BENNING Code of Conduct
Preamble
All companies have the fundamental obligation to adapt to the framework conditions of both the state and the social environment it is operating in and for. In a rapidly changing world and with ever growing competitive pressure, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find clear reference points for oneself and for the employees entrusted to the company. For this reason and by means of the present Code of Conduct, we would like to establish and to apply mandatory general guidelines for conduct (the present "Code of Conduct") based on laws and standards both for executives and employees.
By means of this Code of Conduct we want to document our basic attitude and define generally binding rules for us with regard to formulating our business goals as well as to putting these into practice.
These basic principles shall determine our management work.
1 Scope of Application
The present Code of Conduct shall apply to all employees of the BENNING company. It shall be a special binding obligation for BENNING's executive employees in Germany and abroad.
The compliance with this Code of Conduct shall be promoted also to our suppliers and for further members of the value-added chain to recognize and acknowledge into their own respective framework and scope of action.
2 Corporate Principles
The primary objective of our action shall be to ensure secure high quality positions of employment with adequate wages for as many people as possible. For this reason, the safeguarding and promotion of the existence, health and success of our company shall be the primary objective of all activities.
We want to meet the sociopolitical obligations towards the people living in our economic area, in the communities and countries concerned as well as towards the people living in the countries where we are conducting business. We shall pursue legitimate and recognized business practices as well as the rules of fair competition. We reject corruption and bribery as stated in the relevant UN Convention1 as well as the acceptance of unfair advantages by utilizing one's position within the company.
Besides the specifications of statutory requirements and standards, the expectations and interests of our customers shall be both our objectives and guidelines. With regard to putting BENNING's corporate philosophy into practice, occupational safety and health, environmental protection as well as the quality of the products and services provided shall be given absolute priority.
3 Respecting Employees' Rights
Motivated personnel at all company levels constitute the basis for our successful products. For this reason, respecting the rights and dignity of the individual employee shall always be given highest priority. In this context, the human rights as stated in the United Nations' Charter on Human Rights2 shall always be the basis of our action. This shall include the following:
- prohibition of forced labour and child labour;
- adequate remuneration in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations;
- protection of the employees against physical, psychological and sexual harassment;
- non-discriminatory treatment of all employees;
- respect for employment rights.
Besides human rights, the safety of all employees will also be taken extremely seriously. This shall include the following:
- occupational safety by eliminating sources of danger and by observing the specific accident prevention regulations;
- regular training of the employees with regard to safe working and behaviour;
- compliance with the labour standards with regard to the maximum permissible working hours.
4 Customer Service
The customers' decisions on investments and purchases are the prerequisite enabling us to pursue our economic activities. The customers will only be interested in our products and services as long as their requirements are met. For this to be achieved, we must acknowledge that the satisfaction of our customers is our most important benchmark of quality. We will endeavor to attain the best possible correspondence between the customers' requirements / expectations and the products and services provided by us.
We shall set up our activities according to business aspects concerning costs in order to remain competitive in the long term. However, we shall tap the full potential regarding more cost-effective production and services within the framework of the applicable rules and regulations.
5 Quality
Our desire is for the BENNING company to be both a synonym and a guarantee for quality. For this, everyone involved shall fulfill his/her duties and responsibilities in the best possible way. When striving for quality, nothing shall be left to chance. For this reason, we shall always take the latest state of the art and the current state of science as a basis for developing our products and working processes. Furthermore, we shall turn our attention to the latest technologies so that the idea of quality is integrated into all aspects e.g. product development, product realization and monitoring of the practical application of the product.
We shall comply with the requirements of the standards EN ISO-9001 and –14001 as well as with specifically defined quality standards and engineering standards regarding product safety and process reliability at all times.
6 Environmental Responsibility
We accept our responsibilities as an industrial manufacturing organization towards the environment. For this reason, we shall:
- further improve the conservation of (natural) resources during the manufacturing of our products;
- pay attention to ensuring maximum energy efficiency during the development of our products;
- strive already in the planning and conception phase to achieve and conserve a clean and unpolluted environment and to continuously reduce the quantity of hazardous substances used;
- understand and accept occupational safety and health, environmental protection and quality management as a management responsibility and obligation.
7 Communication and Data Confidentiality
We strive for an open communication based on partnership both internally between employees and their superiors and externally e.g. with customers, suppliers or public authorities. However, we shall strictly observe confidentiality with regard to company secrets and business information of our partners. Documents and data shall be kept under lock and key.
The information and experience gained within the company shall not be exploited to an extent that is contrary to the company's interests or made accessible to possible competitors by company members themselves or by third parties.
The obligations in compliance with §5 BDSG (German Federal Data Protection Act) shall be observed including the prohibition of disclosing or using protected personal data or making them available for third parties unless this is part of the respective lawful fulfillment of tasks.
8 Implementation and Enforcement
Upon approval of the present Code of Conduct by the Corporate Management, all employees of the BENNING company shall be obliged to make every adequate and reasonable effort to continuously implement and apply the principles and values described in this Code of Conduct. For any legitimate request, it shall be allowed to disclose essential measures towards third parties so that it becomes evident how compliance with these measures is ensured in principle.
1UN Convention against Corruption (2003)
2UN Resolution 217 A III (1948)