Click on «Report incident» on the Integrity Line and follow the instructions. The process is simple. In addition, you have the option of leaving a telephone message.
Please notify us if you gain knowledge of any incidents within the Barry Callebaut group which violate applicable laws or the Barry Callebaut Code of Conduct, in particular, corruption, bribery (offering or accepting bribes), conflicts of interest, fraud or theft / embezzlement / misappropriation of assets or violations of quality or safety regulations. Please note that due to some national regulations regarding the confidentiality of personal data, certain areas of the Code of Conduct (e.g. mobbing, sexual harassment, discrimination, etc.) do not permit reports to be sent across national borders. In these cases, please contact your local HR department.
All reports will be sent through the secure Integrity Line server to the appropriate individuals at Barry Callebaut. They will decide how to proceed and will get in touch with you if they need to ask any further questions or obtain additional information. In the case of well-founded reports of suspicious activity, specialists may be involved and an investigation may be initiated. You will be notified as soon as the investigation of the reported incident is completed. The investigation may take several months, especially in complex cases. For privacy reasons, you will generally not receive information about the outcome or result of the investigation.
At the end of the registration process, you will receive an incident number and can choose your own password. Use these two elements to log into your personal mailbox by clicking on "Mailbox" and then follow the instructions. The mailbox allows you to maintain your anonymity while making direct contact with the Barry Callebaut employees who will accept and process your report. It is important to be able to contact these employees anonymously, as more information may be required to clarify the incident.
Give us five working days to respond to your message.
To protect your anonymity, the encrypted data is not sent through the company's own servers operated by Barry Callebaut, but via the secure Integrity Line server. Once you have clicked on "Report incident" on Integrity Line, you will remain anonymous unless you choose to disclose your name.
Trust and credibility are crucial for us. Both enjoy a high priority at Barry Callebaut. An important aspect of trust and credibility is compliance with all applicable laws and the Barry Callebaut Code of Conduct by all employees and partners. Preventative measures are designed to protect the company's reputation and image and prevent financial loss. Nevertheless, there may be individual cases where laws or the Code of Conduct are violated. As a matter of principle, employees are expected to express their concerns when they discover or suspect such violations. If you discover any such violations or believe that violations are taking place, and you are unable to discuss your concerns with the individual in question or your supervisor, the Integrity Line offers you the option of submitting a report. If you want to, you can do this completely anonymously and confidentially; the clarification of the facts will, however, be easier if the specific circumstances are disclosed.
The Integrity Line is operated by EQS Group AG, which specialises in reporting systems and is based in Zurich. All information and data entered on the platform is encrypted and can only be accessed by authorised individuals.
In some cases, the number of people who may have knowledge of an incident is very small. In this case, the identity of the person who sent the report could be determined under some circumstances on the basis of the fact that the report was sent. However, Barry Callebaut does not tolerate retaliation against employees who in good faith report suspected violations of laws or the Code of Conduct.
No. As long as you have a justified reason to assume that a problem exists and you report it, you are protected. Barry Callebaut will not tolerate any sanctions against you as a result of justified reporting, which is why you do not need to be concerned about any negative consequences. A report is justified if you can assume at the time of the report that the content of your report is true. This would be different if you wilfully damage someone's reputation and knowingly make a false report. In this case, disciplinary measures may be taken against you, which may even result in your dismissal.
The important thing is that, at the time the report is sent, you believe or reasonably assume that the content is accurate and that you do not make the report with improper intent. You will not be expected to gather evidence or clarify the situation yourself. We will undertake the investigation. Therefore, it may be possible that the investigation concludes that no infringement has taken place. Again in this case, you do not need to be concerned about negative consequences.
The Integrity Line
Your message is safe with us. EQS Group AG specializes in operating confidential, anonymous internal reporting systems for companies. With the Integrity Line, Barry Callebaut therefore uses a secure system for internal reports.
In order to ensure your anonymity, data is not transferred via Barry Callebaut's own servers, but via Integrity Line’s secure servers. This guarantees that your report cannot be traced technically, and that you remain anonymous if required. You can, of course, also give your name when you submit a report.
The data are encrypted at all times in such a way that only authorized persons at Barry Callebaut have access. We at Integrity Line cannot access your report or its contents at any time. More information is available on our website: www.eqs.com.
