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.

The employees can actively participate in the design of the strategy process and are involved and informed about changes by the Directorate, in employee meetings and in our staff magazine.
The staff members can provide input via the employee suggestion scheme. Employment rights are strengthened by the works council, the scientific-technical committee and the equal opportunities officer.
Permanent staff is compensated in accordance with Germany‘s Collective Agreement for Public Service Employees (TVöD) or similar agreements (student assistants).

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.

At the end of 2011, Fraunhofer signed the Diversity Charter. We support equal opportunity measures and actively pursue diversity management: all employees are treated and valued without prejudice – independent of gender, nationality, ethnicity, religion or world view, disability, age, sexual orientation and identity. Since 2012 the diversity topic is taken care of by the newly created position of a diversity officer.
An annual increase of the percentage of female scientists by 0.5 percent in the next 4 years is planned. For this, every fourth new position would need to be filled by a woman.
Additional measures for promoting the future generation of scientists can be found in the Fraunhofer mentoring and female doctoral student program.

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.

Additional measures for promoting the future generation of scientists can be found in the Fraunhofer mentoring and female doctoral student program.
Fraunhofer UMSICHT offers a comprehensive continuous education program for the further qualification of its employees.
A determination of the needs primarily takes place via staff appraisal interviews which are carried out at least once a year.
Fraunhofer UMSICHT offers health protection activities (e.g. special offers for those older than 40) and supports colleagues with children or relatives in need of care (emergency childcare and home care/elder care). Another measure is our “with-child-office”, vacation care for children and flexible working hours.

Key Performance Indicators to criteria 14 to 16

Key Performance Indicator GRI LA7
Rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days, and absenteeism, and total number of work-related fatalities, by region and by gender.

In 2011 Fraunhofer UMSICHT registered two working accidents which had to be reported. In the same year the illness rate was 3.71%.

Key Performance Indicator GRI LA8
Education, training, counseling, prevention, and risk-control programs in place to assist workforce members regarding serious diseases.

Disease prevention programs are offered (occupational preventive medical checkups, flu shots, back training, company health days). The business integration management helps employees after long illnesses.

Key Performance Indicator GRI LA10
Average hours of training per year per employee by gender, and by employee category.

Detailed data has not yet been gathered yet. It is intended to provide well-founded fig-ures in the next sustainability report

Key Performance Indicator GRI LA13
Composition of governance bodies and breakdown of employees per employee category according to gender, age group, minority group membership, and other indicators of diversity.

The executive positions are held by 12 men and 3 women. Overall 74 women and 124 men are working for Fraunhofer UMSICHT as permanent staff.

Key Performance Indicator GRI HR4
Total number of incidents of discrimination and corrective actions taken.

No incidents of discrimination were reported.

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.

The influence of Fraunhofer UMSICHT has been considered low up to now (only purchasing of small amounts of special equipment).
In addition to the pure price criterion, Fraunhofer may also take other assessment criteria into consideration when purchasing. Legal formalities like German Awarding and Contract Regulation for Services (VOL/A), Public Sector Contracts (VgV), Act against Restraints of Competition (GWB) and the budget law (HGG) are the basis for purchasing.
Explicit sustainability aspects have not been considered yet (For example: compliance enquiry UNGC).

Key Performance Indicators to criteria 17

Key Performance Indicator GRI HR2
Percentage of significant suppliers, contractors, and other business partners that have undergone human rights screening, and actions taken.

Up to now no component suppliers or contractors were examined and no measures were taken against suppliers or contractors.

18. Corporate Citizenship

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

Fraunhofer UMSICHT is mainly active in Germany and in the European Union. We con-tribute to corporate citizenship by the jobs we offer, by our activities in continuous edu-cation (supervision of student theses), by spin-offs and possible projects in the region (e.g. support of local enterprises through our R&D work [consulting and new/improved products and processes]). Apart from that in our institute we present art from the region to the public in changing exhibitions.

Key Performance Indicators to criteria 18

Key Performance Indicator GRI EC1
Direct economic value generated and distributed, including revenues, operating costs employee compensation, donations and other community investments, retained earning, and payments to capital providers and governments.

Operating budget ~ 25 million €
Approx. 39 % of this generated by industrial earnings
Investments of ~ 2 million € (equipment and buildings)
Personnel expenses 11.3 million €
No donations

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.

According to its mission the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is independent and retains its neu-trality against the interests of individual groups from politics, economy and science. For this reason the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft does not take part in lobbying-activities or political opinion building.
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is listed as a “not for profit Organization“ in the transparency register of the European Union. Because of this no grants in terms of money or materials assets to political parties, politicians or other organizations connected to them were made.

Key Performance Indicators to criteria 19

Key Performance Indicator GRI SO6
Total value of financial and in-kind contributions to political parties, politicians, and related institutions by country.

No donations were made.

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.

All employees are instructed regarding the prevention of corruption and confirm this with their signature. Since March 2012 new employees and new appointed executives can use the new electronic learning software »corruption prevention for new employees« and »corruption prevention for new executives«. Employees in especially corruption en-dangered areas of operation have to use the learning software »especially corruption endangered areas of operation« in constant intervals.

Key Performance Indicators to criteria 20

Key Performance Indicator GRI SO2
Percentage and total number of business units analyzed for risks related to corruption.

No business units where checked in matters of corruption.

Key Performance Indicator GRI SO7
Total number of legal actions for anti-competitive behavior, anti-trust, and monopoly practices and their outcomes.

No suits were filed.

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

No administrative fines.