Employee relations and labour rights

We respect and uphold fundamental labour rights and determinedly pursue constructive employee relations in every area of our business.

Annual Report 2024

Why employee relations and labour rights matter

The way we treat employees and their representatives is fundamental to responsible business practices, and it is grounded in respect for internationally recognised labour rights in all our workplaces. We are committed to respecting labour rights and ensuring constructive employee relations in all our workplaces.

These commitments are based on core International Labour Organization conventions and internationally accepted frameworks from the UN and OECD, as well as compliance with applicable local legislation where we operate.

Our ambition

Respect for fundamental labour rights is an essential part of Maersk’s social commitments, which include offering decent, fair and equitable working conditions for all employees.

We assess potential risks affecting both own employees and third-party labour, and take proactive and corrective measures to ensure our operations and growth align with our commitments on social responsibility.

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Employee relation and labor rights

Our targets

100%
Of employees within Maersk trained in employee relations and labour rights

Highlights in 2024

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94% of in-scope employees trained in employee relations and labour rights
Reaching all employees is an ongoing challenge, however we keep the rigour of a 100% annual target.
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Continued roll-out of our third-party labour standard
In 2024 we targeted training for leaders to address the specific risks in our APM Terminals and frontline Logistics & Services businesses.
Alignment with our core governance policies
In 2024, our Supplier Code of Conduct were updated to align with the new Global Standards on Third Party Labour.

Priorities and actions

Our priority is to ensure constructive employee relations with full support for the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. We actively engage with trade unions, workers councils and other employee representative bodies, and take a proactive approach to managing new challenges responsibly as the scope of our business grows.

Decision Making

Managing our commitments

We manage our employee and labour rights commitments using a central governance system, and policies covering specific business areas of our business.
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Driving progress

An established Employee Relations Council sets direction and monitors progress. All our employees receive training on employee relations and labour rights.
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Third-party labour rights

We proactively invest in solutions to emerging issues, such as third-party labour working conditions.
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Rights on land

Our global Integrated logistics strategy has a built-in expansion for our labour rights-related activities on land.

Featured highlights and case stories

Driving compliance for our global standards

In 2024, we launched a tracking app to monitor training progress and supplier performance, providing a consolidated dashboard across People Function, Procurement, and Operations.

This effort is supported by steering committees including Senior Executive Management for APM Terminals and frontline Logistics & Services oversee progress and ensure full compliance.

In 2025, we plan to expand the tracking app use across the business as a single source of truth for documenting compliance.

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Annual Report 2024

For the first time, we are reporting on our sustainability performance as an integrated part of Maersk's Annual Report. See the report for more information on progress towards environmental, social and governance commitments.
Annual Report 2024
Annual report 2024

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Diversity, equity and inclusion

We are committed to creating diverse and inclusive workplaces where every Maersk employee feels equally included and valued for who they are and what they contribute.
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Safety and security

Follow our progress as we embed the capacity to fail safely into our business and the industries we influence.

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Learn more about Maersk’s values, leadership, and history.
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