WHITEBOX
Beschwerdeverfahren
Learn how to identify human rights risks & violations
Under the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) and the upcoming EU Corporate Supply Chain Due Diligence Directive, your reports play an important role in making supply-chains accountable.
Businesses must address any violations that have already occurred by implementing corrective actions, especially in response to grievance (complaint) reports.
Companies must prevent identified risks and are expected to put in place preventive measures to avoid potential future violations or reduce the risk of such issues coming up.
Complaint procedures not only allow companies to rectify problems but also provide them with valuable feedback on how effective their risk management and due diligence efforts are. This feedback is crucial for improving and developing their risk management and due diligence strategies.
Stakeholders (including direct employees, employees of suppliers, and any other affected individuals such as neighbours to factories) can submit reports via the WhiteBox platform. Reports can be filed anonymously. The submission procedure is made easy with a detailed form that guides you into submitting all important information. The platform supports over 100 languages, making it accessible globally. Furthermore, it is accessible to illiterate stakeholders through the latest transcription (voice-to-text) technologies.
The report is assessed and the issue is investigated by trained administrators or appointed consultants. This involves verifying the provided information, communicating with the reporter, and collecting complementing information to assist further steps.
Reports are then forwarded to the appropriate departments and managers or directors which have to decide for appropriate actions in response to the grievance.
Once the issue is resolved to the satisfaction of all parties involved, the report is officially closed. The reporting user is notified of the closure, and the report is archived for future reference and compliance purposes. Thanks to your report, improvements have been made in your workplace or surroundings. WhiteBox has helped facilitate these changes.
Learn how to identify Environmental risks & violations
According to the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, Handlers of Grievance-Reports must be available in time, provide a guarantee of impartial action, be independent and not bound by instructions (no conflicts of interest), be obliged to maintain confidentiality, and be appropriately trained.
According to the EU Whistleblowing Directive, Handlers of Whistleblower-Reports must be independent. Furthermore, companies must ensure that other (operational) tasks and duties do not lead to conflicts of interest and that they have the necessary expertise.
Before proceeding, it's important to review and agree to the procedural rules and privacy policies of WhiteBox. This step ensures that you are aware of and consent to how the procedure will progress, how your information will be used and shared. Confirm that you have read and agree to the procedural rules, consent to data sharing with relevant parties, and understand the privacy policy. Once you have marked the necessary checkboxes, click "Next" to proceed.
In this step, you can provide your personal details if you choose to do so. This information can help us address your report more effectively. You are not required to provide personal information, but doing so might facilitate a quicker resolution. If you choose to provide details, you can fill out the form with your email, full name, phone number, and country of residence (in addition to an always mandatory password). Once completed, click "Next" to proceed.
Stakeholders must fill in details about the company that is responsible for the risk or violation (reported company) and worksite related to the incident (incident worksite). This includes the company name, location, and website. Accurate details are essential for WhiteBox to forward the report to the correct entities and ensure effective resolution.
Stakeholders can choose to include direct and indirect customers of the reported company in the procedure. This ensures that all relevant parties in the supply chain are informed and can take necessary actions in response. You do not need to know any details of customers as WhiteBox automatically identifies these companies based on the reported company information.
Detailed information about the incident is provided in this step, including the type of violation, a description, and any supporting files or pictures. Furthermore, you have the chance to enter a suggested remedy for this violation or risk. This is the first opportunity for you to take part in the formulation of a remedial or preventive action in response to your report. Accurate and comprehensive details help in the proper investigation and resolution of the reported issue.