Grievance mechanism

SIJ Group’s grievance mechanism allows local community, organisations, employees, and other interested parties to report real or suspected concerns, violations, and irregularities with the aim of having them remedied.

Complaints are resolved according to the procedure specified in SIJ Group Complaints Procedure Rules for systematically accepting, investigating, responding to, and closing complaints promptly, fairly, and consistently.

Preventing improper conduct is in our best interest, and the interest of our employees, business partners, local communities, and all other organisations, groups, and individuals that may affect our business or the business of other groups or individuals. This also applies to our mutual relationships, whether they are business-oriented, neighbourly relations, or otherwise.

Employees who in good faith report violations of laws, the Code of Ethics, or other internal rules and regulations will not be subject to retaliation or any negative consequences for their actions.

 

Complaint Channels

The complaints procedure is initiated by the complainant, who can be anyone. Address your complaint to the Complaints Officer. There are two methods for doing so:

- e-mail address: pritozbe@sij.si

- by post to the address: Complaints Officer, SIJ d.d., Gerbičeva 98, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, marked CONFIDENTIAL.

 

Content of the Complaint

The name, surname, and contact details of the complainant must be disclosed in the complaint so that the commissioner who receives the complaint can, if necessary, ask the complainant to send supplementary information (which is often necessary for the complaint to be handled effectively), as well as to inform the complainant about the procedure and the outcome.

A complaint is suitable for consideration if it contains enough facts to verify the allegations. The commissioner invites the complainant to supplement the complaint if allegations cannot be verified.

  

Possible Grounds for Complaint

Individuals, companies or groups can complain about any violations, irregularities, or dilemmas regarding compliance that they observe in the companies of SIJ Group, but mainly about:

-          a violation of company policies and the Code of Ethics,

-          a violation of the law or collective agreement by the employer, employees, or suppliers,

-          a violation of the provisions of the company’s general acts,

-          violations and irregularities in processes that are not resolved internally,

-          a violation of the Code of Conduct for Suppliers of SIJ Group Companies,

especially in cases such as:

-          discrimination in the workplace or in the business of the employer or its suppliers,

-          deficiencies in relation to safety at work, environmental protection, personal data protection,

-          non-compliance with management standards that cannot be resolved within the system itself,

-          suspicion of corruption, fraud, embezzlement, conflict of interest in decision-making,

-          mobbing or workplace bullying, sexual and other harassment,

-          unfair disciplinary practices, forced labour,

-          child and adolescent labour, and

-          violations of other human and labour rights.

 

Independence of the Committee and its decision-making

In order to resolve complaints and to ensure the smooth running of the procedure, SIJ Group management has appointed a ten-member Committee, including five regular members and five deputy members. These are experts in the fields of law, quality, sustainability and corporate management, logistics, production, communication, human resources, etc.

 

The Committee is independent and bound to confidentiality, and will formulate binding measures to eliminate identified irregularities and violations.

 

In their work, Committee members are independent of their superiors and Management Board. No one can demand information from them about the matters considered by the Committee. Information about the complainant and the complaint is confidential, and the members of the Committee undertake in NDA not to disclose confidential information to anyone not involved in the complaint procedure.