APC 2015 Annual Report Download - page 67

2015 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC 65
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
2
GREEN AND RESPONSIBLE GROWTH DRIVING ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
2.4 Ethics and Responsibility
As a global company, Schneider Electric believes that its
responsibility goes beyond compliance with local and international
regulations and is committed to conducting its business ethically,
sustainably and responsibly.
The Company is constantly interacting with all the stakeholders
throughout the world: its borders are expanding, its environment is
changing ever faster, its activities are becoming globalized and its
social responsibilities are growing.
The challenge is to gain and maintain the highest confi dence of its
customers and – in a wider sense – its stakeholders. To support
each employee in this approach, the Group emphasizes the
importance of placing responsibility at the heart of its corporate
governance.
The Group currently has around 160,000 employees worldwide.
Following the Group’s various acquisitions, it has been able to
integrate this exceptional professional and cultural diversity. Driven
by Group values, the Responsibility & Ethics Dynamics program
forms the basis of common references and processes. Schneider
Electric’s mission therefore takes its meaning from engaging with
individuals and organizations in order to help them get the most from
their energy from the perspective of sustainable and responsible
development.
A common frame of reference: Our Principles
ofResponsibility
Our Principles of Responsibility is a 15-page document, published
for the fi rst time in 2002 and updated in 2009 and again in 2013,
synthesizing the Group’s common commitments to its employees,
partners, shareholders, the planet and society. Our Principles of
Responsibility do not claim to cover all ethical dilemmas, but rather
serve as general guidelines to be adopted. They are complemented
by global and local policies to provide a precise response to
the specifi c legal and local practices, as well as sector policies
(purchasing, quality, environment, etc.).
Our Principles of Responsibility were prepared in compliance with
the 10principles of the Global Compact of the United Nations, the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and standards issued by the
International Labor Organization and the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development. As a result, they address the issues
related to respect for human rights, working conditions, protection
of the environment and the anti-corruption principles.
Today, Our Principles of Responsibility have been translated into
30 languages and sent to all Group employees. They are also
accessible on the Group’s offi cial website and intranet. In addition,
a clause was added to employment contracts of new employees to
ensure that they are aware of this document from the time they join
Schneider Electric. Moreover, in 2015, managers were requested to
sign a letter of acknowledgment to comply with and promote Our
Principles of Responsibilty . At the end of 2015, 15,900 managers
had signed this letter. This deployment went hand in hand with the
launch of a new online training module in September2015. Finally,
training and awareness-raising actions are organized on a regular
basis, particularly for the functions and geographical areas where
ethical challenges are most present .
Adapted processes
The Responsibility & Ethics Dynamics program provides each
employee with a method for asking the right questions and seeking
out the right people according to two approaches:
•a detailed questioning process to take the right steps in delicate
situations where necessary. This may be broken down into three
stages:
1. consulting the program’s intranet site,
2. contacting one’s manager and/or a member of the
concerned department (Legal, Financial, Human Resources
(HR), Environment, etc.),
3. contacting the entity’s Principles of Responsibility advisor;
•an alert process to guide employees towards the right bodies:
1. contacting one’s manager, or
2. using existing internal departments (legal, fi
nancial, HR,
environment, etc.), or
3. contacting the Group Fraud Committee via the professional
alert system (accessible via Internet or multilingual telephone
line).
Four tools accessible to employees
foreducational and prevention purposes
•An intranet site accessible to all employees from the global intranet
home page, providing all information on the program (process,
teams, key contacts) and Our Principles of Responsibility
document accompanied by the comprehensive policies that are
related to it, as well as news on the program.
•Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs. This tool was introduced
following a collection of reports written by the managers after the
program and Our Principles of Responsibility were presented to
their teams.
•An online training module. In 2015, a new module was launched,
with the active participation of members of the Executive
Committee. Based on the MOOC methodology, this module
comprises four chapters: 1) introduction to Our Principles
of Responsibility and to the R&ED program; 2) integrity in
business activities; 3) human rights in the workplace; 4) ethical
management.
•Educational kits for managers. This new tool, developed in 2014,
presents ethical dilemmas collected from employees whose
professional experiences have added depth and realism to the
scenarios. Managers are encouraged to use these case studies
to facilitate discussions about ethics with their teams at least
once per quarter; the goal is to create a space for open and free
discussions to address complex issues and to ensure that no
employee has to face issues of this type on his/her own.