Nestlé in society Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments 2015

Nestlé in society:
Creating Shared Value
Nutrition, health
and wellness
Rural development
Water
Environmental
sustainability
Human rights
and compliance
Our
people
G4-49, G4-50, G4-57, G4-58, Environmental grievance mechanisms G4-DMA, Labor practices grievance mechanisms G4-DMA, G4-LA16, Non-discrimination G4-DMA,
Human rights grievance mechanisms G4-DMA, Anti-corruption G4-DMA, Compliance G4-DMA (Society), Grievance mechanisms for impacts on society G4-DMA,
G4-SO11, G4-PR4, G4-PR7, Compliance G4-DMA (Product responsibility)
In 2015, we received 1400 messages through the Nestlé
Integrity Reporting System, covering issues such as leadership
style, labour practices, discrimination and harassment (see
table below). Of all the substantiated and unsubstantiated
cases presented through this system, 1137 (81%) were closed,
of which more than 26% were substantiated, resulting in 35
employees leaving the company, and 70 written warnings and
other measures being issued, including internal process
improvement and reinforcement and the establishment of
performance improvement plans.
Area of complaint (%)
37
8
We have developed and provided training material on the
investigation of non-compliance reports to market compliance
officers across different countries. Using this communication as a
springboard, we have deployed several direct countermeasures,
including enhancing awareness of the Integrated Reporting
System, investigation guidance, monitoring how complaints are
managed and remediation measures.
Our objectives
21
34
Leadership style 478
Labour practices 300
Discrimination and
harassment 110
Other 512
By 2015 – Scale up our communication about the
external grievance system ‘Tell us’ to 5000 suppliers and
to 1000 downstream business partners (i.e. distributors)
of Nestlé Nutrition products, as well as in first phase
countries identified by the company.
By 2016 – Continue to scale up the communication about
‘Tell us’ to suppliers and downstream business partners as
well as to second phase countries (additional 20 countries).
Tell us – our external compliance reporting system
In 2015, we further developed our Tell us communication
channel. This is specifically designed to give all external
stakeholders the opportunity to report any possible noncompliance
incidents against the Nestlé Corporate Business
Principles or laws, both internal and external. Although Tell us
is run by Nestlé, it is controlled externally and allows
stakeholders to report non-compliances confidentially or to
seek advice on our practices.
Following its launch in 2014, we continued to roll out the
system throughout the year. Its availability has now been
communicated to 5000 suppliers, to more than 1000 of our
downstream business partners, such as distributors, and
through Nestlé Nutrition, thus meeting our objective.
The system has been given good feedback by external
stakeholders. We have applied the experience gained from the
first year of the system’s operation to continue to refine the
processes and platform, and to build on our expertise in
managing it. We have scaled up our communication about Tell
us to further promote reporting of potential non-compliance
incidents by external stakeholders in the 12 phase one
countries: China, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria,
Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and
Vietnam. Communications about Tell us have been deployed
on those local Nestlé websites.
By the end of 2015, over 5000 Nestlé suppliers had been
appraised and informed about Tell us through the
implementation of the revised Supplier Code, and the
information is also available on our website.
External stakeholders are able to use Tell us through an
online form or by calling a toll-free phone number. By the end
of 2015, we had received 372 messages. All comments
received have been, or are being, addressed. There was one
unsubstantiated claim of private-to-private bribery (that is,
where some form of personal advantage has been requested
or offered between an employee and a supplier or customer
with a view to gaining or maintaining business). We also found
that a number of messengers used the system to seek advice
on topics of commitment to society.
Of the supplier concerns, subsequent investigations
resulted in one employee leaving the company, one written
warning being issued and other measures being taken,
including internal process improvements and a reinforcement
communication to suppliers.
‘Tell us’ complaints received in 2015
Subjects of messages received
Number of
messages received
Private-to-private bribery 1
Conflict of interest (grouped with fraud) 18
Environmental suggestions 3
Seeking advice 7
Breast-milk marketing concerns 10
Supplier concerns 9
Labour practices and leadership style 37
General enquiries (including consumer
complaints, customer concerns, safety,
quality, etc.)
287
Total 372
Tell us by region
Quantity
EMENA 36
AMS 156
AOA 126
Undisclosed 54
Total 372
Nestlé in society – Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments 2015 245