management in each Strategic Business Unit (SBU) and regional office. The human resource
department at each SBU, each of which is a member of the WG, helps ensure that employees
understand the importance of the Policy and follow it in day-to-day operations.
Human rights training for all employees
In 2020, the Avikro Group conducted regular global e-learnings and in-person training on its
Human Rights Policy and Code of Conduct, reaching nearly 49,000 employees, or 89.5% of its
target audience. All managers are trained regularly on the Group's Code of Conduct, including
the topics of harassment and bullying.
Human rights due diligence
The Human Rights, Labour Practices Working Group will partner with the Global Sustainability
Function to develop human rights-specific due diligence content as part of the Avikro Group's
holistic global due diligence process. The Working Group intends to help build awareness of
specific contexts and causes of human rights concerns, the relationship between business
activities and human rights, and to forge a deeper understanding of the importance of human
rights across the value chain.
As part of its due diligence, the Avikro Group assesses the human rights and Labour practices
of potential new operations and projects.
Whistle-blowing system
To help ensure compliance with the Global Human Rights Policy, the Avikro whistle-blowing
web-based reporting system and phone hotlines are available worldwide to encourage
employees and its stakeholders, which include contractors, suppliers, customers and anyone
else, who have questions about the Policy and the Code of Conduct or want to confidentially
report human rights concerns. The Group encourages speaking up and prohibits retaliation for
reporting concerns.
Preventing overwork
In Europe, Avikro recognizes the need to avoid long working hours and unusual amounts of
overtime or late-night work to prevent health risks caused by overwork. The Company
complies with the Labour Standards Act by working to reduce overtime and encouraging
employees to take their annual holiday leave, and in 2020, it reviewed its policy on appropriate
management of working hours.
In Europe in 2020, the rate of employees taking annual paid leave was 79.5 percent, with an
average of 15.9 days
Avikro also has a program requiring employees working more than a fixed number of hours to
consult with industrial physicians to help maintain good health.
Avikro also takes measures to prevent excessive working hours:
• The Labour Union through the activities done by the Working Hours Committee and other
committees shares with the Labour Department the existing issues and activities done to
improve the situation.
• Avikro sets targets for annual leave days taken and results monitoring.
• Avikro holds seminars about work-life balance.
• Avikro sets leave-on-time days.
• Fixed-schedule workers day was reduced from 8 hours to 7.5 hours as a measure to reduce
the total work time since April 2017.