Information on data protection
We take data protection and confidentiality very seriously and adhere to the provisions of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU-GDPR) as well as current national data protection regulations. Please read this data protection information carefully before submitting a report.
Compliance Hotline – SPEAK UP!
Purpose of the Compliance-Hotline and legal basis
The Compliance-Hotline (SPEAK UP! System) serves the purpose of securely and confidentially receiving, processing and managing reports regarding violations of the compliance rules of K+S. The processing of personal data in the SPEAK UP! System is based on the legitimate interests of our company to detect and prevent misconduct and thus avoid damage to K+S, its employees and customers. Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR serves as legal basis for this data processing.
Personal data and information entered into the reporting system are stored in a database operated by EQS Group GmbH in a high-security data centre. Only K+S has access to the data. EQS Group GmbH and other third parties do not have access to the data. This is ensured in the certified procedure through extensive technical and organisational measures.
All data are stored encrypted with multiple levels of password protection so that access is restricted to a very small selection of expressly authorised persons at K+S.
Type of the collected personal data
Use of the reporting system takes place on a voluntary basis. If you submit a report via the Compliance-Hotline, we collect the following personal data and information:
- your name, if you choose to reveal your identity,
- whether you are employed at K+S, and
- the names of persons and other personal data of persons that you name in your report.
Confidential handling of reports
Incoming reports are received by a small selection of expressly authorised and specially trained employees of the Compliance department of K+S and are always handled confidentially. The employees of the Compliance department of K+S will evaluate the matter and perform any further investigation required by the specific case.
During the processing of a report or the conduction of a special investigation, it may become necessary to share reports with additional employees of K+S or employees of other group companies, e.g. if the reports refer to incidents in subsidiaries. The latter may be based in countries outside the European Union or the European Economic Area with different regulations concerning the protection of personal data. We always ensure that the applicable data protection regulations are complied with when sharing reports.
All persons who receive access to the data are obligated to maintain confidentiality.
Information of the accused person
Limitations to the obligation to inform, in compliance with Article 23 GDPR in connection with § 33 BDSG, are to be observed. One can refrain from issuing notification when and as long as this notification would decidedly endanger the business purpose of the company.
Retention period of personal data
Personal data is retained for as long as necessary to clarify the situation and perform an evaluation of the report or a legitimate interest of the company exists or it is required by law. After the report processing is concluded, this data is deleted in accordance with the statutory requirements.
Use of the reporting portal
Communication between your computer and the reporting system takes place over an encrypted connection (SSL). Your IP address will not be stored during your use of the reporting system. In order to maintain the connection between your computer and the SPEAK UP! System, a cookie is stored on your computer that merely contains the session ID (a so-called null cookie). This cookie is only valid until the end of your session and expires when you close your browser.
It is possible to set up a postbox within the reporting system that is secured with an individually chosen pseudonym/ user name and password. This allows you to send reports to the responsible employee at K+S either by name or in an anonymous, safe way. This system only stores data inside the reporting system, which makes it particularly secure. It is not a form of regular e-mail communication.
Note on sending attachments
When submitting a report or an addition, you can simultaneously send attachments to the responsible employee of the Compliance department of K+S. If you wish to submit an anonymous report, please take note of the following security advice: Files can contain hidden personal data that could compromise your anonymity. Remove this data before sending. If you are unable to remove this data or are unsure how to do so, copy the text of your attachment into your report text or send the printed document anonymously to the address listed in the footer, citing the reference number received at the end of the reporting process.
Contact details of the controller for data processing and of the data protection officer
- K+S Aktiengesellschaft
- Bertha-von-Suttner-Straße 7
- 34131 Kassel, Germany
- Phone: +49 561 9301 0
- is the controller for data processing.
You can contract the data protection office of the K+S Aktiengesellschaft at
- Bertha-von-Suttner-Str. 7
- 34131 Kassel, Germany
- Phone: +49 561 9301 1991
- dataprivacy [at] k-plus-s [dot] com
Your rights with regard to the processing of your data
In respect of the processing of your personal data, the applicable data protection legislation grants you vis-à-vis us extensive rights of access and intervention. These are:
- Right to access: You have a right to access information about your personal data processed by us.
- Right to rectification: You have a right to rectification without undue delay of inaccurate data concerning you and/or completion of your incomplete data stored by us.
- Right to erasure: You have the right to demand your personal data be deleted if the prerequisites of Article 17(1) GDPR are fulfilled.
- Right to restriction of processing: You have the right to demand the restriction of processing of your personal data if the prerequisites of Article 18(1) GDPR are fulfilled.
- Right to notification: If you have asserted the right to rectification, erasure or restriction of processing vis-à-vis us, we are obliged to inform all recipients to whom the relevant personal data was disclosed of this rectification, erasure or restriction of processing unless this proves impossible or involves disproportionate effort. You have the right to be notified about these recipients.
- Right to data portability: You have the right to receive in a structured, standard and machine-readable format your personal data, which you have provided to us, or demand it be transmitted to another controller insofar as that is technically feasible
- Right to withdrawal of consent granted: At any time you have the right to withdraw consent that was once granted to the processing of data with effect for the future. If such consent is withdrawn, the data concerned is deleted without undue delay. The withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of the processing carried out on the basis of the consent before the withdrawal.
- Right to complain: You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, for example with the Data Protection Officer of the Federal State of Hesse, regarding our processing of your data.
- Right to object: If as part of the weighing of interests your personal data is processed on the basis of our overriding legitimate interest, you have the right at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to object to this processing with effect for the future.
Amendments of the data privacy directive
We reserve the right to amend this data privacy statement at any time. We therefore recommend that you review the data privacy statement regularly.
Status: May 2018