BOC Report and accounts 2005 - Alle jaarverslagen

Employees
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At 30 September 2005 the Group had 30,572 employees (2004: 43,383 employees, 2003: 44,507 employees).
During the year the disposal of the Afrox Healthcare business resulted in the successful transfer of over 13,000
employees to the new owner. Employees of the company and its subsidiaries were located as follows:
Europe 13,408
Americas 6,216
Africa 3,541
Asia/Pacific 7,407
Unplanned employee turnover remains low and as a result, excluding disposals, the employee base remains stable.
BOC invests time and energy in developing the potential of its people. Opportunities are reviewed and discussed
with identified individuals to provide cross-line of business experience or to set up a range of functional and
geographical assignments.This contributes to BOC's success in retaining and developing the core skills and
capabilities it needs to meet its business, customer service and health and safety targets. BOC regularly reviews its
succession planning processes and the availability of essential capabilities. Results show it has solid capability in most
areas and adequate succession depth to meet both its technical and leadership requirements.
Employee satisfaction and commitment
Employee satisfaction is measured and managed both centrally and in the business units.
Levels of employee satisfaction and commitment are generally high.A culture of accountability, collaboration,
transparency and stretch, known as ACTS, has been developed throughout BOC.The ACTS principles provide a
framework that employees can use in their dealings with each other and with customers, suppliers and other
stakeholders.
The ‘Voice of BOC’ employee survey was conducted again in 2005.The survey, managed by an independent
research company, is an opportunity for BOC’s people to rate the Group’s performance on key issues affecting
their employment. 68 per cent of employees responded to the survey.This high participation rate demonstrates
employees’ willingness to contribute to BOC’s aim of being the employer of choice.The 2005 survey built on the
employee perception data collated in 2002 regarding ACTS, customer orientation, performance management and
diversity. It also incorporated new measures on safety and the Code of Conduct.The areas where BOC employees
deemed performance to be particularly high or improved since 2002 were safety, management interest in
employee well being, the Code of Conduct, performance reviews, collaboration and diversity.The areas deemed
to need further improvement were customer focus, which is still a core strength but slightly down on 2002, and
employee engagement, which remained at a high level but was lower than in 2002.As with previous surveys,
business units and enabling functions are developing and implementing action plans to address the results and
progress will be reviewed on a regular basis.
Employment policies and Code of Conduct
The BOC Group takes its responsibilities as a global organisation seriously. It is committed to fostering a workplace
that is safe and environmentally sound. It will always act in line with all applicable laws, regulations and industry
standards. It expects people to respect confidential information and company time and assets. It believes in open
and honest communication, fair treatment and equal opportunities. It opposes public corruption, anti-competitive
behaviour and insider trading, and it supports the fundamental principles of good governance and human rights.
In 2003 BOC launched a global Code of Conduct, a set of legal and ethical standards that apply to all BOC
employees and to contractors in their business dealings with BOC. The code is available in ten languages.
An extensive programme of communications and workshops has provided training for employees on the
substance of the code. Annual sustainability plans embed the code within the businesses and keep it visible,
accessible and relevant to all employees. In 2004, a new network of code sustainability managers was formed to
ensure that processes are in place to induct new employees, to provide refresher training and to consolidate
country-specific policies.The Code of Conduct telephone helpline has been extended to cover 49 countries and
promotional material has been created to publicise the contact number in each country. BOC operates a strict
policy of non-retaliation to protect and encourage people wishing to share their concerns.
BOC’s employee policies and procedures are aligned with the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
BOC is a signatory to the UN Global Compact, whose ten principles - six of which relate to human rights and
labour standards - are integrated into BOC’s Code of Conduct. In many areas BOC’s existing standards exceed
those set out in the Global Compact. In 2005, BOC reported progress to the Global Compact Office, according to
official guidelines.
In addition to the Code of Conduct, BOC provides guidance and human resources policies to support BOC
people in their day-to-day activities and long-term career planning.These are aligned to the corporate values and
principles.At the heart of this approach is the recognition that the energy and application of individuals and teams
throughout the organisation will determine which companies have competitive advantage in today’s complex global
market. BOC’s employment policies are designed to underpin the Group’s operating requirements and growth
strategies.The human resources units implementing these policies are aligned to the business units in each
geography and, as far as practicable, Group policies are adapted to meet local requirements.