Frequently Asked Questions for Onboarding to a CS Legal Entity as per 1 May 2024 – for Level 2 Vendors

Please note the FAQ relates to the letter to UBS Level 2 suppliers about required changes in vetting requirements “Application of UBS Vetting Standards across UBS Group AG* – Level 2”. The aim is to provide further detail to the requirements set out in the letter.

*UBS Group AG includes Credit Suisse

Vetting initiation is triggered by the line manager or deputy (Internal Business Partner) and should be initiated early, factoring in minimum of 20 days for completion. Staff vetting must be completed prior to staff onboarding submission at CS.

As of 1 May 2024, your staff will be vetted by the UBS Group AG per the onboarding country (e.g. the primary country your staff member will work from that must also be a UBS location) requirements set forth in our country specifications. The UBS process that you are familiar with today will apply. Therefore, you have to complete the Staff Vetting Declaration (can be downloaded from the document library of the L2 Staff Vetting Website) and prepare all other required information and documentation for each Staff (or subcontractor) and send it to your Internal Business Partner. Your Internal Business Partner must initiate the vetting by sending an email request containing all required information and forms to the Staff Vetting Operations Team (see contacts here).

b. What may be done if I can’t wait to start services for 20 days (e.g., when vetting clears and staff member can be onboarded)?

The good news is that most vetting cases take less than 20 days to clear. Those that take the longest are due to the time needed for courts to clear criminal checks or for adverse findings to clear.
However, if your internal business partner has initiated the external onboarding request at the earliest opportunity and there is a justified urgent exceptional need, your Internal Business Partner / UBS Group Line manager may request an HR vetting exception approval to allow your new joiner to start prior to clearance of credit, criminal, and/or directorship database checks.

Remember: Only if approved, may your staff member be onboarded and start services.

c. Where do I raise the request to onboard my staff at CS (Category I staff with system access)?
Your business partner should not onboard through UBS HR systems.

You continue to raise the onboarding request in Beeline through existing CS onboarding tools and processes. However, you may only do so AFTER vetting is fully completed, or your business partner has received an approved HR vetting exception for your staff member to start prior to clearance of a Credit, Criminal, or Directorship Database Search check.
For each staff onboarding Beeline, you will need to include the email notification from HR that vetting has completed, or an exception request has been granted. Your Internal Business Partner will need to provide this to you.

d. Where and how do I raise a request to onboard an individual at CS with only building access (Category III staff with no IT system access)?

You continue to raise the access to CS buildings via your CS internal partner, who enters the request in the MyBuilding Access tool for non-IT external staff. However, you may only do so AFTER the vetting is fully completed or your business partner has received an approved HR vetting exception for the individual to start prior to Credit, Criminal or Directorship databased check clearance.
For each staff onboarding in Beeline, you will need to include the email notification from HR that vetting has completed, or an exception request has been granted. Your Internal Business Partner will need to provide this to you.

e. Do I, as an L2 supplier, need to complete any of the vetting checks?

The vetting checks will be performed by UBS. However, you are expected to perform Identity and Right to Work verification for all staff providing services to UBS Group. For staff who provide services, but do not require any onboarding, you are expected to perform criminal checks in addition to the Identity and Right to Work verification.

Any staff member providing services, UBS expects that your staff are skilled and qualified to perform the contractual services. For this reason, Education and Employment checks are not required.

For further details please read the process documentation on the L2 Staff Vetting Website).

f. By when do the vetting checks need to be completed?

As of 1 May 2024, all vetting checks must be completed by UBS Group AG prior to any onboarding via Beeline or MyBuilding access. There is no longer an allowance of 2 months post CS start date for vetting completion. For urgent onboardings, and HR vetting exception may be requested by the UBS/CS Business.
For each staff onboarding, the email notification of vetting completion or an approved exception request must be uploaded in Beeline or MyBuilding access.

g. What happens if there is an adverse finding in a vetting check?

You will not be notified of the details of a finding. If the finding is outside of UBS Group’s risk tolerance, the Staff Vetting Operations team will inform your Internal Business Partner that the individual did not satisfy UBS’s vetting requirements.

h. What are the vetting requirements for staff onboarded to CS prior to 1 May 2024?

Prior to 1 May, you will perform all vetting requirements as per existing CS contractual agreements (e.g., Annex G).

i. What are vetting requirements as of 1 May 2024?

As of 1 May 2024, and subject to your firm’s acceptance of UBS’s vetting standards, UBS will perform the vetting requirements prior to onboarding. Any supplier who do not accept UBS’s vetting standards will not be able to onboard staff at UBS Group and may not be able to transition your staff currently at a CS Legal Entity to a UBS legal entity.

j. What happens if the UBS standards are not accepted as of 1 May 2024?

Any supplier who do not accept UBS’s vetting standards will not be able to onboard staff at UBS Group. Additionally, any staff member assigned to a CS Legal Entity may not be able to transition to a UBS Legal Entity.

k. Do the CS regional vetting specifics on enhanced screening for Sensitive Positions in Switzerland and fingerprinting in the US the still apply?

As of 1 May 2024, all the required steps for enhanced vetting or fingerprinting form part of the vetting performed by the UBS Group in partnership with UBS Group’s regional vetting vendors.