Human rights training

Human rights training at a conference table (photo)

We conduct classroom trainings on human rights, which equip our employees with an understanding of our Human Rights Management System and give them a space to work on concrete operational issues and local challenges. Additionally, all employees are strongly encouraged to complete an interactive e-learning training, which guides them through norms and situations with regard to human rights. Across OMV, 47% of all employees received training on human rights in 2019.

In the framework of the Sustainability Strategy 2025, we have committed ourselves to train all employees exposed to human rights risks by 2025. This target group consists of employees responsible or accountable for the implementation of our human rights responsibilities (Human Resources, Security, Site Management, HSSE Auditing, Community Relations/Community Development, Procurement) working in countries with elevated human rights risks or in corporate functions. By the end of 2019, 533 employees from the target group were trained, which constitutes 82% of the entire target group.1Compared to the previous year, the target group has decreased from 1,136 to 654 persons (3.3% of the total workforce). This is the result of a more precise selection of the target group based on standardized personnel data from the various companies.

In 2019, 183 individuals (63 of the target group) participated in human rights classroom trainings in Austria, Libya, Tunisia, UAE, and Yemen. Specific training was conducted for security managers. The participants were introduced to the basic concepts of human rights and their relevance to OMV. They also learned about the tools and processes for implementing OMV’s Human Rights Risk Management, got to know the human rights responsibilities of their own roles, and discussed concrete operational challenges and opportunities with regard to human rights.

Human rights training with a small group of OMV employees in blue overalls (photo)
Human rights training in a meeting room (photo)

With the launch of the new OMV learning platform, human rights e-learning was added to all employees’ training curriculum globally. This module is an interactive 30-minute training session that teaches a basic understanding of human rights in general and their relevance to our business specifically. It provides an opportunity for employees to test their knowledge using concrete real-life examples. 9,194 employees (494 of the target group) completed the human rights e-learning course in 2019.

We also implement internal awareness-raising campaigns throughout the Group. We informed all our operational countries’ business heads about their country’s human rights risk level. We provided information about the main challenges and recommended due diligence steps and trainings where applicable. We also conducted a human rights awareness campaign on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day on December 10. All employees Group-wide were informed about our commitment and invited to complete the human rights e-learning program.

1 Compared to the previous year, the target group has decreased from 1,136 to 654 persons (3.3% of the total workforce). This is the result of a more precise selection of the target group based on standardized personnel data from the various companies.

2 654 employees in corporate functions managing human rights risks and in the corresponding functions in countries with elevated human rights risks