Code of Conduct
Actively living responsibility
In its Code of Conduct, SKS Welding Systems sets out the standards and values forming the basis of forward-looking company policy. The task is to define global business, environmental and social standards and to protect them. The aim is to preserve the natural environment, secure jobs and improve the basis of life for future generations. The guidelines derived from them encompass all business processes, ranging from the development through the production to the marketing of products and services.
Values are the foundation of what we do as a business. They are what makes working in our company something special and are the key to our success.
SKS Welding System expects its suppliers to operate in an appropriate and sustainable manner. This requirement applies to the entire supply chain.
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SKS stands for respect and esteem towards all employees, business partners and customers. Our cooperation is based on a culture of open communication. It goes without saying that people should be able to rely on our integrity, honesty and trustworthiness.
We have trust in our employees. A high degree of trust in every single person taking responsibility for their own work is one of our essential principles.
Our corporate culture is distinguished by collegiality among and between all employees. This cooperation is characterized by a spirit of partnership. We see ourselves as partners both to our customers and other interested groups and to each other.
SKS is carried by the loyalty of its staff. A spirit of partnership in how we behave towards each other is the basis for trusting cooperation with each other and with our partners and customers.
Motivation is innovation through passion. We have the courage to change and work together in order to be always one step ahead. It is our ambition to drive forward a continuous optimization process, based on what already exists, in everything that we do. This is the foundation for the development of innovative, forward-looking solutions that benefit our partners and customers.
We live out a sense of responsibility in all areas of the company. We believe this is an essential prerequisite of an effective and professional approach. For us, a sense of responsibility means a safe and healthy workplace, compliance with the highest standards and clear lines in our work procedures.
Our values are part and parcel of the culture of the company. They form the basis of our understanding of ourselves, of what we think and do day by day. Our internal cooperation and how we behave towards customers and external partners are governed by these values. We live out our values actively. We are SKS.
This allows us to ensure the same high product and service quality throughout the world. A centralized manufacturing and quality inspection as well as the coordination of qualifications and training measures by our headquarter creates the necessary framework conditions for this. Further aims and principles are recorded and described at the Compliance Management System of the SKS headquarter. The quality, environment as well as safety and health aspects are certified according to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 , ISO 45001 and ISO 50001 requirements.
This represents the value standard for all activities of SKS Welding Systems. Our actions consider all international, national and local laws. Particularly noteworthy in this context are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), the international standards Social Accountability 8000 (SA 8000) and the Supply Chain Act.
| 01 | Compliance with local, national and international lawCompliance with statutory provisions as well as with export and economic sanctions at local, national and international level is a requirement in all business transactions. Only in this way can lasting business success be achieved and risks such as liability to pay compensation and reputational damage be avoided. Processes are adapted to the prevailing legal situation. We regard freedom of association as a valuable asset. Employee representatives are allowed to exercise their right to collective bargaining. |
| 02 | Rejection of child laborSKS distances itself from all forms of child labor or labor of young employees, both with our partners and with our suppliers. |
| 03 | Respect for human dignityHuman dignity is sacrosanct. Respect for it is therefore firmly anchored in the corporate culture of SKS. |
| 04 | Rejection of human trafficking, forced labor and modern slaverySKS does not support human trafficking, modern slavery and forced labor, particularly caused by a regime. Suppliers are informed of this and replaced where appropriate. |
| 05 | Occupational health and safetyThe best possible protection against hazards is the focus of our work. That is why the safety of our products and their manufacturing processes is a priority. In particular, the relevant directives and standards relating to occupational safety and working hours are complied with. |
| 06 | Fair employment conditionsIf a good working atmosphere is to be created and maintained, all employees must have fair employment conditions. These include in particular a flat hierarchy, internal conflict management and transparent communication. To create a positive working environment, we strive to exceed the legal requirements and wages. |
| 07 | Openness and franknessWhen transparency is practiced, misunderstandings can be eliminated in advance or resolved quickly and permanently. This is practiced by our management, executives and employees alike. We are aware of our responsibility and act accordingly. Open&Honest@SKS is the internal and external whistleblowing communication channel to report all issues of anti-corruption, competition law, fraud prevention and handling of potential conflicts of interest. All employees have the opportunity of direct access to a point of contact. |
| 08 | Trust and respectEsteem and respect as a part of the corporate culture at SKS create a basis of trust both among business partners and among employees, allowing knowledge to be shared instead of hoarded. This is a key foundation stone for innovative capacity. |
| 09 | Conflicts of interest and waiver of use of security staffEvery person has several roles to perform: that of an employee loyal to the organization, that of a service provider to the customer, and that of a colleague. In certain situations this can lead to conflicts of interest between the roles if a balance has to be reached among the various interests. With a flat hierarchy, a corporate culture that is lived out and active conflict management, help and assistance in resolving conflict is available without fuss in every situation. Hiring private or public security personnel to enforce unlawful claims is something we reject. We do not hire or use any security forces to protect our business interests, if this use leads to human rights violations due to a lack of training or control. |
| 10 | Dealings with political institutions and authoritiesPolitical institutions and authorities support the economy. We therefore treat them with respect and support them in many issues. |
| 11 | Protection against corruption and briberyWe create honest products that are distributed in an honest manner. Corruption and bribery thus have no place in our business practices and are approved by neither us nor our partners. |
| 12 | Equality of opportunity and prohibition of discriminationThere is no room for discrimination against minorities at SKS. Every person is equal and is accorded the same respect at SKS. Accessibility and inclusion are close to our hearts and actively practiced. Based on the principles of ethical recruitment, we ensure that the recruitment process is always fair and transparent. We respect and promote women’s rights, diversity, equality and inclusion as well as rights of minorities and indigenous peoples. We condemn any form of eviction and respect all forms of land, forest and water rights. |
| 13 | Data protectionPersonal data is protected by SKS. Training as well as technical and organizational measures and a modern IT-infrastructure are the building blocks for a sustainable protection of data. |
| 01 | Awareness of environmentally relevant issuesWe firmly believe that an active environmental policy helps to strengthen our financial basis and hence contributes to the continuous improvement of the environmental compatibility of our products. SKS encourages its staff to be aware of and take responsibility for the environment through information events covering areas of relevance to the environment. |
| 02 | Conservation of resources and sustainable resource managementRaw materials such as energy, water and other assets are used as sparingly and appropriately as possible. By reducing the consumption of resources and energy, we play a part in eco- friendly development. |
| 03 | Environmentally-friendly development and productionOur investment and procurement policies consider environmental aspects as well as economic and quality issues. We minimize our own consumption and that of our customers through focused research and development. Responsible procurement of raw materials is just as natural for us as the consideration of social issues during the procurement process. |
| 04 | Striving for CO2 neutralityWe strive to reduce emissions. Our endeavor is to promote and utilize every form of active reduction. |
| 05 | Use of renewable energies and promotion of active decarbonizationAt SKS, energy is always used efficiently. Active decarbonization across the entire value chain is part of investment decisions. SKS is permanently committed to the use of renewable energies. |
| 06 | Reporting on greenhouse gas emissionsThis will in the future become part of our reporting. Targets for the reduction of energy consumption and thus of greenhouse gases are set every year. |
| 07 | Reducing noise emissionsWe know that industrial applications are causing noise. We are actively working to reduce noise and in cases where this is not possible, at least to minimize the effect. |
| 08 | Biodiversity and animal protectionSKS endeavors to protect the biodiversity of ecosystems affected by our activities and to conserve it sustainably for future generations. |
| 09 | Use of land and deforestationWe reject illegal land use and deforestation. If this is determined in the supply chain, the suppliers are requested to stop this or they will be replaced as quickly as possible. |
| 10 | Responsibility for soil, water and air = waste preventionIn case such resources must be used, we make sure that they can be reused and recycled. This is flanked by our waste, hazardous materials and chemicals management, so that these materials are sustainably protected. The pillars for this are active waste prevention and the reuse and recycling of materials. |
| 11 | Conflict mineralsIn our role as a supplier, we have familiarized ourselves with the „Dodd Frank Act“ and the responsibility associated with it. Our products are exclusively intended for the production process and are not used in the manufactured product. We refer to the regulations of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and refrain from disclosing our supply chain regarding conflict minerals. |
| 01 | Protection of company assets and the fight against fraudThe company’s assets play a role in safeguarding jobs. Risk factors such as fraud can put these at risk. SKS sees it as all the more important to prevent fraud and the waste of company money. |
| 02 | Relations with business partnersCustomer satisfaction is our guiding principle. SKS develops products for customers that stand out on the market in terms of innovation, operability, practicality and long life. That is why both communication and an understanding of customer requirements are vital for us. |
| 03 | Fair competitionFor us, free competition means facing up to the challenges of the market and being respectful in our dealings with competitors. Fairness towards our partners, customers and employees is a matter of course for SKS. Competition creates motivation. We pick up this challenge and encourage innovation, the only way that healthy competition can work. |
| 04 | Product safetyOur products are developed and manufactured in accordance with the latest safety and machinery requirements. Comprehensive quality controls ensure that our devices function perfectly and safely. |
| 05 | Donations and sponsorshipWe donate only to non-profit organizations and support the training and development of the next generation in our sector to ensure that there will still be workers skilled in automated welding technology in the future. |
| 06 | Prevention of money launderingAs an internationally focused company, we prohibit all activities that could be associated with money laundering. |
| 07 | Dealing with informationWe go beyond legal requirements in dealing with information and treat the information provided by our customers, suppliers, employees and partners carefully and conscientiously. |
| 08 | Protection of intellectual propertyIntellectual property is a production factor for us and treated accordingly. We pay particular attention to protecting the rights and interests of authors to exactly the same extent that we expect from our competitors. |
| 09 | Financial responsibility and disclosure of informationAll economic operations are carried out, documented and published according to applicable laws. The disclosure of relevant information for a specific purpose is a matter of course for SKS. |
| 10 | Data securityWe take the protection of data, particularly of our customers, extremely seriously. We are given their know-how in trust and we treat it with the appropriate sensitivity. Customer details are also treated confidentially when we submit quotations. We employ the latest technologies and use only highly skilled services providers with many years of experience who enable us to achieve the requisite degree of protection. |
| 11 | Details of products and services / product integrityOur aim is to create compliant products and to communicate their properties in a concise manner. In doing so, we always adhere to applicable legal framework. |
| 12 | Responsibility in the supply chainThe demands we place on ourselves, we also place on our suppliers and their supply chains. |
