Privacy policy

CODE OF ETHICS

BASIC ETHICAL AND MORAL VALUES, FUNDAMENTALS OF CORPORATE POLICY

  1. All employees are obliged to comply with and respect the legal regulations of the Czech Republic, the company’s internal standards, and the provisions of this Code of Ethics.
  2. All employees are obliged to proceed with care and conscientiousness in the performance of their work for the company and to act in such a way that their actions are in accordance with ethical rules, good morals, moral principles and legal provisions.
  3. In the performance of their duties, all employees approach business partners, external entities, public authorities, the media, their colleagues, subordinates and supervisors with honesty, professionalism, esteem, dignity, and respect.
  4. No one may provide false or incomplete or inaccurate information when communicating with third parties. Everyone communicates only clear, complete and precise facts and does not take advantage of anyone’s mistake.
  5. Everyone is obliged to treat third parties with dignity and respect, and any form of discrimination or unequal treatment is strictly prohibited.
  6. The company provides training and education to support the professional growth of employees.
  7. Managers are always obliged to properly present and uphold the rules contained in the company’s internal documents. Individual employees are role models for their subordinates, where ethical, moral, legal, anti-corruption and decent behavior is their main priority and strength. Managers are responsible for the behavior of their subordinates and the condition of the workplace, at least to the extent that they are responsible for monitoring compliance with company rules.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND PROHIBITION OF COMPETITION, COMPETITION RULES

  1. Loyalty, openness and communication with the company are the cornerstones on which the attitude of every employee should be built.
  2. Employees may engage in gainful employment in addition to their regular employment only on condition that such activity does not interfere with the legitimate interests of the company, and that it is done in accordance with the law. In addition, employees may engage in gainful employment in a competing industry only with the consent of the company’s statutory body.
  3. Every employee is obliged to act in such a way as to avoid situations where their personal or financial interests would conflict with the interests of the company. Any potential benefit for employees, persons close to them or natural and legal persons with whom they have personal, business or work relationships is considered personal interest.
  4. For the duration of employment in the company, no employee may acquire or hold a direct or indirect significant stake in another company (minimum 15%) with which the company trades or may do business, or which are competitors, without the consent of the statutory body of the company.
  5. A conflict of interest is also the transfer or facilitation of any information and know-how that employees have received in the course of their duties in the company and which are capable of assisting the competitive activities of others. Such conduct is considered totally inadmissible and a particularly serious breach of duty.
  6. Not on behalf of the company without the prior written consent of the company’s statutory body may an employee negotiate or conclude any contracts or business relationships with commercial entities that are run, controlled or owned by members of their family or legal entities that are financially or personally connected with relatives or a second employee.
  7. The company and each of its employees comply with the rules of competition, in particular they do not engage in any conduct that could be considered unfair competition, they always act fairly, professionally and transparently.

THIRD PARTY RELATIONS AND BRIBERY

  1. The company and its employees are obliged to act in such a way that they do not act unlawfully, especially in such a way that their conduct cannot be described as corrupt. Corrupt practices include, for example, accepting or offering a bribe, negotiating an advantage or any material or intangible remuneration in connection with the company’s business and the employee’s work activities. Corruption also means offering any remuneration, benefit or profit to a public authority that could result in a distortion or issuance of a decision by the public authority in favor of the company.
  2. Any unlawful conduct or conspiracy in relation to public proceedings, public and private contracts and competitions, tenders, etc., such as lying, misleading, extortion, use of violence, fraudulent behavior, etc., is prohibited.
  3. The company and its employees are obliged to always provide true, full and complete information, especially all financial transactions in connection with the company’s business, always in the accounting records so that a proper financial report can be made to the relevant government authorities.
  4. All employees are obliged to carefully manage and handle the company’s assets, including the assets entrusted to them, movable and immovable property, and the company’s trade secrets and intellectual property.
  5. No employee may solicit or accept gifts, favors, benefits or advantages for themselves or others and at the same time may not make any gifts, payments, rewards, services to a business partner of the company, government agency or third party, except for gifts of minimum nominal value, which are promotional materials or promotional items or which represent normal social awareness and which is not in conflict with the company’s business rules.
  6. 6. The company provides, or may provide, earmarked monetary and in-kind donations to finance science and education, research and development, culture, education, fire protection, youth support and protection, animal welfare and health, for social, medical, ecological, humanitarian, charitable, sports, fitness and political purposes among other aims.

CONFIDENTIALITY

  1. The company maintains information security, the protection of trade secrets and personal data.
  2. The company regularly assesses data and information risks and protection and takes measures that ultimately prevent the misuse, acquisition or dissemination of information by unauthorized persons. Each employee is obliged to work with sensitive data and information in such a way as to prevent their leakage or misuse.
  3. Each employee maintains the confidentiality of all facts which they have learned of in connection with the performance of their duties and which are or may be of the nature of business secrets, confidential information, personal data or are subject to confidentiality. Trade secrets are understood primarily to be all business, production or technical information related to the company’s business that has actual or at least potential value. Confidential information includes, but is not limited to, undisclosed information that relates to the company, its decisions, planning, financial transactions, inventions, development and technical schemes, technologies, designs, clients, customers, competitors, or any other information generally unknown in the industry that relates to company.
  4. Each employee who processes or otherwise handles personal data in the performance of their duties is obliged to act in accordance with the law and regulations of the European Union.

MONITORING OF ETHICAL RULES AND INITIATIVES

The company declares and consistently ensures that this Code of Ethics is always complied with by every employee of the company. Each employee is obliged to report violations of any legal regulations, internal standards or rules to their supervisors, i.e. the company.

In an effort to maintain the highest degree of transparency and the ability to respond flexibly to current and ongoing situations, the company establishes these options for employees and any third parties who might witness the violation of the above rules to inform the company. These options are mainly through the company’s communication channels:

  • designated suggestion box (can be done anonymously), which is located next to the mailboxes in the corridor at the entrance to the company building,
  • email to the company — etika@vvuu.cz,
  • in paper form by post (can be anonymously),
  • immediate supervisor.

Each employee acknowledges that the abuse of the opportunity to file a complaint or filing an unauthorized or bullying complaint is considered unethical and immoral conduct subject to consequences.

FINAL PROVISIONS

Each employee acknowledges that a breach of the rules of the Code of Ethics is considered an excessive action by the employee and as such will be considered a breach of duty, where in justified cases this can be considered a gross breach of duty with consequences under the Labor Code. Any violation of the rules or regulations may be grounds for sanction or the termination of employment.