APC 2004 Annual Report Download - page 57

55
Business Review
Human rights and diversity
Schneider Electric made a number of human rights
commitments in Our Principles of Responsibility. As a
signatory to the Global Compact, the Company has
also encouraged its partners to apply the Compact's
principles.
The Company signed several agreements in France in
2004, including:
A three-year agreement on employing the disabled.
This agreement with labor representatives was
renewed for 2004-2006 as part of our sustainable
development policy. It takes a broader view of the
issues involved in integrating disabled workers by rec-
Pay equity
The NEW2004 program included a challenge con-
cerning variable compensation to:
Give all employees the opportunity to share in the
Company's success, in keeping with local conditions.
Give all team members a personal stake in meeting
local and global targets.
Align payroll with real business performance.
52.5 %
100 %
60 %
80 %
2002 2003Dec. 31,
2004
2004
target
NEW2004 objective:
Introduce a variable salary component
linked to local and Company-wide results
for 100% of employees
97 %100 %
100 %100 %
2002 2003Dec. 31,
2004
2004
target
NEW2004 objective:
Ensure that 100% of employees
have health coverage
ognizing the diversity of disability. Schneider Electric
Industries SAS is among the six CAC-40 firms in
which disabled employees account for more than 6%
of payroll. In May 2004, the Company won an award
from France's business leaders' union for its work in
training and employing disabled youth.
An agreement on job equality between men and
women. Schneider Electric Industries SAS signed a
specific document on this topic with French labor
unions in 2004. The agreement recognizes the struc-
tural imbalance in the Company's workforce stem-
ming from traditional career choices made by men
and women in the past that have channeled a high
number of men into technical fields.
Based on an analysis by a labor/management work-
ing group, Schneider Electric Industries SAS made a
number of commitments to promote women in all of
the Company's professions. These commitments con-
cern hiring, increased training and job opportunities,
compensation and wage policy, career development
and work-life balance.
The Diversity Charter launched by Institut Mon-
taigne. With this commitment, the Company promises
to reflect the diversity of its host community-notably
ethnic and cultural-at all levels of its organization.
Going beyond France, we have decided to apply the
charter's principles in all our host countries or to
update similar policies, for example in the United
States.
Societal performance
Community
For many years, Schneider Electric has been involved
in helping young people enter the workforce and
receive training. Our initiatives are adapted to each
host country's specific characteristics.
In France, for example, we have hosted more than
5,000 work-study candidates over the last ten years.
More broadly, our programs are primarily carried out
through the Schneider Electric Youth Opportunities
Foundation.
In 2004, we extended our worldwide Luli fund-raising
drive to employees in all of our host countries. During
the week-long drive, events were organized at more
than 400 sites in 70 countries. The objective is to con-
nect employees with the young people helped by local
associations that are supported by the Schneider
Electric Youth Opportunities Foundation. Each year,
the Luli campaign raises around 4 million that is dis-
tributed to 350 different associations.