401–403 Management Approach Social

Employment

Boliden considers the ability to recruit, develop, and retain competent employees as a prerequisite for its success. It is important to achieve a balance between the company’s capabilities and commitments. This means having the right skills in the right place, at the right time. The employees are our best ambassadors when it comes to attracting new employees to join the company. Another prerequisite for successfully attracting and retaining good employees is that Boliden offers a work environment that balances work and leisure time. Good health is not only positive for the individual but also for Boliden’s success.

The company’s talent pool, and the skills and knowledge possessed by Boliden’s employees are vital if Boliden is to achieve its strategic and operational objectives. By identifying important future competence challenges, employees and managers are ­afforded the opportunity to develop skills in line with Boliden’s strategic goals.

Work on competence development and recruitment is also based on the Group’s strategic goals of contributing to diversity and increased equality. Operating in a male-dominated industry, in regions with limited recruitment bases and keen competition for engineers with specialist training is a challenge.

Health and Safety

Occupational health & safety is Boliden’s most important issue as it involves the safety and, ultimately, the lives of Boliden’s employees and contractors, and the materiality is obvious in a work environment with inherent risks. Employment, Labor/Management Relations, Training & Education, Diversity & Equal Opportunity, and Equal Remuneration are material topics as they impact Boliden’s ability to attract, retain, and develop people.

Boliden faces major retirements, competes for a scarce supply of relevant competences, and is located in rural areas – the ability to offer a work environment dominated by foresight, development, and employee care is crucial to the business. Supplier assessment for sound and safe labor practices is material to Boliden’s ambition to be the sustainable first link in the metal’s value chain.

Training and education

Keeping all employees updated with regard to technological, functional, and leadership skills is essential to Boliden’s perform­ance. Every employee should be able to influence his or her own development and Boliden should provide resources and opportunities to make sure that employees have the right skills to perform their work tasks in a safe and efficient way at all times. Boliden considers training and education as material topics and has a number of internal programs for career and skill development.

Diversity and equal opportunity

Diversity leads to dynamism, creativity, and, ultimately, to greater profitability. Boliden works to ensure its workforce is made up of people with different backgrounds, ages, and experiences.

Rights of indigenous peoples

Operations in northern Sweden and northern Finland are in the reindeer-herding areas. Boliden promotes open dialogue and long-term cooperation with Sami communities in order to ­mitigate the negative impacts of its mining activities on local people and the environment.

Resettlement and closure planning

Boliden’s operations involve land use for mining, industrial areas, and ponds for use as tailings and clarification ponds. ­Conservation and reclamation of mining areas which reach the end of their production lifespan is, therefore, part of Boliden’s operations and responsibilities.

Supplier social and environmental assessment

In line with its values to constantly improve and take respons­ibility for its entire value chain, Boliden works together with its suppliers and customers to be a responsible and credible business partner.

Society

The majority of topics deemed to be material with regard to society concern Boliden’s relationship with external stakeholders, and are at the core of Boliden’s ambition both to promote sustain­ability in the industry and to be the sustainable first link in the metal’s value chain.

They may also have a significant impact on perceptions of Boliden and play a key role with regard to Boliden’s license to operate and ability to develop its business. These topics are local communities, anti-corruption, anti-competitive behavior, compliance, and resettlement. Industrial operations change the landscape and closure planning is, accordingly, an additional important factor for consideration during the licensing process.

Social Grievance Mechanisms

Effective grievance mechanisms play an important role in remediating impacts for labor practices. All Boliden employees can file grievances via managers, HR functions or union representatives. Anonymous grievances can also be filed via Boliden’s whistle blower function, which can be accessed by all employees via the intranet, ensuring that they are protected against any form of reprisals. Any grievances filed via these channels are to be dealt with swiftly and according to standardized procedures.