Explanations on the topic "Code of Conduct"

ARTEMES GmbH was founded in 2013 as a company that offers "measurement technology as a craft" - artes mensionis. By this we mean the application of specialist and expert knowledge based on years of experience in power quality and the field of integrative system solutions.

The general basis for our daily actions and activities is our Code of Conduct, which applies to the following business processes of our company at both locations, Villach and Eibiswald:

Design and development, distribution and maintenance of measuring instruments and monitoring systems, for industrial and energy technology, as well as the provision of measuring services.

This Code of Conduct offers us as a company, all employees of ARTEMES GmbH as well as our suppliers and partners a minimum standard as a guideline and thus a certain basic protection. On the one hand, it represents the demand we place on ourselves to live up to the values and principles listed therein and, at the same time, signals to the outside world responsible behaviour towards our business partners, customers and employees. In practice, the formulated rules of conduct are to be understood as orientation aids in order to generate desired behaviour or to avoid undesired actions.

• Team spirit, constructive cooperation
  

• Standards of cooperation
  

• Open communication with staff
  

• Dialogue with cooperation partners
  

• Customer orientation
  

• Acceptance of gifts, donations
  

• Bribery and corruption
  

• Data protection
  

• Protection of the environment
  

• Compliance with applicable law
  

• Fair competition
  

• Prohibition of discrimination
  

• Diversity
  

• Gender-sensitive language
  

• Handling internal company information
  

• Protection from child or forced labour
  

• Consideration for family
  

• Quality policy
  

 
Code of Conduct

Commitment of the management

The company ARTEMES GmbH considers it its duty to act in an economically, socially and environmentally conscious manner. The company ARTEMES GmbH strives to conduct its business competently and on an ethical and moral basis and to compete fairly in all markets in which it operates. This includes compliance with applicable laws and the acceptance of cartel prohibitions or restrictions on competition. We want to avoid gaining undue advantages over customers, suppliers or the competition.

Team spirit, constructive cooperation

We constantly question existing solutions and develop new ideas for the benefit of our clients. To this end, we promote constructive teamwork among our employees. Their interests and demands on us are decisive for our work and further development. We are successful in our cooperation due to the diversity of our employees and their commitment in the business areas.

Standards of cooperation

We expect all our employees to act at all times in accordance with the highest professional standards and our company's guidelines, as explained in the following text. If employees violate existing guidelines, rules or regulations in the course of their work or through their behaviour, they will be subject to disciplinary measures. Especially in the team, values such as trust in each other, mutual respect and appreciation, the sense of responsibility to complete things satisfactorily and handshake quality are important to us. It is precisely this handshake quality that we would like to pass on to our customers.

Open communication with employees

We do not cover up misconduct. When employees report actual or suspected misconduct in good faith, we do not tolerate intimidation or retaliation against them. We understand "in good faith" to mean that the employee is convinced that his or her account is true. This applies whether or not an investigation confirms the employee's version of events.

Dialogue with cooperation partners

All business information of our partners and their trade secrets are treated sensitively and confidentially. Necessary documents are properly prepared, stored or, if necessary, destroyed after the end of the cooperation.

Customer orientation

We behave fairly and honestly towards our customers and business partners. We record the wishes, needs and expectations of our customers and business partners in order to ensure a targeted implementation in products, services or other processes. Our primary goal is to build a long-term and stable relationship with our customers and business partners on the basis of trust.

Acceptance of gifts, donations

a) Gifts to our employees

Our employees do not demand or accept any personal advantages from customers or suppliers that influence or could influence their own behaviour with regard to their own work for the company. If gifts are offered by third parties, they may only be accepted if they are common practice and can be recognised as a courtesy or favour (promotional gifts with the logo of the company giving the gift, such as calendars or pens). In the case of gifts whose value exceeds the customary amount, the management must be informed. If this is not possible, these gifts must be refused as a matter of principle.

b) Gifts by our employees

Gifts on our part may also only be offered within the scope customary for the business relationship and to a materially appropriate extent. The recipient must not be able to associate any obligation with it that would influence his/her business decisions.

c) Donations

As a matter of principle, ARTEMES GmbH does not make donations to political parties, individuals or organisations whose goals contradict our corporate philosophy or damage our reputation. The allocation of donations is always transparent.

Bribery and corruption

We do not tolerate any form of corruption and bribery, regardless of whether this damages our company assets or the assets of third parties. We ensure through control mechanisms that bribery, theft, embezzlement, fraud, tax evasion or money laundering are prevented.

Our employees are prohibited from accepting or giving favours of any kind (cash, travel, gifts, etc.) that are linked to an undue advantage (contract award, project award, etc.).

Our business partners are also required to avoid conflicts of interest that entail a risk of corruption.

Data protection

We treat all personal data of our customers, business partners and employees with the utmost care. This includes names, addresses, telephone numbers as well as date of birth or information about the current state of health. Our employees are obliged to take all measures to secure the data, which are suitable to protect our IT system against internal as well as external data theft. This applies in particular to passwords misused in the company and unauthorised downloading of files, especially of inappropriate material from the Internet.

Protection of the environment

For us, acting in a quality-conscious manner also means using valuable resources efficiently and sparingly. Our employees are required to treat all natural resources used in our company (e.g. energy, water, land) with care. Our employees are expected to handle the production and distribution of our products and/or services in a responsible manner. To protect our employees, we comply with all laws and regulations concerning health and safety in the workplace. To this end, our managers in particular take measures to create a healthy and hazard-free working environment for our employees.

For us, continuous improvement of the company is therefore also a prerequisite for effective cost reduction in the medium and long term and an integral part of our interest in a resource-saving policy, above all also in the sense of a sustainability and environmental concept.

Since 2017, we have also been officially living this awareness as a klimaaktiv partner in the form of a programme partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, represented by the Austrian Energy Agency.

Compliance with applicable law

We require our managers to familiarise themselves with the laws, regulations and rules relevant to their area of responsibility and to comply with them without exception. Our managers in particular bear a high level of responsibility in complying with the Code of Conduct.

The business practices of our business partners and their suppliers must also comply with the applicable laws. This applies in particular to import, export and domestic trade in goods, technologies or services, but also to payment and capital transactions.

Violations of economic embargoes and of trade, import and export control regulations by our business partners must also be ruled out, as must the financing of terrorism.

Fair competition

We are committed to fair competition and comply with these laws and rules. We refrain from agreements on prices, conditions and strategies with competitors, suppliers, other companies and traders that hinder fair competition. We do not participate in any anti-competitive boycotts.

Prohibition of discrimination

Any form of discrimination is prohibited as a matter of principle. It does not matter whether it concerns nationality, ethnicity, age and gender, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy or disability, or religion or belief. Promotions and new appointments are always free of discrimination.

Diversity

ARTEMES is committed to recognising and valuing all people, regardless of their social or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation or world view, age, physical or mental abilities or other characteristics. For example, we promote business partnerships with an awareness of diversity (e.g. Team Styria Werkstätten AG).

Gender - gender-sensitive language

​In the formulation of our texts and general communication, we are careful to use gender-appropriate language. Thus, terms are primarily formulated in a gender-neutral way (e.g.: students, users), and secondarily both the feminine and masculine spelling is used and alternatively the gender-star spelling.

 

Handling internal company informationDealing with company internals

We attach importance to the careful and responsible handling of the products manufactured, the working materials used and the company's intellectual property.

Protection from child or forced labour

We strictly reject child or forced labour without exception and expect the same from our business partners. Children of compulsory school age (younger than 15 years) may not be employed even if the legal requirements of the respective country of our business partners or suppliers would allow this.

Consideration for family

We pay attention to the compatibility of work and family and are careful to grant our employees a necessary degree of flexibility with regard to working hours and location as well as measures around maternity leave and re-entry.

Quality policy

The Code of Conduct is also an integral part of the ARTEMES Management Manual according to ISO9001. The Quality Management System (QM System) is a description of the requirements we have established. Its application ensures that all activities that have an impact on the company's performance are planned, controlled and monitored, and that contractually agreed requirements are met.

Through this declaration, the management commits all employees and partners to carry out their activities in accordance with the descriptions of this QM system in order to ensure that the quality of all products and services of our company meets the internal and external requirements.

Quality assurance in the sense of customer orientation, leadership, stakeholder involvement, improvement of processes, services and products, evidence-based decision-making and relationship management are therefore of great concern to us and find special focus with regard to our actions and corporate duty of care with a view to holistic quality assurance.

We are committed to the continuous improvement and further development of the QM system. The stable quality of our products and services is one of the foundations of our successful business activity. For us, quality means meeting the demands of our customers and interested parties in the best possible way.

With the assessment of results, internal audits and performance evaluation, the management reviews the performance and effectiveness of the QM system. We provide all the necessary means to fulfil the quality objectives and enforce the quality policy.

In this sense, quality is an important criterion for our daily business and forms a reliable bond with our customers.

Implementation and enforcement

A trouble-free organisation and the most advanced QM methods provide the necessary framework for implementation. All employees are obliged to apply the regulations applicable in their area of responsibility, to constantly monitor their effectiveness and to adapt them to the latest knowledge and requirements. This understanding and awareness of quality, as well as the attitude of all employees towards respectful cooperation, are prerequisites for the satisfaction of our customers and thus for the lasting success of our company.

ARTEMES GmbH is committed to making the necessary efforts to live up to the principles and values described in this Code of Conduct.

Eibiswald, December 2021