Compliance

Supplier Code of Conduct

To Meister, it is important to take responsibility of its supply chain to ensure stakeholders impacted by Meisters’s operations are treated fairly and that its suppliers respectfully manage environmental, social, and governance issues. The purpose of this Supplier Code of Conduct is to guide our Suppliers in operating in line with international standards on responsible business conduct. The requirements are based on the UN Global Compact Principles, the UN Guiding principles for Business and Human Rights, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. They are non-negotiable and valid to the Supplier as well as its sub-Suppliers and other business partners and puts equal stress on both direct and indirect involvement.

Any noncompliance is to be reported to Meister immediately, and the Supplier is to allow Meister, or any other third party authorized by Meister and reasonably acceptable to the Supplier, to conduct an audit of the Supplier’s operations relevant for the Supplier Code of Conduct. The Supplier must also provide contact information for any contractor or sub-Supplier that Meister requests. Meister reserves the right to update this Supplier Code of Conduct, whereupon a responsibility to communicate the updates devolves upon Meister, with enforcement of updated Supplier Code of Conduct three months after the initial notification has been made to Supplier.

This Supplier Code of Conduct is to be made readily available for all the Suppliers’ employees in their local language to increase transparency when it comes to both rights and obligations.

Download as PDF

Internal Whistleblowing Channel

We strive to maintain a transparent business climate and act with high business ethics. Through our internal whistleblowing channel, we provide the opportunity and encourage you to report suspicious misconduct, i.e. actions not in line with our values and policies, and breaches of EU or national laws within a work-related context.

All reported cases will be processed confidentially and impartially by the designated person of our company. If you report in good faith, you will be protected from all forms of retaliation.

How to report a case

1. Details of the case: 

Please describe what has happened and why you are reporting the case by at least answering the following questions i) what is your concern, ii) when did this happen, and iii) where did this happen. Do not include any sensitive personal information about any individual mentioned in your report if it is not necessary for describing your case. 

2. Report your case through our digital whistleblowing system: 

Report your case and provide the details mentioned in point 1 by filling out the form available at meisterlabs.hintbox.de.

3. Follow-up on the report: 

Receipt of the report will be confirmed within seven days and feedback on any action taken will be provided within three months. If any further information is required to conduct a diligent follow-up of your case, we will contact you. Your report will be handled in a secure manner that ensures the confidentiality of your identity and any other third-party mentioned. The report will be stored as long as necessary, but no longer than two years.

Additional information 

External reporting channels

If any circumstances mean you do not want to report suspicious misconduct to our internal whistleblowing channel, you can report externally to competent authorities. Please note this list of German competent authorities and their areas of responsibility:

• Bundesamt für Justiz (Federal Office of Justice)
  Responsible for all reports that are not explicitly assigned to other external reporting offices.

• Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (Federal Financial Supervisory Authority)
  Reports covered by Section 4d of the Financial Services Supervision Act, including reports concerning provisions of the Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act; Reports on violations of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing legislation; Reports on violations governing the rights of shareholders of stock corporations; Reports on violations of legal provisions on the audit of financial statements of public interest entities pursuant to Sec. 316a sentence 2 of the German Commercial Code; Reports on violations of legal provisions on accounting, including accounting by companies that are capital market-oriented within the meaning of Sec. 264d of the German Commercial Code, credit institutions within the meaning of Sec. 340 (1) of the German Commercial Code, securities institutions as defined in Sec. 340(4a) sentence 1 of the German Commercial Code, institutions as defined in Sec. 340 (5) sentence 1 of the German Commercial Code, insurance undertakings as defined in Sec. 341 (1) of the German Commercial Code, and pension funds as defined in Sec. 341 (4) sentence 1 of the German Commercial Code.

• Bundeskartellamt (German Federal Cartel Office)
  Infringements of Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and infringements of the legal provisions referred to in Section 81(2)(1), (2)(a) and (5) and (3) of the Act against Restraints of Competition.

Last updated: March 2023