ETHICS & COMPLIANCE

Alert mechanism

Back to the main page of ENGIE's vigilance plan

 

A Group mechanism open to all

 

How it works

As part of the application of the Sapin 2 law and the law on the duty of vigilance, the Group has strengthened its alert system by deploying a new alert system common to the entire Group and has defined a new policy on whistleblowers. This system is open to all employees, permanent or temporary, as well as to all its external stakeholders since January 2019 and covers all due diligence issues (linked to the Group's ethical commitments).
In order to ensure the confidentiality of information and even anonymity when required by regulations, requests are initially received by a recognised service provider guaranteeing the requirements of the whistleblowers policy, which relays the alerts to the Group Ethics, Compliance & Privacy Department.

 

Number of alerts

In 2021, 187 alerts were received via the system, 46 of which concern subjects related to the duty of vigilance. They relate to:

Allegations of sexual harassmentInterpersonal relations between employeesAllegations of discriminationQuestions related to the environment and the rights of communities
29971

 

Allegations of discrimination and harassment were all dealt with in 2021 and action plans and disciplinary sanctions are systematically taken when the facts are proven.

You wish to alert us to facts related to our activities which you consider to be contrary to human rights, the health and safety of people or the environment?

 

Please use the ENGIE alert system

alert mecanism visual

Grievance mechanisms at the operational level

At local level, and depending on the risks they have identified, the entities must, in accordance with the human rights policy, implement appropriate mechanisms at operational level to enable anyone who feels they have been harmed by the Group's activities to report it. 

Progress

The plan is based on a new common alert system for the entire Group deployed in 2018.

In 2021, the majority of duty of vigilance alerts concerned allegations of moral and sexual harassment. Measures to combat harassment are described in the operational implementation progress part of the human rights approach.
Mechanisms for managing complaints from external stakeholders are also put in place by the entities. Deployment is progressive within the Group (approximately 68% of the Group's entities have local grievance mechanisms in place).

In AMEA region, for example, local complaints mechanisms are based mainly on the Group's whistleblowing system, which is known to local employees. Some sites in South Africa also have liaison officers who are a point of contact for dialogue with local communities. Communication of these mechanisms has been very effective internally thanks to ethics training and general communication to ensure that the people in charge of a project are aware of the existence of the mechanism. The focus on external stakeholders has been a key step in the 2020-2021 action plan in coordination with the CSR team to formalize effective communication towards external stakeholders, especially in North and South Africa.

Other example, the UK entities have their own anonymous whistleblowing hotlines (in addition to the Group hotlines) for raising complaints (both for employees and external parties) as well as an ethics and compliance email address.
 
Entities are also asked to communicate the existence of grievance mechanisms put in place at local and Group level to external stakeholders.