Complaints Procedure
To ensure prompt responses to potential risks or violations, we have established several reporting channels. We encourage everyone - especially those potentially or actually affected by our activities or those of our suppliers - to come forward with their concerns.
Receipt of the complaint
Who can submit complaints?
Any individual, especially those affected by our business activities or those of our suppliers, as well as their representatives.
What can be reported?
Violations or the risk of violations of environmental regulations, social standards and human rights, occupational health and safety regulations, either within our operations or our supply chain.
How can complaints be submitted?
- Through the Eppendorf Compliance Line : see our Eppendorf website for further details.
- By contacting the Human Rights Office directly by post or email (available in German and English):
PERSONAL/CONFIDENTIAL
Eppendorf SE
Global Sustainability & HSE
Human Rights Office
Barkhausenweg 1
22339 Hamburg
humanrights@eppendorf.de
When submitting the complaint via post or email, please consider the “5 Ws”: Who, What, When, Where, Why. You may also indicate your expectations for the complaint process and any other procedures you have used.
Handling of complaints
Complaints are processed in accordance with our rules of procedure. We ensure effective protection against any form of discrimination or retaliation, by safeguarding anonymity and confidentiality of information, and maintaining ongoing communication with complainants to detect and address possible retaliation early.
Please note that in order to enable complaints to be processed appropriately and fairly, supporting documents and evidence are generally required and that remedial actions can only be implemented within the applicable legal and contractual framework and may not always restore the original situation.
Effectiveness review of the complaints procedure
The effectiveness of our complaints procedure is regularly evaluated using the eight effectiveness criteria of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: legitimacy, accessibility, predictability, equitability, transparency, rights compatibility, continuous learning, and based on engagement and dialogue. Our latest review identified further improvement potential, especially in transparency and engagement/dialogue, which we are actively addressing.
