Human Resources management and Human Rights

As part of the business community, Infineon Technologies has a responsibility to respect human rights, labor standards and fair business practices, providing a better environment for business.

Infineon’s Business Conduct Guidelines reflect our commitment to comply with internationally proclaimed human rights. This also includes protecting the personal dignity and privacy of every individual. We shall not condone human rights abuses. Information concerning this issue is available on our corporate ethics website.
The Business Conduct Guidelines shall apply to both internal cooperation and conduct towards external partners.
We expect our suppliers and service providers to comply with the requirements included in our Principles of Purchasing, and to monitor their compliance with those principles. Infineon also expects suppliers and service providers to comply with all applicable laws, including those related to working practices and forced labor.

Our Business Conduct Guidelines acknowledges the right of employees to join associations and the right to collective bargaining to agree on working conditions. Infineon and the respective employee associations work together constructively and in good faith as well as with mutual respect. In this endeavor, we strive to achieve a fair balance between Infineon’s economic interests and those of the employees. Even in cases of dispute, the goal shall always be to maintain viable cooperation in the long-term.

Infineon’s Business Conduct Guidelines reflect Infineon’s commitment to comply with international proclaimed Human rights. We are therefore against any form of forced labor.

Infineon’s Business Conduct Guidelines also address one of the main duties of the Global Compact: We do not permit work to be carried out by persons under the age of 15. Exceptions apply to employment relationships in developing countries under the International Organization Convention 138 (minimum lowered to 14) or to governmentally authorized job training courses or apprenticeship programs that clearly benefit the persons participating.

Difference and diversity in people and cultures harbor enormous potential in terms both of expertise and of the particular personal strengths of each individual employee. We have accordingly made a conscious decision to coordinate diversity affairs across regions and established a diversity management-function as an element of our HR structure three years ago. This move reflects the priority status afforded to diversity within Infineon. The Human Resources function’s work in this area over recent months has focused in particular on promoting equality of opportunity for women and men and on improving the work/family life balance. Read more

As reflected in the Business Conduct Guidelines, discrimination shall not be tolerated. We do not tolerate any discrimination, harassment or offence based on race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, union or political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital or family status against an Infineon employee or a business partner. Any forms of sexual harassment, corporal punishment, physical coercion and verbal abuse are prohibited, as well as any intimidating hostile or offensive conduct that interferes with an employee’s work performance.

Development activities represent an investment in our people and thus in the future of Infineon. Facilitating continuous personal development for employees of all ages is also an important element of our efforts to counter the effects of demographic change. The pressing need to ensure profitability meant that the training budget remained tight once again in 2010 and external training could consequently only be provided where required by law or essential to the business. For Infineon, this meant that the focus continued to be on internal options.
We managed to arrange numerous internal training opportunities in 2010 in conjunction with the departments and did much to encourage innovation and knowledge transfer within the Company through the InnovationNet, Innovation- Fab and Innovation Star initiatives and the many iCommunities. These measures, it should be noted, are also important in encouraging experienced employees to stay with the Company and to assist with multiplying high-level knowledge. Read more

The extensive expertise held by our people and their ideas concerning innovations and enhancements are vital to the ongoing development of both processes and products and to the continuous improvement of productivity at Infineon. Mindful of this Infineon has been operating an internal idea management system for many years. We consider the Your Idea Pays (YIP) system to be an important tool in motivating employees to actively put forward their suggestions.

We believe creativity should pay not just for Infineon, but also for our people and hence consistently reward good ideas.

Health management at Infineon involves a variety of measures intended to help prevent illness, promote good health and improve general employee wellbeing. Healthy employees who feel happy in their working environment are more motivated and perform better – important factors for Infineon’s continued success. Our policies on health management consequently go well beyond the minimum legal provisions and preventive occupational medical checkups and cover an enormous range of occupational health promotion measures, especially in the area of prevention.