OMV aims to provide just and favorable working conditions, which can lead to increased employee satisfaction, productivity, and health. By promoting a work-life balance and increasing opportunities for employees who represent a minority share, we strive to create a positive and inclusive work environment. Our comprehensive and inclusive workforce strategy focuses on equal treatment and opportunities for all, enhancing employee satisfaction and productivity. These efforts have a positive impact on our workforce, fostering a supportive and equitable workplace culture that benefits both employees and OMV.
Attracting and retaining talented and trained staff is one of our key opportunities. By offering competitive training opportunities, we aim to gain an advantage in talent attraction and retention, which is crucial for our ongoing success. Recognizing the risk to our progress by not having up-to-date knowledge and skills, we are committed to continuously improving our training programs to ensure our workforce remains skilled and compliant. This is essential for successfully executing our strategy and complying with legal requirements. For details on our material IROs for S1 Own Workforce, see ESRS 2 General Information.
ESRS 2 SBM-3 Interaction of Material IROs with the Strategy and Business Model
We have developed a People & Culture Strategy that fully supports the transformation of OMV as captured in the Strategy 2030. At the core of the new People & Culture Strategy is our purpose, i.e., “Re-inventing essentials for sustainable living.” We have developed four strategic drivers: Employee Experience, Growing Talent, Organizational Evolution, and New Ways of Working. These are all powered by a solid foundation of Transformational Leadership, driven by our leaders.
Building and retaining a talented and skilled team of employees for international and integrated growth is a key factor in the success of the Group’s strategy. We are committed to creating an environment in which every employee can learn, grow, connect, and collaborate, as well as live a safe and healthy life. The measures include promoting learning and development and creating an environment where people can develop professionally and fulfill their personal aspirations in line with our business needs.
All OMV employees, including our own employees (e.g., pipeline engineers, field technicians, chemical engineers, rig operators, financial analysts, project managers) and non-employees (e.g., leased personnel, self-employed people, or people provided by third-party undertakings primarily engaged in employment activities) are subject to material impacts. Some of the negative impacts identified were widespread within limited groups of employees (e.g., formal employee representation legally forbidden in some jurisdictions). Isolated events that impact a specific location or operation were identified in the reporting period (e.g., lack of a centralized grievance channel, inappropriate accommodation, access to privacy).
The actions implemented by OMV for the positive material impacts identified regarding just and favorable working conditions and equal treatment and opportunities for all are applicable across the whole Group. Training and skills development programs aimed at both blue-collar workers and white-collar workers support talent attraction and retention among our employees and non-employees. Performance management and career development actions are focused on our own employees. Special DE&I actions are developed in six workstreams (Accessibility, Gender, Generations, Intercultural, LGBTQ+, and Parenting/Caregivers). Development of transformational leadership competencies is available for leaders among employees. Details regarding operations at significant risk of incidents of forced labor or child labor can be found in the Human Rights section.
Talent Program
The OMV Leading Ahead program is run together with Borealis and OMV Petrom to offer the Group’s top talents a wide-ranging leadership development journey and a broad career platform. The first participants graduated in 2023. An annual base nomination continues for the next program run.
Supporting Leaders to Drive the Transformation and Change
The Change Management Toolkit provides our teams with comprehensive guidance and supportive interventions to navigate various change processes. It equips our teams with the essential resources and strategies to lead organizational transformations effectively, ensuring a smooth and successful transition for both employees and stakeholders.
A vital component in strengthening a new team structure is the team effectiveness training in January 2023 implemented. This training is designed to arm teams with the skills and tools necessary to thrive in the evolving structure, promoting a seamless transition and fostering a more cohesive and effective working environment. The training is delivered annually in alignment with workforce requirements and is tailored to the specific business unit needs.
To equip leaders with transformation skills, a new Transformational Leadership program was launched in 2024. It focuses on how to achieve our OMV strategy, staying self-motivated, and encouraging the team to drive the transformation forward. This activity addresses the impact of ensuring just and favorable working conditions and mitigates the risk related to inefficient reskilling and training of staff.
Employee Well-Being
Maintaining the well-being of our employees is critical during the OMV transformation. In transitioning our business, employees may experience uncertainty about the impact on their work and stress due to the frequent changes of structure or new processes. Therefore, OMV has placed significant focus on managing work-life balance by supporting flexible ways of working, like working from home or part-time models, and invested in psychological support and a well-being training program. We monitor our employees’ well-being through our yearly Pulse Check, and in 2024 it showed an increase compared to the previous year – currently 72% of the OMV Group’s employees feel that the balance between their work and personal commitments is right.
Employee well-being is not only determined by work-life balance but also by the sense that OMV is ensuring they are prepared and have the right skills for the business now and in the future. Our commitment to a Just Transition is demonstrated in preventing one of the key material risks, identified as the inefficiency of reskilling our employees in alignment with the strategic transformation needs. We need to prevent a potential shortage of skilled staff, for our existing and future business, as that could lead to reduced productivity, economic disparity, and job insecurity among employees.
It is crucial that we include all employees in our upskilling strategy so that we promote fairness and inclusivity, providing equal opportunities for all employees to gain the necessary skills for existing and new roles. Aligning training programs with OMV’s strategic needs helps maintain economic stability, reducing the risk of job losses and economic hardship. Furthermore, effective training can bridge socio-economic gaps, promoting social equity and supporting sustainable growth. By addressing these risks and leveraging the opportunities, OMV can contribute to a Just Transition in a way that will benefit both our workforce and the broader community.
As part of our upskilling strategy, we provide training solutions that prepare our employees in the traditional oil and gas business to transition and become future-ready for roles in our low-carbon business. The aim is to keep skills up to date, recognizing that existing skills can be transferred to new energy solutions as well as being highly sought after for existing energy solutions. For example, our Sustainability Academy, a SharePoint-based platform for all employees, provides training for all OMV employees to expand their knowledge on ESG topics and cultivate a mindset aligned with our journey to net zero. Our Operational Excellence programs provide our operations managers with the support needed to keep our existing refining and energy business as effective as possible. Through initiatives like these, we are fostering a culture of continuous learning and development, empowering our team to thrive in the evolving landscape of energy solutions.
OMV’s transition plan aims to achieve climate-neutral operations by 2050 and might have substantial material impacts on our own workforce. These impacts and risks include restructuring and potential changes to job descriptions due to efforts to reduce carbon emissions in accordance with international agreements. Our personnel policy promotes long-term employment, aiming to benefit both staff and the organization through sustained working relationships. For more details, see Operational Changes and Minimum Notice Periods.
OMV is committed to ensuring fair treatment and equal opportunities for all employees, with zero tolerance for discrimination and harassment. We celebrate our differences and use our diversity as a catalyst for growth and creativity. Through our People & Culture (P&C) Strategy, we are adapting current practices to foster an inclusive and purposeful workplace, promoting diversity and mobility within OMV.
Based on the OMV DE&I survey conducted in 2021 and consultations with P&C, DE&I, and human rights experts, we identified certain groups at greater risk of harm due to their characteristics, contexts, or job activities. These include LGBTQ+ individuals, disabled employees, ethnic and racial minorities, older workers (over 50), those with caregiving responsibilities, women, and pregnant employees. We also recognized increased risks for lone workers, those in remote or conflict areas, and environments with different cultural values. Additionally, employees in hazardous roles and working night shifts, especially pregnant women, are at higher risk. By addressing these risks, OMV aims to create a safer, more inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive, for example the recent pandemic demonstrated that OMV can maintain high levels of service through our digital methods of working. For our blue-collar workers, we organized different shifts and reduced contact between groups of operators to ensure service continuity.
The workforce of OMV comprises more than 50% Generation X and Baby Boomer individuals. This has led to concerns as large groups are set to retire in the next five years. To address this risk, OMV is concentrating on improving knowledge transfer between generations and nurturing the next generation of managers through our Operational Excellence programs. In an effort to create a safer, more inclusive workplace, OMV has implemented several initiatives. These include intercultural training to prepare employees for business trips or relocations, ensuring they are well-equipped to navigate different cultural environments. To enhance intercultural awareness further, management is encouraged to gain international experience through job rotation. Additionally, OMV organizes DE&I awareness events and learning sessions on significant occasions such as International Women’s Day, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Pride Month, and Generations awareness, as well as celebrating various intercultural days.
To support new parents, the Company has introduced training programs aimed at increasing awareness for both genders regarding the availability of part-time models and other work adjustments. These programs aim to ensure a safe and supportive workplace for all employees, promoting flexibility and understanding in balancing work and family commitments.