Code of Conduct establishes ethical and legal standards - Corporate governance strengthened further - Code applies both within Germany and abroad - Group Works Agreement in place
Deutsche Telekom has introduced a Code of Conduct throughout the Group, putting in place a clear ethical and legal framework also reflecting the Groups values. "In drawing up the Code of Conduct, we have established a set of rules that are transparent to all - both inside and outside the company - and against which we will be judged in future," explained Kai-Uwe Ricke, Chairman of the Board of Management of Deutsche Telekom. "The Code of Conduct substantiates T-Spirit, the corporate vision with six corporate values that were adopted by Deutsche Telekom in 2003 regarding ethically and legally correct business practices. It includes the guidelines that already shape our behavior."
The Group is committing itself to a transparent and binding set of rules in order to ensure that it consistently lives up to its responsibilities vis-à-vis customers, partners and employees, as well as society at large. Deutsche Telekom has undertaken to manage its business sustainably. It conforms to the German Corporate Governance Code and, as Deutsche Telekom AG is listed on the U.S. stock exchange, it also complies with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (S-OX).
The Code of Conduct provides further clarification and direction with regard to the T-Spirit values that already guide the Group's activities. For instance, the value of "integrity" is broken down into the separate topics of "data protection," "dealing with conflicts of interest" and "cooperation with third parties." The guidelines are based on current jurisdiction and do not impose any additional legally binding obligations. An intensive dialog has been initiated between managers and employees to support the introduction of the Code of Conduct.
The Code of Conduct applies to the whole of the Deutsche Telekom Group, including all of its German and international majority-owned subsidiaries. The document has been translated into 17 languages and provided to all employees in the form of a brochure. The Group Works Agreement concluded with employee representatives determines how the Code of Conduct is introduced and implemented in the Group's German units.
Together with the Code of Conduct, an Ethics line will serve as a central gateway for employees or members of the public who wish to make complaints. Complaints can be submitted either online or by telephone. The complainants can choose if they want the complaint to be confidential or anonymous. All employees and stakeholders can use this channel to report breaches of the Code of Conduct. Customers and partners can find the Code of Conduct and other related information on the Internet at: www.telekom.com/code-of-conduct-en.