Every day, 126,000 people in about 50 countries work to ensure Bertelsmann’s success, growth and continuous development. That’s why, for generations, the company has made responsibility toward its employees a priority. Bertelsmann wants to create a working environment of partnership for all employees.

For Bertelsmann, its employees are the key to coming up with successful new ideas and offers. The company must create a motivating environment for them to be creative, innovative and successful. This particularly includes freedom, trust and respect.

In order 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 that enable Creativity & Entrepreneurship in a fair and healthy workplace setting. Bertelsmann aspires to this all over the world, and must honor widely varying social, economic, regulatory and cultural conditions in the process.

Add to that the fact that employees of all generations increasingly want their employer to offer them meaning in their work. To attract the best talent, employers are expected to have and convey a greater “sense of purpose.” Only when people identify with their company and its values and strategic goals, are they able to actively implement and ensure that these goals are achieved. This is especially true 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 representations, workplace safety, fair distribution of benefits, flexible working arrangements, and fair treatment of freelancers and third-party service providers are key aspects of fair working conditions at Bertelsmann.

Human Resources (HR) work at Bertelsmann is based on the company’s partnership-based identity as codified in the corporate constitution and the Bertelsmann Essentials. Supplementary regulations are set out in the Bertelsmann Code of Conduct (see GRI 102-16  ), which is binding for all employees, as well as the Executive Board Guidelines on HR Work.

The Chief HR Officer (CHRO), manages human resources in the best interests of 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. Included in the main areas of responsibility are setting the Group’s strategic HR agenda; aligning management development with the Group’s strategic priorities, Group-wide learning; ensuring the standardization and IT support of important HR processes, the further development of the corporate culture and the implementation of 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 Labor 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. Consistent and transparent remuneration structures are established as a principle within the Group. The design of the compensation system is intended to ensure that remuneration is driven by market, function and performance, taking into account business-specific characteristics. Employee profit sharing at Bertelsmann and numerous 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 subsidiaries have similar success and profit-sharing models adapted to local requirements. In 2019, a total of €116 million of the 2018 profit was distributed as part of such schemes.

Participation in decision-making processes and the granting of the greatest possible freedom contribute substantially 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 now widespread.

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  ).

UN Global Compact principle: III

Bertelsmann sees the dialog between employee representatives and company management as crucial to the company’s success. 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 reorganize, expand or newly build. Seeing change as both a challenge and an opportunity, the company’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 appointed four employee representatives as members of the Supervisory Board of Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA. Three of the four are works council members, and one is a member from the Bertelsmann Management Representative Committee. Moreover, managers, employees, employees with disabilities and trainees have different platforms for exchanging ideas, advancing common topics and contributing their concerns. One well-established format is the Bertelsmann Group Dialog Conference, during which works council representatives from Bertelsmann, Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland and Gruner + Jahr meet with the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief HR Officer for consultation and discussion.

Employees are also involved in the development and improvement of working conditions through standardized HR tools (Performance and Development Dialogs, Target Agreements, 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 2019, the international employee survey was conducted exclusively online for the first time.

New ways of organizing work, digital technologies, heavier workloads, demographic change and increasing international pressure to compete have an impact on the health of employees. As the retirement age rises, employees work longer and are faced with ever-increasing demands in their jobs.

An increase in chronic and mental health disorders, sickness absenteeism and the early retirement of experienced employees are among the challenges that arise from changes in the modern working world. Bertelsmann wants to counter these developments at an early stage and invests in the health of its employees – because healthy, motivated employees are a prerequisite for the company’s success. Health is understood not merely as the absence of illness, but as a complex system of needs, physical, psychological and social resources, ability to cope, and personal goals.

With a view to designing a health-promoting work environment and preventing work-related risks of disease, Bertelsmann is expanding its health management system at the German locations. Bertelsmann Health Management has been put in charge of supervising and coordinating the Germany-wide health strategy and associated activities, in conjunction with a cross-functional strategy group. The cross-divisional “Health Community,” which is comprised of health experts, the chairs and representatives of the Corporate Works Councils, the chairs of the Group Representation for Employees with Disabilities, HR managers and representatives for employees with disabilities of the German Bertelsmann divisions and solution groups, plays a key role here. Through targeted networking, it also helps to reinforce uniform standards for all German locations.

There are four minimum standards:

• companies are to train their executives on the subject of health,

• set up a working group on health,

• inform their employees about health topics and services,

• and give them access to company social counseling.

The minimum standards form the basis for integrated health management and are supplemented by quality criteria. In 2019, the third Germany-wide survey on the implementation of the minimum standards took place. For the first time, it surveyed the quality criteria as well as the implementation of selected statutory occupational health and safety requirements in the Group companies.

Bertelsmann Health Management supports the Group companies in meeting the legal requirement to assess mental stress in the work context. In addition, expert knowledge and experience for a suitable procedure was gathered within the “Health Community” to be incorporated into a practice-oriented toolbox for psychological risk assessment.

In 2019, the in-house consultancy for workplace health management (“Health Management Consulting”), initiated in cooperation with Bertelsmann BKK, was further expanded. The aim of this function is to advise the divisions on the development and implementation of workplace health management. In addition to strategic concepts for mission statements and elements of sustainable health management, workshop formats and analysis tools were developed and piloted at selected Bertelsmann companies. “Health Management Consulting” also serves as a central coordinating office for inquiries from the Group companies and communicates services and offers from the various health agents in the Group (e.g. company medical service, occupational safety, etc.).

Exemplary Facilities and Services

Networking plays an important role in successful health management. Protagonists from the health departments collaborate on health management issues in a strategy group. This group includes the Occupational Safety department, the Company Medical Services, the Bertelsmann BKK company health insurance (with around 7,500 insured employees in Germany), in-house social services, and the Sports and Health department. The Occupational Safety team and Company Medical Services advise many German Bertelsmann companies regarding the implementation of occupational health and safety tasks and standards required by the German Occupational Safety Act. The Company Social Counselling team serves employees from about 70 percent of the companies in Germany in matters relating to the personal sphere or the workplace, as well as in health matters. Meanwhile, the Sports and Health department offers more than 10,000 employees in the Guetersloh region an extensive sports program with more than 250 classes per week. A Germany-wide offering of company sports is currently being developed. The focus is on work-related and workplace-oriented measures with a particular focus on back health and relaxation. The chairs of Bertelsmann’s Corporate Works Council and Group Representation for Employees with Disabilities, and the Head of the Corporate Responsibility & Diversity Management, are also represented in the Health Management Strategy Group.

UN Global Compact principles: I, VI

A company’s success is determined by its employees’ qualifications and efforts. Major challenges such as the Group’s progressive internationalization, the digital transformation of the media and services, and demographic change can only be tackled with an excellently trained workforce.

The rapidly changing business environment constantly gives rise to new challenges for all employees in their workaday routine. Helping to ensure employees’ long-term employability by offering lifelong learning programs is both a commitment and a challenge for Bertelsmann. The better we do this, the more successful the business can be, and the more attractive it is for its workforce and for the applicants. Vocational education and training are a long-term investment in the future and the stability of society, for both the company and its employees.

Bertelsmann University

With four different campuses – Strategy, Leadership, Function and Individual – Bertelsmann University  is the central learning organization. It offers excellent learning content and innovative learning formats that systematically advance and develop the competencies and skills of Bertelsmann’s employees and executives for future requirements, worldwide and across all divisions. Examples include strategy, leadership, creativity and innovation skills, as well as technology and data skills. Thanks to digital formats, a lot of relevant content is available to every employee, and they can choose when and where they want to learn, depending on their individual needs and organizational requirements.

Bertelsmann University is a main department based 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 the University’s orientation and activities. It is also supported by the Divisional Learning Committee, which includes Learning and Development representatives from the divisions.

Training in Germany: A Wide Range of Offers

In Germany alone, the Group offers young people industrial and commercial training options in more than 50 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 the country’s largest apprentice-training companies and is a protagonist in shaping the vocational training landscape. One of the specific challenges that must be addressed is the future-proofing of training programs to prevail in the intensified competition for highly qualified talent. This requires considering changes in the educational landscape, such as the growing tendency toward academic degrees, as well as structural changes like the digitalization of the Group’s businesses. The better this works, the greater the company’s contribution to a futureproof society and to qualifying its people. The integration of school-leavers without qualifications and young displaced persons also plays a role here.

The Central Education department is responsible for central 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 also works closely with the works council and the managing directors and HR managers of the training companies. 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 2019 the most important measures in the field of learning were:

• further development of international programs in the fields of leadership, strategy and transformation as well as, against the background of the new Bertelsmann Essentials, formats related to creativity and entrepreneurship;

• expanding the training offering to implement the Group’s strategic priorities;

• promoting the transformation of the learning culture through the development of new interactive learning formats and learning content;

• launch of a new three-year Udacity scholarship program with a total of 50,000 places to strengthen the technology focus in the fields of data, cloud and artificial intelligence; and

• adapting the content of the training and study programs offered in Germany to meet the changing demands of the world of work.

UN Global Compact principle: VI

Total training

in hours

2019	2018
325,080	402,462

Basis: all training data entered on the digital HR platform “peoplenet”

Share of digital learning hours

in percent

2019	2018
33	27

Basis: all training data entered on the digital HR platform “peoplenet”

Due to a higher degree of individualization, digital further-education measures tend to achieve the learning objective with fewer learning hours. Among other things, this led to a reduction in the number of training hours for all employees throughout the Group from 402,462 (2018) to 325,080 (2019). In addition, employees completed around 27,000 learning hours in 2019 under the Udacity scholarship program.

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.

UN Global Compact principles: I, VI

A varied and diverse workforce has a positive impact on creativity, innovation and performance, as well as employee motivation. It enhances flexibility and success in the different markets. With their individual skills, experience and viewpoints, heterogeneous teams contribute to a diversity of perspectives in their company – with positive implications for business processes and decisions. Diversity management also helps counter risks resulting from demographic change and to strengthen employer attractiveness. Additionally, it addresses the economic risks that arise when contracting governmental authorities require statutory quota compliance in public procurement processes, or with business partners having specific contractual requirements.

For Bertelsmann, diversity of its workforce is a prerequisite for long-term business success. This is also expressed in the Diversity Statement adopted by the Executive Board in 2018. The Bertelsmann Code of Conduct codifies the promotion of diversity by mandating respectful and appreciative treatment of all employees. The same is true for the Bertelsmann Supplier Code of Conduct (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 regarding inclusion and equal opportunity, even when the company does not fall within their scope.

The Executive Board bears the strategic responsibility for diversity within the Group. The diversity strategy is implemented by the Corporate Responsibility & Diversity Management department with support from a Group-wide and other divisional working groups. The focus is on “Gender,” “Disability”, “Sexual Orientation/Identity,” “Nationality and Ethnic/Social Origin,” and “Generations”. 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. To fulfil this target in top and senior management, the targeted proportion of women in the respective Group-wide talent pools was set at one-third, and was increased to 50 percent in the career development pool. These targets were reached in 2019 for all three talent pools.

In 2019, the Bertelsmann Action Plan for Inclusion (2019-2024) for Bertelsmann’s German companies was published and further Unconscious Bias trainings were rolled-out. In addition, a pilot project for the establishment of cross-divisional employee networks and the Bertelsmann Diversity Conference 2020 were prepared.

As role models, managers and HR managers at Bertelsmann have a particular responsibility to demonstratively model and practice diversity. In line with the Group’s policy of decentralization, specific measures are implemented in a division or company as most suitable to the business model.

Gender-neutral compensation

The equal treatment of women and men set out in the Code of Conduct explicitly applies to compensation. Bertelsmann’s remuneration policy is to establish consistent remuneration structures in the Group. The design of 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. Men and women in comparable markets, in comparable positions and delivering the same performance have equal earning opportunities.

UN Global Compact principles: I-II, VI

The Code of Conduct and the Supplier Code of Conduct (see GRI 102-16  ) contain a clear prohibition of discrimination and intimidation, which is also expressed in the Bertelsmann Diversity Statement. In addition to the aforementioned reporting channels, AGG contact persons have been appointed at all German locations. Employees can contact them in the event of suspected breaches of Germany’s General Equal Treatment Act (AGG). Employees are informed about their rights under the AGG by means of brochures, posters and information provided on the company intranet. In an international context, the topic of antidiscrimination was addressed in a Group-wide e-learning designed to build employee awareness of the issue and advise them of their rights. Ongoing activities were continued in 2019.

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 the United Nations Global Compact, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the International Labor 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 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, both by employees and by third parties (see GRI 102-17  ).

UN Global Compact principles: I-II, VI

Bertelsmann does not tolerate child and forced labor, and expects its business partners to share this position. The Code of Conduct and the Supplier Code of Conduct contain accordingly explicit prohibitions (see GRI 102-16  ). In addition, individual Bertelsmann Group companies as well as Bertelsmann itself have issued statements in accordance with the “UK Modern Slavery Act”  that condemn all forms of modern slavery, coercive and child labor, exploitation, and discrimination, and present measures to prevent these human rights violations.

UN Global Compact principles: I-II, VI

See GRI 408  .

UN Global Compact principle: I

Bertelsmann sees itself as part of society. Responsibility is deeply rooted in its corporate culture and, with it, the daily activities of the Group, its divisions and companies. This is enshrined in the Bertelsmann Essentials, which focus on the values of creativity and entrepreneurship. In the spirit of the Essentials, Bertelsmann is mindful of its impact on society and its environment, and seeks to make a positive difference. This also includes the Group contributing its media, services and education competence, the expertise of its employees, and financial assistance where help and support are needed outside the company.

As a media, services and education company, Bertelsmann’s activities are interwoven with societal development around the world. Society and our employees expect the company to play an active role 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 pay dividends for 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 are an expression of responsible behavior and support Bertelsmann’s role as a good corporate citizen worldwide. Carefully planned and professionally implemented support 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 select 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 fulfill related due diligence and compliance obligations with the Executive Board. 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 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 promoting cultural heritage and newcomers 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 in creativity and media, especially freedom of expression and press freedom, protection of intellectual property, content responsibility, and editorial independence;

• Networking activities with relevant stakeholders.

UN Global Compact principles: I-X

The creative industry is an engine for economic growth and jobs. To ensure the continuation of investment 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 associations, taking into account external expertise.

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.

UN Global Compact principles: I-VIII

IIn 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. Especially 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.

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. Bertelsmann therefore attaches great importance to customer data protection. Customer data protection covers the protection of personal data of our own customers as well as the protection of personal data provided to Bertelsmann by business partners about their customers. In addition to the legal requirements and the Bertelsmann Code of Conduct and Supplier Code of Conduct, 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".

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 required by law, and compliance with it is also an integral part of the company’s identity. 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 individual subsidiaries. To ensure compliance with data protection law governing customer data protection, subsidiaries have 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. A similar organization exists in subsidiaries 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.

UN Global Compact principles: I-II

The media are an integral and necessary part of our social order – they are simultaneously an economic and a cultural asset. The media report and entertain, clarify, put things in context, and reflect a diversity of opinions. Bertelsmann takes seriously the social responsibility that this implies: 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 and Entrepreneurship as important guiding principles in the manufacturing and distribution of media products and services. In addition, the Bertelsmann Code of Conduct 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.

Bertelsmann considers the impact of the content it produces and distributes so as to protect the rights and interests of media users, customers and third parties as best as possible. 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 to “respect privacy and the responsible treatment of information, opinion and images” among other things. In some cases, other statutes regulate the handling of content responsibility at the divisional, company and editorial-department level. The representation of social diversity, as well as regulations to avoid discriminating or stereotyping content and online disinformation ("fake news"), also play an important role. Cross-divisional networks, programs and events such as the Bertelsmann Content Alliance promote synergies as well as the exchange on best practices and specific topics of the company's product- and content-related responsibility.

A special responsibility in the creation and dissemination of content applies to children and adolescents, who experience the world as “digital natives.” The purpose of media policies and laws is to protect minors through the review of media content to determine any possible detrimental effects on the development of children and young adults. If such an effect is suspected, various distribution restrictions apply. The policies and laws are intended 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 media content and complies with the relevant requirements. These include broadcast time restrictions as well as content and product labeling. Particularly in broadcasting divisions and companies, efforts are often made to go beyond the existing European and national regulations, (e.g., the Audiovisual Media Services Directive).

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. By promoting relevant measures, especially in literacy and reading, Bertelsmann makes an important contribution to societal and individual development. Bertelsmann and its divisions are involved in many ways in initiatives to promote reading and digital literacy – especially, reading days, reading initiatives, and book donations  .