AVL Compliance
The protection of internationally recognized human rights, compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and the maintenance of integrity and responsibility in business dealings are essential foundations of our business activities. The Code of Conduct is a binding guideline for our employees and contains essential corporate principles such as
- Fair competition and fair business practices
- Anti-corruption and anti-bribery
- Ethical code of conduct
- Respect for human rights
- Environmental protection and sustainability
We are committed to the principles of integrity, honesty and fairness in all relationships within and outside the company. AVL's management fully supports the principles set out in the Code of Conduct and expects the company's employees to comply with all of its provisions.
Our Code of Conduct for Employees can be found here.
Our global business and supplier network makes a significant contribution to value creation and innovative strength and thus to AVL's success. It is therefore a matter of course for us that our business partners also fulfill their business responsibility and comply with the principles set out in our Code of Conduct for Business Partners.
Our Code of Conduct for Business Partners can be found here.
If you wish to report any misconduct, such as violations of applicable laws and rules or violations of our Code of Conduct or our Code of Conduct for Business Partners, you can use our Whistleblower System.
You can also use the AVL Whistleblower System to report human rights and environmental violations or risks in accordance with the German Supply Chain Duty Due Diligence Act (LkSG) that have arisen as a result of the economic activities of AVL in its own business area or those of a direct or indirect supplier of AVL. It is therefore also available to potential whistleblowers along the supply chain as a Complaints Procedure as defined in § 8 LkSG.
Our policy on the AVL Whistleblower System can be found here.
Absolute confidentiality of sensitive information and personal data is an important leitmotif of AVL. We pay particular attention to the rights of those affected by data processing, such as the right to access, inspect, revoke and delete individual personal data.
All data processing is conducted in strict compliance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council from 27 April 2016 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation).
All employees who deal with personal data, trade secrets and confidential information of any kind are required to strictly comply with the (data protection) secrecy provisions. More information here.
Data and Information Security
IT security procedures and information security management systems specify the requirements for setting up, implementing, maintaining and continuously improving a documented information security management system, taking into account, assessing and dealing with information security risks in the individual context of an organization.
We have been certified according to ISO 27001 since 2010 and are continuously expanding the scope of our information security certifications.
Statement on Human Rights, Ethical Behavior and Working Conditions
Human rights are universal values. They guide our behavior in everything we do. At AVL, we firmly distance ourselves from unethical behavior and issues such as slavery, forced labor, human trafficking, child labor, discrimination or harassment. We implement this in all of our business activities. We respect human rights and treat all people with dignity in line with the United Nations’ “Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
Preamble
Although governments are the institutions primarily responsible for protecting human rights, we also respect human rights in all of our business activities, with customers and suppliers. Moreover, we support the implementation of human rights around the globe and strongly believe in accompanying compliance measures.
A commitment to human rights and ethical behavior is embedded in our business principles. This commitment is part of our comprehensive, global Compliance Management System (CMS), which is based on our AVL Code of Conduct.
We use this Code of Conduct as part as part of our mandatory compliance training for every employee worldwide. Our guiding principles are integrity, honesty and fairness. We expect all of our suppliers and our subcontractors to adhere to local laws and regulations dealing with the protection of internationally recognized human rights. This expectation is reflected in our Code of Conduct for Business Partners, supplier management and purchasing procedures.
Regarding working conditions, we strictly comply with Austrian labor law. In Austria, working conditions are legally regulated by laws, collective bargaining agreements, work agreements, work regulations and/or employment contracts.
The chambers of labor and various trade unions represent the interests of workers in Austria. Both of these are pillars of Austria’s economic and social partnership. They are responsible for negotiating wages and prices with the Austrian Federal Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture. Like many other Austrian companies, we have a works council. The council has the power to conclude company agreements and to participate in dismissals, transfers and supervisory board meetings.
We are fully committed to the UN’s “Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights.” We respect and support the implementation of human rights around the globe as they are defined in the UN’s “General Declaration of Human Rights” and in internationally recognized treaties.
We have been a proud member of the Austrian Business Council for Sustainable Development (respACT; www.respact.at) for many years. respACT has been the coordinating body for the Global Compact network in Austria since 2004. The multi-stakeholder platform now unites over 100 organizations, and it has more than 13,000 signatories worldwide. It promotes the ten principles of the United Nations’ “Global Compact” in the areas of human rights, labor standards, environmental protection and the fight against corruption.
Respecting all people’s human dignity is of the utmost importance to us. We do not tolerate any illegal or unethical behavior on the part of our employees, and we are committed to the principles of respectful, fair and loyal cooperation.
As stated in our Code of Coduct, we do not tolerate any form of employment discrimination. All employees have the same opportunities in terms of their commitment and further personal development, regardless of worker or applicant characteristics such as race, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, disability, pregnancy, religion, political affiliation, union association, covered veteran status, genetic information or marital status.
We expect all of our employees to contribute to a positive corporate working environment through tolerant, polite and considerate interaction with each other.
We firmly distance ourselves from issues such as slavery, forced or compulsory labor, human trafficking, child labor, discrimination or harassment in all of our business activities. In our supplier management practices, we also ensure that all subcontractors, suppliers and partner companies provide evidence of compliance with our standards.
Austrian labor law offers significant protections to the rights of employees in Austria.
We act strictly according to these laws, which regulate all legal questions regarding employment relationships and the rights and obligations between employers and employees. These include, but are not limited to, topics such as the regulation of working hours, wages and benefits (minimum wages, overtime compensation, etc.), employment contracts, employment for young workers/apprentices/students/interns, part-time employment, vacation entitlements, maternity/paternal leave, protection against dismissal, equal treatment and various work agreements.
In Austria, the basis for employment is a valid employment contract. An employment contract explains all of the rights and obligations of employees and employers that go beyond the applicable statutory collective agreement. The employer is obliged to pay the wages, while employees are obliged provide the work.
We have also concluded our own internal company agreements with our works council for special topics such as flextime and shift work. These, in accordance with the graduated structure of the Austrian legal system, are always an improvement over the law and current collective agreement.
The labor inspectorate in Austria (https://www.arbeitsinspektion.gv.at/) or the Austrian Health Insurance authorities checks compliance with the law and collective bargaining agreements on a regular basis. Regular checks occur on an annual basis or whenever deemed necessary (e.g., a work accident).
In Austria, the works council is a body for co-determination and representation of employee interests in a company. The works council also participates in company decisions. The tasks of the works council include, but are not limited to, negotiating with the employer, submitting proposals for resolving differences of opinion and submitting measures to the employer that could serve both the company and the workforce. Open and honest communication between management and the works council is of great importance to us. Topics such as working conditions and management practices can be openly discussed, without fear of reprisals or intimidation. We respect the right of employees to freely associate, join (or not join) unions and to negotiate together.
The health of employees is a valuable asset with the highest priority. Due to its importance, occupational health and safety is also part of our mission, vision and company values. Goals, approaches and activities regarding health and safety are described in two of our documents: the "Policy for Safety and Health at Work at AVL" and in the QES-document for the “Implementation of Employee Safety Regulations.” Both are fully based on applicable national laws and industry standards for safety and occupational health.
Topics such as human rights, ethical behavior and general working conditions are part of our global Compliance Management System (CMS), which is based on our Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct is used as part of the mandatory compliance training for all of our employees worldwide. We have also developed our own training program tailored for new employees – “Welcome Newcomer” – in which general knowledge about the company and our processes and structures are presented. Other topics, such as occupational health and safety, labor law and working conditions, are also explained to each employee, and explicit reference is made to the rights and obligations of every employee. For managers, there are in-depth training courses on leadership. These include, but are not limited to, how to conduct staff appraisals, resolve conflicts and manage stress and burn-out on a team.