Our compliance management system
We ensure compliance with our strict anti-corruption system throughout the company with the assistance of our compliance management system. Responsibility for implementation rests with the Central Compliance Officer, who reports directly to the Helios management. The local management of the individual Helios hospitals is responsible for ensuring we follow compliance guidelines on site. Our risk management system was established in 2016 and it is used to analyze any risks of a possible breach of statutory provisions, internal guidelines, or our voluntary commitments. We also map the consequences of financial, reputational, or ethical harm for our company or employees.
We carry out internal controls in order to identify possible compliance violations and ensure compliant conduct. The risks are recorded using special IT tools. Uniform half-yearly risk reporting was introduced in 2022. This involves the reporting and assessment of individual risks in twelve central compliance risk subgroups: bribery and corruption, fraud and misappropriation of assets, antitrust violations, money laundering/financing of terrorism, trade restrictions, insider trading/market manipulation, compliance culture, compliance violations, reprisals, corporate governance, human rights abuses, and environmental and health protection. Risk assessment covers other key risks outside the area of compliance, such as information security, quality assurance, and the protection of intellectual property.
Guideline for integrity: The Helios Compliance Code
Integrity at Helios is based on three pillars:
Prevention: Analyze and evaluate compliance risks, establish structures and processes, and develop and implement risk minimization measures
Detection: Monitor adherence to and effectiveness of compliance regulations, and provide a violation reporting system
Response: Deal with violations consistently, and continuously enhance the compliance system
These focuses have been set out in our Compliance Code since 2017. The Compliance Code is an element of employment contracts at Helios, and can be accessed by all employees and other stakeholders in various ways including online (German language only). The code is complemented by more than 30 specific Group-wide policies.
Regular training courses for all employees, particularly employees in management positions, and ongoing advisory sessions help to raise awareness throughout the company and to put the anti-corruption and compliance rules into practice. In addition, new managers and employees in Procurement take part in central training sessions about the Group Transparency Policy.
Our whistleblowing system: Reporting and investigating suspected compliance violations
Information about a violation of the rules can be reported to the responsible ombudspersons. The ombudspersons advise whistleblowers and pass their reports onto the responsible process owners. We investigate every report of misconduct. After completion of the investigation, we use the results to review our business processes. Wherever necessary, we initiate corrective action and improvement measures aimed at avoiding similar misconduct in the future. We have introduced a new company regulation that applies throughout Helios and this is accompanied by appropriate communication and training measures.
In 2023, a total of 17 (2022: 9) reports were filed through reporting channels. The majority of the reports were in the categories of issues relating to employment law. In confirmed cases, the necessary and appropriate personnel measures were always taken.
Read more about our management systems here. (German language only)