Whistleblowing hotline

The CEZ Group Whistleblowing Hotline is an effective channel available to employees and third parties for reporting complaints or notifications of illegal conduct or conduct that is in violation of the CEZ Group Code of Conduct or other internal and external regulations

CEZ Group has established the Whistleblowing Hotline as part of its detection tools, which consists of two reporting mechanisms. The Internal Reporting System (hereinafter referred to as IRS) is established in accordance with the requirements of Act No. 171/2023 Coll., on the Protection of Whistleblowers (Whistleblowers Act), which is intended primarily for employees of selected CEZ Group companies to report illegal conduct that has occurred or may occur in CEZ Group.

Thanks to the IRS, companies with over 249 employees receive a dedicated telephone line for reporting, while other companies can use a shared telephone line. Whistleblowers can also use an email address or share their concerns in person to persons according to a list published on the ČEZ, a. s., website. Whistleblowers can also use the option of submitting a report to the Ministry of Justice.

In the internal reporting system, each relevant person is informed of their obligation to act in accordance with the Whistleblowers Act, i.e., to provide and ensure adequate protection for the whistleblower. The identity of the whistleblower and all communication with them is confidential. The relevant person charged with investigating a report is obliged to maintain confidentiality regarding all facts that they learn in connection with the submitted report and its investigation.

The Group Reporting System (hereinafter referred to as GRS) is another tool for reporting concerns or unfair or unethical behavior in violation of CEZ Group‘s Code of Conduct or other internal or external regulations. The GRS allows Anonymous submissions. The GRS is not primarily intended for reporting concerns under the Whistleblowers Act. It is intended for employees of all CEZ Group companies, as well as business partners and other persons. Within the GRS, reports can be submitted via the Ethics Report Form.

In the GRS, reports are investigated objectively and independently in accordance with established internal procedures and rules, but outside the scope of Act No. 171/2023 Coll., on the Protection of Whistleblowers. The Whistleblowers Act establishes time limits for assessing and investigating reported conduct, which are binding on the relevant persons. In the event of a violation or failure to comply with these legal time limits, the relevant persons are subject to financial sanctions.

In addition to the obligations arising from the Whistleblowers Act, ČEZ, a. s., has also established internal rules for investigating compliance incidents outside the scope of the Whistleblowers Act, including time limits. The functionality of the reporting mechanisms is tested regularly four times a year.

The CEZ Group Whistleblowing Hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In addition, employees learn about the issues related to Whistleblowing Hotline of CEZ Group during mandatory training (initial and regular), in articles on the intranet, and in the company newsletter.

Whistleblowing Hotline