Social sustainability – an important focus area for Schaeffler
Schaeffler has been driving forward groundbreaking inventions and developments in the field of motion technology for over 75 years. With progressive climate change and social challenges on the rise worldwide, we firmly believe that resolute, fast, and targeted action in all areas of life is more critical to success than ever before, which is why we adapted and refined our sustainability strategy in 2022. Consistently focusing our strategy on the three ESG dimensions of environment, social and governance represents a core element of further development. Toward implementing our strategy, we defined ten action fields that consider not only our areas of focus, but also the requirements of external stakeholders.
In this story we will take a look at the Social action field, and we will start from the broader global Schaeffler perspective and end with the initiatives conducted in the Nordics.
Schaeffler employees contribute significantly to the company’s success. Their expertise, skills, dedication, and creativity are key to ensuring ongoing progress and the success of the company. Schaeffler supports that development by, for instance, providing fair and performance-oriented payment and company pension and offers flexible working times to meet individual needs.
Diversity and inclusion
Schaeffler also values the diversity of experience and backgrounds of its employees and views these as the global organization’s strengths. Everything that sets employees apart and makes them unique is what promotes innovation and will make Schaeffler more competitive. This also includes the importance of increasing the proportion of female employees in the entire organization. To promote this, female students and talented female employees have access to targeted mentoring programs as well as to workshops and events that provide them with valuable insights, to help women develop multi-sector networks and fill higher positions. Furthermore, a working environment free from discrimination, intimidation and harassment is of high importance. All employees should feel that they are valued and have freedom to contribute their experience and ideas.
Reduction of stress at the workplace and high safety standards
Reduction of stress at the workplace is another important area for Schaeffler. Schaeffler health management considers employee needs to reduce workplace stress and implement consistent standards, and this is done through, among other initiatives, training courses and specific events.
Schaeffler also uses a comprehensive Energy, Environmental, Health and Safety management system. This takes a variety of factors into account, including international occupational safety standards and is audited group-wide in accordance with ISO 45001. All managers and employees are required to comply with occupational safety regulations and to report unsafe situations or hazards to their supervisors. Potential dangers are identified using task and workplace-related risk assessments and evaluated to determine whether countermeasures need to be established.
The social environment in Schaeffler’s Nordic and Baltic organization
The organization in Nordics and Baltics does not include any production facilities. Still, the social environment is a priority and an important focus area to secure a good workplace for the employees. The related initiatives are based on reduction of stress and increase of flexibility, but also on diversity and inclusion.
To minimize stress and to emphasize flexibility, the Nordic organization offers flexible working hours as well as shorter working hours during the summer period. It is also possible to work from home two days per week which simplifies the possibility to have a healthy life situation, especially for the employees with young children.
With regards to diversity and inclusion, the Nordic organization strives to employ people from different countries, and women are prioritized when experience and education is similar during the employment process. In the Customer center, around half of the employees are female, which is a very high ratio in a technical and industrial company. To increase the involvement, coffee break calls and town hall meetings are regularly organized. On top of this, the industrial organization is gathered once a year for a common sales conference over a few days. Christmas and summer parties are also arranged, and all these kinds of events help the organization to be more team focused and engaged.
Carina Vestling has been working in Schaeffler Nordic’s Customer Center since 2019. She is responsible for placing orders and monitoring deliveries for the OEM and MRO customers. “Schaeffler is a good place to work, I like, for instance, the flexibility where we have the possibility to work from home two days a week. It is good that we have a great mix between men and women. I like the nice dynamic that this creates, but this is also driven by the different personalities in our team”, concludes Carina.