Dialog with Employee Representatives

Trust-based cooperation with employee representatives is an important component of our corporate culture. Our open and ongoing dialog lays the foundation for balancing the interests of the company and its employees, even in challenging situations. In the case of organizational changes or if restructuring leads to staff downsizing, for example, we involve employee representatives to develop socially responsible implementation measures at an early stage.

Our actions are aligned with the respective legal regulations and the agreements reached, as well as operational considerations. In 2018, this happened in preparations to transfer the paper and water chemicals business to a joint venture, for example. We also involved our employee representatives in full and at an early stage when we introduced a new global metric for variable compensation. This ensured wide employee acceptance and seamless implementation of the change. The early, detailed presentation and explanation of the updated corporate strategy in 2018 was also a reflection of our trust-based cooperation.

By focusing our discussions on the local and regional situations, we aim to find tailored solutions to the different challenges and legal considerations for each site. This is why the BASF Europa Betriebsrat (European Works Council) addresses cross-border matters in Europe. In South America, we foster dialog with the Diálogo Social.