Code of Conduct
Legitimacy and fairness in our business activities have top priority at Tchibo. Every Tchibo employee knows what this means, as it has been set out in our Code of Conduct. The ethical benchmarks applicable to companies’ business activities have remained broadly the same over the years. For international companies of our size, however, it has increasingly become clear that we need to keep employees of all hierarchies continually aware of these benchmarks. To achieve this, we have developed our Code of Conduct. This is important to us, because we want Tchibo employees across the globe to feel committed to maintaining ethical business practices, fair conduct and compliance with all laws - without exception. It’s a prerequisite for our future international success.
The twelve basic rules
With the 12 fundamental rules of cooperation contained in our Code of Conduct we address a range of topics that are both generally accepted as standard, as well as those specific to Tchibo. The Code of Conduct is intended as a Guideline and helpful reference document for our employees in their day-to-day work.
The areas covered in our Code of Conduct:
Fair competition
Prevention of corruption and granting of competitive advantages
Safety and environmental responsibility
Social responsibility
Discrimination ban
Banning the use of insider information
Protection of corporate property and business secrets
Protection of intellectual property
Avoidance of conflicts of interest – private activitie
Truthful and complete accounting in accordance with the law
Economical use of corporate resources
Employees as ambassadors of the company
Validity of our Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct is binding for all employees at Tchibo. The members of the company management are responsible for implementing the Code of Conduct throughout the company and ensuring that it is adhered to by all staff in all areas of activity.
An ombudsman for all situations
Since 2007 we have made it possible for our employees to turn to an external ombudsman if there is a suspicion that the Code of Conduct is being violated. This function offers a sympathetic ear to our employees, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, allowing them to voice their concerns, provide information and air their doubts regarding their own or someone else’s conduct. Naturally, our employees can also voice their concerns to their superiors, the Works Council or staff in our Personnel Department.
Sanctions in cases of violation
We have introduced our Code of Conduct to prevent violations arising in the first place. Nevertheless, potential violations are subject to different sanctions, depending on the degree of severity – in extreme cases violations can lead to termination of the employment relationship.