Compliance at Ottobock
Our company structure is shaped by numerous different stakeholders and business activities which are subject to varying degrees of freedom.
Our company structure is shaped by numerous different stakeholders and business activities which are subject to varying degrees of freedom.
We have a culture of compliance
Complex requirements and continuously changing legal and normative frameworks demand clear standards and rules for corporate governance and for our collaboration.
In order to comply with these rules – which include applicable laws, guidelines, standards and agreements – the management of Ottobock has introduced a compliance management system. The Code of Conduct, the internal anti-corruption policy and our compliance culture based on trust are important pillars of the Ottobock compliance management system. We continually develop and update this system to ensure it reflects general social values and complies with the most recent legal requirements.
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Family matters
We’re a family business, which means we place special value on open communication, honesty and cooperative relationships between all employees as well as with our customers and business partners as we implement our compliance goals.
“Encourage others to correct errors, be proactive and make decisions.”
Otto Bock, 1944, company founder
Code of conduct
Every Ottobock employee is responsible for their own actions and behaviour at all times. They must respect our corporate values and observe the company’s code of conduct to the best of their ability in everything they do. Our interactions with each other are fair, respectful and based on mutual trust, giving us a solid foundation for integrity and honesty.
By taking into account international standards for human rights, employment, environmental protection and anti-corruption, Ottobock follows the universally recognised principles of the United Nations Global Compact with its code of conduct.
The following eleven principles of conduct also apply:
Explanatory declaration on the sustainability goals in the Code of Conduct
Explanatory declaration on political activities to complement the Code of Conduct
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“Nearly 100 years on, our values – such as honesty, trust and reliability – are still intact. As the head of the family in its third generation, and as the owner and Chairman of the Board, I’m proud that our culture of mutual respect is alive and well.”
Whistleblowing Unit
The Whistleblowing Unit is intended to give all employees, customers and business partners the opportunity to report compliance violations in order to clarify these internally and to be able to prevent future damage to persons in the company or to the company itself. The Whistleblowing Unit serves to report serious violations of laws or internal regulations related thereto in particular with regard to the prevention of fraud, corruption, theft, discrimination, sexual harassment, blackmail, betrayal of secrets, export control, irregularities in accounting, environmental protection, occupational health and safety as well as child and forced labour.
Due to legal requirements, money laundering suspicious activity reports must only be submitted to our Treasury Department. For data protection violations, please contact our Data Protection Officer in order to comply with legal requirements. Please use this encrypted contact form.
The Rules of Procedure for Complaints pursuant to the "Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains" can be found here.
If you have identified defects and / or violations of rules and regulations in connection with our products or product safety, you can report them at any time via our regular complaint process. Should you wish to remain anonymous, employees and external persons have the opportunity to inform us about violations of rules and regulations related to our products and/or product safety here. Furthermore, you are free to send information about possible violations to the respective health authority of your country.
Ottobock's management explicitly encourages the reporting of detected violations of the law. Whistleblower protection has the highest priority. If a whistleblower report is subject to a legal topic addressed in locally applicable whistleblower protection laws (e.g. § 2 of the German Whistleblower Protection Act), there are - depending on the local legal situation - special whistleblower protection measures to be fulfilled.
Whistleblowers worldwide can submit their reports anonymously through two channels:
External Ombudsperson
Ottobock has also set up an external ombudsperson. Attorney Dr. André Große Vorholt will review your case and investigate it as comprehensively as possible. While maintaining your anonymity, he reports the case to the Compliance Department of Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA Contact details of the ombudsperson:
Dr. André Große Vorholt
Phone: +49 89 23714 12460
Email: ottobock-ombudsmann@luther-lawfirm.com
Digital Whistleblowing Unit
The Compliance Department of Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA will process your report professionally and with the utmost discretion.
In 2023, 17 reports were submitted via the whistleblower system in the areas of HR-Compliance, Prevention of Fraud and corruption and General Compliance Issues (e.g. product complaints. All reports are analysed extensively and closed after dedicated measures have been derived.
External Reporting Offices
Furthermore, you may use the reporting office of the Federal Office of Justice as well as other external reporting offices for submitting reports.