Own workforce (ESRS S1)

Material impacts, risks and opportunities (ESRS 2 SBM⁠–⁠3)

In the course of the materiality assessment, we identified material impacts as well as risks and opportunities that do not impact the upstream value chain, which are disclosed in the following table, Materiality analysis.

Policies related to own workforce (ESRS S1⁠–⁠1)

We use the term “workforce” to refer to all employees who have signed an employment contract with the Group directly or with one of our subsidiaries. Our workforce comprises employees, civil servants, and apprentices. We have disclosed the information on workers not employed by the Group in the relevant section of this Sustainability Statement, characteristics of non-employees.

During our materiality analysis we dealt with the topics of working conditions, equal treatment and opportunities, and employee engagement (entity-specific). The assessment also identified the main impacts, risks and opportunities for our employees, to which we respond with suitable policies.

Employee engagement, equal treatment and equal opportunities, as well as health and safety in the workplace, have been focus topics for DHL Group for more than 20 years. Thematic responsibilities and measures have been defined, and key figures and targets are implemented and anchored in the Strategy 2030. This also enables us to counteract the potential negative impacts and risks identified while reinforcing positive impacts and taking advantage of opportunities. We also assume that our employees will not be materially impacted by our transition plans to reduce the negative environmental impacts of our business activities and achieve environmentally friendly, carbon-neutral operations, environment. We train our employees to be environmental specialists in addition to offering them development opportunities and enabling them to take up new roles within the Group should their positions be significantly impacted by our transition plans or even cease to exist.

The Code of Conduct is vital for implementing our values and principles among our employees. The Code describes the way in which we work together and requires, among other things, compliance with legal requirements and our values as well as a respectful working environment in addition to rejecting discrimination in any form and prohibiting any sort of personal harassment. These and other topics are explored in topic-specific Group policies, such as the Human Rights Policy Statement, the Occupational Health and Safety Policy and the Health and Well-Being Policy.

We measure the success of our initiatives using the steering-relevant performance indicators of Employee Engagement, the share of women in middle and upper management, and the accident rate (lost time injury frequency, LTIFR) per million hours worked. The Employee Engagement metric is also relevant to remuneration, sustainability in Board of Management remuneration.

Relevant bodies, standards AND GROUP POLICIES for own workforce 1 CEO: Chief Executive Officer; CHRO: Member of the Board of Management Human Resources; CFO: Chief Financial Officer. 2 German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz). 3 Equal treatment and equal opportunities.

Employee engagement (entity-specific)

Having motivated and dedicated employees is a key prerequisite for the sustainable success of our business. Each year, we measure employee satisfaction and engagement by conducting an anonymous, Group-wide employee opinion survey. All DHL Group employees with at least three months of active employment at the time of invitation may participate. This important tool helps us determine where we currently are in our journey toward becoming an Employer of Choice.

We analyze the annual survey to derive our performance indicator Employee Engagement, which represents the aggregated and weighted results of five statements from the annual Group-wide survey of employees.

The survey was conducted in the third quarter of 2025, and again 77% of our employees took the opportunity to express their opinion (participation ratio) and provide feedback. We use the feedback provided as the basis for creating a working environment in which our employees are able to tap into their full potential, thus living up to our strategic aspiration of being an Employer of Choice. The survey findings are discussed in our teams, which derive action plans aimed at leveraging the opportunities for improvement identified.

In fiscal year 2025, our performance indicator Employee Engagement remained unchanged at 82% (2024: 82%). This means we have once again exceeded our target of at least 80%. Our goal is to maintain Employee Engagement at a level of at least 80% throughout the Group during the period up to 2030.

In 2023, we piloted an employee share plan in 12 countries as an additional initiative to foster loyalty to the company and to increase employee engagement. In fiscal year 2025, the program began to be rolled out Group-wide; by the end of the year, employees in 55 countries could already participate, representing 40% of the total workforce. The program offers eligible participants among our employees the opportunity to buy shares of Deutsche Post AG at a discount of 15% for a maximum of €3,600. This enables our employees to participate in the long-term success of the Group as shareholders.

A comprehensive range of training and development opportunities (ESRS S1⁠–⁠13) has a positive impact on employee motivation. In fiscal year 2025, employees across the Group spent a total of 5.0 million hours (2024: 6.3 million hours) on training and professional development, which corresponds to an average of 8.6 hours per employee (2024: 10.6 hours). The previous year’s figures include a one-time effect resulting from the introduction of a new training program in the corporate division Post & Parcel Germany. From fiscal year 2025 onward, training measures were limited to new employees.

The Group invested additional time and financial resources in job-related qualification elements, such as orientation and service training, which are not included in this figure but make up a significant share of the professional development offerings in our business operations. We do not disclose the breakdown by gender required by the ESRS (phase-in option).

TRAINING Concept

Equal treatment and equal opportunities

Our organization brings together people with a variety of cultural backgrounds who possess a wide range of experiences, abilities and perspectives. We regard the diversity of our employees as a valuable asset and a major strength of our company. We expressly reject any form of discrimination. Our actions are aimed at creating an inclusive work culture with a focus on belonging that can foster employee retention, as well as enabling gender equality and equal pay for equal work.

A Board comprising upper management executives from various corporate functions and the corporate divisions oversees the strategic direction of our actions. The corporate divisions are individually responsible for operational implementation of the respective initiatives. Our policies are continuously evolving, in part to meet the requirements of our corporate divisions and applicable local laws. We provide various modalities for sensitizing our employees:

• We offer online training, and our Code of Conduct training also covers aspects related to these topics. Two Certified training modules focusing on the topic of belonging in the workplace were introduced in fiscal year 2025
• Employees can voluntarily join groups to contribute to a diverse and inclusive work environment
• Employees can familiarize themselves with the topic of unconscious bias through a playbook

Equal treatment and equal opportunities metrics and targets are presented in the corresponding section.

Occupational health and safety

The health and safety of our employees in the workplace is a high priority for us, which is why we place great importance on occupational health and safety.

We regard health as a state of physical, mental and social well-being. Work can be a major source of satisfaction, and therefore promote health. We regard a safe and healthy workplace as a place where employees and managers can work together to ensure the health, well-being and safety of all.

To promote the health of our employees, we offer measures tailored to local needs, which are embedded in the Group-wide management of our health promotion programs. We also round off this offering with on-site services at our sites. In addition, we focus on improving mental health by providing a system for assessing the risk of mental stress. As part of our Certified employee motivation and development programs we raise awareness of this topic among employees and managers.

Occupational health and safety are therefore an integral part of our codes of conduct. Our Group policy on occupational health and safety, as well as our internal Safety First framework further define our approach and underscore the importance of this issue. Our management system is implemented across the Group and covers all of the Group’s own workforce (100%). It complies with the international ISO 45001 standard; certain corporate divisions are also fully or partially externally certified in accordance with this standard. Our commitment to health and well-being is set out in the Health and Wellbeing Policy Statement and has been implemented across the Group. The CEO Board department is responsible for occupational safety initiatives, and our HR Board department is responsible for health and well-being initiatives, sustainability-related responsibilities. We ensure compliance with the Group’s existing occupational health and safety policies, statutory regulations and industry standards.

The Group’s employee benefits program offers our workforce and their families insurance coverage to give them health insurance benefits as well as financial security in the event of death or disability. The offer of insurance coverage depends on various factors including local labor law provisions and is available to around half of our workforce in 107 countries. It also offers incentives to local management to establish health initiatives for their workforce and their families.

We create a work environment that promotes health and raises awareness about healthy lifestyles among our employees through such health initiatives and other local projects.

Our key focus is to prevent workplace accidents. During the materiality analysis, actual negative impacts on employees were identified: Logistics activities are more prone to risk of injury, and long working hours could potentially affect employees’ mental health or lead to a higher number of work-related accidents. Some of our biggest challenges lie in our pickup and delivery operations, given that outside factors can only be managed or controlled to a limited extent. Bad weather, road construction, complex traffic situations and dealing with pets require our employees to pay special attention and take personal responsibility. As in the past, accidents most frequently result from slipping, tripping or falling as well as from load handling. Accidents are analyzed, the main causes are identified and actions are introduced to facilitate the continuous improvement of safety for our employees. Solutions that have proven effective in terms of reducing or eliminating potential hazards are entered into a database and shared across the Group. This enables all corporate divisions to make direct use of the solutions shared. In addition, regular work meetings and workplace inspections are carried out at our sites, and areas with greater hazard potential are identified with the corresponding signage.

Health and safety metrics and targets are presented in the corresponding section.

Respect for human rights

As a signatory to the UN Global Compact, we uphold its ten principles in operating our business. These principles are embedded in our Code of Conduct, as are the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the principle of social partnership. Our Human Rights Policy Statement goes into more detail on the topic of respect for human rights. We thus respect the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and implement them in our Group and in the upstream value chain.

Our human rights activities focus on the prevention of child and forced labor, the promotion of decent working conditions (working hours, occupational health and safety, remuneration), equal opportunities, data protection and the right to freedom of association. Our Supplier Code of Conduct requires suppliers and subcontractors to comply with our ethical, social and environmental principles and to implement them in their own supply chains.

Our actions aimed at ensuring respect for human rights in our own workforce and in the supply chain follow the specifications of the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains (LkSG). Implementation is monitored by the LkSG Council, which acts as an HR officer as defined by the LkSG. The LkSG Council is made up of upper management executives from the Group functions of Human Resources, Corporate Development, Corporate Public Affairs, Legal Services and Global Compliance, Corporate Procurement and Corporate Internal Audit.

Our internal management system ensures that our Human Rights Policy Statement is implemented among our employees in addition to ensuring that we adhere to due diligence requirements. The management system includes undertaking both annual and ad hoc assessments of human rights risks, implementing actions to raise awareness among employees and managers, producing annual reports on the Group’s fulfillment of its due diligence requirements and operating a professional compliance incident reporting system, whistleblower system.

To identify human rights risks, we conduct a risk analysis of both abstract and specific risks. First, the risk is analyzed using external data (Verisk Maplecroft). Then, it is substantiated by evaluating questionnaires completed by our country organizations on the basis of their specific risk profile.

The risk assessments are the basis for conducting targeted audits onsite. The audits are conducted by specially trained and externally SMETA-certified (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) professionals from our corporate divisions and corporate headquarters. The countries are selected based on the results of weighting and prioritizing the identified risks – a process that considers the findings from questionnaires, the number of employees, the assessments of relevant Group committees and responsible experts and recommendations from international trade union confederations, among other things. If violations are identified, they are immediately addressed at the site in question as part of a structured action plan.

In fiscal year 2025, on-site audits were conducted at 103 locations of 36 subsidiaries in ten countries, including Asia, Latin America, Africa and Europe, under the direction of the Human Resources department (2024 adjusted: 127 locations of 40 subsidiaries in ten countries). The adjustment of the prior-year figures is due to more precise delineation.

Corporate Internal Audit also reviews respect for human rights in the context of its audits and monitors implementation of the agreed-upon follow-up measures. Corporate Internal Audit conducted 50 internal audits relating to respect for human rights during fiscal year 2025 (2024: 36 internal audits).

We recommend that our employees participate in training courses for raising awareness for respect for human rights. Participation is mandatory for senior managers in middle and upper management; in fiscal year 2025 the certification rate for this entity-specific metric was 98.9% (2024: 98.6%).

Potential violations of statutory provisions or of our standards and policies can be reported any time via our whistleblower system, incidents, complaints, and violations.

Processes for engaging with own workforce and workers’ representatives (ESRS S1⁠–⁠2)

In addition to direct dialogue with their managers or other senior managers, our employees can at any time turn to employee representatives – for example works councils, trade unions and other bodies – to represent their interests indirectly. Concerns regarding matters such as working hours, health and safety, gender equality and equal pay, training and employee engagement can also be submitted via a range of channels, which are set out in the table below. Reports can be submitted 24/7 via the whistleblower system. Reports may also be submitted anonymously. Reports of alleged violations are reviewed and investigated internally as part of a standardized process. The Board of Management and the Supervisory Board are informed on a regular basis. We also engage in regular, open social dialogue with employee representatives at the global, national and regional level.

Processes to remediate negative impacts and channels for own employees to raise concerns (ESRS S1⁠–⁠3)

Our employees can report suspected violations of any kind via our whistleblower system, which is available 24/7. Reports may also be submitted anonymously. Reports of alleged violations are reviewed and investigated internally as part of a standardized process. Reported incidents are systematically reviewed. Whenever necessary, reports are addressed and followed up on by implementing appropriate plans for taking remedial action.

Management of material impacts, risks and opportunities (ESRS S1⁠–⁠4)

As a globally operating Group, we can contribute to the financial stability of our employees by providing job security based on offering employment opportunities all over the world. Moreover, equal treatment for all employees is a fundamental part of our Code of Conduct. We therefore ensure equal opportunities, non-discriminatory remuneration, and reinforce diversity and fair treatment at the workplace. This can positively impact employee satisfaction and make us more attractive as an employer.

We offer a wide range of continuing education and development programs aimed at improving the skills of all employees at all levels, both personally and professionally. Such training and continuing education programs can also positively impact employee motivation, which is why all of our employees are given the option to take advantage of our training programs online or in person. We provide training on our Group strategy and on how each of our employees can contribute to our success. One example is our Group-wide “Certified” employee motivation and development program, which aims to make our employees certified specialists in their respective areas of responsibility. It also creates an atmosphere that places our customers at the heart of our activities and ensures we provide excellent service. In addition to the foundational module made available under our “Certified” employee motivation and development program, we offer our employees a wide range of follow-up modules customized to their specific roles and areas of expertise. We also provide numerous professional development options around the topic of digitalization, including courses on dealing with artificial intelligence and data science applications. In addition, we offer our workforce a number of personal development options, such as special training for those with potential and development ambitions, including coaching, mentoring and participation in interdisciplinary or international projects; these options are selected together with the respective manager as part of an individual development plan. The digital career marketplace allows employees to create a profile detailing their skills and development goals, on the basis of which additional development opportunities or opportunities to switch roles within the Group are suggested with the goal of enhancing each individual’s range of skills. The user profiles can also be consulted for the purpose of succession planning.

Our leadership attributes act as a guide for our employees in how to conduct themselves respectfully and achieve results on a daily basis when dealing with internal and external stakeholders. In addition, we encourage our employees to take a positive attitude to taking on challenges, to focus on their individual strengths and to act decisively. We place additional emphasis on providing training for managers aimed at enabling them to work together with their employees to contribute to the success of both internal and external stakeholders.

Our employees are involved in shaping working conditions through the social dialogue that we conduct with the Group’s various works councils and with trade unions. The annual employee survey we conduct also serves to improve communication between the employees and management, social dialogue.

Our compliance management system enables us to monitor compliance with statutory provisions and our own policies, including regulations concerning working hours and occupational safety. Any violation can negatively impact our reputation or lead to fines or penalties.

Qualified, dedicated and motivated employees are a prerequisite for our sustainable success. Demographic change and a tense labor market situation across all job types in some regions represent a challenge for recruiting workers at a local level. To address this adequately and to avoid a skilled labor shortage, we place particular emphasis on our recruiting activities in Germany and abroad. We also offer migrants and refugees employment opportunities, which benefits their integration into society. In addition, we place value on vocational apprenticeships as well as trainee and dual-study programs. In fiscal year 2025, we again opened up numerous spots in our vocational apprenticeship and dual-study programs. College and university graduates have the opportunity to choose between various postgraduate training programs. We place importance on keeping our employees motivated and committed in order to maintain personnel fluctuation at a moderate level and ensure loyal, long-term employees. In doing so, we focus on the professional development of our managers, with our leadership attributes serving as a guide for action. Furthermore, we ensure that our employees are able to continuously improve their skills in line with their needs through on-the-job learning opportunities as well as off-the-job training courses.

In the context of the materiality analysis, we identified negative impacts with regard to the health and occupational safety of our employees, material impacts, risks and opportunities. Our occupational safety management system ensures that statutory requirements and internal policies are implemented in practice. We train our employees by teaching them to handle workplace machinery safely and by raising awareness of potential hazards.

Our extensive collective bargaining coverage shapes many wage and working arrangements. Due to widespread collective bargaining coverage, many of our wage and labor agreements are subject to collective wage scales. In addition, we prevent discrimination on the basis of personal characteristics by exercising neutrality when making hiring decisions. We select candidates based on the duties involved, the position in the company and the area of responsibility and rely on – in addition to formal qualifications – relevant professional experience to increase equal opportunities for suitable applicants. In fiscal year 2025, a collective agreement was reached in Germany for around 170,000 employees. This provides for a total of 5% pay increase for all employees covered by collective agreements, as well as all trainees and students in dual study programs: 2% on April 1, 2025, and a further 3% on April 1, 2026. In addition, there are changes to vacation entitlement – which was a key demand of the union. All employees will receive one additional day of vacation; from their 16th year of employment, employees will receive a further additional day off. The new collective agreement has a term of 24 months.

The success of these measures is regularly reviewed by the responsible parties and presented to the HR Board department and to the Operations Board (occupational safety). Resources are available within the organization for these measures.

Targets related to managing material impacts, risks and opportunities (ESRS S1⁠–⁠5)

Our targets for Employee Engagement and the share of women in middle and upper management were set by the HR Board, and the accident rate (LTIFR) targets were set by the Operations Board. All targets were approved by the Board of Management. Progress towards these targets is tracked by the Sustainability Reporting & Controlling department within the Finance function. The various boards and committees are responsible for checking the effectiveness of the targets and identifying any improvements to be made. Our employees are involved via social dialogue and the Supervisory Board.

Characteristics of the Group’s employees (ESRS S1⁠–⁠6)

At the end of 2025, DHL Group’s employees totaled 583,998 employees (2024: 601,723). The slight decline in the workforce compared with the previous year is primarily due to the decline in the letter business and was implemented in a socially responsible manner in consultation with employee representatives.

A total of 115,252 employees left the company in fiscal year 2025 (2024: 121,347), around 10% of whom (2024: 11%) were employees with permanent contracts who left of their own volition. Total employee fluctuation was around 20% (2024: 20%).

We report on our employees by corporate division in conformity with our Segment Report; a breakdown of our employees by region is provided under business model and value chain. Unless otherwise indicated, we report our employee numbers as headcount as of the December 31 reporting date.

Equal treatment and equal opportunities metrics (ESRS S1⁠–⁠9)

Diversity, inclusion and freedom from discrimination are anchored throughout the Group in the form of our Code of Conduct. We expressly reject any form of discrimination. We take an equal-opportunity approach to new hirings, both internally and externally, and look exclusively to a candidate’s qualifications when deciding on their suitability.

• Women in top management roles: Top management roles are the most senior level of leadership within DHL Group. We also include the middle management level in the steering process in order to take account of the size of our company and the responsibilities of these management levels, as well as to promote diversity on a broad basis. Our focus remains on increasing the share of women in these management positions. We use various concepts and programs such as coaching, mentoring, and networking opportunities to encourage female talent and prepare them for the next step in their career toward a leadership position in middle or upper management. In fiscal year 2025, we reviewed our measures and targets in light of changes in legal requirements in the US. To act in accordance with this change, we no longer include employees in the US in our steering or our targets. This exclusion has not led to any change in the Group's target values.

Although we fell just short of our target for fiscal year 2025, we achieved a significant increase compared to the base year 2021. By the end of 2026 we aim to have women filling at least 30% of middle and upper management positions, and by 2030, we aim to have at least 34% (both target figures exclude the US).

• Employee age distribution: The average age of employees across the Group is 41 years (2024: 41 years of age). In response to demographic change, we have modified our employee retention activities to focus more on recruiting and retaining talent as well as on our apprenticeship and entry-level programs.

• Employees with disabilities: In line with our inclusive approach, we offer career prospects to persons with disabilities. In Germany, companies of a certain size and above are required by law (Sozialgesetzbuch IX § 163) to ensure that persons with disabilities make up at least 5% of their employees. At Deutsche Post AG, our principal entity in Germany, 13,234 persons with disabilities were employed in fiscal year 2025 (2024: 13,628). This puts the employment rate at 7.7% (2024: 7.7%).

Collective bargaining coverage and social dialogue (ESRS S1⁠–⁠8)

Our employees can represent their interests at any time in direct dialogue with managers or other senior managers, or indirectly through employee representatives, such as shop stewards, works councils, unions, or other elected representatives and committees.

At the global level, we engage in regular, open dialogue with international trade union confederations such as UNI Global Union (UNI) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) within the scope of the OECD Protocol, which was first published in 2016 and then revised this year. In fiscal year 2025, various topics were discussed, including our Human Rights Policy Statement and our due diligence management approach. Additionally, a new format, known as ‘regional dialogue’, was introduced.

At the European level, employee concerns are regularly discussed with our European works council, the DHL Forum, ensuring that our workforce in Europe is fully represented. The Board Member for Human Resources takes part in the discussions twice per year. UNI and the ITF are also represented.

In addition, as the largest postal service provider in Europe, the Group is represented on the European Commission’s European Social Dialogue Committee for the Postal Sector as the Committee Chair. The European Social Dialogue Committee facilitates information sharing between employers and union representatives in the postal sectors of European member states on topics related to social matters – for example future changes in the working world and their impact on employees.

Adequate wages (ESRS S1⁠–⁠10)

We did not identify any employees being paid below the applicable benchmarks in fiscal year 2025.

Staff costs amounted to €28,261 million in fiscal year 2025, remaining at the prior-year level (€28,305 million). This development is shown in note 15. We foster employee loyalty and motivation by offering performance-based remuneration in line with market standards. The remuneration includes a base salary plus the agreed variable remuneration components such as bonus payments.

Due to our number of employees, the evolution of staff costs is a key factor for us. Staff costs are also impacted by inflation. Wage and working agreements offer planning security for employees and the Group, but can also lead to higher staff costs due to the far-reaching collective bargaining agreements. The current collective bargaining agreement of Deutsche Post AG applies to the years 2025 and 2026, collective bargaining agreement.

Remuneration metrics (pay gap and total remuneration) (ESRS S1⁠–⁠16)

We prevent discrimination on the basis of personal characteristics by exercising neutrality when making hiring decisions. Our evaluations focus on the type of job, position in the company and the responsibilities assigned and rely on relevant professional experience in addition to formal qualifications. In doing so, we ensure equal opportunities for suitable applicants. Our systematic approach enables an independent, discrimination-free and balanced remuneration structure.

Across the Group, in fiscal year 2025, the gender-specific pay gap ratio was ⁠–⁠1.5% (2024: ⁠–⁠2.2%), meaning that the average pay afforded to female employees was slightly higher than that of male employees. We use the gender-specific pay gap to map the difference in the average level of remuneration for male and female employees. The remuneration granted includes a base salary, target bonuses, allowances and long-term incentives. Equal treatment for all employees is enshrined in our Code of Conduct.

The total annual remuneration paid to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO, the highest paid individual in the Group) is 131-times higher than the median annual total remuneration for all employees (excluding the CEO’s remuneration).

Health and safety metrics (ESRS S1⁠–⁠14)

We measure the effectiveness of our actions aimed at protecting employees’ health by tracking the sickness rate, which we aim to keep as low as possible. The sickness rate decreased in fiscal year 2025 to 5.7% (2024: 5.9%). We calculate the sickness rate as the ratio of the number of days lost due to ill health to the total number of working days, a minor share is based on estimates. The number of days missed by part-time employees is converted to full time.

With respect to occupational safety, we use the entity-specific performance indicator of accident rate (LTIFR) to measure our success. We calculate the accident rate (LTIFR) based on the number of work-related accidents per million hours worked, which we determine on the basis of occupational accidents resulting in at least one day of absence after the day of the accident. This covers the accident categories that are relevant to us and includes not only our own workforce but also the external personnel under our direction. We investigate the incidents leading to injury in order to derive actions to eliminate their root causes and avoid reoccurrence. The accident rate (LTIFR) fell to 13.3 in fiscal year 2025 (2024 adjusted: 15.0). The previous year’s figure was adjusted due to an improved methodology for accounting for working hours in the corporate division Post & Parcel Germany. The target value for fiscal year 2025 of 15.5 was significantly undershot and the target was achieved. A safe working environment remains a priority for us: we are therefore aiming for an accident rate (LTIFR) of no more than 14.5 for fiscal year 2026 and no more than 10.8 for 2030.

In fiscal year 2025, we unfortunately recorded two fatal accidents (2024: eleven). Each fatality is reviewed in detail by the Operations Board, which is chaired by the Chief Executive Officer. The Operations Board is continuously informed about the development of the work-related accident statistics and decides on further measures.

Incidents, complaints and severe human rights impacts (ESRS S1⁠–⁠17)

As a global company, we place great importance on respecting human rights. This commitment is reflected in our Human Rights Policy Statement. If violations are reported, we take appropriate measures to resolve the situation.

The reports from our own employees listed in the table relate, among other things, to discrimination based on gender, ethnic or national origin, and other protected characteristics as well as violations of privacy or personal space. We address each incident individually and take appropriate action if necessary to remedy the situation. Responses include training for both employees and managers, as well as disciplinary measures. We expect each and every employee and manager to contribute to an atmosphere of respect in which no discrimination or personal harassment whatsoever is condoned, as enshrined in the Code of Conduct and Human Rights Policy Statement. This expectation also forms an important part of our Group-wide training on the Code of Conduct and the Human Rights Policy Statement.

The increase in fiscal year 2025 in the categories “reports from our own employees” and “incidents of discrimination and harassment” is primarily due to our intensified communication about the whistleblower hotline and the protection of whistleblowers. The previous year’s figures for “reports from our own employees”, “incidents of discrimination and harassment” and “significant fines, penalties or compensation for damages” were corrected and increased significantly due to the subsequent inclusion of a subsidiary and the checks for completeness in data collection, which we are continuing on an ongoing basis.

No severe human rights incidents were recorded in fiscal year 2025. There were also no significant fines or penalties relating to social or human rights incidents reported in our annual IFRS financial statements.

Characteristics of non-employees in the Group’s own workforce (ESRS S1⁠–⁠7)

In addition to our own employees, we use temporary external workers at our sites, i.e. workers provided by third parties who are contractually beholden to the respective supplier. This covers, in particular, peaks or downtimes in operations or temporary contracts, primarily in the corporate division Supply Chain. We also receive support from self-employed workers.

In fiscal year 2025, an average of 91,447 (2024: 85,245) temporary external workers (entity-specific), converted into full-time equivalents, were deployed at our sites. Our data is based on information provided by the respective supplier. Self-employed workers are not yet included in this figure given that we were still developing a system for recording such workers at the time of preparation of this report.

Non-employees are protected under the provisions of our Supplier Code of Conduct. This means we oblige our suppliers to comply with our ethical, social and environmental principles and to implement them in their own supply chains. The Supplier Code of Conduct sets forth clear requirements concerning working conditions, human rights, occupational health and safety, equal opportunity, data protection, discrimination and freedom of association.

Key metrics for continuing education and skills development (ESRS S1⁠–⁠13)

We report this information under employee engagement.