How PNZ-Produkte GmbH receives, evaluates, and resolves grievances from employees, suppliers, customers, and communities affected by our operations.
Who can raise a grievance, and about what
Any employee, supplier, business partner, customer, or member of a community affected by PNZ's operations may raise a grievance concerning PNZ's products, operations, employment practices, or environmental and social impact.
How to submit a grievance
Grievances can be submitted by this secured online form or by post to PNZ-Produkte GmbH, Eichstätter Straße 2-4a, 85110 Kipfenberg. Submissions may be made anonymously.
If you submit anonymously and do not provide any way for us to reach you, we will still evaluate and act on your grievance, but we will not be able to send you status updates or a resolution confirmation. If you would like updates while remaining anonymous, you may provide a pseudonym or a way to be reached that does not reveal your identity.
Grounds for accepting a grievance
A submission is accepted as a grievance where it relates to PNZ's own operations, products, employees, suppliers, or the communities in which PNZ operates; describes a specific concern, incident, or impact, rather than general feedback or opinion; and is not a duplicate of a grievance already under review.
Where a submission does not meet these criteria, it is not accepted as a grievance. We will explain why to the person who submitted it, where contact information is available.
Process steps and deadlines
Receipt. You receive an automatic confirmation that your grievance was received, immediately upon submission.
Initial evaluation. PNZ's top management reviews the submission within 10 working days to confirm it meets the grounds for a grievance and to classify its nature.
Resolution route. Depending on the nature of the grievance, PNZ initiates one of the following: a root-cause analysis and corrective action process (8D) under PNZ's ISO 9001-certified quality management system, for grievances relating to a product or process deviation; referral to external legal counsel to define an appropriate and lawful handling structure, for matters involving personal data or allegations concerning individuals; or a case-specific resolution route and communication plan set by top management, for all other matters.
Status updates. Where we have a way to reach you, we provide status updates at least every four weeks until your grievance is closed.
Closure. We confirm when your grievance has been closed. Where a grievance concerns another individual, we may not be able to share specific outcomes about that person, to protect their privacy and legal rights under German employment and data protection law. We will still confirm that the matter was reviewed and addressed.
How resolution is facilitated
Resolution depends on the nature of the grievance. Product and process-related grievances are handled through PNZ's established root-cause analysis and corrective action process. Grievances involving personal data or allegations concerning individuals are handled under a structure defined with external legal counsel, to protect the rights of everyone involved. Other grievances are resolved through a process set by top management, which may include dialogue between the parties, mediation, or corrective measures, aimed at a fair, proportionate, and timely outcome.
Protection from retaliation
No one who raises a grievance in good faith, whether anonymously or not, will face negative consequences as a result — including dismissal, demotion, disciplinary action, exclusion from business opportunities, or any other detriment.
Information about a grievance, including the identity of the person who raised it, is shared only with those who need to know it to evaluate or resolve the case. Any confirmed act of retaliation is itself treated as a serious violation and is subject to disciplinary or contractual consequences.
PNZ aligns its grievance process with the principles of the UN Global Compact.