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We respect and value the differences between human beings. Through our Code of Conduct, which is in place throughout the organization, we seek to guarantee our employees genuinely equal opportunities. Individual diversity enriches both our cooperation and the Linde corporate culture. Our Group attaches great importance to retaining the local workforce in the various countries in which we operate. We strategically foster intercultural competence by systematically deploying human resources abroad. To simplify matters for Linde staff employed in foreign countries and cultures, an Expatriate Center has been established at Linde Gas which provides a comprehensive IT solution. In addition to arranging foreign assignments, it offers detailed information about local customs and ways of communicating. |
 Aschaffenburg, Germany |
Linde AG supports the idea of a work-life balance enabling employees to successfully reconcile job and family-related work as well as leisure activities without undue stress. We therefore strive for a stronger family orientation as an integral component of our personnel policy. Because the percentage of women in a field dominated by engineering sciences – such as that at Linde AG – is still disproportionately low, it is our aim to step up efforts to make Linde more attractive to this group; we expressly welcome qualified women applicants. Our long-range goal is to significantly raise the percentage of women in the general workforce and most notably in senior management by taking appropriate action. In 2004 the share of women in leadership positions was 4.0 percent.
Our quota of disabled employees is currently 4.3 percent. This means that we are slightly below the 5.0 percent quota prescribed by German law. To remedy this, for many years we have been collaborating with selected workshops for the disabled, some of which produce metal and lathed wood parts for various uses. One such case is our successful partnership with the Isar-Würm-Lech (IWL) project.
Linde Material Handling is currently also supervising 15 disabled adolescents in a special pre-vocational training program. The physical or mental disabilities of the participants are such that they would be overchallenged by a traditional apprenticeship. On the other hand, they are underchallenged by the type of work usually performed in disabled occupational facilities. Linde endeavors, in collaboration with workers’ welfare agencies, to provide a vocational perspective for these young people. The training period lasts up to two years.