Human Rights

Our human rights policy

KONGSBERG strives to respect and promote all internationally recognised human rights, including but not limited to those set out in the International Bill of Human Rights, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and applicable standards of international humanitarian law.

KONGSBERG shall meet the requirements of the Norwegian Transparency Act and conduct human rights due diligence in line with the OECD Guidelines in addition to applicable legislation in all countries in which KONGSBERG operates.

Due Diligence

Human rights due diligence is integrated in relevant business processes including the enterprise risk management process.  We are developing a risk-based approach and aim to conduct more thorough stand-alone human rights impact assessments with mitigating action plans where there is a higher risk for adverse impacts. Our due diligence shall continuous and where adverse impacts are identified we will cease, prevent and/or mitigate these. We shall provide for or contribute to remediation where this is required.

Our standards

We incorporate our standards into our Code of Conduct and also our Suppliers Code Principles as well as our internal directives.

Diversity, inclusion and belonging

We are committed to equal opportunities and will not tolerate any form of discrimination.

There shall be no discrimination in hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination, or retirement on the basis of race, sex, colour, national or social origin, ethnicity, caste, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identifi­cation or expression, political affiliation, union membership or any other status protected by applicable law.

We support employees’ freedom of association and recognise the right to collective bargaining in accordance with national laws and regulations. Where the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining is restricted under law, we shall facilitate and not hinder, the development of parallel means of free and independent organisation and collective bargaining.

Fair reward

We are committed to promoting a work environment that fosters communication, productivity, creativity, teamwork, and employee engagement.

We will provide a consistent reward framework that supports the recruitment, retention, development, performance management, and motivation of our employees. We will also recognize our employees for their performance and contribution based on our company values.

As a minimum, there shall be full compliance with applicable laws regarding wages, working hours, overtime and bene­fits. In any event, wages should always be sufficient to meet basic needs and to provide some discretionary income.

All employees shall be provided with written and understandable information about their employment conditions in respect to wages before they enter employment.

Working time

We will comply with national regulations and collective agreements on working time and where possible provide for a flexible working environment.

Working patterns may vary but shall as a minimum be compliant with applicable laws regarding working time, including the requirements set out in international labour standards. Any deviation shall be documented as specified above.

Slavery, human Trafficking, forced Labour

We shall not use or profit from any form of human trafficking, slavery or forced labour, including involuntary prison labour.

All employees shall have freedom of movement, the right to resign at any time and to leave after meeting the conditions of their contract and notice period.

Employees shall not pay any form of deposit to secure their employment. Employees’ wages, benefits, property, identity papers or similar shall never be withheld for the employee to continue their employment.

Child labour

We shall not hire, use, or profit from any form of child labour.

We will not employ anyone under the age of 15, except where the local minimum age is set to 14 in line with the exceptions contained in ILO Convention 138. Where the local minimum age of employment or mandatory school leaving age is higher than 15, we will not employ anyone under that age in the specific country.

Children and young persons under the age of 18 shall not conduct hazardous work. This includes work that could endanger their health, safety, or morals.

We are committed to the development of young people by providing various training and apprenticeship programs across the world.

Resourcing & Mobility

The basis for recruitment, hiring, placement, development, training, compensation, and advancement at KONGSBERG is qualifications, performance, skills and experience.

No recruitment fees or related costs shall be paid by workers. Where evidence of fee-charging is identified, workers shall be reimbursed.

Health & Safety

We shall ensure a safe and healthy workplace for all. Our vision is zero injuries and accidents for all parts of our business.

Employees shall receive the personal protective equipment and training they require to conduct their work in a safe manner. Training shall be documented.

We provide employees appropriate, safe, and hygienic facilities, including sufficient ventilation, access to toilets and drinking water. This includes both in the workplace and for accommodation where this is provided.

Abuse or harassment will not be tolerated in the workplace or in any work-related circumstance outside the workplace. When we consider abuse and harassment this shall include physical abuse or discipline, sexual harassment, verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation, as well as the threat of any such forms of abuse or harassment.

Minority rights

We shall not engage in activities that cause or contribute to harm to the livelihoods of marginalised populations, such as through the irresponsible use of land, territories, or other natural resources. We shall carefully consider whether and how our activities may cause or contribute to such impact.

Privacy

We recognise and respect employees’ right to privacy and shall handle all personal data in line with our Binding Corporate Rules and applicable legislation such as GDPR.

Where surveillance is required, such as for safety purposes, investigating concerns or maintaining cyber security the impact on employees and others will be assessed and measures put in place to minimise interference with their privacy.

Humanitarian law

We shall respect all applicable standards of international humanitarian law.

Environment and climate

We recognise the impact of environmental harm and climate change on human rights.

We seek to reduce the environmental impact of our operations, products and services and develop new solutions for green technology through investment in research and development and by applying technological innovation.

Reporting

We will provide details on our human rights activities throughout our annual sustainability report.