Rules of Conduct
Every executives and employee must obey these rules of conduct regardless of their position. All shareholders including partner companies are entitled to these rules of conduct. The rules of conduct serve as a concrete standard of what Lotte’s staff members should and should not do and define their role performances in everyday life.
Chapter 8. Protection of Whistle-Blowing and Whistle-Blowers
8-1 Purpose
To have people report, inform, and make accusation to the Ethics Committee without feeling threatened whenever feeling forced and pressured to conduct unfair activities. To secure people’s rights to reject illegality and let them fulfill their responsibilities to whistle blow.
8-2 Agent of Protection: Ethics Committee
Ethics Committee is obliged to take every possible measure to guarantee every whistleblower’s security and to keep thorough reports in Whistleblowing Register.
When dealing with whistle-blowing, make sure to keep anonymity of the whistleblower to protect the concerned person from any penalty/disadvantage.
8-3 Burden of Proof and Exemption
1)When the whistleblower’s assertion is not concretely proved, the responsibility is bored on the whistleblower. Therefore, whist blowers are obliged to provide concrete proof.
2)If the whistleblower had participated in illegal or unethical activities and reported it later, punishment or disciplinary action should be mitigated.
3)Entire staff members at our company can reject it when forced by superior or an executive member to engage in activities not in compliance with Ethics code and Rules of Conduct.
In this case, entire staff members at our company do not receive disadvantage of any sort including change of position, raise in salary, or promotion, when they reject their superior’s demand to participate in unethical activities. Should any staff member receive any disadvantage from this, he/she can ask for correction and protection to the Ethics Committee.
8-4 How and Where to Report
1)How: There are choices of consultation, call, email, and written accusation. Must be registered, as unregistered (anonymous) accusation bears less credibility and might have possibility of slandering and scheming or even ill-natured prank.
2)Where: The report of unethical behavior/activity can be made directly to the Ethics Committee or its office.
8-5 Sanction
In case of proving the reported member’s accusation through fair investigation, forward the issue to the personnel committee to take appropriate disciplinary measure in compliance with Personnel Regulations (LAS-A0-02-01).
8-6 Notification of Investigation Results
The Ethics Committee notifies the concerned person when accusation is proved based on investigation on the whistleblower, accused person, and all people concerned.
