People & Workplace
Around the world, just under 79,000 people are putting their expertise and skill into practice at our more than 700 workplace and construction sites. Our employees work with combined effort and commitment to complete their projects on time and in the desired quality. For this task to succeed day after day, STRABAG, in its function as employer, must ensure fair and equitable employment conditions by guaranteeing work safety and health, promoting the equal treatment of women and men, and observing human rights at all locations.
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
Due to constant changes in the working environment, high levels of physical stress and unpredictable weather conditions, workers in the construction sector are exposed to a particularly high risk of accidents and health hazards compared to other sectors of the economy. Health and safety are a key concern for the company and an integral part of the corporate culture at STRABAG. For this reason, STRABAG took up the challenge of “Vision Zero – Zero Accidents” by launching the corporate initiative “1>2>3 Choose Safety”. An overview of activities is illustrated by the 123.strabag.com campaign website.
Projects and initiatives
STF hazards (slips, trips and falls) are the most common cause of accidents at work, responsible for around 25% of all incidents. Our primary goal is therefore to continuously reduce the number of STF accidents on our construction sites. In this regard, one of the activities in 2022 was a test of our safety shoes. Together with our supplier, we developed a new outsole for the shoes and, over a period of several weeks, subjected the product to a wear-and-tear field test in Austria. The results were evaluated in a written report as a basis for optimising the shoe. A more widespread test is to be rolled out across internationally in 2023.
In addition, the following projects and initiatives concerning occupational safety were pursued in fiscal year 2022:
- Adaptation of the Covid-19 risk assessment for construction sites and office workplaces
- Adaptation of the guidelines for office locations and offices on construction sites Occupational safety
- Revision of the information on infection control and hygiene measures
- Implementation of opportunities for working from home
- Initiation of vaccination offerings
- Use of Covid-19 app for site inspections
Objectives and indicators
To help us measure the effectiveness of our safety efforts, we attach great importance to the exact determination of the lost-time accident rate and the accident incident rate. The lost-time accident rate is calculated as the number of working hours lost to accidents versus productive working hours. The accident incident rate is calculated as the number of accidents at work per 1 million productive working hours.
1Productive working hours 2022: blue-collar (78,960,602), white-collar (58,647,904)
2The figures include accidents at work (excluding accidents occurring on the way to or from work as well as occupational illness) with lost time of at least one calendar day, counted from the day after the accident incident.
More information on occupational safety is available here.
HEALTH PROTECTION
Maintaining the health and productivity of our employees is a central concern for us and inevitable for the long-term success of the company. The general public usually associates construction sector work with hard physical labour. But psychological stress can also be an issue.Strengthening psycho-social health through stress prevention and stress management therefore is one of our most important fields of action in workplace health management (WHM).
Projects and initiatives
The cooperation between WHM, occupational safety and the occupational health services foresees, among other things, the organisation and expansion of health campaigns at business locations and construction sites. Prevention measures, including hearing and vision exams, pulmonary function tests, and spinal, heart and mobility screenings, as well as custom health campaigns, expand the offer for our blue-collar workers. WHM also offers a broad range of targeted measures for our office locations. Besides eye, stress and preventive examinations, the offer also includes different health courses such as back training or yoga as well as lectures and workshops related to the main issues of exercise, nutrition and stress prevention.
Objectives and indicators
Overriding objective is to maintain the health and productivity of our employees. The aim of the measures is to improve the working conditions and strengthen the personal workplace resources of all employees and members of the management. We use the lost-time illness rate among other things, to observe our progress in reaching this goal.
1 Values were adjusted retroactively due to a change in the calculation method
More information on health protection is available here.
STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
The construction sector is a human-resource- intensive industry in which the commitment shown by our workers has a significant influence on business success – not least because, in light of shortages of skilled personnel and seasonal bottlenecks, they represent a critical factor. The STRABAG Group’s response is con- sistent strategic human resource planning and the continuous training and development of its employees.
Projects and initiatives
We are constantly working to position the group as an attractive employer on the labour market to make a sustained contribution to covering the future demand for skilled experts and leadership employees. In 2022, we were awarded the Fair Training and Fair Trainee Programme certification from the HR consultancy Trendence, while the employer branding service provider Universum voted us one of the “Most Attractive Employers for Students in 2022”.
In addition to successfully implemented employer branding activities, and the Work On Progress campaign launched in 2022, we also produced several career stories providing insight into the individual career paths. These are published on karriere.strabag.com
Objectives and indicators
To counter the lack of skilled labour, we aim to promote and optimise the needs-oriented professional and personal development and qualification of our employees. In this way, we can guarantee our clients the on-time, professional realisation of their projects. Training needs are to be ascertained mainly during the appraisal interviews. This essential employee management tool, which is to be conducted by supervisors at least once annually, is an opportunity for mutual feedback. By focusing on educational measures, STRABAG was able to increase the number of training courses offered and participants as well as the number of training days per employee in 2022.
More information on human resource development is available here.
HUMAN RIGHTS
By providing construction services in structurally weak regions, we are making an important contribution to infrastructure expansion and job creation in those places. In geographical terms, about 94 % of our work is performed in Europe and some 6 % outside of Europe. In this context, some of our projects are located in countries that have received international criticism for their human rights situation.
Projects and initiatives
In spring 2021, STRABAG joined the United Nations Global Compact, thereby committing to ten global principles in the areas of human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and anti-corruption.Due to the broad range of construction services along the entire value chain, STRABAG is dependent on reliable, high-quality suppliers and subcontractors around the world. Only in this way can we offer quality products and services with the greatest possible benefit for our customers and for society.
In December 2022, the Group completed its Sustainability in the Supply Chain project after a twoyear project period. The project involved the conception of a management and audit system for sustainable supply chain management that will be implemented and further developed in the coming years. The main results of the project include the development of a software solution for supplier selfdisclosure in our supplier portal SPS as well as the conception of supplier audits with a comprehensive audit checklist on the topics of human rights and working conditions, occupational safety and health, as well as environment and procurement.
Regular information and awareness-raising measures were also carried out among the relevant decision-makers, while initial training measures for employees and suppliers were prepared for roll-out in 2023.
Another focus of the project team was the preparation for the German Supply Chain Duty of Care Act. In this context, the team conceived a package of measures that are to be implemented in 2023 when the law comes into force.
Objectives and Indicators
The creation and maintenance of employment conditions that are in compliance with the International Labour Organisation’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and with the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights are set out as fundamental principles in the STRABAG Group’s Code of Conduct. Of particular relevance to STRABAG’s business activities are:
- the prohibition of discrimination
- the prohibition of slavery and human trafficking
- the prohibition of child labour
The following indicators are used to measure if an objective has been reached:
- number of cases identified in the category “discrimination” in 2022 (cases are assigned to the year in which they were conclusively discovered): 13
- number of cases identified in the category “human rights and working conditions” in 2022 (cases are assigned to the year in which they were conclusively discovered): 3
With a total of 16 reported cases, significantly fewer incidents were detected in 2022 (2021: 27 reported cases). Of the 16 reports, 13 could be assigned to the category “discrimination” and three to the category “human rights and working conditions”. In six of the 16 cases, the conflict was resolved amicably. In one case, the employee was dismissed, while disciplinary action was taken in another case. Two reports were not substantiated. Six cases were withdrawn.
More information on human rights is available here.
GENDER EQUALITY
The construction industry employs predominantly men in the technical professions. Women are therefore underrepresented at all hierarchy levels. Among other things the shortage of skilled personnel, however, requires the sector to build on female labour in the future more strongly than before. STRABAG SE is also convinced that diversity sustainably increases the success of the company. STRABAG SE understands diversity to include different nationalities, cultures and educational backgrounds, a balanced age structure and men and women working together. Diversity needs fertile ground in which to grow – a working environment that is free from discrimination, harassment and retaliation. STRABAG has a system of ombudspersons in place and actively takes measures to allow diversity to thrive, for example with respect to the promotion and inclusion of women.
Projects and Initiatives
If we can interest more women in a career in construction and/or with STRABAG, then we will have laid the foundation for a higher representation of women at the management levels. The activities to date to increase the number of female employees and to promote the careers of women within the STRABAG Group focus on four areas:
- The "Gender Diversity Team" (GDT), held six meetings in 2022, one of which was used to collect feedback gathered by five female colleagues in so-called resonance groups on the topic of working time models. Measures were derived from this, which will be submitted to the Management Board of STRABAG SE for approval.
- Targeted marketing: STRABAG consistently uses gender-appropriate wording in its texts and job announcements
- Compatibility of career and family: Especially with regard to high potentials and top performers, STRABAG is in competition with other construction companies for workers that are flexible and as mobile as possible
- Career opportunities: There are no salary differences in the company between men and women who perform comparable work and have the same level of education
Objectives and Indicators
To maintain our competitiveness and to benefi t from the diversity of different points of view, STRABAG in 2013 set itself the goal to annually increase the global percentage of women in the group – i.e. to ensure a higher level of representation of women in the group. By signing the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, then-CEO of STRABAG SE Hans Peter Haselsteiner demonstrated the company’s commitment to this goal.
More information on gender equality is available in the Corporate Governance Report.