WACKER’s headcount rose in 2011 by 854 employees (5.2 percent). In 2012, the workforce decreased by 876 employees (5.1 percent). At the 2011 reporting date (December 31), WACKER had 17,168 employees worldwide, and 16,292 a year later.

The increase in 2011 was primarily due to WACKER POLYSILICON’s expansion projects at Nünchritz (Germany) and Charleston (Tennessee, USA), and WACKER SILICONES’ expansions at Zhangjiagang (China), Jincheon (South Korea) and Holla (Norway).

In 2012, restructuring measures at Siltronic led to a decrease in the number of employees. This business division closed the Japanese production site in Hikari at the end of May 2012 – approximately 500 employees were affected. Siltronic supported these employees in their search for new jobs. Through its efforts, 413 of these employees were able to find new positions with other companies by the end of 2012. Siltronic closed down its 150 millimeter wafer production line at Portland in the third quarter of 2012. The result was a loss of some 350 jobs. As part of a redundancy plan, the affected personnel received severance packages.

Siltronic is also adapting 150 millimeter wafer production at Burghausen (Germany) to permanently low demand levels. In combination with additional productivity measures, this will result in the elimination of about 150 jobs at the site by the end of 2013, with 70 of these having already been cut by December 31, 2012. These positions will be eliminated without layoffs, through job offers at the Group’s other units and through natural staff turnover. Fixed-term employment contracts were not extended beyond January 2013.

As previously announced, pyrogenic-silica production at the former site in Kempten was closed down in the third quarter of 2011. Production volumes were transferred to existing facilities at Burghausen and Nünchritz. This structural measure affected 43 employees. WACKER’s redundancy plan did not include any layoffs. We offered all employees jobs at other sites, and just under half accepted. Some employees went into phased early retirement or signed a termination agreement and accepted a new job in the local area.

Most employees (a little over three quarters) are based in Germany, and nearly a quarter abroad. While the number of permanent contracts in the period under review went up slightly, the number of fixed-term contracts fell. More than 97 percent of WACKER employees groupwide now have permanent contracts.

Siltronic introduced short-time work in November 2011 due to lower capacity utilization. In December 2011, 782 employees were on a short-time work schedule. In October 2012, WACKER POLYSILICON, too, introduced short-time work. The reason for this measure was the temporarily steep decline in demand for polysilicon from solar-industry customers. In December 2012, 662 employees were on a short-time work schedule. Two months later, in February 2013, short-time work in polysilicon production ended as demand had once again increased.

The company follows a flexible personnel-planning strategy in order to deal with production peaks and economic downturns, while at the same time protecting the permanent staff. If we must save on personnel costs, we at first reduce the number of temporary workers. The next phase involves not renewing fixed-term contracts. The third step is to consider introducing short-time work in those business divisions most affected by a downturn. All of these measures are decided in close consultation with employee representatives.

WACKER regularly informs its employees regarding current trends within and outside of the Group that could affect business development. Employees receive up-to-date and comprehensive information on material changes in operations. The respective national and international duties of disclosure are hereby observed.