Internal announcement system of GIFF a.s.

With reference to Act No. 171/2023 Coll., on the protection of whistleblowers (hereinafter referred to as the “Whistleblower Protection Act”), which incorporates Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report infringements of Union law (hereinafter referred to as the “Directive”), the obliged entities referred to in Art. 1 of the Whistleblower Protection Act (the “Employer”) to establish an internal whistleblowing system for its employees and other persons under the Whistleblower Protection Act for the purpose of reporting infringements that have occurred or are alleged to have occurred at the Employer.

The Whistleblower Protection Act is effective as of August 1, 2023.

1. Person entitled to make a notification – Whistleblower
A person who has performed or is performing work or other similar activity for GIFF a.s. pursuant to Section 2(3) of the Whistleblower Protection Act or a person who has been or is in contact with GIFF a.s. in connection with the performance of work or other gainful activity. excludes the acceptance of notifications from a person who does not perform work or other similar activity for it pursuant to Section 2(3)(a), (b), (h) or (i) of the Whistleblower Protection Act. GIFF a.s. accepts notifications only from its employees, persons performing volunteer work, professional practice or internships. A whistleblower may also be a person who is or has been applying for the job or similar activity in question.

2. Instructions to the notifier
The notifier should have reasonable grounds to believe that the notification of the infringement is true. Therefore, it is not permissible to report facts that are knowingly false. According to Section 23 of the Whistleblower Protection Act, an individual commits an offence by making a knowingly false report. A fine of up to CZK 50,000 may be imposed for this offence.

3. Unlawful conduct
A whistleblower has the right to report an unlawful act that has occurred at the employer and that
1. has the characteristics of a criminal offence,
2. has the characteristics of a misdemeanour for which the law provides for a fine of at least CZK 100,000,
3. violates the Whistleblower Protection Act, or
4. violates another legal regulation or a regulation of the European Union in the field of:

financial services, statutory audit and other assurance services, financial products and financial markets,
corporate income tax,
the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing,
consumer protection,
compliance with product requirements, including product safety,
transport, transport and road safety,
environmental protection,
food and feed safety and animal health,
radiation protection and nuclear safety,
competition, public auctions and public procurement,
protection of internal order and security, life and health,
protection of personal data, privacy and security of electronic communications networks and information systems,
the protection of the financial interests of the European Union, or
the functioning of the internal market, including the protection of competition and State aid under European Union law.

4. Whistleblower protection
The internal notification system shall be accessible only to the competent person who has a duty to protect the identity of the notifier. The identity of the whistleblower may not be disclosed to anyone else without his or her written consent, unless the competent person is obliged to disclose the information to the relevant public authorities under other legislation, in which case he or she must inform the whistleblower in advance and give him or her the opportunity to comment on the disclosure. The obligation to preserve identity shall also apply to other information from which the identity of the whistleblower can be determined. The protection of the whistleblower also consists in the prohibition of retaliation against the whistleblower and other persons (e.g. a person close to the whistleblower who has assisted the whistleblower in obtaining information, etc.), including the threat or attempted threat of retaliation. Retaliation includes, for example, termination of employment or non-renewal of employment for a fixed period, reduction of wages, salary or remuneration or non-award of a personal allowance, etc.

5. Method and form of notification
The notification shall contain the name, surname and date of birth or other information from which the identity of the notifier can be inferred; the information concerning the identity of the notifier shall be deemed to be true. It shall also contain information on the possible infringement as referred to in point 3. However, notifications made anonymously shall not be subject to the Whistleblower Protection Act. If the identity of the whistleblower subsequently comes to light, all relevant provisions of the Whistleblower Protection Act shall apply to the whistleblower.

The competent person
The notification shall be made to the competent person designated by the employer.
The competent person at GIFF a.s. is Jakub Farný.

Contact:

Jakub Farný

Address:
GIFF a.s.
Slévárenská 272
739 11 Frýdlant nad Ostravicí
Phone number: 595 539 504
Email: whistleblowing@giff.cz

Methods of notification

Notification can be made verbally or in writing (by post or email). If the notifier so requests, the competent person shall also allow him to submit the notification in person within a reasonable period of time, but no longer than 14 days of the request.

The written notification need only be sent in the hands of the person concerned. In a sealed envelope marked ‘WHISTLEBLOWING – DO NOT OPEN’, or by email to whistleblowing@giff.cz
Notification may also be made verbally by calling 595 539 504 (a written record of the conversation will be made). In person by prior telephone or written appointment. A record will be kept of the personal notification. An audio or visual recording may be made of the notification made with the consent of the person making the notification.

Ministry of Justice
The notifier shall also have the option of submitting his/her notification through the notification system of the Ministry of Justice. A secure form for making a notification and further information is available at https://oznamovatel.justice.cz/chci-podat-oznameni/.

6. Handling the notification
Receipt of the notification will be acknowledged to the notifier within 7 days of receipt. If it is not a notification under the Whistleblower Protection Act, the competent person will inform the whistleblower in writing without undue delay. Within 30 days from the date of receipt of the notification, the competent person must assess the validity of the notification and inform the notifier in writing. In factually or legally complex cases, this period may be extended by up to 30 days, but not more than twice. If the notification is found to be justified, the competent person shall propose to the employer measures to prevent and remedy the unlawful situation. If the notification is not found to be substantiated, the competent person shall inform the notifier in writing without undue delay that, on the basis of the facts stated in the notification and the circumstances known to him, he does not suspect that an infringement has been committed or that the notification is based on false information, and shall inform the notifier of his right to lodge a complaint with a public authority. The employer shall inform the competent person of the measure taken, who shall without undue delay
in writing to the whistleblower.

7. Other information
More detailed information on the notification and the statutory regulation can be found at the link below:
https://oznamovatel.justice.cz/pravni-uprava-a-metodicke-doporuceni/

th reference to Act No. 171/2023 Coll., on the protection of whistleblowers (hereinafter referred to as the “Whistleblower Protection Act”), which incorporates Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report infringements of Union law (hereinafter referred to as the “Directive”), the obliged entities referred to in Art. 1 of the Whistleblower Protection Act (the “Employer”) to establish an internal whistleblowing system for its employees and other persons under the Whistleblower Protection Act for the purpose of reporting infringements that have occurred or are alleged to have occurred at the Employer.

The Whistleblower Protection Act is effective as of August 1, 2023.

The competent person
The notification shall be made to the competent person designated by the employer.
The competent person at GIFF a.s. is Jakub Farný.

Contact:

Jakub Farný

Address:
GIFF a.s.
Slévárenská 272
739 11 Frýdlant nad Ostravicí
Phone number: 595 539 504
Email: whistleblowing@giff.cz

Methods of notification

7. Other information
More detailed information on the notification and the statutory regulation can be found at the link below:
https://oznamovatel.justice.cz/pravni-uprava-a-metodicke-doporuceni/

5. Způsob a náležitosti oznámení
Oznámení obsahuje údaje o jménu, příjmení a datu narození, nebo jiné údaje, z nichž je možné dovodit totožnost oznamovatele; má se za to, že údaje o totožnosti oznamovatele jsou pravdivé. Dále obsahuje informace o možném protiprávním jednání, jak je uvedeno v bodu 3. Na anonymně podaná oznámení se však nevztahuje zákon o ochraně oznamovatelů. Pokud dodatečně vyjde najevo totožnost oznamovatele, uplatní se vůči němu všechna relevantní ustanovení zákona o ochraně oznamovatelů.

Příslušná osoba
Oznámení se podává zaměstnavatelem určené příslušné osobě.
Příslušnou osobou ve společnosti GIFF a.s. je Jakub Farný.

Spojení:

Příslušná osoba: Jakub Farný

Adresa:
GIFF a.s.
Slévárenská 272
739 11 Frýdlant nad Ostravicí
Telefonní číslo: 595 539 504
Email: whistleblowing@giff.cz

Způsoby oznámení

Oznámení lze učinit ústně nebo písemně (poštou nebo emailem). Požádá-li o to oznamovatel, umožní mu příslušná osoba podat oznámení také osobně v přiměřené lhůtě, nejdéle však do 14 dnů od požádání.

Písemné oznámení je nutné zaslat pouze do rukou příslušné osoby. V zalepené obálce s označením „WHISTLEBLOWING – NEOTEVÍRAT“, nebo na e-mailovou adresu whistleblowing@giff.cz
Oznámení lze učinit také ústně prostřednictvím telefonní linky 595 539 504 (z rozhovoru se pořizuje písemný záznam). Osobně po předchozí telefonické nebo písemné domluvě. O osobním oznámení se sepisuje protokol. Z takto učiněného oznámení může být se souhlasem osoby, která oznámení podává, učiněn zvukový nebo obrazový záznam.

Ministerstvo spravedlnosti
Oznamovatel má dále možnost své oznámení podat prostřednictvím oznamovacího systému Ministerstva spravedlnosti. Zabezpečený formulář pro učinění oznámení a bližší informace na https://oznamovatel.justice.cz/chci-podat-oznameni/

6. Vyřízení oznámení
Přijetí oznámení bude oznamovateli potvrzeno do 7 dnů od doručení. Pokud se nejedná o oznámení podle zákona o ochraně oznamovatelů, příslušná osoba o tomto bez zbytečného odkladu písemně vyrozumí oznamovatele. Do 30 dnů ode dne přijetí oznámení musí příslušná osoba posoudit důvodnost oznámení a písemně o tom vyrozumět oznamovatele. V případech skutkově nebo právně složitých lze tuto lhůtu prodloužit až o 30 dnů, nejvýše však dvakrát. Je-li oznámení shledáno jako důvodné, příslušná osoba zaměstnavateli navrhne opatření k předejití a nápravě protiprávního stavu. Není-li oznámení vyhodnoceno jako důvodné, příslušná osoba bez zbytečného odkladu písemně vyrozumí oznamovatele o tom, že na základě skutečností uvedených v oznámení a z okolností, které jí jsou známy, neshledala podezření ze spáchání protiprávního jednání, nebo shledala, že oznámení se zakládá na nepravdivých informacích, a poučí oznamovatele o právu podat oznámení u orgánu veřejné moci. O přijatém opatření zaměstnavatel vyrozumí příslušnou osobu, která o něm bez zbytečného odkladu
písemně vyrozumí oznamovatele.

7. Ostatní informace
Podrobnější informace o podání oznámení a o zákonné úpravě naleznete na níže uvedeném odkazu:
https://oznamovatel.justice.cz/pravni-uprava-a-metodicke-doporuceni/