The success of the Schloss Wachenheim Group depends largely on the qualifications and motivation of the employees of the Group companies. Motivated specialists and managers who feel closely connected to the company and its goals are an essential prerequisite for successful corporate development in the Schloss Wachenheim AG Group. So that we can attract, retain and further qualify the best talent for all tasks, we create framework conditions that support all employees in delivering optimal performance for the success of the group companies.

In the 2023/24 financial year, the Schloss Wachenheim Group employed an average of 1,743 people. At Schloss Wachenheim AG, the average number of employees is 284.

Our corporate culture, which is based on open communication, mutual appreciation, equal opportunities and diversity, is the basis for successful, trusting and respectful cooperation. Discrimination based on gender, age, ancestry, religion, disability or other characteristics protected by law is not tolerated in the companies of the Schloss Wachenheim Group. Rather, we see a diverse employee structure as an important success factor for our group of companies.

As of June 30, 2024, 85 of the employees at Schloss Wachenheim AG are younger than 30 years old; across the Group, this amounts to 277 employees. In addition, we are particularly proud to employ numerous employees who have been working for the group for many years. At Schloss Wachenheim AG, we employ 66 and across the Group 154 employees with more than 25 years of service. This diversity of youth and experience enables us to operate successfully in an increasingly competitive environment and to further consolidate our position in the future.

The proportion of women in management positions at Schloss Wachenheim AG (target and actually achieved proportion) is reported in the combined corporate governance statement for Schloss Wachenheim AG and the Schloss Wachenheim Group. Overall, the proportion of female employees in the total workforce as of June 30, 2024 at Schloss Wachenheim AG is around 38% and 43% across the Group.

We are continuously working to further increase the attractiveness of our group companies as employers in order to attract, motivate and develop highly qualified employees in times of a shortage of skilled workers. To contact potential new employees, we use both print media and digital platforms as well as external service providers and recruiting fairs (both virtual and on-site events).

For several years, we have been rolling out an employer branding concept at Schloss Wachenheim AG. Under the slogan “Prickelnde Chancen für junge Talente” [“Exciting chances for young talents”], it is primarily aimed at young people seeking for a traditional vocational training, which is an important recruiting channel for us. Another of our attention-grabbing highlights is the YouTube video “Tagespraktikum” ["One-day Internship"] with the popular Trier artists Franco Piccolini and Luigi Ferrari. But experienced specialists and managers are also in the focus of our versatile advertising measures for Schloss Wachenheim as an employer - with the slogan “Trocken ist bei uns nur der Sekt” ["Only the sparkling wine is dry with us"]. We summarize information for applicants and our current job offers under the - memorable and well-fitting – internet domain www.sparklingjobs.com.

Another objective is to provide attractive, market- and performance-based remuneration for all employees, which is based on the employee’s area of responsibility and the conditions of the local labor markets. In the case of collective agreements, voluntary allowances are granted in many cases. Other special benefits include – depending on the country of employment and the group company – voluntary contributions to pension schemes, subsidies for sporting activities, anniversary bonuses, group accident insurance and much more.

We also encourage our employees to participate in the company. In the 2023/24 financial year, around half of the eligible employees took advantage of the offer to purchase shares in Schloss Wachenheim AG on special employee terms (Section 71 Paragraph 1 No. 2 AktG). In total, employees purchased 6,740 shares.

Maintaining health and safety in the workplace is a top priority in all Group companies. In addition to complying with all occupational safety regulations, this also includes preventive measures such as driver safety trainings for field staff, discounts in various fitness studios or the free provision of fruit and mineral water at Schloss Wachenheim AG. Measures to design the workplace for employees with health restrictions should also be mentioned here.

In addition to remuneration aspects, employees increasingly value modern and flexible working conditions as well as support in improving the work-life balance. Time account systems, trust-based working hours, but also mobile working, flexible working time models and part-time arrangements are among the offers that our employees can use to varying degrees depending on their function, work tasks and country of employment.

An important focus of our HR strategy, especially in Germany, continues to be on traditional vocational training. Our goal is to provide young people with good training and thereby open up opportunities for professional and personal development. We promote this with the recruiting slogan “Prickelnde Chancen für junge Talente” [“Exciting chances for young talents”]. A total of 27 young women and men (thereof 24 at Schloss Wachenheim AG) are currently completing their vocational training at the group companies in Germany in the following occupations: industrial clerk, IT specialist for system integration or application development, warehouse logistics specialist, industrial mechanic, wine technologist, machine and plant operator and electronics technician for industrial engineering. Every year, we take on a high proportion of these trainees in permanent employment after completing their vocational training. Several of our trainees have repeatedly been recognized as the best in their training year, which makes us very proud and confirms the quality of our training.

We also regularly give students an insight into various of our fields of activity in the form of internships, thereby supporting them in their career orientation.

In addition, there are various opportunities for employees to further their education and qualifications, which, given the size of our company and the variety of work areas, are mainly based on individual agreements. These include interactive training days with mandatory content such as hygiene and occupational safety instructions, but also subject-specific events for special work areas for further qualification. This opens up opportunities for employees to develop professionally and personally and at the same time forms an important basis for us to recruit qualified employees from within our own ranks for vacant key and management positions.

Employee surveys and individual feedback discussions support the further development of our management culture and document the interest and willingness of the workforce to actively contribute to the further development of the Group companies. For superiors and management of our Group companies, these results are also important indicators of employee satisfaction.

As part of the company suggestion system, employees can contribute their know-how and creativity to develop new business potential or to improve existing procedures and processes. In a structured process, the ideas submitted are examined and evaluated and implemented suggestions for improvement are rewarded accordingly.

We work constructively with employee representatives in accordance with the applicable legal framework. The applicable national legal provisions on employee participation are observed in all Group companies.