Our employees and other stakeholders are invited and encouraged to share their concerns via multiple channels:
The latter offers support in numerous languages - anonymously and confidentially, as adequate to the reporters’ requirements and the specific situation.
All reports of potential misconduct, no matter the intake channel, are routed to our experienced investigators from the Compliance Department, an independent and impartial function within Knorr-Bremse. The Compliance Department is mandated by the Management Board to receive, assess, process, investigate reports and ensure the company takes remedial actions where necessary. As appropriate considering the nature and substance of the report, the Compliance Department fulfills its tasks with the support of other departments within Knorr-Bremse. The employees of the Compliance Department are mandated to perform these tasks independently and impartially according to their due discretion, in compliance with legal requirements, company policies and guidelines.
In this respect, the employees of the Compliance Department are expressly not subject to any instructions from other departments of Knorr-Bremse and senior management.
Our professionals attend to matters objectively, impartially and in an unbiased manner. Investigations are handled with the highest possible level of confidentiality.
Learn more about Knorr-Bremse Compliance.
In principle, everyone can file a report. However, the report shall be related to the business conduct of Knorr-Bremse. This includes for example:
Should you know about, or have grounds to suspect, illegal or unethical conduct in connection with Knorr-Bremse, you are right to raise it!
Reviews will be conducted confidentially and discreetly, taking into account the nature and complexity of the Issue(s) raised. In particular, information reported via this channel will be confidentially examined (as practicable and appropriate under the given circumstances) by a select group of employees within Knorr- Bremse or another investigative body assigned by Knorr-Bremse.
Even if you state your name, the company will make every reasonable effort to protect your confidentiality. If this is not possible, due to a government or court order, for example, the company will notify you in advance if permitted and unless such information would jeopardize the related investigations. Where you otherwise request that your identity be kept confidential, Knorr- Bremse will honor your request during the course of a review to the extent reasonable and in accordance with local law and ensure your identity is not disclosed to anyone beyond the authorized staff members competent to receive or follow up on reports. This shall also apply to any other information from which your identity may be directly or indirectly deduced.
At Knorr-Bremse, we are dedicated to creating a safe and supportive environment where employees can report concerns or policy violations without fear of retaliation. We strictly prohibit any form of retaliation against individuals who report in good faith and ensure that all reports are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly.
If you require emergency assistance, please contact your local emergency services immediately.
The areas which are particularly relevant are:
Reports are entered directly on the IntegrityVoice secure server. IntegrityVoice makes these reports available only to specific individuals from the Compliance Department who are charged with evaluating the report. Each of these report recipients has had training in keeping these reports in the utmost confidence. Depending on the nature of the concerns, these reports or its extracts may then be shared with specific individuals to determine the facts of the incidence or address the concerns.
When you file a report at the IntegrityVoice web site or through the IntegrityVoice number, you receive a unique, randomized number called a “Report Key” and are asked to choose a password. You can return to the IntegrityVoice system again either by Internet or phone and access the original report to add more detail or answer questions posed by a company representative. We strongly suggest that you return to the site in the time specified to answer company questions. You and the company now have entered an “anonymous dialogue,” where situations are not only identified, but can also be resolved, no matter how complex.
All IntegrityVoice correspondences are held in the same strict confidence as the initial report, continuing under the umbrella of anonymity.
To ensure that security and confidentiality are maintained, if you lose your report key or password, you will need to file a new report. Mention in the new report that it is related to a report or question you previously submitted.
The Compliance Department or any person reviewing your concerns will provide feedback after the completion of the review. If you have any questions or concerns during the review, please reach out to us.