Equality and Diversity

Approximately 51,600 employees (FTEs) work for the voestalpine Group worldwide. Each and every person is valuable and must be respected for their individual strengths and skills. The fact that voestalpine’s then CEO signed the company’s “Diversity Charter” in February 2018 underscores the Group’s approach to both diversity and equal treatment. voestalpine values all of its stakeholders, regardless of gender, skin color, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or ideology, disability, age, sexual orientation or identity. This commitment and corresponding actions create a climate of acceptance and mutual trust. As laid out in the chapter “Respect and Integrity” of the voestalpine Code of Conduct, the Group does not tolerate any discrimination, whatever form it may take.

FEMALE EMPOWERMENT AS A STRATEGIC SPHERE OF ACTION

The initiatives launched in the strategic area of female empowerment were further expanded. For example, new topics are continually being added to a specially dedicated intranet area, and the quarterly newsletter is very popular. Following its introduction in Austria in 2023, the mandatory e-learning course “Dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace” was also rolled out in Germany and Switzerland after the content was adapted to their legal situations and statutory provisions. The next step is to make an adapted version available worldwide.

Furthermore, one division is testing a newly developed mentoring concept specifically for women, and another is focusing on the topic of parental leave and returning to work.

PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

In Austria, companies with more than 25 employees are required to make jobs available for people with disabilities. As of March 31, 2024, a total of 594 voestalpine employees in Austria reported that they were subject to the relevant “beneficiary” classification under the Austrian Disability Employment Act (Behinderteneinstellungsgesetz). For data protection reasons, many countries do not record employees’ disabilities. It goes without saying that voestalpine fulfills all applicable statutory requirements regarding the employment and integration of disabled individuals that may apply at any given location. A range of measures ensures, furthermore, that everybody within the Group engages in mutually respectful conduct. voestalpine also supports integration measures outside of the Group’s purview.

WOMEN AT voestalpine

It is voestalpine’s stated goal to increase the percentage of women on all levels, from apprentices to executives. In particular, the proportion of women in management positions is to be increased from the current 14% to 18% by 2030.

“We create the general framework for equal opportunity and aim to raise the percentage of women in technical fields and/or among technical apprentices by 2025. We help to make mathematics, informatics, natural sciences, and technology (MINT) more attractive for women and seek to increase the percentage of women in both job applications and employment.” (In the English-speaking world, MINT is known as “science, technology, engineering, and mathematics” – STEM.)

voestalpine ensures through measures adapted to individual companies and regional circumstances that potential female applicants are interested in the company and that female employees are given good development opportunities.

STEM EXPERIENCES FOR WINNERS OF THE STEM GIRLS CHALLENGE

Every year since 2022, voestalpine companies at various locations in Austria have been taking part in the STEM Girls Challenge, a joint initiative of the Federation of Austrian Industries, the Federal Chancellery, and the Ministry of Economy, which aims to get girls interested in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

In this nationwide competition, girls and young women contribute their ideas for tackling the major challenges facing our society with the help of STEM. The winners receive STEM experiences in companies that support the initiative as a prize. For example, a student from HTL Eisenstadt was able to shadow an employee in the Research & Development department at voestalpine Wire Technology and learn about all facets of this area. Another STEM experience was offered by voestalpine Böhler Welding in Kapfenberg, where 14 schoolgirls from Graz not only learned about the Group itself, the plant and the products, they were also able to try out welding for themselves at the Welding Academy.

As of the annual reporting date (March 31, 2024), women accounted for 16.0% of all employees in the voestalpine Group. The percentage of female workers among wage employees was 7.1%; among salaried employees it was 29.8%. A total of 14.1% of all managers (salaried employees with permanent responsibility to manage others, including forepersons but excluding members of the Management Board) were women.

A slight increase in the proportion of women was therefore recorded in all categories. The percentage of women among apprentices completing non-technical training is especially high: Fully 49.6% of all individuals in the category “Apprentices (Other)” were female.

Salaried employee structure by gender

In each case as of the March 31 reporting date

Wage employee structure by gender

In each case as of the March 31 reporting date

AGE STRUCTURE OF EMPLOYEES

As of the annual reporting date (March 31, 2024), the average age of employees in the Group was 41.6 years. The following table shows the average age by employment contract and gender.

Salaried employee structure by age group

In each case as of the March 31 reporting date

Wage employee structure by age group

In each case as of the March 31 reporting date