Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct of The Quality Group Ltd. and its affiliated companies
Code of Conduct
Date: April 2023
Our compass of values
We, The Quality Group GmbH and all subsidiaries and affiliated companies belonging to our group, are a young, growing company in a constantly changing society. We love the resulting challenges and try to keep up with new developments. But we are also a company with a sense of responsibility towards society, our customers, our employees and our business partners. We are committed to fulfilling this responsibility by making our daily decisions in accordance with certain ethical, moral and legal standards. The Code of Conduct contains our commitment to these standards, which represent our compass of values. It serves as a guide and applies to each and every one of us, regardless of his or her position in our group of companies, and at the same time is the standard we also demand of our business partners.
1. Respect and human dignity
We respect human dignity, observe internationally recognized human rights and comply with internationally recognized labor standards. We treat each other with respect and appreciation. We reject any form of unlawful punishment, abuse, harassment, intimidation or other undignified treatment towards employees. We comply with applicable labor laws in all employment relationships and expect our business partners to do the same. 2. Prohibition of child labor We do not tolerate child labor and observe the applicable legal minimum age for admission to employment. In any case, we do not employ persons under the age at which compulsory education ends according to the law of the place of employment and under the age of 15. We expect our business partners to take the necessary measures to prevent child labor.
3. Prohibition of forced labor We reject any form of forced or compulsory labor, including any form of bonded labor, servitude, slavery or practices similar to slavery, human trafficking, or other involuntary labor or services that are inconsistent with internationally recognized labor and social standards.
4. Fair Compensation We comply with legal requirements in the compensation of labor services. We ensure that the wages we pay do not fall below the applicable legal, established or industry minimum wage. 5. Compliance with working hours We comply with the statutory provisions on working hours, including overtime, rest breaks and recuperation leave.
6. Diversity and inclusion, prohibition of discrimination Our society is diverse and so are we. We value this diversity as an added value and do not discriminate against anyone on the basis of, for example, national and ethnic origin, social origin, health status, disability, sexual orientation, age, gender, political opinion, religion or ideology
7. Fair Competition We pursue only legitimate business goals and practices. Our business partners are highly reputable. We behave fairly and appreciatively towards our business partners. We respect the different legal, economic, social and cultural backgrounds and circumstances of the countries and regions in which we operate. We assert ourselves in competition through performance and not through improper agreements. We do not discuss anything with our competitors that could impair competition. We also do not restrict our business partners in their behavior towards their competitors. We do not advertise the brands or property rights of other companies, but build up the reputation of our products and brands through our own efforts.
8. Prohibition of corruption and bribery We reject any form of bribery and corruption and avoid even the appearance of it - for example in the form of granting or accepting unfair advantages. We do not accept or offer improper invitations, gifts or payments to others in order to gain a competitive advantage. We act in accordance with applicable import and export control regulations and comply with legal requirements for the prevention of money laundering. 9. Data protection and confidentiality We attach great importance to the protection of our product developments and other company and business secrets within our group of companies. We also protect sensitive data and confidential information entrusted to us or made available to us by our business partners from unauthorized acquisition, use or disclosure. We respect the personal rights of our employees, business partners and customers and comply with the applicable legal and regulatory requirements for the processing of personal data and for information security when handling personal information.
10. Responsibility We develop and produce products for consumers. We therefore bear a great responsibility for the safety and well-being of our customers. In order to meet this responsibility, we select our raw materials, producers, suppliers, cooperation partners and other business partners on the basis of quality standards that ensure that our products or services comply with the relevant statutory consumer protection provisions.
Demands on our producers, suppliers, cooperation partners and other business partners
The Code of Conduct not only represents our compass of values, but also describes our expectations of our producers, suppliers, cooperation partners and other business partners in our supply chains. Therefore, when selecting them, it is important for us to know that they either follow our Compass of Values or apply a comparable Code of Conduct and expect the same from their contractual partners.
Notification of violations
Anyone who suspects that there is or has been a violation of the aforementioned regulations in a company of The Quality Group has the opportunity to contact our external ombudsperson. The ombudsperson will examine any information objectively and, if desired, anonymously, and will initiate appropriate measures in cooperation with The Quality Group in order to clarify the incident, eliminate the violation and/or prevent further incidents.
Our ombudsperson can be contacted in the following ways:
Attorney at Law Dr. Kathrin J. Niewiarra, Ombudswoman Sybelstr. 7 D-10629 Berlin Phone: +49 (0) 30 / 4036750-17 TQGG@compliance-aid.com compliance-aid-tqgg.hintbox.de - Hintbox
Signatures of the managing director Stefan Smalla