Corporate Governance
Our Whistleblower System
Complying with applicable laws and internal regulations has top priority at ŠKODA AUTO. The success of our company is based on Integrity and Compliance. To meet this standard, it is important to learn of potential employee misconduct and to put a stop to it. Therefore, we entrusted the Central Investigation Office of the Volkswagen Group to operate an independent, impartial, and confidential Whistleblower System on our behalf.
The qualified and experienced colleagues at the Central Investigation Office of the Volkswagen Group examine every report thoroughly and follow it up systematically.
A key pillar of our Whistleblower System is the principle of procedural fairness. It also guarantees the greatest possible protection for whistleblowers, persons implicated and employees contributing to the investigation of reported misconduct.
This also includes offering opportunities for anonymous reporting and communication. In case of anonymous whistleblowers, who do not misuse our Whistleblower System, no steps to identify them are performed. Retaliation of whistleblowers and all persons who contribute to investigations at ŠKODA AUTO will not be tolerated. Persons implicated are presumed innocent until the violation of applicable laws and/or internal regulations is proven. Investigations will be conducted with the utmost confidentiality and relevant information will be processed in a fair, fast, and protected process.
Do you have any concern or feedback regarding ŠKODA AUTO products or services?
If you have from the customer’s point of view any questions or inquiries regarding the products or services provided by ŠKODA AUTO or its business partners (e.g. dealers, service partners), which do not include potential violation of applicable laws and/or internal regulations, please contact the standard ŠKODA AUTO customer line via telephone number 800 600 000 or e-mail address infoline@skoda-auto.cz. Thank you for your understanding that our Whistleblower System is not primarily meant for questions or complaints of the customers.
Making a report to our Whistleblower System
The Whistleblower System offers various channels to report potential employee misconduct, which allow a swift review and reaction by our company if necessary. However, this does not affect the statutory right to contact other designated authorities in the Czech Republic
.Nonstop Hotline (availability 24x7)
You can make a report at 365 days, 24 hours, using the international toll-free number: +800 444 46300.
If your local telephone provider does not support the toll-free service, you can call the following chargeable number: +49 5361 946300.
Online Reporting Channel
You have also the option of using a web-based communication platform to contact the Central Investigation Office of the Volkswagen Group, which is confidential and technically secured.
Even if your preferred language is not offered in the reporting channel, you can use any language to submit your report.
Link: https://www.bkms-system.com/bkwebanon/report/clientInfo?cin=22vwgroup16
Ombudspersons
The Volkswagen Group has appointed external lawyers to act as Ombudspersons. They advise on the Whistleblower System. Also, the Ombudspersons ensure that, if the whistleblower desires, the reports are forwarded anonymously to the Central Investigation Office of the Volkswagen Group.
If you want to get in contact with the Ombudsperson, you can find their contact details here: http://www.ombudsmen-of-volkswagen.com/
You can get in contact with the Central Investigation Office of the Volkswagen Group in any language also via e-mail io@volkswagen.de.
Central Investigation Office of the Volkswagen Group
Postal address:
Central Investigation Office
Box 1717
38436 Wolfsburg Germany
(The report can be sent in any language.)
In person:
Central Investigation Office Porschestraße 1
38440 Wolfsburg (downtown), Germany
(In such case, please make an appointment in advance via io@volkswagen.de).
Do you have further questions?
Questions concerning the Whistleblower System at ŠKODA AUTO can be addressed to the Governance, Risk & Compliance department for instance via the e-mail address compliance@skoda-auto.cz.