{"id":13248,"date":"2026-10-21T10:25:25","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T08:25:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/?page_id=13248"},"modified":"2026-10-29T09:17:05","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T08:17:05","slug":"complaints-and-whistleblowing-channel","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/en\/complaints-and-whistleblowing-channel\/","title":{"rendered":"Complaints and Whistleblowing Channel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull has-custom-content-position is-position-bottom-left margin-bottom-l\" style=\"min-height:360px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-12090 size-large\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rus-burkhanov-building-4803602-1024x683.jpg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rus-burkhanov-building-4803602-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rus-burkhanov-building-4803602-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rus-burkhanov-building-4803602-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rus-burkhanov-building-4803602-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rus-burkhanov-building-4803602-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left has-huge-font-size margin-bottom-none padding-bottom-none\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-white-color\">Complaints and Whistleblowing Channel<\/mark><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"undefined margin-top-none wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">At R4S (Roots for Sustainability), we want to know when our activities have a negative impact on someone or when any conduct falls short of our commitments. That is why we have a single complaints and whistleblowing mechanism. It applies to all R4S activities, sites and geographical areas, and is available to all our stakeholders.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-primary-color\">What is it for?<\/mark><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alignwide wp-block-paragraph\">The channel provides an accessible, transparent and secure way for any interested party to raise a complaint, a concern or a report relating to R4S&#8217;s activities, and to receive a response within the established time limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Who can use it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alignwide wp-block-paragraph\">Any person or organisation, whether or not they have a contractual relationship with R4S: R4S employees, customers, suppliers and partners, local communities or any other person or group affected by our activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">What can be reported?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alignwide wp-block-paragraph\">You can report any situation related to R4S&#8217;s activities that you consider to be contrary to the law, our Code of Ethics or our internal policies, or that has had a negative impact on you. In particular:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Business ethics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list alignwide\">\n<li>Possible cases of corruption, bribery or fraud.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conflicts of interest.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Information security or personal data protection incidents.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Human rights, working conditions and the environment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list alignwide\">\n<li>Human rights violations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Situations relating to working conditions, such as discrimination, harassment, health and safety or unfair treatment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Significant and anomalous environmental impacts associated with our facilities and operations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Other situations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list alignwide\">\n<li>Breaches of the Code of Ethics or internal policies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Disputes arising from contractual relationships.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Any other impact arising from R4S&#8217;s activities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">What does this channel not handle?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list alignwide\">\n<li><strong>Purely commercial claims<\/strong> (quotes, invoicing, quality of service).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Routine HR matters<\/strong> (holidays, leave, payroll). <em>Note: Employment situations involving a breach, discrimination or a violation of rights<\/em> <em><strong>must<\/strong><\/em> <em>be reported through this channel.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Matters subject to ongoing judicial or administrative proceedings.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>General enquiries<\/strong> that do not involve a specific grievance: write to <a href=\"mailto:info@r4sgroup.com\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-primary-color\">info@r4sgroup.com<\/mark><\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-primary-10-background-color has-background margin-top-xl margin-bottom-xl is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6ca6c521 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--3-xs);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--m);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--3-xs);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--m)\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-primary-color\">How to submit a complaint<\/mark><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. Choose how you want to identify yourself:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Identified:<\/strong> you provide your details and authorise us to use them to handle and follow up on the complaint.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Confidential:<\/strong> you provide your details, but your identity is not disclosed to the person or area concerned or to third parties without your consent. Only the person responsible for managing the channel has access to it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. Send us your complaint<\/strong> using the <strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-primary-color\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/en\/complaints-and-whistleblowing-channel-form\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">web form<\/a><\/span><\/mark><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. Provide as much information about the complaint as possible:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A description of the events.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The approximate date of the events.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The identity of the people involved (if known).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Any available documentation or evidence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alignwide wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What happens next?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alignwide wp-block-paragraph\">Complaints are handled by the R4S Ethics Committee, with the support of the Operations and Administration team, in accordance with R4S&#8217;s internal complaints and whistleblowing procedure. Everyone involved in handling complaints has signed a specific confidentiality undertaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table alignwide is-style-stripes\" style=\"font-size:14px\"><table class=\"has-dark-grey-80-color has-dark-grey-10-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Stage<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Action<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Maximum time limit<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1. Receipt<\/td><td>Receipt of the complaint is confirmed to the person who submitted it and a reference number is assigned.<\/td><td>7 working days<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2. Admission<\/td><td>An assessment is made as to whether the complaint falls within the scope of the channel. Where appropriate, additional information is requested from the person who submitted it.<\/td><td>10 working days<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3. Notification of the decision<\/td><td>The decision on the admission of the complaint is communicated. If it is not admitted, the reasons are given in writing and, where relevant, the appropriate channel is indicated.<\/td><td>2 working days<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4. Investigation and resolution<\/td><td>The facts are analysed and appropriate, proportionate measures are adopted.<\/td><td>30 working days (60 days in particularly complex cases)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5. Outcome and closure<\/td><td>The outcome is communicated to the person who submitted the complaint and the case is closed.<\/td><td>10 working days<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alignwide wp-block-paragraph\">We will keep you informed throughout the process, unless you tell us that you do not wish to receive notifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Record-keeping and monitoring<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alignwide wp-block-paragraph\">All complaints are entered in an internal register with the reference number, date of receipt, subject matter, actions taken, resolution and the dates of each stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alignwide wp-block-paragraph\">The Ethics Committee reviews the operation of the channel and the complaints received every year in order to identify patterns and improve our practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Confidentiality and protection against retaliation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list alignwide\">\n<li>All complaints are treated confidentially. Only those who need to be involved in handling the case have access to them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>R4S protects anyone who submits a complaint in good faith against any direct or indirect retaliation, such as dismissal, sanctions, unfavourable treatment, reputational damage or a worsening of conditions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Submitting a complaint in good faith does not entail any liability, even if it ultimately proves unfounded.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If a person responsible for handling the case has a conflict of interest, they do not take part in it. If the conflict affects the entire responsible team, the case is referred to an independent person or body external to R4S.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Data protection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alignwide wp-block-paragraph\">Roots for Sustainability, S.L. processes the personal data received through the channel in accordance with the GDPR and the Spanish Data Protection Act (LOPDGDD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list alignwide\">\n<li>The data are used solely to handle the complaint, never for commercial purposes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They are kept for as long as necessary to process it and for the applicable statutory periods.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You can exercise your rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection and portability by writing to <a href=\"mailto:info@r4sgroup.com\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-primary-color\">info@r4sgroup.com<\/mark><\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You can also lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aepd.es\">www.aepd.es<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alignwide wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-primary-color\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/en\/privacy-policy\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"3183\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read the privacy policy<\/a><\/span><\/mark><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At R4S (Roots for Sustainability), we want to know when our activities have a negative impact on someone or when any conduct falls short of our commitments. That is why we have a single complaints and whistleblowing mechanism. It applies to all R4S activities, sites and geographical areas, and is available to all our stakeholders. &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/en\/complaints-and-whistleblowing-channel\/\">Continuar<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-13248","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13248"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13319,"href":"https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13248\/revisions\/13319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/r4sgroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}