
COMPLIANCE AT ITS BEST:
RÖHM’S ROBUST WHISTLEBLOWER SYSTEM
At Röhm, fairness and respectful treatment are of utmost importance. This applies not only to our employees, but also to all of our business partners including customers and players along the supply chain.
In order to continuously improve our performance in this area, we operate a whistleblower system for reporting compliance risks and violations to encourage everyone to speak up and report known or suspected violations of laws, rules or regulations. Though only mandatory for us as a company with over 250 employees since July 1, 2023, this system has been in place since 2020.
It allows Röhm employees and all external stakeholders to easily, securely and if desired anonymously report misconduct that affects our business or the well-being of employees or external stakeholders. “These could be cases of corruptive behavior, workplace harassment, shortcomings at suppliers, security breaches or really anything that is inacceptable from a legal and integrity point of view,” points out Wolfgang Beck, Chief Compliance Officer.
The system has been enhanced in 2023 to comply with the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and is also in line with with the EU Whistleblower Protection Directive. “Anyone who reports grievances or legal violations that could lead to liability claims or reputational damage assumes responsibility and deserves protection. We ensure this with the new reporting system established at Röhm,” says Wolfgang Beck.
Employees reporting misconduct via the system’s online interface, email or phone are guaranteed protection from negative consequences. The online interface offers the possibility to install a secure inbox so that reporting and follow-up do not have to be carried out via the regular email address and any correspondence can be carried out anonymously.
All cases are followed up on with utmost care and within the legally binding timeframes. Whenever possible, users of the system are asked for feedback on the process and ideas for improvements.
“At Röhm, there’s no room for a cloak of secrecy. We want to promote a culture where everyone contributes to the well-being of our employees and the protection of our license to operate. The more we communicate about it, the more comfortable people will feel standing up against misbehavior,” concludes Wolfgang Beck.
Since 2020, 11 incidents have been reported. In 2023, there were no significant* cases of non‑compliance with laws and regulations. Topic-specific compliance aspects are addressed in the relevant chapters.
* Significance is determined by the impact of a case on the environment, society and the Röhm organization.
How to report
There are three ways to report misconduct at Röhm through the whistleblower system:
- Via the online interface on our intranet and our website
- Via the email address compliance@roehm.com
- Via our regional compliance hotlines:
Region Americas: +1 973 526 8758
(Regional Compliance Officer)
Region Asia: +86 021 6759 1069
(Regional Compliance Officer)
Region Europe and rest of world:
+49 6151 863 7444
(Chief Compliance Officer)