3 Social issues

3.1 Engaged employees

Bystronic applies due diligence in social issues. Relevant impacts, risks and opportunities are regularly assessed, and measures implemented.

The main risks related to wih social issues include: (Human rights risks are addressed in the chapter on “Responsible Business”)

• Safety: Employee and customer injuries while operating machinery such as laser cutters and press brakes
• Employees: Shortage of skilled workers, the new work culture following the COVID pandemic in which more people want to work from home
• Software & IT security/data protection: Risk of cyberattacks against Bystronic and its customers, protection of customer data and compliance with data protection regulations.

The companyʼs social strategy and guidelines define goals and obligations as well as measures and responsibilities with regard to a range of social issues. The HR Committee is responsible for initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion across all management levels within the Group and continuously reviews their effectiveness. Measures are taken to minimize negative impacts on social and employee matters.

The companyʼs social ambitions include:

• Providing customers with safe technologies and high-quality products
• Continuously improving workplace safety and mental health wellness for all employees
• Attracting, developing and retaining the best employees
• Continuing to build and develop a diverse and inclusive workforce.

The company published an information security policy in 2022 reinforcing its commitment to the highest data protection standards – with regard to the protection of personal data, customer trust, the security culture, transparent and practiced responsibility, protection and shared use, appropriateness and efficiency, integrated security and international security standards.

3.2 Employee initiatives

In 2024, Bystronic underwent a significant restructuring to get closer to the customer and reduce fixed costs. This involved transitioning from a regional to a divisional organizational structure. Despite these changes, Bystronic continued different programs aimed at supporting engaged employee initiatives.

• Employer branding: Bystronic continues to work on its employer brand identity. It defines how we communicate as an employer both internally and externally. The launch included a comprehensive overhaul of both the content and look of our careers website. The principles of our employer brand reflect our commitment to diversity.
• Integration in the workplace: Bystronic is implementing measures that promote equality and integration in the workplace, such as offering flexible work arrangement and promoting a collaborative culture.
• Adaptation of recruitment and promotion policies: In job postings, Bystronic tries to be equally appealing to both women and men, and in direct search efforts, identifying female candidates is a priority. External recruiters are instructed to ensure diversity of the candidate pool, and, in the selection and promotion process, women are given priority over men when other things are equal. As a result, we have increased the share of new women hires consecutively in recent years.

• Workplace safety: Bystronic is committed to a safe and healthy workplace for all employees. Measures promoting the health and safety of employees include a comprehensive Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) program promoting the health and safety of employees with a focus ergonomics and safety in the workplace, the provision of safety equipment, and training in how to use the machinery.
  
  Occupational health and safety is a crucial component of Bystronicʼs overall management system. Our safety regulations apply to all individuals on our premises, including employees, customers, suppliers and visitors. These regulations are outlined in workplace guidelines that are accessible to all employees. Employees receive training on workplace-specific hazards when necessary.
  
  Bystronicʼs safety training courses are detailed in the training manual, which is reviewed annually by the occupational health protection and laser safety officers, as well as the safety teams. Risk analyses are carried out by external specialists at least every five years, and resulting measures are coordinated and monitored through corrective and preventive action. The HR department reports and evaluates all occupational and non-occupational incidents.
• Employee health and well-being: The health and well-being of our employees is a priority. The importance of this topic was reflected in our 2023 global employee engagement survey. We are increasing our efforts to support employee well-being. These include remote work and flexible hours, parental leave and temporary leave (based on country regulations).
  
  In 2024, the number of injuries decreased. The occupational health and safety system of our laser production sites at our headquarters in Niederönz (Switzerland) were ISO 45001 certified.

• Talent management: We offer our employees competitive remuneration and benefits packages; training and development programs, on-the-job, classroom and online training; international experiences for qualified employees; and leadership courses for young and experienced talents. Our performance management system is designed to help employees realize their full potential. We offer an open communication and a feedback culture that encourages employees to share their ideas and concerns and to provide feedback to their supervisors. Internal communication channels, such as town hall meetings and our intranet help employees stay informed about news and developments within the company.
  
  The most important ongoing programs and models:
  • Talent development and retention: Our learning and development model, known as the 70–20–10, helps employees access a combination of learning sources. This model calls for 70% of learning to come from challenging assignments, 20% from relationships, and 10% from formal training. Our employees have access to a variety of educational initiatives – from specialized courses and PhD programs to our company-wide learning management system called MyLearning. We also provide comprehensive onboarding for new employees to ensure an optimal start.
  • Career advancement and leadership courses: We place great value on supporting our employeesʼ personal development. Bystronic has been offering vocational training for over 20 years. More than 300 young people have benefited from such training. Our global succession program aims to identify internal candidates for future roles and provides them with personalized training. ByAcademy, our internal learning and development platform, focuses on technical and soft skill development for our Global Service Business Unit employees. Our leadership development programs cater to different employee levels. The Leadership Development Program 1 (LDP 1) prepares junior employees for future managerial roles. Our Leadership Development Program 2 (LDP 2) is tailored for senior leaders, and aims to foster a common understanding of leadership, as well as promote creativity and entrepreneurship. LDP 2 is the key to effective succession planning within our organization.

• Employee engagement: To continuously enhance our processes and address employee feedback, Bystronic conducts a global employee engagement survey every two years. Our goal is to gather insights that are relevant to leadership development and that would enhance employee engagement at all our business locations.
• Bystronic Leadership Conference: We implemented new panel discussions on Group priorities at the Bystronic Leadership Conference. Employees from many different levels and a variety of functions actively contributed.
• One Bystronic Ambassador Network: We have built a global network of over 50 “One Bystronic” ambassadors from 22 subsidiaries. These ambassadors serve as a link between employees and management, enhancing communication, culture and collaboration.

3.3 Customer initiatives

Enhanced CRM system

By consistently monitoring our Net Promoter Score (NPS) and the feedback of critical customers, Bystronic was able to uncover several problems in 2024, including technical errors, technician availability, long resolution times, as well as improvement potential with regard to process reliability and communication. Bystronic closely monitors all safety concerns reported by our customers. In 2024, only two injuries were reported by our customers.

Service programs

In 2024, Bystronic continued its modular service programs, which include regular maintenance, service level agreements and extended warranties. These programs help minimize operational disruptions for our customers.

Customer training

Bystronic offers comprehensive machine and software training to improve our customersʼ productivity. This leads to increased uptime, improved overall effectiveness of the equipment, and a higher level of safety for the employees.