The HR principles upheld across the Group are defined in relevant policies and include minimum standards for employment and diversity principles. These principles also govern the work of HR teams, e.g., in creating training and development programs, career opportunities, employee surveys, and employee share schemes. The KION Group Code of Compliance provides the framework for legal compliance and ethical conduct across the workforce.
International Minimum Employment Standards have been defined for the entire Group, based on the core labor standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO). They guarantee freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, prohibit any form of forced or compulsory labor or child labor, and prevent any discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. They also define the central human rights standards that KION has pledged to uphold. Furthermore, KION is committed to high standards of occupational health and safety worldwide as well as a level of remuneration that is in line with national industry standards and in any case ensures a living wage.
Great Place to Work
STILL understands that its employees are the key to its success; they are vital to our business in every sense of the word. The team spirit at STILL is something very special in the industry and the company does everything it can to boost this sense of solidarity. Furthermore, STILL places great emphasis on a shared understanding of values characterized by mutual respect and tolerance. These shared values are not only deeply rooted in the corporate culture, but they are also actively put into practice in everyday life.
As part of its HR strategy, STILL has therefore implemented targeted measures that express appreciation and strengthen employee retention. These include fair pay above collectively agreed rates, as well as active engagement in shaping the future of the company together with employees. This strong appeal as an employer pays off: With an average length of service of over ten years for around half of the workforce, it is clear that appreciation creates loyalty.
For its outstanding commitment as a reliable partner in supporting young people in their transition to working life, STILL GmbH was once again awarded the “Company with an outstanding commitment to career support and guidance” seal in November 2025, which is valid until 2027.
Remuneration and Additional Benefits
As an attractive employer, STILL offers its employees flexible working time models, modern and future-proof jobs, and fair remuneration. All employees are appropriately remunerated in line with the market and their performance, with remuneration levels being reviewed annually and adjusted as necessary to reflect individual performance and skills levels and other potential changes in circumstances. Remuneration models vary depending on national labor market conditions and legislation. In many countries – including those where large parts of the workforce of STILL are based – wages and salaries are governed by collective bargaining agreements. STILL always upholds the minimum remuneration levels stipulated in these agreements and usually pays significantly more, since many of its employees are highly qualified. Depending on the local situation, employees’ remuneration may be supplemented with additional benefits, including pension plans, insurance policies, and healthcare cover.
Employees Covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement
The Group also offers its employees an annual bonus as a voluntary benefit. The amount of this benefit depends on various factors, including the respective tariff allocation and whether the business area’s targets are achieved.
In Germany, parents are entitled to up to three years’ parental leave following the birth of their child. A complete set of information materials on this subject has been updated and made available to new parents to ensure they receive the best possible support before, during, and on their return from parental leave. STILL also allows employees to offset their supplementary T-Zug payment against additional days’ leave to care for children and other family members.
Flexible Working Arrangements
A mobile working policy gives STILL employees greater freedom to shape their own working hours and choose their place of work. Having greater responsibility for organizing and performing their own duties means staff are happier at work, which can help boost productivity and results.
In addition, STILL has established the following key principles to support work-life balance:
“We support part-time working.”
“We offer flexible working hours.”
“We prioritize family-friendly meeting times.”
“We grant annual leave during school vacations.”
STILL further advanced its Co-Creation office planning project during the reporting year: The project entered the implementation phase with the initial needs assessment for the modernization of a building in Hamburg. By mid-2026, an innovative layout designed to promote collaboration will be created there. The aim is to create a modern working environment that responds to a range of business needs, from spaces designed for employees who need a quiet space to work on their own, to inspiring and creative spaces for cross-team discussions. At the same time, the office should become a place where all staff can socialize and learn from one another. Planned elements include work cafés and “co-creation spaces” – open areas for collaborative working. Cabins and phone boxes are also being set up for confidential conversations and to protect against excessive noise exposure.
From the very beginning, particular attention was paid to creating a pleasant working environment when designing the open office concept. The placement of room elements was based on acoustic considerations from the outset. This is supplemented by an acoustic ceiling and sound-reducing elements on walls and office cabinets. In addition, all windows are equipped with glare protection that supports eye ergonomics at the workplace. The lighting in the central areas has been converted to modern, glare-free LED technology and supplemented by individually adjustable LED task lights.
By converting the office in Hamburg, the company is implementing a new modular design with the intention of then transferring this concept over to other offices. The Co-Creation project thus forms part of the overriding commitment of STILL to make its business a “Great Place to Work.”
Mental Health Support and Occupational Healthcare
In challenging socio-economic times, employees find themselves facing increased personal and professional problems. STILL offers MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) courses to help its employees manage their stress levels. Employees are also offered training on physical exercises and how to incorporate them into their everyday routine, as well as a wide range of free online options, including seated yoga for the workplace, quick exercises for home workers, an exercise routine to help with stress-relief, and meditation courses. A “Stressless” toolbox comprising various digital resources relating to this topic is available on the intranet.
To help it better understand the psychological strain that employees experience, STILL has also introduced a process to analyze employees’ mental health based on markers such as stress, mental fatigue, monotony, mental saturation, and emotional exhaustion. The “Employee Assistance Program” (EAP), an external support service for employees, was introduced at STILL in Germany in 2023. Employees can use this service to seek advice from external experts on issues such as their jobs and work, family and partnerships, and physical and mental health. EAP is available via phone, video, or in person.
Physiotherapists are available at the STILL plant in Hamburg to provide immediate treatment as well as advice on preventing injuries. Advice on good ergonomics at office and production workstations is also provided based on innovative digital analysis methods, such as ISA, an intelligent seating assistant. As part of its corporate health management program, STILL has developed and implemented the “Einfach gesünder sein” training program. It offers individually tailored exercises for different work areas and roles that strengthen and mobilize the musculoskeletal system and promote physical well-being. The exercise sequences were introduced in personal training sessions at both the Hamburg plant and the branches, and subsequently made digitally accessible via individual QR codes.
In line with the German Ordinance on Preventive Occupational Health Care (ArbMedVV), STILL offers all staff an occupational health check every three years or so. These medical checkups are voluntary and employees are not required to have the checkups at a specific time. Mandatory medical checkups are also arranged for staff exposed to specific risks, such as employees working long hours in designated noisy areas or handling certain hazardous substances, as identified by the safety specialists of STILL and company doctors. Free flu vaccinations are also offered.
Company sports are also offered as a form of preventative healthcare. Since 1997, these activities at STILL have been organized through a registered sports association. Sports activities generally take place outside of working hours and are designed to complement the offerings of conventional sports clubs. The main aim of company sports is for employees to enjoy getting some exercise and to improve their fitness levels together.
In addition, all employees – and their family members – can apply for a grant from the Hans STILL e. V. emergency fund to cover various services, including dentures, glasses, hearing aids, and specific medical treatments. A grant for a gravestone is also possible within this framework.
International Minimum Employment Standards
KION is a global corporation, and as such, it takes regional diversity into account in its working conditions. At the same time, the Group is committed to upholding binding standards in line with its social responsibilities toward all its employees. These principles – as well as how they are implemented and monitored, and the relevant chains of responsibility – are defined in KION’s International Minimum Employment Standards. The policy applies across all KION companies and is published in nine languages.
Like the KION Group Code of Compliance, the Minimum Employment Standards affirm that all employees should receive appropriate remuneration and fair access to professional development opportunities regardless of their gender, nationality, skin color, culture, or religion.
Pay scale employees are graded according to the terms of the collective bargaining agreement concluded between IG Metall, the world’s largest organized trade union, and the Nordmetall employers’ federation. Pay grades reflect the requirements placed on an employee across their entire remit and are assigned based on the fulfillment of the criteria for the relevant pay grade. To ensure transparency, all staff have access to a published copy of the relevant collective bargaining agreement.
The equal pay principle applies for all temporary workers. In production and logistics, temporary workers receive the hourly rate stipulated for the equivalent pay grade in the collective bargaining agreement.
Feedback Culture
Employees typically receive feedback on their professional conduct and performance from their line manager. As part of the OCTR (Organization Capability Talent Review) process, the annual performance review provides a formal framework for this. During the year, the mid-year check provides the opportunity to adjust the targets and measures discussed in the performance review. This ensures an ongoing exchange between employees and managers.
Percentage of Sites Where Employees Received Regular Performance and Career Development Reviews
Collaboration with the Works Council
Transparent and constructive dialog with employees and a commitment to giving staff a voice have been cornerstones of the corporate culture of STILL ever since Hans Still first founded the company back in 1920. Over the years, these founding principles have grown in importance and today they are fundamental to STILL’s unique sense of team spirit.
The works council is central to promoting dialog and employee engagement within the company. The Management Board holds regular strategic workshops with the council’s elected employee representatives to discuss the latest issues raised by the trade unions and debate the interests of the different groups involved. As an elected body, the works council is responsible for representing all staff and their respective interests – that means all employee groups and also apprentices and staff members with disabilities. The council serves as a mouthpiece for employees and a link between them and the business. In doing so, it ensures that STILL complies with all European standards for employers and continues to generate attractive and secure jobs for future generations.
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
55% |
|
59% |
|
59% |
Once a year, KION also conducts its global KION Pulse employee survey. In the reporting year, 81 percent of all employees took the opportunity to give feedback (see “Key Targets”). The results of the survey are used to identify the right actions to take to further improve employee engagement and motivation.
Training and Professional Development
KION understands that to secure a successful business future and retain valuable expertise, it needs to equip the next generation with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills they need. In Germany alone, around 70 apprentices and students in dual-study programs start their careers at STILL each year. The company is currently working together with vocational training colleges and professional associations to train over 240 talented young people – both male and female in equal measure – across 15 commercial and business professions. The training of STILL is specifically tailored to industry requirements, meaning these young specialists are extremely well placed to find a job on completion of their training. This is reflected in the fact that STILL retains over 90% of its apprentices.
Professional development is a central component of KION’s HR strategy. In order to establish its long-term position as an attractive employer on the international market, STILL offers its employees a broad program of training opportunities. In addition to a wide range of specialist qualifications, this program includes management training for all management levels. Ranging from basic training to advanced courses for experienced managers with an international focus, this management training provision ensures that all managers have the skills they need to perform their role effectively.
The KION Group companies collaborate closely in terms of their talent management activities and training and development programs. A key component of this work is the OCTR process – an integrated performance, talent, and succession management process covering all employees across the business (while also reflecting local legislative requirements). This process thus supports the company’s performance management activities and promotes a rigorous feedback culture.
The first step in developing talent is to identify talented individuals and assess their specific development needs and potential. Based on the OCTR process, the company holds “talent conferences” to systematically identify talented employees at KION in Germany and nominate them for the appropriate development programs. These include EXPLORE, MOVE, Talent Pool, the KION Transition to Management Program, and the Women’s Mentoring Program. In 2023, the LeadUp operations development program was also launched to support proactive succession planning with the aim of building up a pool of talented future managers for the operational arm of the business. A standardized training plan ensures that participants are selected according to clear criteria and provides for comprehensive training measures.
Employees and managers have access to a range of training opportunities across the Group, which can be undertaken with the approval of their supervisor. The training courses have interactive and practical formats that facilitate transfer into everyday work, and provide opportunities for discussion, reflection, and personal development. As such, they lay the foundation for successful, confident, and future-oriented work.
The introduction of LinkedIn Learning in 2024, which is available to all KION employees worldwide, also meets this requirement. LinkedIn Learning provides an extensive library of online courses created by subject matter experts, and allows employees to learn at a time and location that suits them. The same principle applies to the language training courses on offer. Depending on their personal situation, employees can choose between group language courses, one-on-one language coaching, or self-directed learning.
Diversity
Diversity, equal rights, and inclusion are all central principles that underpin STILL’s HR activities. Everyone deserves the same opportunity to realize their potential and develop their professional skills. It is essential that the dignity of every individual is respected and that all employees are valued, regardless of their gender, sexuality, ethnic or religious background, age, cultural background, or other characteristics. To this end, STILL has regulations and policies in place that prohibit all forms of discrimination, bullying, and harassment within its business. Like any other violation of the KION Group Code of Compliance, all cases of misconduct are subject to disciplinary action. This approach is in step with the values of “courage,” “integrity,” and “collaboration,” which are crucial to ethical action in the entire company group.
The Compliance Committee supports and advises employees concerned throughout the processing and investigation of the report as well as after this process has been completed (for example, by arranging psychological support). The committee also maintains contact with the HR department throughout the process, recommends disciplinary action where appropriate, facilitates communication, and coordinates any training if needed. Diversity issues are also covered in the mandatory compliance training that employees are required to complete each year on the topics of respect in the workplace and the prevention of discrimination and harassment.
Awareness Month
As a cross-functional committee at KION made up of executives from all Group companies, the remit of the Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Council is to define, implement, and review the success of sustainable measures aimed at promoting diversity, inclusion, and equality. One of its first initiatives was the D&I Awareness Month, during which the main focus is on celebrating differences, creating an inclusive and respectful workplace culture, and supporting justice and fairness for all. All staff are encouraged to get involved and increase their understanding, by watching the keynote speeches broadcast worldwide, taking part in the many activities organized at the local sites, or even organizing their own initiatives.
Promoting Women
STILL visits trade fairs, schools, and training events to promote the benefits of professions in the industrial and technical sectors and dispel the misconception that these jobs are predominantly for men. In 2024, STILL took part in “Mädchenwirtschaft,” a hands-on careers fair in Hamburg aimed at inspiring girls to pursue technical and industrial careers. In 2025, eight young women began their training in technical and industrial professions at the Hamburg site.
When looking for trainees, it is important for STILL to raise awareness of the STEM field as an attractive career for girls and young women. To this end, the company offers regular skills seminars for girls aged between 12 and 18. Attendees have the opportunity to work together in small groups to find solutions and complete various tasks, accompanied by constructive individual feedback, and learn about the different technical professions available to them, as well as the training and educational routes into these professions. These events are always attended by senior training staff, as well as apprentices and students in dual-study programs, who can talk to the girls from a shared perspective.
In addition, the Group-wide Female Mentoring Program – which promotes the mutual exchange of knowledge and experiences – supports female colleagues who are already in management roles or will be moving into management in the near future. Mentees on the program have the opportunity to gain new perspectives and develop both personally and professionally aided by personal support and advice from a trusted mentor.
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
15% |
|
15% |
|
14% |
Accessibility
Everyone should have the opportunity to achieve their potential at work, which is why STILL is committed to creating accessible workplaces. The company’s internal representatives for disabled staff represent the interests of this employee group and are on hand to provide the company with relevant advice and support. They ensure that all applicable disability standards are met, petition the responsible internal or external bodies to take any necessary action, gather suggestions and register complaints, and work within the company to resolve these matters.
STILL is supported in its accessibility work by the organization “Elbe-Werkstätten.” The partnership of STILL with the Hamburg-based company began back in the 1980s. At STILL, people with disabilities are fully integrated into daily operations in a dedicated area and receive professional support. The conclusion of the longstanding collaboration is positive for both sides: a reliable partnership that shows that social responsibility and everyday business can go hand in hand.
As a socially responsible employer, STILL is also committed to helping employees return to work after an accident or period of illness. In meeting its commitments in this area, the company works closely with the German Federal Employment Agency, the Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund [German Federal Pension Fund], and vocational rehabilitation training institutions. STILL offers a practical phased return to work, which allows employees whose valuable professional experience would otherwise be lost to re-orientate themselves and integrate back into the workplace.
Compliance with International Labor and Human Rights
In 2025, KION revised its Group-wide International Minimum Employment Standards, which, among other things, enshrine the content of universally recognized human rights and the ILO (International Labour Organization) core labor standards in all employment relationships. It is essential that KION scrutinizes its own conduct, identifies potential risks for employees, and monitors compliance with the standards it has set for itself. To this end, the Group employs various active and passive monitoring mechanisms, such as checks on personal data and requested information, surveys conducted as part of audits by the Group’s internal audit department, and checks on information submitted via the KION compliance management system and the whistleblower hotline in particular. All employees and individuals, both within and outside of the company, are expected to report compliance-related matters and cases of non-compliance, including child labor, slavery, and human trafficking.
In 2024, a mandatory e-learning course was also held for all STILL employees worldwide. The main topics addressed were “Health and Safety,” “Fair Remuneration,” “German Supply Chain Act,” and “Reporting Violations.” As in previous years, there were no cases of non-compliance with the KION minimum employment standards reported in 2025.
STILL verifies the age of all job applicants prior to their recruitment by cross-checking this information against their social security number. STILL also has training and workplace safety teams in place to look after young employees. In the reporting year as well as in the previous years 2024 and 2023, STILL did not employ any staff of compulsory school age.
The minimum employment standards at KION underline the principle of equal pay for equal work, regardless of gender. STILL also conducts regular equal pay reviews.
Compliance with the rules and the accuracy of the data collected across the Group are checked annually by independent auditors during visits to different sites. The assessment of the impacts and risks on human rights again covered 100 percent of the sites in 2025 – as in the previous years 2023 and 2024.