Focus on people - BLANC & FISCHER Sustainability

People

Focus on people

Responsibility for employees and society

GRI 102-7

Size of organization

The size of the organization is represented by the number of employees in heads, and broken down by company and region.

Growing workforce

In 2022, the BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding business groups employed an average of 9,513 employees. This is 426 people or 4.7 % more than the average for 2021.

Total employees*

*on average in 2022, in accordance with Section 314 No. 4 of the German Commercial Code (HGB), and additionally, for example, managing directors, apprentices, and interns

Highest share of employees: EMEA and production

The majority of employees were employed in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, which accounts for over 80 % of the total workforce. Of these, most work at sites in Germany, where there are 3,674 employees. The countries with the largest number of employees after Germany are China (1,012), Slovenia (754), Croatia (749), and Turkey (731).

The majority of employees work in production, with an average of 6,093 (71.1 %) in 2022. During this period, 1,165 employees were employed in sales worldwide (13.6 %) and 823 (9.6 %) in administration. In addition, 488 (5.7 %) people took care of research and development.

Employees by business group

average for the year 2022

Employees by region

average for the year 2022

Number

in %

EMEA
(of which Germany)

7,701
(3,674)

APAC (Asia Pacific)

1,038

Americas (North & South America)

774

Loyalty to the business group

On average, employees work for the BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding companies for 8.63 years as of December 31, 2022. This figure remained almost constant compared to the previous year (8.65 years).

Average length of service by business group

2022, in years

Nations

continents

Nations

continents

GRI 102-8

More information about employees

Number of fixed-term employment contracts per business group. For 2021, this key figure was only reported for the German sites due to the data available. For 2022, the values shown apply to all business groups. Due to the data available, the number of full-time and part-time employees by gender is shown exclusively for Germany. As of December 31, 2022, 89.1 % of the employees of the BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding business groups were in permanent employment. 16.6 % of the employees at the German sites of the business groups worked part-time, 75 % of whom were women.

People from 59 countries

The employees of the BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding business groups work at 55 sites in 23 countries. In total, they come from 59 nations—from Afghanistan to Vietnam. The BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding and its business groups see this diversity as an opportunity: employees with different backgrounds, cultures, and experience bring with them different skills and talents, which positively impact innovative and creative solutions in the organization.

Diversity structure: Nationalities

People from 59 nations work for the BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding business groups and companies

GRI 404-1

Training and continuing education hours

The average number of hours includes all types of vocational training, paid training leave, third-party training and continuing education covered in whole or in part by the company, and training on specific topics. The information refers to the German sites.

Targeted professional and personal further training

Constant learning and the ongoing development of skills contribute to the competitiveness and future viability of the business group.

Overall, 3,674 employees took part in training and continuing education measures at the German sites of the BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding business groups for on average 15 hours—one hour more than in 2021. This means a total of 56,387 hours—12,564 more than in the previous year.

Bundled training activities

The companies of the BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding offer young people varied opportunities to start their professional lives. A total of 17 apprenticeships and 10 study programs are available at the German sites. The BLANC & FISCHER Training Academy bundles training activities at the Oberderdingen site. In 2022, 40 trainees started their apprenticeships with the company. These included eleven students from the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) Karlsruhe and, for the first time, one student in the field of electrical and environmental technology from DHBW Mannheim and one student in the field of business information systems combined with vocational education as an IT specialist at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences.

The average apprenticeship rate at the German sites of the BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding business groups was 4.44 % in 2022, which is below the previous year (5.10 %).

Apprenticeship rate

in %, at sites in Germany

GRI 404-2

Employee skills improvement programs

Type and scope of measures implemented to improve the skills of employees. The programs support the organization in planning skills development and employees in achieving strategic goals. Qualified employees contribute to higher employee satisfaction, which goes hand in hand with improved output.

Further development of the learning culture

In 2022, the BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding business groups focused on further development of the learning culture and the associated development of a learning ecosystem. To ensure that people and the organizations remain adaptable and innovative throughout their lives, there are now self-managed, flexible, and customized learning formats. As a central component of the ecosystem, the “B&F Learning Campus” was introduced worldwide in mid-2022. This is the central point of contact for the field of learning and offers a wide range of programs.

Leadership journey starts

Strategy, culture, and structure form a “magic triangle of an organization,” which describes the interdependent relationship of the three aspects. An organization can only achieve its full potential if these all work together. Some changes have already been made at structural and strategic level. In 2022, the BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding business groups increasingly developed the cultural level. Managers play a key role in this. With the involvement of 25 managers from different sites, the “Leadership Development” project drafted the “BLANC & FISCHER Leadership Principles” spanning across business groups.

Wide range of existing programs

TRAINING AND COACHING

Individual and standardized learning programs as well as training courses for professional, methodical, and personal development
Group and one-on-one language courses
Management development/ leadership
Individual coaching
Digital coaching (pilot phase in Germany)

CONTINUING EDUCATION AGREEMENTS

The business groups support the promotion of on-the-job training financially and/or organizationally.

SKILLS MODEL GROW:TOGETHER

Nine skills form the common foundation of targeted, strategic staff development in the BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding business groups worldwide. It is the foundation for many staff development programs and tools, such as the personnel development interview (PDI) or the guidelines for standardized job interviews.

PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT INTERVIEW (PDI)

The PDI is a skills-based feedback tool that every manager conducts with their employees once a year. The staff development goals are derived from the divisional or departmental corporate development strategies and serve to systematically develop employee skills.

GUIDELINES FOR STANDARDIZED JOB INTERVIEWS

This guide provides a template to conduct standardized job interviews. The advantage: a structured questionnaire makes it easier to compare the candidates. The guide’s structure is based on the BLANC & FISCHER skills model “GROW:TOGETHER.” This makes it possible to test specific skills and competencies of the candidate in certain situations. Furthermore, the interviewer can determine to what extent the candidate has the skills defined by the company and thus fits the company’s requirements for this work task or job.

MOVE GRADUATE PROGRAM

MOVE is a special alternative to direct entry for graduates in Germany. It focuses on added value, orientation, responsibility, and development. The trainee program offers academically excellent master’s graduates the opportunity to work intensively on strategically relevant projects for two and a half years. At the same time, personal development is a focal point in order to then take on a target position with special responsibility.

NEW MANAGERS

Worldwide, NEW:IN:LEAD supports future and new managers as they grow into their new roles. If desired, new managers have the option of participating in our standardized leadership development program (LDP).

360° FEEDBACK

Comparison of the views on leadership behavior of employees, colleagues, supervisors, and interfaces, including a self-assessment.

GRI 404-3

Percentage of employees with performance appraisal

Regular appraisals of the employee’s achievements and professional development can improve employee satisfaction and is an opportunity to review and maintain employee skills through tailor-made measures.

Since 2020, the globally applicable “Corporate Guideline MPS (Management Performance System)” has regulated the performance-related remuneration of managers at levels one to three in the BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding business groups. In the first and second executive levels, remuneration based on performance aspects is mandatory, and in the third, only an option.
In 2022, 12.14 % of employees of the BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding business groups received a performance appraisal. Due to the collective bargaining agreement, each employee at the German sites will have a performance appraisal interview. For this reason, a value of 100 % is assumed for the German companies as a whole. For the sites outside Germany, the number of MPS agreements carried out is put in relation to the eligible managers and amounts to 11.51 %.

Percentage of employees with performance appraisal

outside Germany, average for the year

GRI 403-6

Promoting the health of employees

Information about employees’ access to occupational health services. It also outlines the voluntary services and programs that exist for health promotion. The focus here is on non-work-related health risks.

Strict compliance with occupational safety measures and strengthening health-promoting factors are among the top priorities of the BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding business groups. Additional services help to boost employee satisfaction.

COUNSELING

At all German sites of the BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding business groups, employees can make use of free, anonymous counseling on all topics related to satisfaction, well-being, and mental health in the workplace. A trained psychologist is available for individual consultations.

There is also a family service, which can be reached free of charge around the clock, seven days a week, for life coaching. Support is also provided for predominantly private mental strain, stress, and acute crises in partnerships and the family, but also for financial difficulties, dependency and addiction, and violence, as well as legal advice on selected topics.

CHILDCARE

Childcare is provided at the German sites in cooperation with local daycare centers. During the summer holidays, employees at the Oberderdingen site will also benefit from an exciting 14-day children’s holiday program for all children aged between 6 and 12.

MEDICAL SERVICE

The medical service provides employees with occupational health advice, general examinations, and preventive measures as well as occupational integration management (OIM). Since 2020, the in-house medical service has been offering free annual flu vaccinations at all sites worldwide.

PREVENTIVE CHECKUPS

Various preventive medical checkups, for instance for skin or bowel cancer, are available to all employees at the Oberderdingen site every two years. Every two years, managers in Germany receive a health check. BLANCO Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Shanghai, China offers annual health checks. At E.G.O. North America, Inc., Newnan, USA, the costs for various insurance benefits are covered and costly medical examinations are subsidized.

PREVENTION

Employees at the German sites can attend seminars on stress management, ergonomics, addiction prevention and nutrition, among other things. There are also other fitness and relaxation programs, such as
autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation, spinal exercise, or yoga. Workshops on relaxation techniques are on the agenda at ETA d.o.o. Cerkno, Slovenia. E.G.O. North America, Inc., Newnan, USA reimburses the costs if employees take part in a 12-week weight-loss program.

Additional health insurance with supplementary health benefits for employees and family members is available at the E.G.O. Italia Srl, Camerano site in Italy. Collective health insurance funds also offer more favorable conditions and tax relief for E.G.O. . Appliance Controls, S.L.U., LLica de Vall, Spain, and ETA d.o.o. Cerkno, Slovenia.

ACTIVE AND HEALTHY

Various sports activities are supported financially by the companies. For example, there are 13 different sports groups at the Oberderdingen site: running, archery, table tennis, darts, minigolf, cycling, motorcycling, skiing, tennis, shooting, walking, hiking, and soccer. Runs, cycling races, or tournaments in basketball, table tennis, or badminton are also organized or supported at other sites. E.G.O. Polska sp. z o.o., Lodz, Poland and E.G.O. Elektro-komponente d.o.o., Zagreb, Croatia subsidize a multi-sports card that contains various sports and wellness options.

To help employees get enough exercise, there are organized walks during the lunch break at the German site in Oberderdingen. There is also the option of taking active breaks with ergonomic exercises at the workplace. Individual consulting and exercise opportunities for divisions or individual employees are provided by an internal partner. On “Safety Day”, which is held in Germany in cooperation with the various sites and the Occupational Safety department, information is provided about health and safety-related issues.

NUTRITION

At the Oberderdingen site, employees can eat at the certified company restaurant, which also offers culinary campaign weeks and regional products. There are water dispensers with free drinking water within easy reach of all workplaces. At the “GenießBar” employees can get healthy snacks from vending machines. E.G.O. Polska sp. z o.o., Lodz, Poland gives its workforce tokens for vending machines with healthy snacks.

GRI 405-1

Diversity in regulatory bodies and among employees

Percentage of female managers in the top three levels

Proportion of female managers

The proportion of female managers at the first three executive levels of the BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding and its business groups is 16 %. In the previous year, it was 18 %. At management board level, there are 10 men, but no women. The first executive level consists of 58 men and 7 women, which is 11 %. At the second executive level, the proportion of women is 19 %, with 137 men and 33 women.

The leadership journey in particular shows that we are serious about the further development of our culture.

Heiko Pott
CFO of the BLANC & FISCHER Family Holding and, among other things, responsible for the HR division

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