14. Employment Rights

The company reports on how it complies with nationally and internationally recognised standards relating to employee rights as well as on how it fosters staff involvement in the company and in sustainability management, what goals it has set itself in this regard, what results it has achieved thus far and where it sees risks.

Teamwork, mutual trust, loyalty and integrity form the basis of our cooperation and are an integral part of our values. We value the diversity of our workforce, stand for equal opportunities and promote the further development of our employees. We comply with all national and international laws, rules and regulations and, as an international company, we are aware of our social responsibility toward employees and society. Within the company itself and in its supply chain, DEKRA is committed to observing international human rights laws and social standards such as the guidelines and standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights (AEMRI and the European Convention on Human Rights. We also require our suppliers to comply with these rights and standards in our DEKRA’s General Terms and Conditions of Purchase. The wellbeing of our employees is a very valuable asset for DEKRA. We therefore aspire to offering attractive and secure jobs. Dialog with our employees is very important to us. We maintain constant trust based communication with our employees and employee representatives. The DEKRA employee survey is particularly important in this context. Employees can also contribute to sustainability topics through their active participation. In addition, employees are encouraged to use the sustainability group on the DEKRA Connect network platform to contribute suggestions to the area of sustainability.

 

15. Equal Opportunities

The company discloses in what way it has implemented national and international processes and what goals it has for the promotion of equal opportunities and diversity, occupational health and safety, participation rights, the integration of migrants and people with disabilities, fair pay as well as a work-life balance and how it will achieve these.

DEKRA’s Compliance Guidelines stipulate a mandatory obligation for guaranteeing equal opportunity. We respect and value diversity in our workforce regarding cultural, social, political, legal and national aspects and in the countries, societies and companies where we operate as a company. DEKRA does not permit any form of discrimination or disadvantage due to gender, age, origin, race, color, language, homeland, social origin, nationality, religious or political conviction, sexual orientation or disability. DEKRA asserts itself against any form of coercion, corporal punishment, and any other form of unlawful intimidation and demands that all employees are treated respectfully. DEKRA employees are remunerated in accordance with their performance and in line with the market. We promote the health, training and further development of our employees and set in place framework conditions that support a work-life balance. To this end, we offer our employees, information and training as well as part-time models and individual solutions to suit requirements. Our offerings include regular health and prevention courses for back training, courses in dealing with pressure and stress, Qi Gong, in-house sports groups and the DEKRA Health Day. The Health Day is held every two years at DEKRA’s Stuttgart headquarters and offers a broad-based program of specialist lectures, information booths, health checks, as well as sports and relaxation induction courses. We accord the highest priority to employee health and safety. Our aim is to avoid accidents at work and to reduce their number further, as well as to eliminate possible sources of danger. DEKRA requires that the provision and guarantee of safe and healthy working conditions are ensured and that, with regard to occupational health and safety, the standards of the respective country are complied with as a minimum. Throughout the group, EHS (Occupational Health and Safety) management works consistently on improving the areas of occupational health and safety. 
 

16. Qualifications

The company discloses what goals it has set and what measures it has taken to promote the employability of all employees, i.e. the ability of all employees to participate in the working and professional world, and in view of adapting to demographic change, and where risks are seen.

At DEKRA, the education, training and further training of our employees takes high priority. The expertise of our employees is decisive for the quality and reliability of our services. The continuous professional development of our employees is therefore hugely important to DEKRA. As one of Germany’s largest private educational enterprises, the expertise of the DEKRA Academy is naturally also used by DEKRA for internal training and education purposes. We offer our employees the opportunity of further development both professionally and personally across all age ranges - starting with the development of our trainees and sandwich students combining a degree course with work placement, through to the qualification program for our DEKRA inspection engineers and on to the development of managers. As a provider of expert services, DEKRA accords high priority to employee qualifications. In addition, foreign language courses, first aid, time management and stress management aimed at promoting the personal development of our employees are also on offer. Occupational health management also contributes to enabling and empowering our employees. This includes, for instance, regular back training courses, in-house sports groups and our Health Day, which is organized twice a year. Another salient example of employee further development is the annual DEKRA Global Safety Day and the associated activities designed to develop all employees into ambassadors for safety. 
 

Key Performance Indicators to criteria 14 to 16

Key Performance Indicator G4-LA6
Type of injury and rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days and absenteeism, and total number of work-related fatalities, by region and by gender. Link

The performance indicators in the area of occupational safety are as follows:

Number of work-related accidents ≥1 day lost (incl. commuting accidents) per 1,000 full time employees. 2014: 16.2, 2015 17.4, 2016 16.8.

Accident rate (work-related accidents with ≥1 day lost (excl. commuting accidents) per 1 million hours worked): 2014: 6.9, 2015 7.4, 2016 7.2 (proportion of commuting accidents in 2015 and 2014 derived from 2016 figures).

Accident severity (days lost per accident (incl. commuting accidents)): 2014: 26.2; 2015 16.0; 2016 14.6. 

Scope: DEKRA Group, excl. Business Unit Personnel.

Key Performance Indicator G4-LA8
Health and safety topics covered in formal agreements with trade unions. Link

At DEKRA, the topics of occupational health and safety of our employees are accorded top priority. DEKRA is a co-determined company and maintains constant communication concerning occupational health and safety issues with the respective employee representatives. The majority of the companies in the DEKRA Group are not subject to collective bargaining. No general statement is therefore possible on the question of formal agreement with trade unions regarding occupational health and safety issues. See Criteria 14. Employee Rights, 15. Equal Opportunities, 16. Qualifications. No further information is currently reported.   

Key Performance Indicator G4-LA9
Average hours of training per year per employee, by gender and by employee category. Link

See DEKRA Sustainability Magazine, page 28.

Key Performance Indicator G4-LA12
Composition of governance bodies and breakdown of employees per employee category according to gender, age group, minority group membership, and other indicators of diversity. Link

See DEKRA Sustainability Magazine, page 28.

Key Performance Indicator G4-HR3
Total number of incidents of discrimination and corrective actions taken. Link

We are not aware of any incidences of discrimination in 2016.

17. Human Rights

The company discloses what measures it takes, strategies it pursues and targets it sets for itself and for the supply chain for ensuring that human rights are respected globally and that forced and child labour as well as all forms of exploitation are prevented. Information should also be provided on the results of the measures and on any relevant risks.

Compliance with human rights is a natural imperative in cooperation with our company. This is undoubtedly part of the integrity, reliability and impartiality of all employees that is to be ensured by our values management. DEKRA expects its suppliers and theirs in turn to respect the rights of their employees and observe the respective national and international laws, rules and regulations and guidelines. This is laid down by DEKRA in its General Terms and Conditions of Purchase. In these terms and conditions, we make explicit reference to the guidelines of the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the General Assembly of the United Nations and the European Human Rights Conventions.
 

Key Performance Indicators to criteria 17

Key Performance Indicator G4-HR1
Total number and percentage of significant investment agreements and contracts that include human rights clauses or that underwent human rights screening. Link

Data on these performance indicators are currently not evaluated. See Criterion 17. Human Rights. 

Key Performance Indicator G4-HR9
Total number and percentage of operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments. Link

This performance indicator is currently not evaluated. See Criterion 17. Human Rights.

Key Performance Indicator G4-HR10
Percentage of new suppliers that were screened using human rights criteria. Link

See Criterion 17. Human Rights. No further information is currently reported.   

Key Performance Indicator G4-HR11
Significant actual and potential negative human rights impacts in the supply chain and actions taken. Link

See Criteria 4. Depth of the Value Chain and 17. Human Rights. No further information is currently reported.   

18. Corporate Citizenship

The company discloses how it contributes to corporate citizenship in the regions in which it conducts its core business activities.

DEKRA places a strong emphasis on its social commitment. DEKRA supports social and ecological projects, preferably with a focus on safety. For example, we support the Safe Kids Worldwide organization that is committed to the safety of children, and the environmental NGO Planète Urgence. DEKRA also makes a significant contribution to safety in the environment and society, and thereby to corporate citizenship, through its services. We take care of safety in all areas of life: Not only in the areas of road safety and occupational safety but also, for instance, through checking safety in public children’s playgrounds or through testing drinking water. Over and beyond this, our expert services have a positive impact on society: We offer integration and language courses for refugees, for instance, and through promoting dual-track vocational training in Europe, by training health care professionals in Albania. We are an important employer and create new jobs on an ongoing basis. Here, we are also making important contributions to corporate citizenship.     
 

Key Performance Indicators to criteria 18

Key Performance Indicator G4-EC1
Direct economic value generated and distributed. Link

See: the DEKRA Annual Report: http://www.dekra.de/en/geschaeftsbericht. No further information is currently reported.

19. Political Influence

All significant input relating to legislative procedures, all entries in lobby lists, all significant payments of membership fees, all contributions to governments as well as all donations to political parties and politicians should be disclosed by country in a differentiated way.

In many of its business areas, DEKRA is an officially recognized testing organization and assumes tasks of public authority through its services, such as mandatory motor vehicle inspection. As a result, we naturally maintain close ties with the legislator. For us, exerting political influence means participating in the political domain in matters of safety. We also view the DEKRA Road Safety Report, published since 2008, as a contribution to this engagement. DEKRA observes the respectively valid national and international laws of the countries in which we operate. All political activities take account of the company’s high aspirations concerning integrity and compliance. All legislation procedures that affect our work as a safety service provider, such as determining statutory safety and testing standards are relevant for DEKRA. As a globally operating company, DEKRA is valued as a partner by decision-makers, organizations and institutions, both at an international and European level as well as at a domestic and local level. Our experts accompany and provide political decisions through expert advice in a wide range of different areas, for instance with issues concerning road and occupational safety. As an expert organization for safety, we therefore participate in political discussions and set the highest possible safety standards for ourselves in all domains that are relevant for safety on the road, at home and at work. Our membership in political associations, federations and networks and in other organizations can be viewed in the EU’s Transparency Register.
 

Key Performance Indicators to criteria 19

Key Performance Indicator G4-SO6
Total value of political contributions by country and recipient/beneficiary. Link

See Criterion 19. Political Influence. No further information is currently reported.   

20. Conduct that Complies with the Law and Policy

The company discloses which measures, standards, systems and processes are in place to prevent unlawful conduct and, in particular, corruption, how they are verified, which results have been achieved to date and where it sees there to be risks. The company depicts how corruption and other contraventions in the company are prevented and exposed and what sanctions are imposed.

We live out fair competition and do not tolerate any form of corruption or any other unlawful behavior. For DEKRA, the integrity, reliability and neutrality of all our employees are of most decisive importance. With the DEKRA Compliance Guidelines, we have issued a set of guidelines and policies that are binding for DEKRA worldwide and stipulate ethical behavior that is compliant with the law on the part of all DEKRA employees and managers. They represent binding minimum standards as well as guidance for us all with a view to facilitating compliance with the law, legal standards and ethical principles on each and every continent. Our individual Compliance Management ensures that the Compliance Guidelines are observed. The Chief Compliance Officer and a group wide network of Regional Compliance Officers are responsible for communication and the application of the guidelines. In order to examine and deal with breaches against the Compliance Guidelines at all levels and in all branches of DEKRA, we have set up a compliance whistle blower system. Ongoing compliance training, taking particular account of potential risk groups, guarantees that our employees are aware and informed. We place special emphasis on managers setting an example every day in the way they practice compliance. DEKRA’s Internal Audit carries out risk-oriented reviews on whether the Compliance Guidelines have been duly and properly implemented in all areas and regions worldwide and whether there are any indications of breaches. The Compliance Guidelines are focused on: law-abiding conduct, responsibility for DEKRA’s reputation, respect and integrity, leadership and responsibility, fair competition, offering and granting of benefits, requesting and accepting of benefits, awarding contracts, donations, avoidance of conflicts of interest, the handling of information, data protection and security, as well as the environment, safety and health.  
 

Key Performance Indicators to criteria 20

Key Performance Indicator G4-SO3
Total number and percentage of operations assessed for risks related to corruption and the significant risks identified. Link

See Criterion 20. Conduct that complies with the law and policies. No further information is currently reported.   

Key Performance Indicator G4-SO5
Confirmed incidents of corruption and actions taken. Link

None.

Key Performance Indicator G4-SO8
Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with laws and regulations. Link

No fines or penalties imposed due to non-compliance with the law and rules and regulations.