Sustainability Report 2016 / 2017

94 Successful together: Our Employees Our employees are our greatest asset. Their engagement, conviction and creativity have considerable influence on our success. We respect and appreciate their contributions. It is therefore not only important to offer sustainable products but also to lead and support our employees with sustainable management practices. In keeping with our far-sighted per- sonnel strategy, we train about 35 young people in 10 occupations every year. We take very good care of our “up-and-coming” players. We believe that the teamwork between our ex- perienced colleagues and the young people they train creates a symbiosis that ensures our success long-term, avoids a shortage of skilled workers and creates and secures jobs. Social responsibility is for us the core of successful, long-term employee management. Our personnel guide­ lines are based on qualification, appreciation, support and fairness. We value and count on our employees’ motivation, personal responsi- bility, teamwork and strong identification with the company. Werner & Mertz – Code of Conduct Werner & Mertz has formulated 12 values on working to- gether in a Code of Conduct. They apply to all employees in all business units at all levels of the hierarchy through­ out the company. On the one hand the code addresses ethical values such as integrity, sense of responsibility and fairness and on the other performance-related val­ ues like service, teamwork and engagement. The fundamental value “economy” accurately reflects the tenor of the code (see accompanying excerpt). Employees Average Age of Employees 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total Years 43 43 42 44 Germany Years 43 43 42 44 Austria Years 43  43  41  42  Other countries Years 45 Profitability We are committed to sustainable profitability that allows us to implement our strategies, make long-term investments, compensate our employees fairly and achieve an attrac- tive return on capital for our shareholders. Compliance with laws and regulations and with our ethical values, however, has a high­ er priority than making a profit.