We are committed to respecting internationally recognised human rights and aligning our corporate activities to these. In particular, this includes prohibiting child labour and forced labour, as well as all forms of slavery and discrimination.
Our commitment also includes prohibiting forced evictions and causing harmful environmental pollution. The same applies to the use of security guards if this involves risking non-compliance with or the restriction of human rights. We also act in line with country-specific laws on the observance of tariff freedom and the freedom of association as well as occupational health and safety. We pay all employees fair wages that are not lower than the legal minimum wage or minimum wage agreed in collective agreements in the respective country. In countries with no minimum wage agreement, we are guided by the standard local salaries that are defined by employer associations and trade unions, for example, and the adoption of which is mandatory.
As an international company, we are committed to meeting internationally recognised labour and human rights standards, including the following in particular:
The International Bill of Human Rights including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations (UN)
The core labour standards of the International Labor Organisation (ILO)
The Principles of the UN Global Compact
The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
The Minamata, Stockholm (POP) and Basel Conventions
"We foster open dialogue and are committed to fair and respectful collaboration — at all times and in all places. This principle is reinforced by our independent, international reporting system."
Back in 2013, Schüco introduced a compliance programme which defines legal and ethical principles which all employees in the company are obliged to follow. We are committed to respecting internationally recognised human rights and aligning our corporate activities to these without compromise. This applies both to our own business area as well as our activities within our supply and value chain. A team of compliance experts supports the company and all of the employees to implement the applicable laws.
Within the scope of the Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains, which entered into force on 1 January 2023, we have systematically assessed the human rights-related risks in our own companies and at our direct suppliers.
Schüco offers various consultancy services on ethical and lawful behaviour. The Compliance Office assumes a central role as part of the “Legal, Compliance and Data Protection” department. It controls and coordinates the implementation of Group guidelines within the entire organisation. The head of the department is also Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) and reports directly to the Executive Management Board of the Schüco Group.
Employees who would like to report a breach of compliance regulations can either contact the Compliance Office or an external counsel of trust. This ombudsman can receive confidential information – anonymously if desired – about breaches of the law or internal guidelines, and is on hand to offer advice. When breaches of compliance regulations are reported, an investigation is triggered. Depending on the type of the potential breach, the investigation will either be carried out within the company by the respective department, e.g. the Compliance Office, or by the data protection officer. They will also decide how to proceed and may involve other people, if necessary. The interests of all those involved will be carefully weighed up. Corrective action, which is dependent upon the type and severity of the breach, will be implemented on a case-by-case basis.
The key to a consistently productive and pleasant working environment is a company culture that encourages appreciation, respect and fairness. These principles apply to Schüco worldwide. We create the basic requirements for this around the world by adhering to legal standards and observing any applicable collective bargaining agreements. In this way, we align our sites in Germany, for example, with the collective bargaining agreements for wholesale and export trades in North-Rhine Westphalia, the metal and electrical industry in North-Rhine Westphalia, and the timber and PVC-U industry.
Equal pay for equal work is a central aspect of equality of opportunities and makes an essential contribution towards creating a fair and respectful work environment. As a company that promotes diversity and inclusion, we expressly recognise the relevance of this topic. Previously, our focus has been on the creation of a corporate culture that improves the equality of opportunities in many ways – be it through career progression for women, flexible working models or increased awareness of unconscious bias. In recent years, one focal point has been on specifically supporting women in management positions, as a higher proportion of women in leadership roles will help to close the gender pay gap in the long term.
Furthermore, we want to ensure equality not only in terms of career and development opportunities but also with regard to fair pay structures. Currently, the distribution of pay by gender or other diversity metrics is not systematically assessed. As part of the further development of our diversity management system, we are therefore also looking into how we can carry out a transparent assessment of the gender-specific salary structures and integrate this into our processes.
| Employees that are covered by collective bargaining agreements | 2024 | |
| Schüco Group in % | 72 | |
| Of which in the European Economic Area (in %) | 81 | |
| Of which outside the European Economica Area (in %) | 41 |
| Employees that are covered by employee representation | 2024 | |
| Schüco Group in % | 74 | |
| Schüco Germany in % | 95 |
