As a global company, WACKER operates in international markets and multicultural environments. Holding each employee’s skills and dedication in high regard, we view human diversity as an asset. We oppose discriminatory or derogative treatment on account of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, ideology, disability, sexual orientation or age. These principles are valid across the WACKER Group and, as part of our corporate culture, are embodied in our Code of Teamwork & Leadership, drafted in 2012. Employees may report any discrimination to their supervisors, as well as to a compliance officer, the employee council or the designated HR contact person. The complaint will be investigated and the reporting employee will be informed of the results. We do not keep a log of discrimination cases.

For several years now, we have been requiring all employees at our German sites to familiarize themselves with Germany’s General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) by completing an e-learning course. This course is compulsory for all levels of corporate hierarchy, from the Executive Board down to standard-payscale employees, as well as all new employees.

Special arrangements are in place to help and promote WACKER employees who are disabled or suffer from long-term occupational disabilities. The company’s integration management program provides for close cooperation between supervisors, employees, HR, disabled-employee representatives and Health Services to permit disabled employees to remain in their workplace or to change to a suitable job. This allows us to retain skilled staff, and valuable knowledge acquired over many years remains with WACKER.

In 2012, the annual average of disabled employees in Germany was 921 (2011: 858). For years, WACKER has always employed more disabled than required by German law (percentage of staff: 2011: 6.8 percent; 2012: 7.3 percent; legally mandated: 5 percent). Even so, we had to pay a low compensatory levy in 2011, as not every subsidiary achieved the 5-percent target. More than 38 percent of WACKER’s disabled employees were aged between 55 and 65. Each year, Siltronic reserves at least one vocational training position for a disabled person. After the trainee has successfully completed the training program, the goal is a steady job at WACKER. The Burghausen site provides at least two vocational training positions each year for disabled youth.

In 2011, the Bavarian state government presented WACKER with its 2011 “JobErfolg” (Job Success) Award, which recognizes companies for outstanding performance in integrating disabled persons.

WACKER supports disabled individuals who cannot find work on the general job market, for example by collaborating with workshops for the disabled. Our Burghausen site, for instance, sources key products from the charitable Ruperti workshops – such as dunnage for securing freight, to mounting plates for process engineering, up to packaging for Siltronic. At the Nünchritz site, we have for many years been using the services of the disabled workshop “Lebenshilfe Riesa e.V.” (a charity for the mentally disabled) for landscaping and garden maintenance. An example of cooperation with disabled individuals in the USA is the Pomona Valley Workshop.

WACKER hires new employees and executives solely on the basis of qualification. For this reason, we do not give preference to local applicants when we have senior management posts to fill. In Germany, the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) in any case forbids the selection of personnel according to origin. However, in the other WACKER regions, such as China and the USA, we also select candidates exclusively by qualification.

At the end of 2012, 47 of a total of 205 executive personnel (OFK) were of non-German nationality groupwide – this is 23 percent of the total. Overall, 16 different nationalities were represented at the executive level.

It goes without saying that we offer equality of opportunity to all employees, regardless of their gender. This approach also applies to compensation. The amount earned reflects in particular each job’s specific demands and responsibilities. The average annual salary of female employees is marginally lower than that of male employees. The reason lies in the statistical analysis, where the figures had not been adjusted for parameters such as seniority, age and performance content of the salary.

WACKER is trying to increase the number of female executives. For this purpose, we participate in Munich’s Cross-Mentoring Program. To get girls interested in jobs such as chemical technician, industrial mechanic or electronics specialist, we take part in the Girls’ Day event held throughout Germany.

WACKER joined a German Ministry of Education and Research study, investigating women’s development for executive positions at large companies. Alongside WACKER, five other chemical and technology companies took part. The study focused on developing the careers of women with university or technical-college degrees. 17 percent of graduates employed at WACKER in Germany are women. The results of the study demonstrate marked gender differences in career development. Women are keenly interested in a career, yet are less successful than men, and assess their career chances in our company as being less positive. The majority of women surveyed would like to see specific measures for encouraging equality of opportunity.

We have set the goal of significantly increasing the proportion of women in middle and senior management positions over the medium term. In 2012, we started a Talent Management pilot project that we would like to implement groupwide starting 2013. One of the goals is to make female management potential visible and to assist these women in their next career step. The project should also encourage women to take on management positions as part-time employment and in conjunction with raising a family. WACKER does not plan to introduce a quota for women in managing positions.