VIA Outlets aims to conduct its business in an ethical and sustainable manner. Any wrongdoing is treated very seriously. We invite everyone –our employees, guests, brands, contracting parties and and other third parties – to raise their voices in case of any suspected wrongdoing.
To this end, VIA Outlets has introduced this independent whistleblowing reporting channel Safecall which allows reports to be made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, via an online portal. This allows you to report in good faith any unethical situation or suspected wrongdoing in a secure and confidential manner. Reports can be made anonymously and in your chosen language.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The whistleblowing channel shall be used to report any suspected wrongdoing or unethical situation, i.e. complaints or doubts as
to any decisions or actions by VIA Outlets (i.e. any VIA Outlets entities you can find more here, its employees, consultants, contractors, suppliers and service providers.
Here are examples of situations which can be reported through this channel:
- Committing a criminal offence;
- Failure to comply with a legal/statutory obligation;
- Dangerous health and safety situations;
- Damage to the environment;
- Social misconduct (such as racism, sexism or any kind of discrimination);
- Violation of VIA Outlets ´ values and principles outlined in the VIA Outlets Policies, including, anti-Bribery and Corruption;
- Financial fraud or mismanagement;
- Conduct likely to damage VIA Outlets’ reputation or financial wellbeing;
- Unethical behaviour;
Any suspicion or whistleblowing complaint reported through this channel will be taken seriously and will be investigated by our Compliance Manager. We will ensure that your report will be handled confidentially and that you are protected against any retaliation as further described in our Whistleblowing policy.
This reporting channel should not be used to report general or commercial complaints or information. Any queries or complaints that are not considered to fall under the type of wrongdoing described above shall be raised directly via the dedicated email address that can be found under the “Contact” section on our websites.
To make a whistleblowing report, please choose your preferred language below to make an online report.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will I be protected if I make a whistleblowing report?
A whistleblower is entitled to protection if they have reasonable grounds to believe that an unlawful act or wrongdoing has occurred, is currently taking place or is likely to occur. Where this applies, VIA Outlets will provide protection to the whistleblower, as far as is reasonably possible, to ensure that there will not be any retaliatory action against the individual making the report and that the individual will not be treated less favourably as a result of making the report.
No VIA Outlets´ employee may threaten or retaliate against an individual who has raised a concern and VIA Outlets will not tolerate any such harassment or victimisation. Any person involved in such conduct may be subject to disciplinary action. If a whistleblower believes that they have been retaliated against for reporting or participating in an investigation, they should immediately report such perceived retaliation to the VIA Outlets Compliance Manager. All such reports will also be investigated confidentially.
VIA Outlets will treat all reports in a diligent manner and ensure that the identity of any whistleblower remains confidential. The identity of the whistleblower will only be disclosed to those persons responsible for investigating the concerns raised, unless otherwise required by law, by an order of a court or in order to report an offence to a law enforcement agency and/or a regulatory body.
Can I make an anonymous report
VIA Outlets encourages whistleblowers to share their names and specific facts about the complaint. However, all reports will be investigated, and anonymous allegations will not be ignored. When making an anonymous report you must keep your login details and password to access the reporting channel as this is the only way you can track and review the information and interact with the VIA Outlets Compliance Manager.
What happens once a report has been made?
(Stage 1: Reporting)
When a report is received, an acknowledgement of receipt will be send to the reporter within 7 days of the filing date.
VIA Outlets ´ Compliance Manager will inform the reporter, via the Safecall reporting channel, if the clomplaint is admissible and about their rights throughout the process.
(Stage 2: Confirmation of admissibility and investigation)
The reporter will receive updates via the Safecall reporting channel on the status of the report and the VIA Outlets ´ Compliance Manager may ask for further details from the reporter and make further enquiries where needed, involving internal or external parties (depending on the nature of the report).
Once the investigation is closed, the findings and recommended solutions will be reviewed jointly by VIA Outlets ´ Compliance Manager and Head of Legal before any report is issued.
(Stage 3: Issuance of Report)
VIA Outlets ´ Compliance Manager will inform the reporter about the outcome of the investigation as soon as the report is ready. Under normal circumstances VIA Outlets strives to conclude the report review and investigation within 3 months from the date of filing (in complex matters this process may take longer).
Please note that, where applicable, necessary measures will be taken and, where justified or required, the competent authorities will be informed.
You can find more information and a detailed description of the process on our website under the “External Complaints” section.
For further information on how VIA Outlets processes your personal data, please read the Privacy Policy. For information on how Safecall processes your personal data, please see the Safecall Privacy Notice.