EMPLOYEES

Our employees directly influence the optimization of our customers’ models and processes in the global economy. Software developers, marketing specialists, consultants, and specialists in SAP technology make a real contribution to the improved efficiency, restructured processes, and maximized value of enterprises of all sizes in all industries. Our employees and our entire ecosystem constitute a global community pursuing a common goal: using SAP solutions innovatively to support our customers’ business processes.

Global Diversity Underlies Successes and Innovations

On December 31, 2008, SAP employed over 51,500 people from more than 120 countries. We are committed to our open corporate culture and embrace diversity as a force for innovation.

We seek, through a variety of policies, to gain maximum value from the cultural diversity of our employees and to be open to the different conditions that apply wherever we are present in the world. These are examples of our policies and initiatives in this field: flextime at many of our locations, various part-time models, home work stations, a comprehensive health plan, support for working parents (parent-child offices, for example), good work-life balances, working time models such as sabbaticals and early retirement, performance-based compensation programs, and targeted planning of our recruitment and training strategies. Such measures extend beyond the boundaries of the company and encompass cooperative efforts with the SAP partner network as well as partnerships with other companies.

At SAP, we promote an environment where respect, trust, and openness reign – and motivate our employees to share all of their knowledge and experience with others, helping us foster innovative ways of working. In that way, not only do we benefit from the diversity in our company: so do our partners and customers.

Equal Opportunities

Our approach to recruitment also supports diversity among our employees. We strive at all times to identify the most diverse pool of qualified candidates for any open position. Each region devotes appropriate resources to ensure that open positions are advertised in a manner designed to reach the most diverse population possible. The SAP global recruiting policy is a compilation of all existing human resources policies that regulate the areas of internal and external recruitment.

Global Diversity

With our global diversity policy we seek to provide a framework that positively supports business processes and procedures by considering, integrating, and leveraging diversity globally. Our policy is to do better than complying with the purely legal requirements. For example, one of the business imperatives addresses the efficient and effective cooperation of every team within our global organization based on a common understanding of the company’s values and objectives as well as a respectful way of thinking and acting toward each individual.

Our global diversity office was established in 2006 with a charter to continue expanding diversity efforts and make them sustainable throughout the organization. Programs include GlobeSmart, an online intercultural tool designed to help employees work more effectively with colleagues and vendors around the world, as well as support for diversity-related employee networks, diversity week workplace activities, and special workshops for employees. Worldwide, more than 1,990 employees joined in over 150 SAP education events on intercultural, diversity, and gender aspects in 2008.

Code of Business Conduct

Our Code of Business Conduct, which is binding on all SAP employees, sets the standard for how they interact with customers, partners, competitors, and vendors. The Code reflects our continuing commitment to maintain our reputation as a serious, professional business partner. It is part of SAP’s business policy to carry out all company activities in accordance with the letter and spirit of applicable legal requirements and therefore keep high standards of business ethics. We see our Code not just as a collection of legal requirements to be fulfilled; it contains the principles that inform how we do business and it reflects our moral and ethical obligation to customers and partners.