Diversity & Inclusion

We regard the differences between and diversity of our employees as an important requirement for our Company’s success. Against this backdrop, ProSiebenSat.1 Group signed the Diversity Charter in 2014 and follows the guidelines specified in it. Our internal guidelines also stipulate that employees at all hierarchy levels should be hired exclusively according to objective criteria and promoted solely on the basis of their abilities. We aim to promote diversity within our workforce and champion equal rights and equal opportunities in accordance with the guiding principle for the action area of diversity. The HR department and the Corporate Sustainability Office in particular are responsible for the further development of diversity management, the targeted focus, and the operational implementation of associated measures. 

This also includes the further development of our inclusion efforts. The Group management and the works council concluded an inclusivity agreement with the representative body for disabled employees in 2021.. Since the beginning of the period under review, ProSiebenSat.1 Group has also been cooperating with the myAbility talent program, which supports students and university graduates with disabilities and chronic illnesses in German-speaking countries by providing them with career coaching and opportunities for networking and job shadowing. In a training course organized by myAbility and the Labor Law department in 2021, the Group also raised awareness about recruitment of and inclusive dealings with severely disabled people, different types of disabilities and inclusive language.  

In addition, diversity is aided by the best possible balance of men and women in the workforce and in management positions. As of December 31, 2021, 48.9% (previous year: 48.4%) of employees in the Group were female. The proportion of female managers decreased slightly from 35.2% to 35.0%. When it comes to filling management positions in the Group, men and women should be hired purely on the basis of their professional and personal aptitude. We have therefore integrated “gender equality” into ProSiebenSat.1 Group’s sustainability strategy as a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5) that is particularly relevant to us. The internal and external communication of this goal sends a clear signal both to potential managers and to decision-makers at all management levels in selection processes.

ProSiebenSat.1 Group is committed to barrier-free access to its offerings. For this reason, we offer subtitled programming areas and audio descriptions for deaf and hard of hearing people on our channels, among other things, in order to improve the dissemination of information. Back in 2000, ProSieben introduced the first regular subtitle service for the deaf on private television. Accessible content is broadcast on nearly all of the Group's free TV stations, with the amount steadily increasing. The range of subtitling services was expanded in 2021 and many formats were also offered with audio descriptions (e.g. “Joko & Klaas gegen ProSieben” and “ProSieben Spezial LIVE: Joe Biden wird US-Präsident”). In addition, sign language was used for the first time on shows such as “ProSieben Spezial. Das Kanzler-Kandidat:in-Interview” and “Zervakis und Opdenhövel. Live.” and in the three-way debates during the federal election campaigns. We will endeavor to increase our accessible offerings in the future, too.

Moreover, the German Interstate Media Treaty of broadcasters of nationwide programs and Videoon-Demand providers also promotes the expansion of accessible offerings within the limits of technical and financial possibility. Individual states and the German government have  published action plans to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which also aim to include more accessible formats on television. The state media authorities regularly monitor this expansion. Subtitles are currently included in the programming on five German ProSiebenSat.1 stations: SAT.1, ProSieben, Kabel Eins, sixx, and ProSieben MAXX. In the current reference period on which the state media authorities’ monitoring is based, the number of the Group’s shows that were subtitled and the broadcast time were once again increased significantly. The number of subtitled shows within the broadcasting group increased by around 23% (September to December 2021: 5,485 shows; previous year: 4,452). The corresponding broadcast time in 2021 went up by about 18%.