What is a whistleblower system?
A whistleblower system serves as a central point of contact for HMS employees, business partners, customers, and other stakeholders to report misconduct without fear of retaliation. Whistleblowers are particularly important for maintaining an open and transparent society, as they have the courage to expose wrongdoing through their reports.
What types of violations can be reported?
The Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG) applies to the reporting of misconduct under EU law and national law. Among other things, the law applies to reports and disclosures of information regarding
- violations punishable by criminal penalties,
- violations punishable by a fine, provided that the violated provision serves to protect life, limb, or health, or to protect the rights of employees or their representative bodies,
- other violations of federal and state laws, as well as directly applicable legal acts of the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, such as
- money laundering regulations, requirements regarding product safety, environmental protection, consumer protection and fair competition, data protection, and information technology security.
A complete list of possible reports and disclosures can be found in Section 2 of the HinSchG.
Pursuant to § 33 of the HinSchG, a whistleblower is protected only if, at the time of the report or disclosure, the whistleblower had sufficient reason to believe that the reported or disclosed information was true, and the information relates to violations that fall within the scope of this Act, or if the whistleblower had sufficient reason to believe at the time of the report or disclosure that this was the case.
What are the available reporting channels?
Reports may be submitted via email, telephone, mail, or in person.
Email: hinweisgebersystem(at)analytical-software.de
Phone: +49 6221 6051 -140 (Elisabeth Kohm) or -168 (Melanie Fuchs)
Mail: Confidential, Attn: Ms. Elisabeth Kohm or Attn: Ms. Melanie Fuchs
Anonymous reports are also possible. In such cases, please choose a method that allows HMS to follow up with questions or provide feedback, e.g., via (anonymous) email.