Code of Conduct & Complaint Procedure (in Englisch)

Code of Conduct

This Code of Conduct defines the basic ethical behaviour which are binding for all employees of Helvetas. It is based on the Mission Statement, the Human Resource policy and our Personnel Regulations. It thereby reflects foundational values and principles of our organisation, to be applied irrespective of cultural contexts. The Code of Conduct expresses the commitment of each collaborator to adhere to and to promote high ethical standards in our work and as part of our working culture. It constitutes a compulsory annex to the employment contract. 

The correct conduct of employees is of specific relevance to Helvetas. First, the intercultural context in which collaborators of Helvetas operate makes their conduct particularly exposed and sensitive. Unethical conduct of a collaborator can, beyond its direct consequences, have far reaching negative impacts on the effectiveness of our work and on our reputation. Second, as a development organisation receiving donations from thousands of individual and institutional donors, our organisation and its employees are accountable to these donors and subject to a high degree of scrutiny by the public and the media. 

This Code of Conduct is binding for all employees worldwide in any contractual relationship with Helvetas (including interns & volunteers, Board of Directors and its Advisory Panel as well as consultants) at all times during their assignment with Helvetas. It is expected that principles of this Code of Conduct are also respected outside the workplace and working time. Furthermore, all partners Helvetas collaborates with must commit to follow the key principles of this Code of Conduct.

Complaint procedure

Reporting of suspicions is decisive for an efficient fight against individual misbehaviour or corruption, fraud and conflicts of interest. Victims and witnesses of misconduct related to activities of Helvetas have the right and the obligation to report cases immediately. Therefore, Helvetas has defined a complaint mechanism and several complaint channels.

Report of suspicion of misconduct

Hereafter you find options to report misconduct in Helvetas activities (such as violations of the Code of Conduct, corruption, fraud, conflicts of interest, bullying, sexual harassment, child abuse, failure to comply with project standards). Victims or witnesses of misconduct ("complainants") inside and outside of Helvetas can report their complaints in three different ways.

1) Internal complaint channel

Misconduct or suspicions can internally be reported to the direct superior or directly to the following email-addresses:

anticorruption@helvetas.org

anti-harassment@helvetas.org

 

2) External complaint channel

Safecall is a professional external provider, to which complainants can address in full confidence. The experts of Safecall receive complaints in over 170 languages and transmit them to the person in charge at Helvetas. The confidentiality and anonymity of the informer is respected. Safecall provides two contact options:

 

3) Fill out the Helvetas online requests and complaint form

The online complaint form is forwarded immediately after filling it in correctly to the person in charge at Helvetas.