengthening employee awareness of correct behaviour, providing support, and guidance, and finding the right contact persons for consultation and advice. The focus is on the responsibility of each individual employee to comply with the rules of ethical conduct.
The Code of Conduct for Business Partners embeds our expectations of our business partners conduct with respect to key environmental, social and compliance standards in our contractual agreements. The requirements are based, among other things, on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the relevant International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions. The Code of Conduct is, however, not just based on international standards, but also objectives, rules and policies of the Volkswagen Group.
Complying with statutory regulations and internal rules, and the principles laid down in our Code of Conduct and Code of Conduct for Business Partners, has top priority at Škoda Australia. The success of our company is based on Integrity and Compliance. To meet these standards, it is important to learn of potential employee or supplier misconduct and to put a stop to it. Therefore, we entrusted the Central Investigation Office to operate an independent, impartial and confidential Whistleblower System on our behalf.
A key pillar of our Whistleblower System is the principle of procedural fairness. It also guarantees the greatest possible protection for whistleblowers, Persons Implicated and employees contributing to the investigation of reported misconduct.
This also includes offering opportunities for anonymous reporting and communication. We assure not to perform any steps in order to identify anonymous whistleblowers, who do not misuse our Whistleblower System. Retaliation of whistleblowers and all persons who contribute to investigations at Škoda Australia will not be tolerated. Persons implicated are presumed innocent until the violation is proven. Investigations will be conducted with the utmost confidentiality. The information will be processed in a fair, fast and protected process.
The qualified and experienced colleagues at the Investigation Office examine every report for potential misconduct by a Volkswagen Group employee thoroughly and follow it up systematically. First, you will get a confirmation of receipt. The Investigation Office then assesses your report. This includes gathering facts particularly from the whistleblower. Only if this initial evaluation shows grounds for suspicion of a violation, an investigation by a dedicated Investigating Unit will be started. Afterwards, the results of the investigation will be assessed by the Investigation Office and appropriate measures will be recommended. Information about the status* and the outcome of the procedure will be given to you without undue delay.
Potential violations of the Code of Conduct for Business Partners by suppliers, including serious risks and violations of human rights and environment by direct and indirect suppliers, can also be reported to the Investigation Office - as well as reports requiring otherwise immediate action. The Investigation Office will inform the responsible departments, who will process the issue accordingly. This particularly includes taking the necessary measures to minimize or end violations and/or risks.
*The processing time varies depending on the subject of the procedure.
If you have any questions or inquiries regarding your new or used vehicle | feedback or complaints about services provided by Škoda, please contact our Customer Care Contact via email hello@myskoda.com.au. We kindly ask for your understanding that the Whistleblower System unfortunately cannot process customer complaints.
The Whistleblower System offers various channels to report potential employee misconduct that allow a swift review and reaction by our company if necessary.
24/7 Hotline
You can make a report at 365 days, 24 hours, using the international toll-free number: +0011 800 444 46300*.
If your local telephone provider does not support the toll-free service, you can call the following chargeable number: +0011 49 5361 946300.
*Depending on the country you are calling from it is possible that the international toll-free hotline is not available since some telephone network providers do not support the service. If so, please use the offered chargeable number or your country specific number.
Online Reporting Channel
You have the option of using a web-based communication platform BKMS to contact the Investigation Office in many languages. This system is confidential and technically secured. Even if your preferred language is not offered in the reporting channel, you can use any language to submit your report. You can also contact the Investigation Office in any language via e-mail or mail.
Ombudspersons
The Volkswagen Group has appointed external lawyers to act as Ombudspersons. They advise on the Whistleblower System or ensure that reports from whistleblowers are forwarded anonymously to the Investigation Office if desired.
If you want to get in contact with the Ombudsperson you can find their contact details here: http://www.ombudsmen-of-volkswagen.com/
Email
You can get in contact with the Central Investigation Office of the Volkswagen Group via e-mail: io@volkswagen.de.
Postal Address/in person
Postal address:
Central Investigation Office
Box 1717
38436 Wolfsburg Germany
In person:
Please make an appointment in advance writing an e-mail to io@volkswagen.de.
Do you have further questions?
Questions or suggestions for improvement concerning the Whistleblower System can also be addressed to the Investigation Office.
Furthermore, our local Compliance Officer/responsible function can also be addressed in all matters of the Whistleblower System via compliance@volkswagen.com.au.
As Volkswagen Group Australia (including Škoda Australia) is a key supplier of vehicle and parts, through our parent entity Volkswagen AG, we have prepared a short overview on Volkswagen Group Australia’s policies on modern slavery and the systems in place to place to address modern slavery risks. We encourage you to review the content below and contact our Procurement Department should you require any further assistance: compliance@volkswagen.com.au