The Group-wide Policy on Employee Relations (Employee Relations Policy, ERP) sets out twelve core elements describing what Deutsche Telekom stands for worldwide as an employer. It outlines our commitment to trust-based collaboration with employee representatives and covers topics such as employee health, fair pay, and prohibition on discrimination. The ERP is a framework that employees throughout the Group can refer to. Its aim is to enable them to contribute personally to the company targets and enhance shareholder value. The framework refers to our Code of Human Rights & Social Principles policy statement, along with our “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” Group Policy, and explains which tools we use to ensure compliance.
In 2020, we revised and updated the ERP and had it approved by the Board of Management. The basic character and core content remained unchanged. In a move designed to address changes in the working world and in our processes, we jointly support topics such as digitalization, freedom of speech and virtual working. The new version of the policy addresses the following topics:
Set of values
Recruitment and development
Responsible management of organizational change
Health, safety, and sustainability
Remuneration and recognition
Work-life
Virtual working
Leadership
Diversity
Prohibition on discrimination
Commitment and communication
Collaboration with employees’ representatives
We verify implementation of and compliance with the ERP through specific reviews. Two to three national companies are subject to such a review every year. They use the results of the review to further improve their relations with employees. The reviews also help us conduct a Group-wide assessment of employer/employee relations and any human rights-related risks in our business activities. During the reporting year, reviews were conducted as part of human rights impact assessments (HRIAs) at the three DTSE companies in Romania, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
If a review indicates that our voluntary commitments are not adequately implemented, we follow up on these indications and initiate corrective measures. We publish reviews of the reports of our national companies on our Group portal, under “Responsible employer”.
The Group-wide Policy on Employee Relations (Employee Relations Policy, ERP) sets out twelve core elements describing what Deutsche Telekom stands for worldwide as an employer. It outlines our commitment to trust-based collaboration with employee representatives and covers topics such as employee health, fair pay, and prohibition on discrimination. The ERP is a framework that employees throughout the Group can refer to. Its aim is to enable them to contribute personally to the company targets and enhance shareholder value. The framework refers to our Code of Human Rights & Social Principles policy statement, along with our “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” Group Policy, and explains which tools we use to ensure compliance.
In 2020, we revised and updated the ERP and had it approved by the Board of Management. The basic character and core content remained unchanged. In a move designed to address changes in the working world and in our processes, we jointly support topics such as digitalization, freedom of speech and virtual working. The new version of the policy addresses the following topics:
We verify implementation of and compliance with the ERP through specific reviews. Two to three national companies are subject to such a review every year. They use the results of the review to further improve their relations with employees. The reviews also help us conduct a Group-wide assessment of employer/employee relations and any human rights-related risks in our business activities. During the reporting year, reviews were conducted as part of human rights impact assessments (HRIAs) at the three DTSE companies in Romania, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
If a review indicates that our voluntary commitments are not adequately implemented, we follow up on these indications and initiate corrective measures. We publish reviews of the reports of our national companies on our Group portal, under “Responsible employer”.