Angaben gemäß § 5 TMG

Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy aims to inform you about the data processing in connection with our website and related services. The processing of personal data takes place exclusively within the framework of the respective valid legal data protection regulations, in particular the General Data Protection Regulation (hereinafter referred to as "GDPR").

General information

Personal data

In accordance with Art. 4 (1) GDPR, “personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter referred to as the “data subject”); a natural person is considered as being identifiable, directly or indirectly, in particular by means of an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or one or more special characteristics expressing the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of this natural person.

Controller

The controller within the meaning of Art. 4 (7) GDPR is

Collection and processing related to our website

Automatically processed data when visiting

Each time you access our website, your browser automatically transmits data that are stored in the log files of the server. This includes the following data (hereinafter referred to as the "Log file data"):

  • Information about browser type and browser version;
  • operating system of the user;
  • Internet service provider and IP address of the user; and
  • date and time of the access.

The Log file data is evaluated anonymously in order continuously to improve the website, to adapt the website to the interests of our users and to be able to remedy errors quickly. For these purposes, our legitimate interest in the processing of data is pursuant to Art. 6 (1)(f) GDPR. In a non-anonymised form, Log file data are used solely to detect malfunctions and to ensure system security, including detection and tracking of improper access attempts and fraud and abuse attempts. The data are stored for 10 days and then deleted. Log file data, the further storage of which is required for evidence purposes, is not deleted until final clarification of the respective incident has been obtained and may in individual cases be forwarded to the investigating authorities. For these purposes, our legitimate interest in the processing of data is pursuant to Art. 6 (1)(f) GDPR.

Commercial communication

If and insofar as you have given us your consent for marketing and advertising purposes, e.g. you have signed up to the e-mail newsletter etc., or we are otherwise allowed to process your data for the aforementioned purposes on the legal basis of our legitimate interest, the data processing required in the context of establishing contact takes place on the legal basis of your consent, Art. 6 (1)(a) GDPR or our legitimate interest, Art. 6 (1)(f). It might be possible that commercial communication will be provided through our external service providers. These service providers act as instruction-bound processors for us. You may object the processing of your data for these purposes or revoke your consent to us at any time with effect for the future (e.g. by using the unsubscribe link included in the e-mail or write us an e-mail or letter).

Basic

If and to the extent that you have given us your consent, we will process the contact data you have provided (e.g. your e-mail address, name and phone number, if applicable) for the purpose of sending the basic commercial communication through various channels like email or SMS.

As part of the basic commercial communication, we will inform you about news in the Pioneering GmbH , events organized by Pioneering GmbH and customer surveys in which you can take part.

Furthermore, we will process your interests that you may have submitted in the context of the registration for the commercial communication.

The legal basis for this processing is your consent, Art. 6 (1)(a) GDPR. We store the contact data and your consent for the stated purposes for five years after each use.

You can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future. You can declare your revocation at any later time in writing (Carl-Miele-Str. 29, 33332 Gütersloh) or by email (hello@pioneeringgmbh.com) without giving reasons. In addition, every e-mail sent to you contains an unsubscribe link which use also declares your revocation.

Contact and customer service

Contacting us

Our website lists different ways that you can contact us. Furthermore, you can contact us through our social media presences (e.g. on Facebook or Instagram). If you use these and contact us e.g. by e-mail, we will process the data you provided to us in order to answer your request. We have a legitimate interest in answering your enquiries. The legal basis for the data processing is Art. 6 (1)(f) GDPR. If the purpose of your request is to conclude a contract, the legal basis is Art. 6 (1)(b) GDPR. When contacting us, data transmitted to us will be deleted after completion of your request, provided and insofar as we are not obliged to store it for reasons based on commercial and tax law.

User generated content on Social Media

When you tagged us in your content on social media, it might be possible that we ask for your permission to repost your content on our social media channel/s (e.g. on Linkedin and others). We will only use your content after we received your explicit permission. In order to do so, we process your content, your username / accountname on social media, your E-mail address and further information you share with us, e.g. your name. The legal basis is for the processing of your data is your consent, Art. 6 (1) lit. (a) GDPR. The data are stored by us only as long as it is necessary for the fulfilment of the respective purpose, unless otherwise provided for by the applicable legislation. You may revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future.

Use of Whatsapp

If you have given your consent, we will process the personal data you have provided or that is available (e.g. name, telephone number, email address, messenger ID, profile picture, messages) for communication regarding the preparation and execution of any orders as well as for sending promotional information (e.g. offers, newsletters) using the instant messaging service "WhatsApp" provided by WhatsApp Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland. An existing messaging account is required to use this service. We would like to point out that WhatsApp Ireland Limited may also pass on personal data (in particular communication metadata) to WhatsApp Inc. which is also processed on servers in countries outside the EU (e.g. USA) where there is no adequate level of data protection. WhatsApp may share this data with other companies within and outside the Facebook group of companies. Further information can be found in the WhatsApp Business (https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/business-policy/) and WhatsApp (https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/#privacy-policy) privacy policies. We have neither precise knowledge nor influence on the data processing by WhatsApp Ireland Limited or WhatsApp Inc. which is responsible in this respect under data protection law. In addition to the recipients specifically named above, we use the help of other service providers (processors) to fulfill our obligations. We would like to point out that you can revoke your consent once given at any time without giving reasons for the future by informing us of your revocation via Whatsapp with a message with the note WIDERRUF or by e-mail to the e-mail address given in this data protection declaration or our imprint of the corresponding processing of your personal data. The above-mentioned data will be deleted in accordance with the legal requirements as soon as the consent permitted for processing is revoked or if the purpose of processing this data no longer applies or it is not required for the purpose. If the data is not deleted because it is required for other and legally permissible purposes, its processing is restricted to these purposes. This means that the data is blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be retained for commercial or tax law reasons or whose storage is necessary for the assertion, exercise or defense of legal claims or to protect the rights of another natural or legal person. Responsible provider of the WhatsApp Messenger service: WhatsApp Messenger WhatsApp, Inc, 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA; the privacy policy is available at whatsapp.com/legal/business-policy/

Job application

If you apply via the PioneeringGmbH application portal or form or otherwise for a position with us and send us application documents, we will process the personal data you provide in this context only for the purpose of the application process. Insofar as you have applied for an advertised position, the documents will be automatically deleted 180 days after completion of the advertising procedure, provided deletion does not conflict with any legitimate interests. At any time you have the option of requesting the deletion of your application prior to expiry of the scheduled retention periods. In the case of a successful application, the transmitted data will be stored for the purpose of the employment relationship in compliance with the legal requirements. If you have applied for employment with another Miele Group company, we will forward your application to the respective company for the purpose of deciding on the employment relationship. The data transmitted as part of your application will be processed by Personio GmbH, which offers personnel administration and applicant management software (https://www.personio.de/impressum/). In this respect, Personio acts for us as a processor bound by instructions in accordance with Art. 28 DS-GVO. The basis for the processing is a contract for order processing between us as the controller and Personio. As far as we process your data for the decision on the establishment of an employment relationship, the legal basis is Art. 26 (1)(1) of the German Federal Data Protection Act. In all other cases, the legal basis for storing your application data is your consent in accordance with. Art. 6(1) lit. (a) GDPR.

Transfer of personal data

Within the context of the data processing described in this privacy notice, it might be possible that we transfer personal data to the following categories of recipients (in addition to the recipients expressly stated in this privacy notice):

  • authorized agents and other consultants (e.g. attorneys, tax accountants, auditors);
  • service providers (e.g. marketing agencies, IT service providers);
  • companies of the Miele Group (https://www.miele.com/de/com/standorte-2090.htm);
  • insurance companies; and
  • state agencies and governmental bodies.

We only transfer personal data to third parties insofar it is required to fulfil our contractual obligations, in case we have or the respective third party has a legitimate interest in processing the personal data or if you have given consent to the transfer. Furthermore, we only transfer personal data to third parties if and insofar we are obligated to do so according to applicable law, regulatory action or court order.

Location of data processing

Unless otherwise expressly stated in this privacy policy, all personal data collected from you in connection with your use of Pioneering GmbH services are generally stored and processed on servers within the territory of the European Union. However, it might be possible that your data will be transferred and processed outside the territory of the European Union. In such event, your data will be secured by appropriate safeguards as set forth in Art. 46 (2) GDPR, in particular, but without limitation to, by the use of the Standard Contractual Clauses for the transfer of data between EU and non-EU countries (which can be found here) and further additional safeguards.

Data subject rights

Data subjects have various rights under GDPR. These include in particular:

  • Right to information: According to Art. 15 GDPR, you can request a confirmation as to whether personal data concerning you is being processed by us. If such processing is available, you may also request further information about the processing from us.
  • Right to rectification: In accordance with Art. 16 GDPR, you are entitled to rectification and/or completion if the processed personal data concerning you is incorrect or incomplete.
  • Right to restriction of processing: You may request, pursuant to Art. 18 GDPR, that the processing of your personal data be restricted, as far as one of the following conditions is given:
    • the accuracy of the personal data is contested by the data subject, for a period enabling the controller to verify the accuracy of the personal data;
    • the processing is unlawful and the data subject opposes the erasure of the personal data and requests the restriction of their use instead;
    • the controller no longer needs the personal data for the purposes of the processing, but they are required by the data subject for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims;
    • the data subject has objected to processing pursuant to Article 21(1) pending the verification whether the legitimate grounds of the controller override those of the data subject.
  • Right to erasure: According to Art. 17 GDPR, you also have the right under certain circumstances to demand the deletion of your personal data stored about you, as far as one of the following conditions is given:
    • the personal data are no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed;
    • the data subject withdraws consent on which the processing is based according to point (a) of Article 6(1), or point (a) of Article 9(2), and where there is no other legal ground for the processing;
    • the data subject objects to the processing pursuant to Article 21(1) and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing, or the data subject objects to the processing pursuant to Article 21(2);
    • the personal data have been unlawfully processed;
    • the personal data have to be erased for compliance with a legal obligation in Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject;
    • the personal data have been collected in relation to the offer of information society services referred to in Article 8(1).
  • Right to data portability: In accordance with Art. 20 GDPR, you are also entitled to receive the personal data that you have provided in a structured, common and machine- readable format and to transmit it without any obstruction from us to another controller.

To assert the aforementioned rights, please contact us stating your concern, your name and, if applicable, your customer number. Please address your request to the contact details given in sections 1.2 and 1.3.

Right of appeal

You have the right to complain about the handling of your personal data by a data protection authority.

The for Pioneering GmbH responsible data protection authority is the Landesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und Informationssicherheit in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Postfach 20 04 44 in 40102 Düsseldorf.

Please find further information here: https://www.ldi.nrw.de

Right of objection

If your personal data on the basis of legitimate interests are processed pursuant to Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in accordance with Art. 21 GDPR, provided there are reasons for this arising from your particular situation, Pioneering GmbH cannot demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override the interests, rights and freedoms of the data subject or if your objection is based on being targeted to personal advertising. In the latter case, you have a general right of objection, which is implemented by us without any particular situation being specified. Please address your request to the contact details given in sections 1.2 and 1.3.

German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act

Our pledge to respect human rights

As an internationally active family business, we are aware of our responsibility towards our employees, the environment and society. We are therefore committed to complying with social standards, strengthening human rights and preventing human rights violations. For more than 120 years, Miele has been synonymous with high-quality domestic appliances and commercial machines like no other company and is regarded as the epitome of reliable and long-lasting products. The immovable values of our company include the respectful and responsible treatment of both employees and suppliers. Consideration of human rights is a matter of course at Miele – and a key tenet of the corporate culture.

Implementation of SA8000 and Code of Conduct over many years

Miele also requires that its suppliers comply with social criteria. All of Miele’s suppliers worldwide must commit to complying with the above criteria within their own organisation in accordance with the internationally recognised SA8000 social standard, and must also monitor compliance on the part of their own suppliers. In addition to this, the principles and requirements contained in the Supplier Code of Conduct are an integral part of business relationships between Miele and its suppliers. Suppliers agree to the principles laid out in further detail covering human and employee rights, environmental protection, ethical business practices and corporate integrity, responsible supply chains and due diligence as minimum standards. They are also under obligation to ensure that these principles and requirements also apply to upstream supply chain structures.

Risk analysis

With respect to suppliers, Miele monitors and regularly adapts its risk analysis process which has been established for years. To this end, direct suppliers are evaluated with respect to their risk potential on the basis of external risk indices and further information available within the company (including concrete insights and experience) and assigned to risk categories. This prioritisation forms the basis for focused and proactive risk and action management by Miele. Depending on the risk classification of a supplier, this results in a variety of different actions – up to annual on-site inspections to ascertain the compliance with required criteria and minimum standards. In terms of processes, the risk analysis is performed regularly by Miele and documented accordingly – at least once per year. In addition, there is an ad hoc risk analysis where required by Miele's risk assessment or when there is immediate concern over a violation of duty, including by indirect suppliers. If, despite due precautions, there is reason to believe that Miele's business activities may have negative consequences on human rights, Miele can use ist established escalation process to analyse, modify and/or correct behaviour which may include, as a last resort, the termination of business ties.

Complaints procedure

Miele encourages its employees to report presumed breaches of this policy statement on human rights via existing complaints channels or dispute resolution processes. These include local management, relevant HR departments and the compliance hotline. Our partners and third parties have various channels on www.miele.com through which to report potential breaches of this policy statement on human rights, including via an ombudsperson.

Areas of responsibility

Overall responsibility for implementing this policy statement lies with Miele's six-strong Executive Board. Responsibility for human rights due diligence lies with the relevant management of the various functions and departments within the Miele Group with respect to individual tasks and responsibilities. This ensures that each area within the company is clear about its own responsibilities for upholding human rights and the daily implementation of measures, both within its own business field and in the supply chain. Overarching coordination and management is assumed by a central Task Force – headed by the Sustainability & Regulatory Affairs and Legal & Compliance.

Whistleblower system and complaints procedures

Information on the whistleblower system and complaint procedures

Miele fosters an open culture and a spirit of cooperation in which those affected can seek advice and voice concerns. In addition to internal channels, we have for many years appointed an external ombudsperson to whom employees and business partners can turn confidentially and anonymously. The ombudsperson receives tips on possible violations of laws or internal rules (whistleblower system). He is also responsible for the complaints procedure under the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act. The complaints procedure enables individuals to point out human rights and environmental risks as well as violations of human rights or environmental obligations.

The Ombudsperson can be reached as follows: