GRI 401 Employment
GRI 103 Management approach (including GRI 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
UN Global Compact principles: I, III, VI |
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Every day, approximately 130,000 people in about 50 countries work to ensure Bertelsmann’s success, growth and continuous development. That is the reason why, for generations, the company has made responsibility toward its employees a priority. Bertelsmann wants to create a working environment of participation and partnership for all employees.
To be an attractive employer for a diverse workforce, retain employees long-term, and remain competitive, Bertelsmann promotes the development of its employees, and creates the prerequisites for enabling Creativity & Entrepreneurship in a fair and healthy workplace setting. In particular, these include freedom, trust, and respect. Bertelsmann aspires to this all over the world, honoring widely varying social, economic, regulatory and cultural conditions in the process.
In addition, employees of all generations increasingly attach particular importance to meaning in the work they perform for their employer. To attract the best talent, employers are expected to have and convey a greater “sense of purpose.” Only if employees are able to identify with their company, its values and strategic goals, they are able to actively implement and ensure that these goals are achieved. This applies particularly in times of change.
Bertelsmann strives to offer its employees fair framework conditions for their work. In addition to the protection of human and personal rights, partnership and trustworthy cooperation with employees and their representatives, workplace safety, fair distribution of benefits, flexible working arrangements, and fair treatment of freelancers and external service providers are crucial aspects of fair working conditions at Bertelsmann.
Motivated employees are key to creativity, innovation, and continued business success. The Executive Board Guidelines for HR work at Bertelsmann are based on this principle, which is enshrined in the Corporate Constitution and the Bertelsmann Essentials. Supplementary rules are laid down in the Bertelsmann Code of Conduct, which is binding for all employees (see GRI 102-16 ).
The Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) is responsible for dealing with employee matters across the whole Group. As Head of the Corporate HR department, which supports the coordination of tasks and development of relevant HR policy, the CHRO cooperates closely with the HR directors of the divisions. The main focus of his work throughout the Group includes setting the strategic HR agenda, aligning management development with the Group’s strategic priorities, talent management, Bertelsmann University, ensuring the standardization and IT support for important HR processes, further developing the corporate culture and implementing corporate responsibility in the Group.
To ensure the coordination of procedures throughout its decentralized structure, Bertelsmann’s HR function is organized according to a “dotted-line” concept, with complementary reporting as well as supervisory relationships. This allows Group-wide HR topics to be implemented in accordance with the Executive Board’s decisions.
Another important aspect of Bertelsmann’s HR work is the exchange of information in committees:
- The HR Committee determines the basic aspects of HR work in the interest of the entire Group. Its members include the CHRO, the heads of HR of the divisions, and senior executives from the Group’s Corporate HR department.
- HR Country Coordination Meetings are designed for cross-divisional coordination within a region and ensure the implementation of HR initiatives across the Group. Its members include the heads of HR of the Group’s largest companies or those with the largest number of employees in a specified country.
- The Nomination & Compensation Committees of the divisions and Corporate Center decide on the implementation of remuneration and staffing policies in their areas of responsibility.
Responsibility for ensuring fair working conditions is decentralized, meaning it lies with the management of the local businesses. Bertelsmann provides Group-wide framework conditions that enable local businesses to fulfill this responsibility. Collective regulations (e.g., Group company agreements) and Executive Board Guidelines on certain topics, like those on remuneration and the use of external employees, are also relevant in this regard. In addition, various formats such as the Bertelsmann Group Dialog Conference, and a working group, deal with topics such as a culture of partnership and fair working conditions. As the key contact person for the various bodies representing employee interests, Bertelsmann’s CHRO accompanies or presides over these formats.
In addition, there are external regulations, such as the standards of the International Labour Organization, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and Bertelsmann’s voluntary commitment in accordance with the UN Global Compact (see GRI 102-12 , 102-16 ).
At Bertelsmann, remuneration issues are an essential part of the topic of fair working conditions. The compensation system is designed to ensure that remuneration is driven by market, function and performance, taking into account business-specific characteristics. Employee profit sharing at Bertelsmann and many of its subsidiaries in Germany is based on the same criteria as the measurement of variable remuneration components of board members and executives. Many domestic and foreign Group companies have similar success and profit-sharing models adapted to local requirements. In 2020, nearly €100 million of the 2019 profit was distributed as part of such schemes.
Participation in decision-making processes and the granting of the greatest possible freedom contribute to employee loyalty and satisfaction. To support a healthy work-life balance, this also includes offering employees flexible arrangements about where and when they work. Working-time models that focus on results rather than physical presence, as well as trust-based working hours, are widespread. Especially in times of a pandemic such as the one that dominated all areas of life in 2020, this basic idea has enabled and favored the extensive shift to working from home and mobile office solutions. For many businesses, this also confirmed that they should increase their focus on flexible forms of work in the future.
The flexibility requirements of a rapidly changing world of work also mean that knowledge and expertise need to be sourced from outside the company to ensure satisfied customers during peak phases. The company relies on staffing agencies and employs external personnel in addition to permanent employees where the specifics of the tasks allow and require this. Bertelsmann defines external personnel as self-employed persons, service providers and consultants, or as agency staff who work for a Group company. The employment of external personnel must be in accordance with the company’s values. The Executive Board Guideline on the Engagement of External Personnel requires standard processes to ensure compliance with legal requirements. This is supplemented by the Supplier Code of Conduct, which also obliges service providers (see GRI 102-16 ).
GRI 402 Labor/Management Relations
GRI 103 Management approach (including GRI 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
UN Global Compact principle: III |
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Bertelsmann sees the continuous dialog between employee representatives and company management as a key element in its company culture. Additionally, regular dialog with employees and their representatives makes it possible to continually review workplace conditions, identify possible improvements and derive measures. Digital transformation is changing the work environment and every individual’s tasks. At Bertelsmann, this process also includes the restructuring of several traditional businesses. Parallel to this, some parts of the company are being dismantled while others are reorganized, expanded or newly built. Seeing change as both a challenge and an opportunity, the Group’s management seeks to shape those changes together with employees.
Although, as a media company, Bertelsmann falls under Germany’s tendency protections and its Supervisory Board is therefore not subject to statutory co-determination requirements, the company has voluntarily granted its employees four seats on the Supervisory Board of Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA. Three of them are occupied by leading Works Council members at Group companies. The seat assigned to the Bertelsmann Management Representative Committee, which was vacant at the end of 2020, was filled in May 2021. In addition, the workforce, managers, employees with disabilities, and trainees have platforms for exchanging ideas, advancing topics and constructively voicing their concerns. One proven format is the Bertelsmann Group Dialog Conference, at which the Corporate Works Councils of Bertelsmann, RTL Deutschland, and Gruner + Jahr meet with the Group Chairman & CEO and the Chief HR Officer for consultation and discussion. In 2020, this led to intensive collaboration and cross-divisional exchange beyond the scope of the committees required by law, for example to tackle challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic and to initiate projects such as a Bertelsmann platform for cooperating on IT matters. The same applies to Representatives for Employees with Disabilities in the Group for implementing the Inclusion Action Plan in the German Bertelsmann companies.
Employees are also involved in the development and improvement of working conditions through standardized HR tools (Performance and Development Dialogs, Agreements on Objectives, and Team Talks), as well as the Bertelsmann Employee Survey. The Employee Survey has been a key element of Bertelsmann’s corporate culture since 1977. In 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, numerous pulse surveys were conducted in the divisions and among top managers. In addition, the frequency of the international Employee Survey was shortened to two years.
GRI 402-1 Minimum notice periods regarding operational changes
UN Global Compact principle: III |
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Bertelsmann’s management works to ensure that employees are informed of change processes as early as possible and involves employee representatives at an early stage to collaboratively identify the best solutions. In many cases, the company exceeds the statutory requirements set out in provisions such as the German Works Constitution Act. Particularly in the case of necessary staff reduction measures, the aim is to achieve clarity for the employees affected as early as possible. To this end, and to avoid layoffs for operational reasons, programs were launched in 2020 in individual Bertelsmann companies with declining business volumes to find solutions with employees for the amicable termination of employment contracts. Beyond this, the “BeWege” concept launched in 2019 and the Bertelsmann Transfer Gesellschaft continued to provide a framework for actively supporting the structural change of all German companies in 2020. A development and transfer center offers the possibility of early advice and further qualification of affected employees for new tasks in the Group when businesses are in structural decline and jobs are therefore at risk.
GRI 403 Occupational Health and Safety
GRI 103 Management approach (including GRI 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
UN Global Compact principle: I |
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To create a health-promoting working environment and prevent work-related health risks, Bertelsmann aims to continually expand occupational health management (OHM) at its German sites. Bertelsmann Health Management develops and supervises the Group’s health strategy in cooperation with a cross-functional Strategy Committee. The Committee includes the heads of the Group Occupational Health and Safety department, Company Medical Services, the Bertelsmann Company Health Insurance Fund (Bertelsmann BKK), Bertelsmann University, the Sports and Health and Corporate Responsibility departments, as well as the Group Representative for Employees with Disabilities. The Head of HR Coordination and Shared Services chairs this committee and directs the implementation of the health strategy.
He is supported by the cross-divisional “Health Community”, in which employees from the Health and HR departments, Works Council Members and Representatives for Employees with Disabilities address issues such as “Minimum Health Standards” at German companies. These Minimum Standards include qualification of managers on matters of health, the implementation of a Working Group on Health, the provision of health offers and information for employees, and access to company social counseling. Bertelsmann’s in-house Health Management Consulting, a cooperation between Bertelsmann Health Management and the Bertelsmann BKK, also provides needs-based advice on the development and implementation of occupational health management. Health Managers and Health Contact Persons at the divisions’ sites work to promote the implementation of health management. In addition, there is a Company Integration Management implemented that is supported by local integration teams.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the focus in 2020 was on immediate health protection of all employees worldwide. This included the establishment of central and local crisis teams, which developed and implemented prevention and protection measures in accordance with the applicable laws. The most important measure was the Group-wide shift to working from home wherever this was compatible with operational considerations (see GRI 403-3 ).
In addition, the results of the third Germany-wide evaluation of the “Minimum Health Standards” and the health-related recommendations based on the Group-wide Employee Survey (2019) were communicated to the German companies in 2020. Most companies drive the implementation of the Minimum Standards and have thus already established the first basic structures for occupational health management.
GRI 403-1 Occupational health and safety management system
UN Global Compact principle: I |
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Bertelsmann’s Central Occupational Health and Safety department is responsible for approximately 25,000 employees at Arvato, Bertelsmann Accounting Services, and Bertelsmann Corporate. The Group’s own Company Medical Services (see GRI 403-3 ) supports about 14,000 employees in the Gütersloh region and at other Bertelsmann sites in Germany. The Central Occupational Health and Safety department and the Company Medical Services advise numerous other German Bertelsmann companies on occupational health and safety requirements and standards.
At Bertelsmann, responsibility for implementing occupational health and safety, and thus also for corresponding management systems, is decentralized to the divisions. For the most part, these divisions have multi-site occupational health and safety management systems which align with common occupational health and safety standards, e.g., the Occupational Health and Safety Standards (OHSAS, now ISO45001), and take into account German legal requirements regarding occupational health and safety. In some cases, occupational health and safety is integrated into the company’s HSSE (Health, Safety, Security & Environment) organization.
Platforms within the divisions are used to map the company structures and data required under German occupational health and safety law on a daily basis and in compliance with data privacy protection requirements, e.g., the number and training status of safety officers, documentation of recurring instructions, monitoring of training and appointment of company emergency responders, and company-relevant preventive medical checkups. At all the companies included, employees with various occupational health and safety tasks are involved in this, e.g., safety representatives and contact persons for accidents, health, and risk assessment.
GRI 403-2 Hazard identification, risk assessment, and incident investigation
UN Global Compact principle: I |
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The legally mandated risk assessment is carried out and documented at the German sites of the corporate divisions. In-house checklists, templates from the German Social Accident Insurance Institution, and validated questionnaires are used to do so. In some cases, site inspections are carried out for additional identification of existing potential hazards, as well as further measurements of noise, brightness, and climate. The findings, as well as any workplace accidents, are discussed at Health and Safety Committee meetings. Some operations have additionally established processes for dealing with incidents and near-accidents.
Bertelsmann Health Management supports the Group companies in Germany in implementing the legal requirements for assessing mental stress in work contexts. In cooperation with the “Health Community,” a toolbox for mental risk assessment was made available to the companies. In addition, the Group-wide Employee Survey (2019) was analyzed from a health perspective and a divisional health index was calculated. In 2020, health-related action areas were identified based on these analyses, and recommendations were communicated to the German divisions.
GRI 403-3 Occupational health services
UN Global Compact principle: I |
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In Germany, the deployment of company physicians, their qualifications and their tasks are prescribed by law and by the regulations of the German Social Accident Insurance Institution. In addition to its own company medical service, Bertelsmann works with external company physicians at the respective sites to ensure that these requirements are met (see GRI 403-1 ). In order to ensure a similar range of services at all sites, the external company physicians are guided by the portfolio of Bertelsmann’s own Company Medical Services in Gütersloh. The range of services offered by the company doctors and their communication materials are displayed both on the company intranet and on a central Bertelsmann website.
In the 2020 year of the pandemic, the focus was on the immediate health protection of all employees (see GRI 103 Management approach ). Bertelsmann’s Company Medical Service played a pivotal and advisory role throughout Germany. The Company Physician was a permanent member of the company’s central Crisis Task Force and of local crisis teams. Local crisis team activities focused in particular on hygiene and behavioral matters, such as business trips to risk areas, the establishment of (PCR) testing capacities, infection prevention, protective equipment (especially masks), the development and implementation of return policies, including necessary organizational adjustments and provision of information to employees.
GRI 403-4 Worker participation, consultation, and communication on occupational health and safety
UN Global Compact principle: I |
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The legally required Occupational Safety Committee meetings and the meetings of Working Groups on Health are organized by the German divisions on a quarterly basis and implemented locally. Participants include the employer or a management representative appointed by the employer, two members to be determined by the Works Council, the Company Physician, the Occupational Safety Officer, the Safety Representative and the Representative for Employees with Disabilities. Responsibility for all decisions and measures taken lies with the management of each company. The company physician, the occupational safety officer, and the safety representative are involved as advisors without the right to issue instructions. The representatives of the Works Council exercise a supervisory function in the interests of the employees. The meetings of the Occupational Health and Safety Committee and/or the Working Group on Health serve to analyze and discuss occupational health and safety issues and to develop targeted measures.
GRI 403-5 Worker training on occupational health and safety
GRI 403-6 Promotion of worker health
UN Global Compact principle: I |
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Bertelsmann’s divisions provide their employees with numerous offers to promote physical and mental health and preventive healthcare. The local health working groups identify action areas, and Health Contact Persons provide support in their implementation. Bertelsmann BKK also provides support in the form of new health offerings tailored to the work situation, such as digital presentations on sleep, stress management or managing virtual teams, which the divisions can access. In addition to the Company Social Counseling Services offered throughout Germany, some locations cooperate with an external family service that offers care options for children and relatives in need of care. The offers are presented on the intranets of the various divisions and in some cases on a central Bertelsmann website.
In the 2020 year of the pandemic, a large proportion of the health promotion offers were provided digitally, so that employees throughout Germany can also take part in e.g., fitness and exercise offers (“Moving Break”), relaxation and mindfulness courses, or health days while working from home. In particular, the “Fit for Work” campaign has encouraged and motivated many employees across Germany to add more exercise to their daily work routine. Other health projects are also being carried out in some divisions, e.g., on health-oriented leadership, ergonomics in the home office, strengthening mental health and resilience.
GRI 403-7 Prevention and mitigation of occupational health and safety impacts directly linked by business relationships
UN Global Compact principle: I |
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The assurance of product safety for customers is anchored in the Bertelsmann Code of Conduct (see GRI 102-16 ): “Our products and services must not contain defects or unsafe features that could lead to the endangerment of health (...)” (see GRI 417 ).
If external parties work for the company, their deployment and employment must be in accordance with Bertelsmann’s corporate values (see GRI 401 ). In the case of cooperation with external companies, safety briefings are ensured. Some German companies already employ external company coordinators. These coordinators monitor and check the activities of external organizations, e.g., building cleaners, repair companies, maintenance companies, and inspection organizations.
GRI 403-8 Workers covered by an occupational health and safety management system
UN Global Compact principle: I |
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Due to the decentralized organizational Occupational Health and Safety structures, this data is not available centrally at Bertelsmann (see GRI 403-1 ). A central collection of this data is not currently planned.
GRI 403-9 Work-related injuries
GRI 403-10 Work-related ill health
UN Global Compact principle: I |
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Paid and unpaid leave in Germany
in days | 2020 | 2019 |
---|---|---|
Ø No. of vacation days per employee | 27.5 | 26.6 |
Ø No. of days of paid sick leave | 12.0 | 13.6 |
Ø No. of days of maternity leave | 1.0 | 1.1 |
Ø No. of days of other paid leave | 2.7 | 2.4 |
Paid leave | 43.2 | 43.7 |
Ø No. of unpaid sick days | 5.5 | 5.2 |
Ø No. of days of other types of unpaid leave of absence | 2.8 | 0.9 |
Unpaid leave | 8.3 | 6.1 |
Total sick leave1) in % | 7.0 | 7.5 |
1) Sick leave as defined by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA: Sick leave quota = average number of sick days / target working days; Target workdays = calendar days - Saturdays/Sundays - official holidays (x = 365 - 104 - 10 = 251)
The average paid sick days per employee decreased by 1.6 days year on year. The decrease in the number of sick days is related, among other things, to infection control due to the coronavirus pandemic, and working from home. In contrast to paid sick days, average unpaid sick days increased by around one third. The trend of increasing absenteeism due to mental illness, often with long periods of absence, continued. The rise may be explained by the increasing psychological stresses in the context of the coronavirus.
Bertelsmann does not report this information broken down by freelance and external/third-party employees and does not provide any information on fatalities. Due to labor law regulations in Germany, Bertelsmann does not have any information on the main types of work-related illnesses of its employees. The number of documentable work-related illnesses in Germany is recorded in the form of days of incapacity to work (see table). Work-related hazards that pose a risk of illness are determined in the form of risk assessments, and appropriate measures are initiated to eliminate the identified hazards and minimize risks (see GRI 403-2 ). A central collection of this data is not currently planned.
GRI 404 Training and education
GRI 103 Management approach (including GRI 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
UN Global Compact principle: I |
---|
A company’s success is determined by its employees’ qualifications and efforts. Major changes such as the digital transformation of media, services and education, the demographic shift, or repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic, can only be tackled with qualified and motivated employees.
The more and more rapidly changing business environment constantly gives rise to new challenges for all employees in their workaday routine. The better Bertelsmann manages to keep qualifying employees in success-critical skills, the more successful the business can be, and beyond this, the more attractive it is for its workforce and for applicants. Vocational education and training are therefore considered a long-term investment in the future and in the stability of society, for both Bertelsmann and its employees.
Bertelsmann University
Bertelsmann University aims to continuously develop success-critical skills and competencies in employees and managers, thereby empowering them to adapt to ever-changing requirements. In this way, Bertelsmann University also contributes to maintaining its workers’ employability long-term.
The central learning organization systematically targets its international offering at top executives and Bertelsmann talents across the Group in the areas of strategy and leadership, at creative experts in the areas of creativity and innovation, and at employees specifically in the fields of technology and data. It also offers Bertelsmann employees a wide-ranging digital curriculum from leading, international providers of online training on various topics. Thanks to these digital formats, learning content is flexibly available to employees and managers, and the time and place of learning is geared to individual needs and organizational requirements.
Bertelsmann University is supplemented by division-specific and local offerings from Bertelsmann divisions and companies. Together with the Bertelsmann divisions, Bertelsmann University promotes a culture of digital, effective learning with innovative, cross-divisional initiatives to strengthen adaptive skills and a flexible mindset.
Bertelsmann University is a main department at the Corporate Center. It is led by the Chief Learning Officer, who reports to the Chief Human Resources Officer. The Executive Board, Group Management Committee and HR Committee regularly discuss and review Bertelsmann University’s orientation and activities. It is supported by the Divisional Learning Committee, where Learning and Development representatives from the divisions connect, coordinate and collaborate with each other.
Training in Germany: A Wide Range of Offers
In Germany, the Group offers young people industrial and commercial training options in more than 45 different professions. In addition to traditional apprenticeship programs, this spectrum also includes a variety of dual-study programs. With its nationwide offer, Bertelsmann is one of Germany’s largest apprentice-training companies and is a protagonist in shaping the vocational training landscape. Among the challenges to be overcome is the future-proofing of training programs to prevail in the intensified competition for highly qualified junior employees.
The Central Education department is responsible for training measures at the Gütersloh location. It develops offers based on the company’s changing needs and requirements, and ensures that they reflect the company’s values of Creativity & Entrepreneurship. The department works closely with the executives and HR managers of the training companies, as well as the Works Council. In Gütersloh alone, more than 650 young people are taking the opportunity to learn a profession or to complete a part-time Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree at Bertelsmann. Of these, approximately 200 students are undergoing industrial and commercial training at the Group’s own vocational school.
In 2020 the most important measures in the field of learning were:
- In response to the global coronavirus pandemic, Bertelsmann University suspended all in-person events from March 2020 and continued its international programs in the areas of strategy, leadership, and transformation in digital form.
- As part of the further development of digital offerings with a focus on tech skills, new, international learning curricula were introduced in the areas of data, cloud and artificial intelligence. In addition, the 3-year Udacity scholarship program entered its second round with a total of 50,000 seats, open to employees as well as external applicants. In 2020, the in-house graduation rate for Nanodegree candidates was approximately 20 percent of graduates.
- The promotion of a learning culture and social learning was the focus of other initiatives, such as the cross-divisional “Your Campus” program, a digital, international peer-to-peer learning offer.
- In Germany, Bertelsmann’s training and study programs were also adapted to the changed conditions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic: among other things, by adapting the learning environments and increasingly using digital working methods.
GRI 404-1 Average hours of training per year per employee
UN Global Compact principle: I |
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Total training
in hours
2020 | 2019 |
---|---|
353,363 | 325,080 |
Basis: all training data entered on the digital HR platform “peoplenet”
Share of digital learning hours
in percent
2020 | 2019 |
---|---|
53 | 33 |
Basis: all training data entered on the digital HR platform “peoplenet”
Absolute hours of training in IT skills
2020 | 2019 |
---|---|
188,546 | 33,635 |
Basis: all training data entered on the digital HR platform “peoplenet”
The absolute number of training hours increased in 2020 compared to 2019. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the proportion of digital training hours also increased significantly from 33 percent to 53 percent, as did training hours in the area of IT skills in particular.
Bertelsmann does not currently report training hours broken down by gender and other employee categories, since this information is not available centrally. Bertelsmann is continuing to develop its data collection in this respect, and plans to report on this in the medium term.
GRI 404-2 Programs for upgrading employee skills and transition assistance programs
Helping to ensure employees’ long-term employability by offering lifelong learning programs is both a commitment and a challenge for Bertelsmann. Bertelsmann University has defined three objectives in its efforts to support employee performance: to build future-oriented employee skills, strengthen the company and leadership culture, and develop the digital learning infrastructure. Progress is measured, among other things, by the digitization rate (share of digital learning hours).
Bertelsmann’s vocational college in Germany seeks to ensure a supply of well-qualified junior employees for the company’s various lines of business, and to make it possible to fill vacancies via the in-house job market. Due to the increasing technologization and digitalization of subjects in many areas of the company, the number of graduates in IT training courses in particular was maintained at a high level. Other results included:
- expansion of the range of digital learning content in vocational training and the Group’s own degree programs,
- adaptation of training and degree programs to changing practical requirements, especially in view of the changing conditions of work.
Active support is provided with and during the structural transformation of companies (see GRI 402-1 ).
GRI 405 Diversity and equal opportunity
GRI 103 Management approach (including GRI 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
UN Global Compact principles: I, VI |
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A diverse workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and performance, as well as employee motivation. A holistic approach to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion not only serves to increase diversity in the workforce, but also promotes a culture of valuing diversity and authenticity. In combination with a constant, ongoing review and adaptation of structures and processes, the aim is to enable all employees to develop their full potential. This creates the right conditions for the diversity of perspectives in heterogeneous teams – based on diverse competencies, backgrounds and experiences – to have a positive impact on corporate decision-making processes. Having a diversity of perspectives in the workforce is essential in order to represent the diversity of society in the content to be disseminated, and for meeting specific needs in media, products and services – with the aim of reaching diverse target groups. The importance of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) for the company’s success is also reflected in the steadily increasing requirements from business partners. Moreover, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion helps to strengthen a company’s attractiveness as an employer.
For Bertelsmann, the diversity of its workforce is a prerequisite for long-term business success. This is expressed in the Bertelsmann Essentials. In pursuing a more holistic approach in 2020, the Bertelsmann Executive Board’s Diversity Statement was further developed into a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy , which was adopted in April 2021. In this policy, the Bertelsmann Executive Board affirms its intention to further increase the diversity of the workforce at all levels and in all respects, and to create an environment that embraces employee involvement, collaboration, and appreciation. A culture of respect and inclusion, where employees are valued for their diverse backgrounds, perspectives and talents, makes Bertelsmann a more inclusive company. The Bertelsmann Code of Conduct also mandates a respectful and appreciative treatment of all employees (see GRI 102-16 ). The Executive Board Guideline on Principles of Hiring Policy also serves as a guideline for addressing diversity. Beyond this, Bertelsmann’s overall diversity strategy takes its cue from legal regulations to ensure equal opportunity at listed companies, even if the company does not fall within their scope.
The Executive Board bears the strategic responsibility for DEI within the Group. The DEI strategy is implemented by the Corporate Responsibility department, which is responsible for matters of DEI, with support from a Group-wide and other divisional working groups. Moreover, executives, human resources and communications managers in particular are responsible for visibly modeling and implementing DEI in practice through their function as role models. In 2020, the focus was placed on the dimensions “gender,” “disability,” and “sexual orientation/identity.” In line with the Group’s decentralized structure, some of the divisions also set additional priorities in line with the local conditions and business models. An overview of DEI measures at Bertelsmann and in the divisions can be found on the Bertelsmann website at www.bertelsmann.com/diversity .
To enhance diversity at the management levels, Bertelsmann aims to achieve the goal of having women occupy one-third of positions in top and senior management across all divisions by the end of 2021. As a consequence, the targeted proportion of women in the respective Group-wide talent pools was set at one-third for the Top and Senior Management Pools and 50 percent in the Career Development Pool. These targets were reached in 2019/2020. Moreover, the proportion of women in Top Management increased from 22 percent in the previous year to 27 percent (see GRI 405-1 ). The proportion of women in Senior Management remained constant at 30 percent. The degree of target achievement is reported annually to the Bertelsmann Supervisory Board and Executive Board.
Bertelsmann Action Plan for Inclusion 2019 - 2024 (API) has the objective of designing processes and structures at German companies in such a way that employees with disabilities can work in as barrier-free an environment as possible at Bertelsmann and thus contribute to the company’s success to their full potential. The API comprises 27 goals and 69 measures. The first evaluation of the implemented measures took place as scheduled after one year and can be accessed on the Bertelsmann website: www.bertelsmann.com/disability-and-inclusion .
Bertelsmann’s LGBTIQ employee network be.queer continued its activities in 2020 and advanced the international networking between LGBTIQ networks in the divisions. A wide range of other measures were also implemented in the divisions in 2020. In particular, the divisions launched initiatives to combat racism and supported the “Black Lives Matter” movement.
Gender-neutral compensation
The equal treatment of women and men set out in the Code of Conduct explicitly applies to compensation as well. Bertelsmann’s remuneration policy is to establish consistent remuneration structures in the Group. The compensation system is intended to ensure that remuneration is exclusively driven by the market, function and performance – and is therefore gender-neutral. Where explicit employment descriptions or compensation exist, these are likewise completely gender-neutral. Women and men in comparable markets, in comparable positions, and delivering a comparable performance have equal earning opportunities.
GRI 405-1 Diversity of governance bodies and employees
UN Global Compact principles: I, VI |
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Gender breakdown
in percent
Supervisory Board | Executive Board | GMC | Top Manage- ment 1) 2) |
Senior Manage- ment 1) 3) |
Employees | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 20194) | 2020 | 20194) | 2020 | 2019 | |
Women | 23 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 38 | 27 | 22 | 30 | 30 | 54 | 53 |
Men | 77 | 77 | 100 | 100 | 67 | 62 | 73 | 78 | 71 | 70 | 46 | 47 |
Basis: employees on permanent and temporary contracts, excluding trainees, as of December 31. Rounding differences may occur.
1) Top and senior management include those positions that are of particular importance because of their success-critical function and their strategic relevance for the Group's continued transformation and the achievement of its strategic targets. Top management positions also include the GMC positions, but not the Executive Board positions.
2) Basis: employees on permanent and temporary contracts, as of December 31, with gender indication 2020 (90%), with gender indication 2019 (90%), limited comparability.
3) Basis: employees on permanent and temporary contracts, as of December 31, with gender indication 2020 (93%), with gender indication 2019 (91%), limited comparability.
4) Figures adjusted.
Average age
in years
Supervisory Board | Executive Board | GMC | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 |
59 | 58 | 52 | 51 | 54 | 53 |
Basis: members of the bodies as of December 31.
Age distribution
in percent
Supervisory Board |
Executive Board | GMC | Top Manage- ment 1) 2) |
Senior Manage- ment 1) 3) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 20194) | 2020 | 20194) | |
≤ 25 years | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
26 - 30 years | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
31 - 35 years | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
36 - 40 years | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 11 |
41 - 45 years | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 21 | 20 |
46 - 50 years | 15 | 15 | 25 | 50 | 33 | 38 | 27 | 24 | 26 | 29 |
51 - 55 years | 31 | 31 | 75 | 50 | 39 | 31 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 24 |
56 - 60 years | 23 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 13 | 11 |
61 - 65 years | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
> 65 years | 23 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Basis: members of the bodies as of December 31. Rounding differences may occur.
1) Top and senior management include those positions that are of particular importance because of their success-critical function and their strategic relevance for the Group's continued transformation and the achievement of its strategic targets. Top management positions also include the GMC positions, but not the Executive Board positions.
2) Basis: employees on permanent and temporary contracts as of December 31, with age indication 2020 (86%), with age indication 2019 (85%), limited comparability.
3) Basis: employees on permanent and temporary contracts as of December 31, with age indication 2020 (74%), with age indication 2019 (75%), limited comparability.
4) Figures adjusted.
Age pyramid employees worldwide
in percent
2020 | 2019 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Men | Women | Men | Women | |
≤ 25 years | 9.0 | 11.0 | 9.3 | 10.7 |
26 - 30 years | 8.9 | 10.6 | 8.2 | 10.0 |
31 - 35 years | 6.8 | 8.2 | 6.8 | 8.0 |
36 - 40 years | 5.5 | 6.3 | 5.5 | 6.4 |
41 - 45 years | 4.3 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 5.2 |
46 - 50 years | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
51 - 55 years | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.1 |
56 - 60 years | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.8 |
61 - 65 years | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.2 |
> 65 years | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
Total | 46.5 | 53.4 | 46.9 | 53.1 |
Basis: employeess on permanent and temporary contracts, excluding trainees, as of December 31. Temporary employees of RTL Group are not included. Rounding differences may occur.
In the 2020 financial year, Bertelsmann employed people from some 180 nations (previous year: around 180).
Number of nationalities represented in the GMC
2020 | 2019 |
---|---|
6 | 6 |
Basis: members of the body as of December 31.
Internationality quota
in percent
Supervisory Board | Executive Board | GMC | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | |
German | 77 | 77 | 100 | 100 | 72 | 69 |
Non-German | 23 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 31 |
Basis: members of the bodies as of December 31.
Proportion of people with disabilities in the company’s total workforce in Germany
in percent
2020 | 2019 |
---|---|
4.9 | 4.6 |
Basis: employees on permanent and temporary contracts, excluding trainees, as of December 31.
Despite a slight decrease in the number of employees at German sites, the ratio of employees with severe disabilities has risen slightly year on year. As the adoption of the Action Plan Inclusion (2019-2024) for German companies shows, Bertelsmann is striving to increase the proportion of employees with severe disabilities.
GRI 406 Non-discrimination
GRI 103 Management approach (including GRI 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
UN Global Compact principles: I-II, VI |
---|
GRI 406-1 Incidents of discrimination and corrective actions taken
UN Global Compact principles: I-II, VI |
---|
Bertelsmann does not report case numbers, since such incidents are subject to special confidentiality requirements. All reports of suspected compliance violations received are reviewed and examined in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Group Guidelines. If an infringement is confirmed, appropriate remediation measures are taken. Details on case categories, case numbers and total numbers of reports received are regularly reported to the Bertelsmann Corporate Compliance Committee and the Executive Board as well as to the Audit and Finance Committee of the Supervisory Board. Further details on this are subject to trade secrecy provisions.
GRI 407 Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining
GRI 103 Management approach (including GRI 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
UN Global Compact principles: I-III |
---|
The protection of human rights within the company and in the supply chain is a priority for Bertelsmann. Bertelsmann is committed to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to the principles of the UN Global Compact, to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the International Labour Organization (ILO) core labor standards. Ensuring fair working conditions is an integral part of Bertelsmann’s corporate culture. Bertelsmann sets binding human rights standards in the company as well as in the global supply chain, which must be adhered to by all employees and business partners. Key corporate guidelines that address the issue of human rights and codify these standards are the Bertelsmann Code of Conduct, the Bertelsmann Supplier Code of Conduct as well as the Executive Board Guideline on Anti-corruption & Integrity (see GRI 102-16 ).
The Code of Conduct and the Supplier Code of Conduct reaffirm the right to freedom of association and the right to engage in collective bargaining, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, for all employees of Bertelsmann companies as well as those of business partners. At Bertelsmann violations of this principle may be reported via the aforementioned whistleblowing channels of Bertelsmann’s compliance management system, both by employees and by third parties (see GRI 102-17 ).
GRI 407-1 Operations and suppliers in which the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining may be at risk
GRI 408 Child Labor
GRI 103 Management approach (including GRI 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
UN Global Compact principles: I-II, V |
---|
GRI 408-1 Operations and suppliers at significant risk for incidents of child labor
GRI 409 Forced or Compulsory Labor
MSD Freedom of Expression
GRI 103 Management approach (including GRI 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
UN Global Compact principles: I-II |
---|
Media report and entertain, explain, show connections and represent the diversity of opinions in society. As a result, they are an integral and indispensable part of different social orders. Bertelsmann sees censorship and attempts at political influence-mongering in its markets as a risk to its international media businesses, and resolute opposition to it as an opportunity. Bertelsmann is aware of the responsibility it has toward the public in its role as an opinion-shaper, and handles this responsibility with care. With this in mind, the company sees the independence of its content a matter of course, including vis-à-vis its advertising business partners.
Creativity is one of Bertelsmann’s two core values. Free and critical thinking and the exchange of different opinions are essential to innovation and therefore are elemental to the company’s value system. With regard to its content businesses, Bertelsmann stands for editorial and journalistic independence as well as for freedom of the press and artistic license. The Group publishes a wide variety of opinions and positions. These basic principles of the content businesses are also set forth in the Bertelsmann Code of Conduct (see GRI 102-16 ).
Bertelsmann’s goal is to ensure editorial and artistic independence in two directions: inside and outside the company. Internally, it means that the management does not attempt to influence the decisions of artists, editors, and program managers, or any other content managers, or to restrict their artistic or editorial freedom. Externally, both the content managers and the management boards must comply with existing laws on the separation of advertising and editorial content, and must not give in to political or economic influence-mongering in their coverage. In accordance with the Bertelsmann “Editor-in-chief Principle,” editorial decisions are the sole responsibility of the content managers.
2020 saw a continuation of a variety of organizational measures with a view to safeguarding editorial and artistic independence in the editorial and creative departments. The main focuses here are compliance with the “Editor-in-chief Principle,” duties of care, protection of personality rights, clear separation of advertising and editorial content, and dealing with the representation of violence and the protection of minors. Such topics are also part of Bertelsmann’s in-house training for editors.
Representatives and experts from the Bertelsmann divisions regularly meet in a cross-divisional working group to discuss matters relating to press freedom and editorial and journalistic independence, as well as to share information, ideas and best practice. The editor-in-chief of RTL Group’s German news channel, N-TV, heads this working group.
MSD Intellectual property
GRI 103 Management approach (including GRI 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
UN Global Compact principles: I-II |
---|
Bertelsmann’s businesses also develop, produce, transfer, license, and sell products and services that are protected as intellectual property. For Bertelsmann, the protection and preservation of intellectual property rights is of vital importance for the success of its analog and digital business models. This is also set forth in the Bertelsmann Code of Conduct (see GRI 102-16 ): “We respect and protect all forms of intellectual property and protected content.” For this reason, the company is committed to the highest possible level of global copyright protection worldwide, as well as to maintaining strong exclusive rights and freedom of contract. The “Taskforce Copyright,” consisting of representatives from the relevant German content businesses (Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, Penguin Random House Verlagsgruppe, Gruner + Jahr, BMG, and UFA), monitors current developments and legislative processes on copyright at the EU and national level, and develops joint Bertelsmann positions on these issues. In 2020, the focus of activities was on accompanying the process of transposing the EU Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market into German law.
GRI 413 Local communities
GRI 103 Management approach (including GRI 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
UN Global Compact principle: I |
---|
Bertelsmann sees itself as part of society. Responsibility is deeply rooted in its corporate culture and hence in the daily activities of the Group, its divisions and companies. The Bertelsmann Essentials, which focus on the values of Creativity & Entrepreneurship, form the basis for this. According to the Essentials, Bertelsmann is mindful of its impact on society and the environment, and it seeks to make a positive difference. This also includes the Group contributing its media, services and education competence, and the expertise of its employees where help and support are needed outside the company.
As a media, services and education company, Bertelsmann’s activities are interwoven with societal developments around the world. Society and our employees expect the company to fulfill its responsibility as a corporate citizen beyond its own businesses. Bertelsmann’s corporate social responsibility efforts, on the Group (see GRI 201-1 ), divisional and company level, encompass a wide range of measures and sponsorship programs that involve and develop local communities. These efforts contribute to the company’s success by supporting its “license to operate”; that is, enhancing the community’s acceptance of Bertelsmann.
Donations, sponsorship, funding for charitable projects, and memberships both at the Group and divisional level are an expression of responsible behavior and support Bertelsmann’s role as a good corporate citizen worldwide. Carefully planned and professionally executed measures boost the company’s reputation and anchor Bertelsmann as a responsible partner.
The Executive Board’s Guideline on Donations, Sponsorships and Memberships ensures that support measures in the form of donations, sponsorship and membership comply with legal and fiscal requirements and are consistent with the company’s strategy.
In line with the principle of decentralization, the divisions independently decide on their collaborations, sponsorship projects, and donations, steered by the Executive Board Guideline and in coordination with Corporate Communications. The Chair and CEO decides on one-off donations and sponsorships exceeding €100,000, as well as regular commitments exceeding €50,000. All commitments must be reported annually to the Group tax department, to ensure that the Executive Board can fulfill its related due diligence and compliance obligations. Group companies are also required to define and document their donation activities and sponsorship concepts and keep these documents for a period of five years. The general prerequisites of the Executive Board Guideline on Anti-corruption & Integrity are thus complied with. Any cases of doubt are to be coordinated and clarified with the Integrity & Compliance department.
Based on the Executive Board Guideline on Donations, Sponsorships, and Memberships, Bertelsmann’s priorities for its corporate citizenship activities are as follows:
- Education, especially for socially disadvantaged groups and media-related issues (e.g., reading promotion, media literacy),
- Culture, particularly the promotion of cultural heritage and young talent in fields closely associated with Bertelsmann (e.g., literature, TV, movies),
- Academic Research, especially on topics closely associated with Bertelsmann, such as economic and social sciences, as well as media and communications science,
- Freedom of creativity and media, especially freedom of expression and press freedom, protection of intellectual property, content responsibility, and editorial independence,
- Networking activities with relevant stakeholders.
GRI 413-1 Operations with local community engagement, impact impacts on local communities
UN Global Compact principle: I |
---|
As a good corporate citizen, Bertelsmann is especially committed to the locations where its companies operate, preferably sponsoring organizations and initiatives in which Bertelsmann employees are actively involved. The company also supports humanitarian disaster relief efforts.
Examples of the Corporate Center’s donation and sponsorship measures are presented on the Bertelsmann Website . In 2020, Bertelsmann’s divisions also contributed to the battle against the coronavirus and its repercussions in a variety of ways .
GRI 415 Public policy
GRI 103 Management approach (including GRI 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
The creative industry is an engine for economic growth and jobs. To ensure that the Group can continue to invest in high-quality creative and professional content, Bertelsmann advocates for strong copyright protection and a convergent media order in the digital age.
Bertelsmann’s public affairs managers offer political decision-makers access to expert dialog partners within the Group, communicate the latest positions and facts, and provide helpful information. Joint positions are developed by in-house working groups and through association and other organizational memberships.
In addition to functioning as a discussion forum and committee of experts, Bertelsmann’s liaison offices in Brussels and Berlin, and the divisional public affairs officers, introduce policymakers to the Group’s various business models in the media, services and education sectors. Their activities include presenting Bertelsmann’s digital businesses and the international media group’s cultural activities. Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA is registered in the Transparency Register of the European Union and is a signatory to its Code of Conduct.
GRI 415-1 Political contributions
UN Global Compact principle: X |
---|
Bertelsmann does not donate to politicians, political parties or organizations affiliated with parties. Similarly, it does not support organizations and institutions whose fundamental position conflicts with liberal-democratic principles, or which allow or imply discrimination against people. Bertelsmann also does not engage in sports sponsorship.
GRI 417 Marketing and labeling
GRI 103 Management approach (including GRI 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
UN Global Compact principles: I,VIII |
---|
In their production and distribution of products and services as well as in their advertising and marketing communications, all Bertelsmann companies comply with legal provisions and the highest quality standards as a matter of course. The Bertelsmann Code of Conduct (see GRI 102-16 ) codifies this as a binding principle. Responsibility for the protection of media users and customers, as well as compliance with related requirements, standards and commitments, rests with the management of the individual companies. Bertelsmann and its companies use a variety of principles and procedures for product labeling, reflecting the diversity of their products and services. Particularly relevant areas where labeling is used include the protection of minors (see MSD “Content creation and dissemination” ), as well as environmental and climate protection (see GRI 300 ).
Product safety is a focus topic that plays a special role in the production of children’s books at Penguin Random House. The company adheres to the strictest safety standards in connection with the manufacturing and production of its books, toys and related products to ensure that all Penguin Random House products are risk-assessed and safety-tested for such things as choking hazards and toxicity.
GRI 417-1 Requirements for product and service information and labeling
See GRI 417 .
GRI 418 Customer privacy
GRI 103 Management approach (including GRI 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
UN Global Compact principles: I-II |
---|
In the production and distribution of its media, services and education, Bertelsmann deals with customer data. In the service segment particularly, many of the world’s largest corporations entrust our company with parts of their value chain, such as the management of supply chains or customer communications. Careful and confidential handling of personal data also plays a decisive role in contact with media users.
Privacy is a fundamental human right. The objective of customer data protection is to protect people’s right to determine who has what knowledge about them, and when. This also means that personal information, or information that could identify a person, must be handled in accordance with legal requirements and adequately protected against unauthorized access, and that data subjects are able to exercise their statutory data subject rights. There are various ways for data subjects to contact Bertelsmann, including via email inboxes set up specifically for this purpose. Bertelsmann attaches great importance to protecting customer data. This includes safeguarding the personal data of company customers, as well as personal data provided to Bertelsmann by its business partners regarding their customers. In addition to the legal requirements and the Bertelsmann Code of Conduct and Supplier Code of Conduct (see GRI 102-16 ), customer data protection within the company is governed by the Executive Board’s Information Technology and Information Security Policy, the Bertelsmann Cloud Policy and, for the German companies of the Bertelsmann Group, by the “Corporate Privacy Handbook” as well.
Bertelsmann operates in a highly regulated environment as pertains to handling customer data. In all the core countries where Bertelsmann does business the protection of customer data is already required by law, and compliance with it is also part of company’s self-image. European legislators in particular are enforcing further data protection regulations against the background of Economy 4.0. and stipulate heavy fines for serious infringements within the framework of Europe’s “General Data Protection Regulation” (GDPR).
Responsibility for customer data protection is decentralized and rests with the management of the Group companies. To ensure compliance with data protection law governing customer data protection, subsidiaries use a Group-wide data protection management system that addresses in particular implementation of the documentation and accountability obligations under GDPR. In addition, German subsidiaries have a data protection organization consisting of central data protection officers and local data protection coordinators. The latter report to the local management, as well as annually or on an event-driven basis to the central data protection officers, who in turn report to the Executive Board annually or as required by events. A similar organization exists at Group companies outside Germany. An information security management system (ISMS) based on industry-standard ISO 27001 creates the technical and organizational framework for confidential data processing. The ISMS features a regular and structured survey of relevant processes and procedures to ensure compliance with statutory information security requirements, a systematic recording of risks and the derivation and monitoring of related mitigation measures to minimize risk.
GRI 418-1 Substantiated complaints concerning breaches of customer privacy and losses of customer data
UN Global Compact principles: I-II |
---|
In the twelve months from 01 Nov 2019 to 30 Oct 2020, 77,444 employees (previous year: 66,991 employees) were trained in data protection and privacy in the divisions that are subject to the General Data Protection Regulation. During the same period, there were 116 formal requests from data protection authorities (previous year: 143). No fines were imposed.
MSD Content creation and dissemination
GRI 103 Management approach (including GRI 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
UN Global Compact principles: I-II |
---|
Media is an integral and necessary part of our social order – they are simultaneously an economic and a cultural asset. Media report, clarify, classify and reflect the diversity of opinions in society. Bertelsmann takes the social responsibility that this implies seriously: for its business and journalistic activities, as well as the production and distribution of content and formats worldwide. In providing outsourcing, print and education services, the company gives top priority to professionalism and customer focus, service quality, and the protection of personal information.
The Bertelsmann Essentials define Creativity & Entrepreneurship as important guiding principles in the manufacturing and distribution of media products and services. In addition, the Bertelsmann Code of Conduct (see GRI 102-16 ) specifies key principles for the responsible production and distribution of media and services that are consistent and binding for all Bertelsmann companies. Compliance with legal requirements and the highest quality standards is a matter of course for Bertelsmann and is fundamental to the company’s success.
At Bertelsmann, content responsibility means considering the impact of the content production and distribution so as to protect the rights and interests of media users, customers and third parties in the best possible way. In accordance with the Editor-in-Chief Principle practiced at Bertelsmann, responsibility for the production and dissemination of media content lies solely with the content managers in the companies’ editorial teams and creative departments, who are free from influence from the Group’s owners or local management. Overriding principles and guidelines of media ethics are set by national and international laws governing the press, broadcasting and multimedia; by voluntary commitments to external guidelines such as the ethics codes of national press councils; and within the company by the Bertelsmann Code of Conduct. It commits Bertelsmann’s editorial and creative staff among other things to “respecting privacy and to the responsible treatment of information, opinion and images.” As a result, the company expects careful research, high-quality reporting and transparency in case of errors. Thorough journalistic craftsmanship is more important than ever in the face of online disinformation (“fake news”). In addition, content responsibility is anchored at the divisional, company and editorial-department level in a variety of ways. The representation of social diversity, as well as regulations to avoid discriminating or stereotyping content and “fake news”, also play an important role.
A special responsibility in the creation and dissemination of content applies to children and adolescents, because they experience the world as “digital natives.” The media policies and laws to protect minors from harmful media serve to examine media content to determine whether it could impair the development of children or adolescents. If such an effect is suspected, various restrictions on the content’s distribution come into force. The intent is to ensure that such media content is only accessible to age groups with the necessary maturity to put the possibly disturbing or unsettling content into context and process it appropriately. Bertelsmann gives high priority to the protection of children and young adults in the production and dissemination of its creative content, and complies with the relevant requirements. These include broadcast time restrictions as well as content and product labeling. Some divisions and companies go beyond the regulations that exist at the EU and national level, particularly in broadcasting (e.g., the Audio Visual Media Services Directive). Bertelsmann companies are also continuously involved in organizations for the protection of children and adolescents in media.
Actions taken to improve adherence to content creation values, and results obtained
UN Global Compact principles: I-II |
---|
Example: RTL Group
In addition to local laws and voluntary commitments, RTL Group has its own "Newsroom Guidelines" that steer the work of its editorial staff. They describe editorial duties of care, and include regulations on the protection of minors, impartial reporting, the protection of privacy, and how to handle the representation of violence. In May 2017, the RTL Group Newsroom Guidelines were updated in the areas of personality rights and the careful handling of sources (in particular social media sources), and a clear separation of advertising and editorial content. This update was partly driven by the issue of online disinformation. To prevent the spread of such disinformation, Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland had set up an in-house team of experts to verify user-generated content back in 2016. This verification unit has since been expanded internationally into a Group-wide team of journalists and information specialists. Beyond this, RTL Group has established additional processes to ensure compliance with ethical standards. At Groupe M6, in accordance with the French law on strengthening media freedom, independence and diversity of content, ethical standards are monitored and analyzed by an Ethics Committee. A similar committee has been set up at RTL Luxembourg. In Germany, Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland also appointed a voluntary Media Advisory Council. Comprised of representatives from politics, culture, business and religious organizations, this panel advises Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland’s management with special attention to diversity of opinion and plurality of channels and products.
At Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, the Standards & Practices department advises the editorial teams on matters related to the protection of minors. It ensures compliance with legal requirements and serves as the contact point for viewers and regulatory bodies. Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland’s channels teamed up with other commercial program providers in 1993 to establish the Self-Regulation Body of the Television Industry (FSF). The channels’ Youth Protection Officers proactively submit youth protection-relevant programs to the FSF’s independent review groups prior to broadcast. The FSF reviews programs for suitability for minors and makes a binding decision as to whether and at what time a program may be broadcast. Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland is also a member of Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Multimedia e.V. (FSM), an association that supports compliance with legal requirements and the further development and review of technical solutions for the protection of minors. RTL Nederland is affiliated with NICAM, a Dutch institute responsible for the development and implementation of the "Kijkwijzer" classification system which warns parents and educators if a TV program or film has content unsuitable for specific age groups. In France, as early as 1989, the channels of Groupe M6, part of RTL Group, developed a voluntary labeling system for their broadcasted films – a system adopted and made obligatory in 1996 for other French broadcasters by the Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel.
Further examples of measures and projects in the divisions can be found on the Bertelsmann Website .
MSD Media literacy
GRI 103 Management approach (including GRI 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
UN Global Compact principles: I-II |
---|
As a key skill of our time, media literacy has major implications for the education and development opportunities of children, adolescents and adults as well as their maturity in an increasingly digital reality of life. By promoting relevant measures, especially in literacy and reading, Bertelsmann makes an important contribution to societal and individual development.
Actions taken to empower audiences through media literacy skills development and results obtained
Bertelsmann and its divisions are involved in many ways in initiatives to promote reading and digital literacy – in particular reading days, reading initiatives, and book donations. For example, Bertelsmann itself as well as Gruner + Jahr, Penguin Random House Verlagsgruppe and Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland support Stiftung Lesen, a Germany-wide initiative to promote reading among children and young people, e.g., through reading-aloud days and book donations.
Beyond this, online media literacy, or Internet literacy, is a particular focus of efforts. RTL Group was a founding member of the EU’s “CEO Coalition to make the internet a better place for kids” initiative, which develops specific recommendations for handling digital media. These efforts are being continued in the “Alliance to Better Protect Minors Online,” founded in 2017, in which Super RTL and Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland participate. The EU initiative “klicksafe.de ,” sponsored by Super RTL, works to promote public awareness of safe Internet use through practical programming and information materials. The TV channel also supports the online search engine “fragFINN.de ,” which lets children between the ages of 6 and 12 research topics that interest them on safe, child-friendly websites. The Penguin Random House publisher Dorling Kindersley offers a similar platform with “DKfindout! ” Children and young people are increasingly using Bertelsmann’s services online on smartphones, tablets and PCs – which is why it is so important to keep developing technical solutions to protect minors, for every platform. Further examples of measures to promote media literacy can be found on the Bertelsmann Website .
Our Engagement: Projects Worldwide
We invite you to explore numerous Corporate Responsibility projects and initiatives from across the Bertelsmann world.
Bertelsmann CR Archive
- Bertelsmann Code of Conduct (PDF, 5,0 MB)
- Bertelsmann Supplier Code of Conduct (PDF, 165 KB)
- Bertelsmann Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement 2020 (PDF, 64 KB)
- Bertelsmann Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy (PDF, 98 KB)
- Bertelsmann GRI Report 2020 (PDF, 1,3 MB)
- Bertelsmann GRI Report 2019 (PDF, 900 KB)
- Bertelsmann GRI Report 2018 (PDF, 1,4 MB)
- Bertelsmann GRI Report 2017 (PDF, 3,2 MB)
- Bertelsmann CR Report 2016 (PDF, 8,5 MB)
- Bertelsmann CR Magazine 2015 (PDF, 7,7 MB)
- Bertelsmann CR Report 2010/2011 (PDF, 7,4 MB)
- Bertelsmann CR Report 2005 (PDF, 1,1 MB)