Volkswagen AG (VW) set a deadline at the end of this month for its whistle-blower program designed to encourage workers to disclose information about the automaker’s two emissions scandals in a move to speed up investigations.
Europe’s largest automaker has been making slow progress in finding out who had knowledge of the rigging of diesel emissions tests two months after the manipulations became public in the US and last week also admitted to cheating on carbon dioxide emissions certifications.
Under the whistle-blower program, approved by VW’s top management, workers who get in touch with internal investigators no later than Nov. 30 are to be exempt from dismissals and damage claims, according to a letter from Volkswagen brand chief Herbert Diess to staff seen by reporters on Thursday.
“We are counting on your cooperation and knowledge as our company’s employees to get to the bottom of the diesel and carbon dioxide issue,” Diess was quoted as saying in the document. “In this process, every single day counts.”
His comments confirmed an earlier report by Sueddeutsche Zeitung jointly with German broadcasters NDR and WDR.
Volkswagen has said it hired advisory firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd and US law firm Jones Day to investigate under what circumstances the company installed software into diesel cars that changed engine settings to reduce emissions whenever the vehicle was put through tests.
Detroit-based Wayne State University law professor Peter Henning called Volkswagen’s expedited timeline for whistle-blowers “a creative step,” and added: “They need to break the logjam in the company.”
He said it is unusual to tell employees that they could avoid being fired if they come forward, even if they were involved in wrongdoing. However, the letter from Diess says Volkswagen cannot guarantee that employees would avoid prosecution if they admit involvement.
“They are trying to ferret out information from the mid-level employees who might know what happened, but are fearful of being made a scapegoat,” Henning said.
Whistle-blower programs were successfully employed years ago by German engineering group Siemens AG and Volkswagen’s truck-making subsidiary MAN SE to help unveil incidents of corruption amid ongoing bribery probes.
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