Strategic corporate governance

Compliance: appropriate guidelines for Swiss Post

The Swiss Post Board of Directors is responsible for ensuring that Swiss Post Group complies with the relevant standards and provisions. To ensure that everyone knows how to behave, Swiss Post has a modern compliance system.

Compliance, i.e. the observance of standards and provisions, must be designed in such a way that unauthorized conduct is avoided by means of preventive measures wherever possible. The Board of Directors is committed to a modern, effective compliance system that is tailored to Swiss Post. This commitment requires a company-wide system to prevent breaches of standards and ethics, as well as systematic checks to ensure that rules are obeyed.

Simple and efficient organization

Executive Management creates the necessary framework for a simple and efficient organization. To do so, it has established the Compliance Technical Committee, on which all Group units are represented. The Technical Committee takes the steps required to address the themes assigned to it, issues the relevant technical directives and takes responsibility for communication, training and controls.

Definition and appropriate consideration of themes

Given that Swiss Post carries out business activities in four different markets, a variety of legal themes must be taken into account, each with different requirements in terms of compliance. In addition, proper allowance must be made for the respective business and size of each unit. All legal themes relevant for Swiss Post are identified in Swiss Post’s compliance framework. Central themes are determined on the basis of a risk analysis, and the compliance portfolio compiled.

Programmes for central themes

Compliance programmes are developed for the central themes. The preventive measures required to minimize the risks of breaches of standards and regulations are defined for each theme. Measures are checked on a regular basis and adjusted if necessary. Swiss Post is currently addressing five central themes:

– Public procurement law

– Anti-corruption

– Data and information protection

– Antitrust law

– Postal law