Working conditions at BASF

Basis for our actions: Compliance with international labor and social standards.

We are committed to international law and social standards. Our internal standards embrace this commitment and go beyond in many areas. Our commitment to respect internationally accepted work and social standards is anchored in our global Code of Conduct. Essential reference points are the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UN), the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the ILO’s Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy.

To achieve worldwide compliance with these standards within BASF, we chose a management approach that consists of the following three elements:

• Our BASF Compliance Program (including Compliance Hotlines)
• Stakeholder dialogue (e.g. with employee representatives, international organizations, NGOs)
• Our group-wide BASF policy on respect for international labor and social standards and our risk-based management process (based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights).

Compliance Program (“BASF’s Compliance Management System”)

BASF's Compliance Program is a fundamental component of our value “responsible”. Important elements of this program include key internal policies and standards, leadership commitment, appropriate corrective measures (including discipline) to address violations or potential gaps, systematic compliance training for employees and management, and the availability of the Compliance Hotlines for employees and third parties worldwide. Violations of applicable law or internal directives can have adverse effects on BASF. Violations can be avoided or stopped by employees seeking timely advice or raising concerns. For this reason, employees are required to speak up and seek advice in cases of doubt regarding their own conduct, the conduct of others, or BASF’s processes in the work environment. The Compliance Hotlines are open to all our employees to seek advice or raise concerns. The global Compliance Hotline is provided by an external provider of telephone and web-based hotline services and offers the possibility to raise concerns confidentially and even anonymously. BASF strictly prohibits retaliation against any person who raises a concern or complaint in “good faith.”

Stakeholder Dialog

Our value "open" comprises the commitment for a dialog based on honesty, respect and mutual trust with our stakeholders. An open dialog helps to identify new developments at an early stage, to address open issues and to find solutions. For the area of employment conditions, our primary partners are our employees and their representatives. Furthermore, we leverage the expertise of global and regional initiatives and networks as well as local committees and actively engage in dialog contributing our expertise. In addition, we are in close contact with our neighboring communities at our sites. We also engage in multi-stakeholder networks such as the UN Global Compact and also seek direct dialog with organizations such as the ILO, trade unions, the UN, and NGOs of the civil society. Learn more about our Stakeholder Dialog. 

BASF guideline on respect for international labour standards and management process

As part of a global, risk-based management process, based on BASF's group-wide policy on respect for international labour and social standards, which in 2022 has been extended to agency workers and freelancers, changes in national law in the countries, in which BASF operates, are regularly monitored and evaluated. If national law contains no or lower requirements, action plans will be drawn up to close these gaps in a reasonable time frame. If conflicts arise with national law or national customs, we strive to act in accordance with our values and internationally recognized principles without violating the law of the respective country. We are also committed to social dialog with employee representatives where freedom of association is not guaranteed under national law to the same extent as in European legal systems.