Foreword
Responsibility
Defining, handling and living responsibility
Bayer’s products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. The company wholeheartedly endorses the principles of profitable and at the same time socially and ecologically sustainable development and strives to act as a good corporate citizen worldwide. We have developed a new Mission Statement, and adjusted and newly formulated our code of conduct and numerous directives accordingly, thus further optimizing our management system.Bayer’s technical and commercial expertise has always entailed a duty to work to the benefit of humankind and society at large and to make a sustainable contribution to environmentally friendly development. We define commercial success and active responsibility for the environment, our employees and society as corporate objectives of equal rank.
The new Mission Statement: Orientation for employees worldwide
The reorganization of Bayer prompted us to newly formulate our Mission Statement and our values over the past two years. Following a period of major change in our company, we wanted to provide clear orientation to our workforce. The Mission Statement “Bayer: Science For A Better Life,” which we formulated in 2004, sets the course for the future throughout our enterprise all over the world. Employee surveys have shown that we have been successful in this endeavor.
As a guideline for our corporate strategy, the Mission Statement shows our stockholders, customers and the public what they can expect from Bayer in the coming years. The values and leadership principles formulated in the Mission Statement serve as a basis for the day-to-day activities of our employees. These values include a will to succeed; a passion for our stakeholders; integrity, openness and honesty; respect for people and nature; and sustainability of our actions.
In 2004 we presented the Mission Statement to our workforce through a worldwide campaign. Across the globe, supervisors explained the Mission Statement to the employees in their charge in one-on-one conversations and discussed with them Bayer’s strategy and values. After all, it is up to everyone who works at Bayer to act responsibly – although our managerial employees naturally play an important part in this process by serving as an example. In order to support our managerial staff in this endeavor, we also published a Policy in 2004 entitled “Values and Leadership Principles – Living our Values” that describes the expectations of the Group Management Board and establishes a framework for talent management within our company. The process includes the “Leadership Performance” and “360° Feedback” initiatives, as well as programs for selecting and promoting future managers.
The Board of Management personally informs new senior executives about Bayer’s sustainability strategy and other issues during a yearly seminar. We have also distributed to our 330 top executives the “Guidelines for Managerial Employees” published in February 2006 by the German managers’ association DMV. This practice-oriented manual shows managers how to take ethical values into consideration in difficult situations and thus supports our internal information and training measures for value management.
As a guideline for our corporate strategy, the Mission Statement shows our stockholders, customers and the public what they can expect from Bayer in the coming years. The values and leadership principles formulated in the Mission Statement serve as a basis for the day-to-day activities of our employees. These values include a will to succeed; a passion for our stakeholders; integrity, openness and honesty; respect for people and nature; and sustainability of our actions.
In 2004 we presented the Mission Statement to our workforce through a worldwide campaign. Across the globe, supervisors explained the Mission Statement to the employees in their charge in one-on-one conversations and discussed with them Bayer’s strategy and values. After all, it is up to everyone who works at Bayer to act responsibly – although our managerial employees naturally play an important part in this process by serving as an example. In order to support our managerial staff in this endeavor, we also published a Policy in 2004 entitled “Values and Leadership Principles – Living our Values” that describes the expectations of the Group Management Board and establishes a framework for talent management within our company. The process includes the “Leadership Performance” and “360° Feedback” initiatives, as well as programs for selecting and promoting future managers.
The Board of Management personally informs new senior executives about Bayer’s sustainability strategy and other issues during a yearly seminar. We have also distributed to our 330 top executives the “Guidelines for Managerial Employees” published in February 2006 by the German managers’ association DMV. This practice-oriented manual shows managers how to take ethical values into consideration in difficult situations and thus supports our internal information and training measures for value management.
Program for Legal Compliance: Code of conduct updated
Our code of conduct, the “Program for Legal Compliance and Corporate Responsibility at Bayer" (Corporate Compliance Program) was also revised and distributed to all employees worldwide in 2004. This program contains binding, Group-wide rules for our conduct in the market and toward competitors and each other.
All Bayer employees are required to report without delay any violations of the Compliance Program. If necessary, they can use a telephone hotline to anonymously contact a law firm appointed by us as an ombudsman. Compliance Committees have been established at Bayer AG and each of its subgroups and service companies. Each committee includes at least one legal counsel. A corresponding organization has also been put in place at foreign affiliates through the appointment of Compliance Officers or the establishment of Compliance Committees. The role of these committees and officers is to initiate and monitor systematic training and other measures necessary to ensure implementation of the Corporate Compliance Program. They are also responsible for investigating any suspected violations of the Corporate Compliance Program and, if necessary, taking steps to rectify them. All Compliance Committees and Compliance Officers report at least once a year to a Coordination Committee chaired by the Chief Financial Officer on any violations notified to them, any investigations carried out and their outcomes, and any corrective or disciplinary action taken. They also report on the systematic training and implementation measures they have initiated to foster compliance.
All Bayer employees are required to report without delay any violations of the Compliance Program. If necessary, they can use a telephone hotline to anonymously contact a law firm appointed by us as an ombudsman. Compliance Committees have been established at Bayer AG and each of its subgroups and service companies. Each committee includes at least one legal counsel. A corresponding organization has also been put in place at foreign affiliates through the appointment of Compliance Officers or the establishment of Compliance Committees. The role of these committees and officers is to initiate and monitor systematic training and other measures necessary to ensure implementation of the Corporate Compliance Program. They are also responsible for investigating any suspected violations of the Corporate Compliance Program and, if necessary, taking steps to rectify them. All Compliance Committees and Compliance Officers report at least once a year to a Coordination Committee chaired by the Chief Financial Officer on any violations notified to them, any investigations carried out and their outcomes, and any corrective or disciplinary action taken. They also report on the systematic training and implementation measures they have initiated to foster compliance.
Bookmark this page
E-mail this page
Advanced Search
