1. Introduction

As a responsible company, it is of the greatest importance to us to be able to identify serious breaches of law as early as possible. For this reason, we provide a number of channels through which employees, business partners and members of the public can raise such concerns.

2.What can I report to Compliance?

See below for concerns that should be raised with Compliance and issues that should be reported via other channels.

Concerns for Compliance

• A criminal offence: e.g. bribery, high value theft, fraud, competition law breach.
• Modern slavery: e.g. human trafficking and forced labour under threat of punishment with no option to resign
• Someone’s health and safety is in danger: e.g. serious supplier concerns posing a threat to public health.
• Risk, or actual damage, to the environment: e.g. illegal disposal of hazardous products or waste
• Conflicts of interests involving companies that Lidl works with i.e. “business partners”.
• Someone is covering up any of the above.

Issues NOT for Compliance

• Emergencies: for life threatening emergencies call 999. See also other emergency contact details found on LINK here.
• Personal grievances: Employees with work grievances (e.g. bullying, harassment, unprofessional behaviour, rota manipulation, and discrimination) via Issues At Work on the HR Hub.
• Low value internal theft: e.g. not paying for items, consuming goods without paying (including written off items), taking low value goods from the warehouse (including items returned to store), removing cash from a till, serving yourself, friends or family, and misusing the Lidl discount card or Lidl Plus app. Employees should use the Internal Theft Reporting form. Members of the public should contact Customer Services here.
• Employee pay queries: refer to My Pay on the HR Hub.
• Employee references: email HRServices@lidl.co.uk
• Personal data queries & breaches (inc. CCTV requests): email Data.Protection@lidl.co.uk and see the data protection page here.
• Customer complaints: e.g. about the service you received in store or dissatisfaction with a product. Contact our Customer Services Team here.
• Supplier queries: use the “Contact Us” form here

3. How to raise concerns with Compliance

You can raise a concern about a serious breach of law using any of the following channels.

• Speak to your Line Manager, Disciplinary Manager or REC
• Online: Reporting System
• Email: Compliance@lidl.co.uk
• Post: Lidl GB Compliance, Lidl Great Britain Limited, 14 Kingston Road, Surbiton, KT5 9NU, United Kingdom
• Speak to our partner law firm, Russell Cooke LLP:
• Telephone hotline: +44 (0)20 3826 7540
• Email: Lidl.GB@russell-cooke.co.uk
• Post: Matt Bosworth, Russell Cooke LLP, 8 Bedford Row, London, WC1R 4BX, United Kingdom

Your report will be treated confidentially and you may remain anonymous if you would prefer. Please state this in your report.

Please note that we will forward any misdirected reports, including your contact details if provided, to the relevant department to consider in accordance with applicable law and Lidl GB policy.

4. Whistleblowing Protections

Special legal protections apply to whistleblowers. You’re a whistleblower if you are an employee or worker of Lidl GB who makes a disclosure that counts as whistleblowing.

Under English law, the following people cannot be whistleblowers: customers, suppliers, family members of colleagues, self-employed individuals, volunteers, job applicants, and non-executive directors who are not workers or employees of Lidl GB.

Whistleblowers are protected by law and will not be treated unfairly or lose their job because they have blown the whistle.

a) Disclosures that count as whistleblowing

Whistleblowers are protected by law if they disclose factual information (not merely allegations) that are sufficiently detailed and specific to show any of the following.

• A criminal offence, for example fraud, bribery, high value theft, competition law breach.
• Someone’s health and safety is in danger.
• Risk or actual damage to the environment.
• A miscarriage of justice.
• The company is breaking the law, for example does not have the right insurance.
• Someone is covering up any of the above.

The wrongdoing disclosed must be in the public interest. This means it must affect others, for example the general public.

b) When can a whistleblowing disclosure be made?

Whistleblowers can raise concerns at any time about an incident that happened in the past, is happening now, or they believe will happen in the near future.

c) How can you make a whistleblowing disclosure?

Whistleblowing disclosures can be made using any of the methods outlined in section 3 above. Regardless of how you choose to blow the whistle, you can remain anonymous if you would prefer. Please state this in your report.