Human rights

Targets and management approach

Protecting and promoting human rights are of the utmost importance to us. Human rights is a topic that cuts across many different areas in DB Group. We report on how we safeguard human rights with regard to working conditions, anti-discrimination measures, and occupational health and safety within DB Group, particularly in the chapter Social.

We also expect our business partners to uphold human rights, and our requirements in this regard are set out in the DB Code of Conduct for Business Partners, as well as other documentation. This Code refers to the core labor standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO), such as protection against child and forced labor and against discrimination in employment and occupation. It contains regulations on fair pay, regulated work­­ing hours, and the preference for regular employment. The right to au­diting may be agreed in contracts with business partners, including adverse legal consequences if the Code is not complied with.

We oppose modern slavery in all its forms, be it forced or compulsory labor, servitude, human trafficking, or child labor, and we report on this in accordance with the provisions of the UK Modern Slavery Act.

Due to greater geographical risks, specially developed social minimum standards apply to DB Schenker’s global activities. This policy details the overriding DB Group Code of Conduct and provides, particularly in the inter­national context, minimum standards for situations in which national and international legislation does not stipulate any appropriate social measures. Compliance with the Social Minimum Standards is regularly audited on-site by intra-Group auditors at selected locations.

If human rights violations are suspected, employees, customers, suppliers, and any other parties that may be of concern are provided with vari­ous channels to report such violations, including the option to report anony­­­mous­­ly. In addition to central whistle-blowing management and trusted legal practitioners, these provisions also include our electronic whistle-blow­­er system. DB employees can contact the Human Resources ombuds­person, and a follow-up process is in place to examine the alleged human rights violations reported. In 2020, the whistle-blower system reported sus­pected cases of human rights violations in the medium double-digit range (mainly cases relating to potential problematic working conditions and po­­­­tential discrimination).

Human rights is also an integral part of DB Group stakeholder dialog.