Corporate compliance

HUGO BOSS AG and the companies of the Group operate in different countries and regions, and, accordingly, different legal systems. At HUGO BOSS, corporate compliance comprises measures designed to ensure compliance with laws and regulations issued by public authorities, internal corporate guidelines and codes of conduct that the Group is committed to observing. Corporate compliance and its observance by the Group companies is a key task of the Managing Board at HUGO BOSS. This includes antitrust and anti-corruption regulations as well as the provisions of legislation on the capital markets. HUGO BOSS AG expects legally unobjectionable conduct from all employees in their daily work.

A compliance department that reports directly to the Chief Financial Officer as Chief Compliance Officer supports the Managing Board’s monitoring of effective compliance management. The central compliance office and compliance officers in the Group companies ensure that the compliance program is implemented throughout the Group and that it has been continually enhanced since its introduction. The Audit Committee is regularly informed about the compliance office’s activities.

To ensure the legally unobjectionable conduct of employees and establish a basis for this, HUGO BOSS has summarized principles of conduct applicable throughout the Group in a code of conduct and more in-depth corporate guidelines. The code of conduct and the corporate guidelines mainly focus on rules on conduct in competition, on avoiding conflicts of interest, on the appropriate handling of company information, on ensuring fair and respectful working conditions and on anti-corruption. HUGO BOSS does not tolerate willful misconduct and persistent infringements of the code of conduct.

Employees are continually familiarized with the rules of the code of conduct and the corporate guidelines and made aware of the importance of observing compliance rules. To this end, HUGO BOSS holds classroom training and has also set up a worldwide e-learning program that the employees concerned have to complete regularly. The e-learning program is also being rolled out in all subsidiaries of HUGO BOSS.

Employees can obtain support and advice on issues concerning legally correct conduct from their supervisors and the Compliance Officer. As a supplementary reporting channel, HUGO BOSS has also established a global ombudsman system Employees and third parties (suppliers, customers) can confidentially notify an ombudsman, whose contact details are given on the Group’s website, if there are indications of white-collar crimes, infringements of antitrust law or breaches of compliance guidelines. It is also possible to remain anonymous if desired.