Compliance

Compliance at Geberit

Compliance at Geberit does not just mean adhering to applicable laws and regulations, but also includes guidelines for social, economic and environmental responsibility. High ethical and social standards are defined and the company commits to integrity and sustainability. Compliance within the company is based on the Code of Conduct for Employees, last updated in 2015, and the Code of Conduct for Suppliers from 2016. Both codes will be revised in 2025 and adapted to the latest standards.

Topics

The main compliance activities for Geberit encompass the areas: antitrust legislation, corruption, data protection, product liability, environment and occupational health and safety, as well as fundamental employee rights and supplier compliance. Clear reporting processes, such as Code of Conduct reporting, as well as internal and external audits are implemented to check the corresponding regulations are being adhered to.

The Geberit Group’s legal department is responsible for the topics of antitrust legislation, data protection and corruption. Product liability is the responsibility of Product Quality Management. Corporate Sustainability is responsible for the subjects of the environment, occupational health and safety. Corporate Human Resources is responsible for fundamental employee rights.

Corporate compliance organisation

A decentralised compliance organisation (see graphic) and a consistently implemented compliance programme in all relevant risk areas form the basis of the high-quality compliance standards at Geberit. The aim of the decentralised organisation is to entrench the various compliance topics as close as possible to the responsible departments and thus in day-to-day business. The responsibilities are clearly defined. Structured controlling and reporting processes within the individual departments ensure that the Group Executive Board and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors are informed promptly and comprehensively.

Furthermore, the Geberit Integrity Line makes it possible for employees and suppliers to anonymously report non-compliance both with the Code of Conduct and with legal regulations. An additional reporting channel was set up in Poland. This was done as part of the implementation of the EU Whistleblower Directive and the corresponding national laws. The new channel supplements the Group-wide reporting point. The Geberit Integrity Line thus meets both the requirements set by the EU Whistleblower Directive and national laws.

Focus on antitrust legislation and data protection

As in previous years, compliance activities again focused on antitrust legislation and data protection in 2024. Regular training sessions and internal audits demonstrated a well-developed sensitivity and advanced understanding among the employees.

In antitrust legislation, the antitrust legislation guidelines at the Geberit Group were fully revised and introduced taking into account current statutory requirements and institutional practice. Additionally, the eLearning programme for determining the basics of antitrust legislation updated in the previous year was rolled out. As in previous years, training courses were held on this key topic at the relevant Geberit companies and business areas in the reporting year.

In data protection, a new eLearning programme was created and rolled out. Furthermore, Corporate Legal Services carried out specific training courses for various departments and local companies as in previous years.

As a result, Geberit has effective and up-to-date instruments at its disposal for the comprehensive and straightforward training of affected employees on the topics of antitrust legislation and data protection, and can inform them of the applicable legal regulations and the directives within the Group.