Whistleblower System
Compliance with the legislation and internal rules is the main priority of the Company. Nothing but compliance with rules and standards can allow us to avoid any damage with regard to our company, our employees, and business partners. With that regard, any unlawful actions must be promptly identified, investigated, and immediately terminated.
This demands due diligence on everybody’s part, as well as readiness to bring attention to any possible Serious violations of legislation based on justified allegations. We also value information of such nature coming from business partners, clients, or other third parties. Notifications may be sent to the Investigations Office at any time and in any language.
The Whistleblower System of violation reporting guarantees the greatest possible protection of the applicants and involved individuals. The investigation shall commence exclusively after a thorough examination of facts and solely on the basis of justified law violation allegations. The investigative process is based on principles of strict confidentiality and secrecy, accounting for all basic values – honesty, quickness, and delicacy.
The message can be sent through one of the specified internal and external communication channels:
Hotline
International 24/7 toll-free number: +800 444 46300*.
*If your telecommunications operator does not support the free call service, you can use a paid line: +49 5361 946300.
If there are technical problems with access to the hotline, please use the other specified communication channels for your appeal to the Investigations Office.
Business Keeper Monitoring System (BKMS) to apply online
You can use the Internet-based communication platform to contact the Investigations Office, exchange documents, and dialogue with lawyers through a separate mailbox. This system is confidential and secure. Applicants may remain anonymous. If you want to send a confidential appeal to the lawyers at the Investigations Office, you can use the secure channel for online appeals.
You can contact the Investigations Office at: io@volkswagen.de
If you send an e-mail, please be aware that there is a possibility that personal data and data that can be tracked (e.g. IP address) may be recognized. This information may potentially contain data relating to the identity of the sender. This also applies to email accounts that have been created specifically for the purposes of the Whistleblower system.
Ombudsman of the VW Concern
Ombudsman is a term derived from the Swedish word for "mediator" or "legal representative". Dr. Rainer Buchert and Thomas Rohrbach, external ombudsmen appointed by the Volkswagen Group, act as special advisors to receive reports of possible violations of the law or internal policies, or any other type of behavior that causes negative consequences, and to examine the reports from the point of view of their plausibility. They consult the applicant if necessary and if the applicant's identity is known. Нарешті, вони передають всю інформацію, узгоджену з заявником, до Офісу із розслідувань для подальшої обробки. They then forward all information agreed with the applicant to the Office of Investigations for further processing.
All information is treated as confidential and it is up to the person reporting the violation to decide whether he/she wishes to disclose his/her identity. Ombudspersons appointed by the Group ensure that reports from applicants who do not wish to be identified by the Company are submitted to the Investigations Office anonymously.
If you want to contact the Volkswagen Ombudsman, you can find the contacts via the link on the home page: www.ombudsmen-of-volkswagen.com
Mailbox
Central Investigation Office
Volkswagen AG, Central Investigation Office
Mailbox 1717
Berliner Ring 2
38436 Wolfsburg, Germany
Personal meeting
Volkswagen AG, Central Investigation Office
Berliner Ring 2
38436 Wolfsburg, Germany
Please make an appoitment in advance by writting an E-mail to io@volkswagen.de.