Social Sustainability
As maritime powerhouse, we embrace our far-reaching social responsibility with ongoing commitment. We align our actions with the highest standards of good corporate governance and robust compliance. Our goal is to create safe, fair, and respectful working conditions for all employees and partners and, in doing so, to actively shape sustainable development.
Social Responsibility
The protection of human rights, the creation of fair working conditions for internal and external employees, the safeguarding of occupational safety and health, and equal treatment are of essential importance to us. Our internal policies, such as the Code of Conduct as a fundamental guideline for behavior, are therefore aligned with international agreements. These include, among others, the International Bill of Human Rights and the United Nations Global Compact. .
We fulfill our social responsibility along the upstream value chain through various measures: as part of an interdisciplinary collaboration, TKMS and thyssenkrupp AG have developed and established a group-wide concept for compliance with human rights- and environment-related due diligence obligations. This concept reflects the requirements of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (SCA/LkSG) and international framework agreements, such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The fundamental principles and expectations are reflected in the Supplier Code of Conduct. These include, among other things, an integrated risk management system that defines responsibilities and provides for risk analyses as well as procedures for preventive and remedial measures. All suppliers are subjected to an abstract risk analysis and assigned a risk level. In addition, audits are conducted to verify compliance with these agreements. A whistleblowing system is available to everyone in order to report potential disregard for and violations of these standards at an early stage.
Strengthening Our Workforce for the Future
Our employees are the key to success. In a rapidly changing environment shaped by digitalization, flexible working models, and growing demand for agility, we are driving transformation with clear purpose. In doing so, we continuously invest in employees’ qualifications, health, and satisfaction and create a working environment that enables development and participation.
By developing our workforce, we counter the shortage of skilled labor and equip our employees for the future. Role-specific training as well as the expansion of our digital learning and development opportunities provide internal development prospects and support digital transformation. With the aim of making high-quality offerings available to our employees and safeguarding them over the long term, regular surveys and evaluations are carried out. In this way, TKMS fosters a culture of continuous development and excellence.
Ensuring future viability not only includes the continuous development of our employees, but also the active consideration of their perspectives. For this purpose, bodies for the participation of the entire workforce and regular discussions between employees and managers have been established. In addition, we conduct the annual internal Employee survey. This survey evaluates satisfaction within the company and serves as a starting point for improvements. By directly involving employees and creating an open feedback culture, we aim to increase satisfaction and continuously improve working conditions.
This also means that the health and well-being of the workforce are highly valuable and represent an important part of the company’s future viability. For this reason, through our strategic health management across all sites, we pursue the goal of supporting our employees in maintaining their health. Services relating to addiction prevention, stress management, and healthy nutrition, as well as various medical offerings, are intended to protect our employees’ health and enhance overall well-being.
In addition, our Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Management supports to create safe working conditions and that work-related health and accident risks are identified and managed.
Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Diversity is a strong success factor in mastering the complexity of our industry. We have introduced targets and governance structures that reflect significant progress while also acknowledging the challenges that still lie ahead. In this way, we pursue the goal of fostering diversity and openness. In addition, our vibrant corporate culture supports sustainable growth through impactful initiatives—from annual networking events for female employees to company-wide e-learning programs on diversity.
As a responsible employer, TKMS ensures the participation of all employees in all operational and business activities. Inclusion is a lived practice for us, especially in recruiting and workplace design. We also support employees through reintegration initiatives. An important objective is to establish and continuously expand such measures throughout the company, supported by managers at every level.
To strengthen a culture of mutual respect, we have appointed official contacts for the TKMS Group. All employees, including temporary agency workers, can contact the responsible Compliance Officers directly and confidentially via respect(at)tkmsgroup.com. They analyze reported incidents, advise affected persons, develop recommendations for action and implementation, and also serve as the complaints office in accordance with Section 13 of the German General Equal Treatment Act.
At TKMS, diversity means actively embracing a wide range of ages, ethnic origins, cultural backgrounds, genders, perspectives, experiences and ways of life, which fosters innovation and strengthens corporate responsibility to support a secure, inclusive future.
Through binding standards, continuous development, and an open corporate culture, we create a strong and future-ready workforce and make a sustainable contribution to society and the economy.