Unfair competitive behaviour occurs, for example, when a market participant agrees with one or more competitors to not sell a specific product or specific service below a certain price. If employees from OBO are faced with such an offer, they must reject it firmly and in a way that cannot be misunderstood and notify the OBO legal department immediately.
Unlawful discrimination occurs, for example, when the decision regarding the filling of a position is not made based solely on the qualification of the applicants, but instead a male applicant is given preference because a female applicant’s age leads one to suspect she may have children in the near future.
a) Prohibition of child labour, forced labour and slavery
In accordance with the ILO’s core labour standards, OBO and its business partners only employ staff who have reached the statutory minimum age. OBO and its business partners expressly reject the use of forced labour and any form of slavery.
b) Working conditions
OBO and its business partners undertake, in accordance with the ILO core labour standards, to employ their staff exclusively in compliance with local health and safety and working-time regulations. OBO and its business partners undertake to create working conditions in their business activities that are free from any form of harassment or humiliation of their employees.
To maintain workplace safety and avoid possible accidents, it is essential for all workplace accidents to be reported and documented in accordance with local law. This is the only way to ensure that suitable measures are taken to maintain workplace safety.
c) Freedom of association
OBO and its business partners respect the freedom of association of their employees. In this context, OBO and its business partners must comply with all applicable laws and cooperate with their employees in accordance with the applicable laws.
d) Prohibition of unequal treatment
OBO and its business partners reject any kind of discrimination, including discrimination based on national and ethnic origin, social origin, health status, disability, sexual orientation, age, gender, political opinion, religion or belief, unless this is a statutory requirement for employment. Unequal treatment includes the payment of unequal remuneration for work of equal value.
e) Appropriate wage
OBO and its business partners undertake to pay their employees an appropriate wage. This must be at least at the level of the minimum wage laid down by the law of the country in question.
f) Preservation of natural resources
OBO and its business partners shall ensure that the acquisition of land, forests or bodies of water, whereby the use of which secures people’s livelihoods, does not take place through unlawful forced evictions or through unlawful expropriation. Harmful environmental changes (e.g. soil changes, water pollution, excessive water consumption) that significantly affect health, access to drinking water and food production must also be avoided.
g) Use of private or public security forces
OBO and its business partners undertake not to use private or public security forces to protect the business project if, due to a lack of instruction or control, the use of security forces violates the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, causes injury to life and limb or impairs freedom of association and trade union rights.
A violation of waste disposal regulation occurs, for example, when chemical or electronic waste is not disposed of in accordance with the country-specific standards, thereby polluting the soil and sources of drinking water, which are essential to the livelihood of the local people.
c) Energy efficiency/consumption
OBO and its business partners are committed to using renewable energy sources wherever possible and to working as energy-efficiently as possible. To this end, energy consumption is monitored and documented.
OBO and its business partners provide the Company Carbon Footprint (CCF/Scope 1–3) and the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) for products, processes and services wherever possible and at the specific request of the customer. The collection, calculation, evaluation and communication of the relevant CO2 e (CO2 equivalent) data should be carried out in accordance with the applicable norms and standards of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) and ISO 14064. OBO has a decarbonisation strategy. Based on the CCF and PCF, the business partner shall have and pursue a decarbonisation strategy where possible.
d) Handling of conflict minerals
OBO and its business partners must comply with the legal provisions applicable in the respective country with regard to conflict minerals.
OBO and its business partners undertake to:
- check their respective supply chain with due diligence as to whether products containing tin, tantalum, tungsten or gold are sold to them and, if so, whether and to what extent these metals originate from conflict and high-risk areas;
- share the results of this assessment with their customers as appropriate; and
- strive to be or become “conflict-free” to ensure that such metals are not sourced from conflict and high-risk areas.
2.7 Conflicts of interest
OBO and its business partners undertake to avoid conflicts of interest. A conflict of interest occurs when the personal interests of an employee are incompatible with those of OBO and/or with the interests of the business partners and result in a loyalty conflict. Employees must not participate in decisions or influence them if their own interests may conflict with those of OBO and/or OBO’s business partners. Employees must not use their position at OBO or OBO’s business partners inappropriately for personal benefit or for the benefit of relatives or persons close to them. In the event of a conflict of interest, the concerned employees must notify their superior immediately to find an adequate solution.
For example, a conflict of interest may arise if a potential supplier invites one of the client’s employees responsible for technical analysis of offers to a sports event. Such invitations should always be turned down to avoid any appearance of undue influence.