Tecan is very aware of the enormous responsibility it bears for its employees, who are the foundation of the company’s successful development. The basis for working with Tecan is an open, diverse and integrated culture that focuses on dealing with one another respectfully, with the same rights and opportunities for all employees. To ensure this, personnel policies are binding at all Tecan sites around the globe. National hiring rules ensure compliance with laws on, for example, gender equality and non-discrimination. Both Tecan managers and employees are also held to strict ethical guidelines. These ethical guidelines are firmly established in the Code of Conduct and form part of the training requirements for all employees. As part of fundamental labor rights, Tecan is also committed to observing international labor and social standards that are based on the defined standards of the United Nations’ International Labour Organization (ILO). The four basic principles of the ILO are freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of forced or compulsory labor, the abolition of child labor and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. By signing the UN Global Compact, Tecan committed to these as well as to principles relating to human rights, business ethics and environmental responsibility. Tecan employees and external stakeholders are able to report potential events of misconduct over an independent, third party managed whistleblowing platform, which ensures the highest standards of confidentiality and anonymity. 

In 2022, Tecan included social impact and governance targets in Management Board short-term variable cash compensation, as described in the Compensation Report. These targets also applied to all managers within Tecan who receive variable pay, in varying percentages. In 2023, social impact targets are again included for all senior leaders within the company, with ESG (environment, social and governance) targets linked directly to a total of 20% of the Management Board’s short-term variable pay. 

Tecan aims to offer a workplace free from discrimination, in which each employee has equal opportunity to reach their full potential. This is an essential element of a positive workplace culture, enabling Tecan to have a beneficial social impact and strengthening business performance. It is well-known that engaged and motivated employees are higher performers than those who are disenchanted or excluded from opportunities to flourish, and it is important to Tecan to offer high quality employment, another example of putting our corporate values into action. For these reasons, “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” (DEI) is a sustainability focus area at Tecan. 

Tecan’s efforts as an employer support UN SDG 5.1, to “End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere” and contribute to UN SDG 5.5, “to ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life”. They also support UN SDG 8.5, “to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.”

Tecan conducted employee engagement surveys in 2020 and 2021 and attained particularly high scores on questions related to diversity and inclusion: over 90% of employees said that people at Tecan are treated fairly regardless of their race or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, or their gender. Employee feedback provided the welcome confirmation that Tecan is succeeding in its aim to offer a positive culture and a workplace free from discrimination, in which each employee has equal opportunity to reach their full potential. The strong message from employees that they feel secure to be themselves at Tecan has been reflected in our employer branding, inviting prospective colleagues as well to “Stay unique and make it count.”

Tecan’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is incorporated in the Code of Conduct, Human Rights and Responsible Business Practices policy, and Supplier Code of Conduct, all of which are found on tecan.com, as well as in Tecan’s internal Employment Principles. In cases where these policies are contravened, employees and other stakeholders can report this anonymously via Tecan’s independent third party whistleblower service, as described in the Governance section of this report. In 2022, five whistleblower hotline reports were made covering various topics, investigations found no breaches in four instances and one investigation is continuing, on a topic outside of the scope of DEI. 

Tecan aims for greater diversity in senior management, and in recent years initiatives have been introduced that are known to increase gender equality in this regard, including: 

• Flex time, allowing employees wherever possible and subject to local law, to choose when their required worktime is completed 
• Support of part time work, which encourages equal sharing of caregiver responsibilities
• Diversity mentoring, a global program designed to embrace, support and empower diversity by matching selected candidates with members of senior management who receive training for this program. 

Tecan joined WeAdvance in 2020, and is therefore able to offer employees access to the WeAdvance cross-company exchange and mentoring program as well as to research and events offered by the association. The goal of WeAdvance is to “reach a sustainable minimum of 30% female representation at all management levels across all member companies by 2030.” 

An equal pay audit conducted in 2021 and verified by an independent third party auditor showed no gender-based inequality in pay at Tecan in Switzerland, and it is anticipated that the same audit will be carried out in additional Tecan locations in future. 

In 2022, two Tecan managers participated in the United Nations Global Compact program “Target Gender Equality”, an accelerator initiative structured around facilitated performance analysis, capacity building workshops, peer-to-peer learning and multi-stakeholder dialogue at the country level. Tecan participated in the sessions for Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and Tecan’s CEO sponsored the participation as ambassador. The program results in a tailored action plan for participating companies, which is being developed for Tecan in Q1, 2023, and will be implemented from 2023 onwards. 

In Tecan US, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) provide new employees with welcoming communities of colleagues with shared interests and experiences, and these groups also highlight diversity within Tecan. Te-CAAP (Tecan Committee of African American Professionals), an ERG formed in 2020, continues to support a culture built on inclusion, awareness, and connections to each other. Te-CAAP’s mission is “to champion a positive and inclusive environment for all African diaspora employees, and to foster education, discussion and dialogue among colleagues, inspiring awareness and growth within the company.” Outreach and support for local communities is also an aim, as well as strengthening bonds and providing a change of pace through social events. 

In 2022, Te-CAAP organized a Day of Service and a food bank drive in honor of Martin Luther King day, and throughout February noted Black History Month with a weekly awareness campaign highlighting the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), the connection between the quaint Swiss Alpine town of Saint-Maurice in the Canton of Valais and the Roman military leader of the same name from Egypt, and the Divine 9 of the US Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Juneteenth was also recognized, with a guest speaker providing an insightful perspective on Juneteenth – The Freedom to Be. “Journey to the Caribbean” combined a Caribbean-themed social event including Caribbean cuisine along with the chance to learn about the contribution Caribbean Americans have made to the US since its founding. The “On the Same Page” book club, launched jointly with the ERG Women Empowering Women, continues this dual approach with lively discussions about social justice-themed novels. 

WEW (Women Empowering Women) was founded as an ERG in 2021, and has 23 US-based members. A monthly newsletter highlights “The Women of Tecan,” and monthly mixers allow members to get to know each other better, network, and support one another. Events organized by WEW in 2022 included an International Women’s Day Virtual Event sharing short videos around the year’s theme “Break the Bias,” and a celebration of Women's History Month, sponsoring a series of interactive internal social media posts centering on women pioneers throughout history. Along with the ERG Service Women Empowering Women, WEW co-hosted an International Women in Engineering Day virtual event with a Ted Talk by Debbie Sterling, the founder of Goldieblox, and Women’s Equality Day was marked with a virtual event sharing a Ted Talk by Valerie Alexander on “How to Outsmart your own Unconscious Bias.” 

In 2022, WEW supported the global not-for-profit organization Dress for Success, which is dedicated to empowering women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Combining the drive for equality with community engagement WEW hosted a Dress for Success fundraiser, raising over $1300 for Dress for Success Worldwide through initiatives including collecting clothing in Tecan’s North Carolina office, donating gift cards to the local NC Chapter of Dress for Success, and inspiring the donation of clothing directly to other local chapters by WEW members outside of North Carolina. As with Te-CAAP, WEW events are open to all Tecan colleagues and are playing a significant part in creating the positive workplace culture Tecan strives to uphold.

Tecan’s team is comprised of experts from different fields and professions working together to fulfil Tecan’s purpose: improving people’s lives and health by empowering our customers to scale healthcare innovation globally, from life science to the clinic. The team is making their contribution count – not just as skilled professionals, but also as unique individuals who solve challenges and inspire others to follow their lead. To emphasize who we are and what makes us special as an employer, Tecan launched in 2022 the employer branding journey “Stay unique and make it count”. Providing a positive workplace culture gives room to colleagues to experiment and grow, fostering innovation and therefore providing benefits to all our stakeholders. 

Tecan goes beyond the ethical behavior expected of good employers, offering a range of benefits, trainings and development globally. 

To support employee’s health and well-being, the Männedorf office space has height-adjustable ergonomic workstations, abundant natural light, free fresh fruit provided daily and free-of-charge standup paddleboards for use on Lake Zurich. Globally, a program to help colleagues strengthen resilience in difficult times was added to Tecan’s online learning portal in 2021, and continued to be a resource in 2022. Colleagues in China, faced with an extended period of COVID-related lockdown, tapped into a series of online activities organized by local colleagues to combat isolation and keep spirits lifted. 

2022 saw celebrations both for the integration and rebranding of Paramit, and the 50th anniversary of an earlier Tecan acquisition, Cavro. Activities welcoming Paramit colleagues included bringing in an array of the Morgan Hill, California, area’s best food trucks and a performance by Tecan’s in-house rock band, The Dilutorz. Cavro’s anniversary was celebrated with parties in San José, California, as well as Switzerland, Japan and China. Tecan’s internal social media channel lit up with photos and stories shared, strengthening bonds around the world. 

Transparent communication is valued at Tecan. Senior management team members are approachable and accessible, and the teams’ best practices, learnings and successes are shared regularly through channels from newsletters to internal conferences, the internal social media platform, and in 2022, Tecan’s newly launched intranet, The Dot. Communications are also facilitated with podcasts, and monthly video messages from Tecan’s CEO, which often generate informal follow-up discussion on the internal social media platform. Tecan employees describe their experience working at Tecan on the  career pages. 

One of Tecan’s strategic initiatives is to build, empower and strengthen people in order to achieve their maximum potential. Via the Learning@Tecan program Tecan offers a wide range of trainings built upon its values of trust, highest standards and ambition. Trainings are offered both internally or externally and they are conducted in various forms such as instructor-led, virtual, and self-learning. Employees may choose from a variety of courses around topics like Leadership & Culture, Skills Learning and Exchange@Tecan. The Learning@Tecan Program constantly evolves to meet the changing needs of employees and the organization. It is also adapted to the local needs across the different sites and organizations around the globe. In 2022, Learning@Tecan launched a new interface to allow for scalability and facilitate the learning and engagement of all learners worldwide. 

Tecan operates in highly regulated markets like the diagnostic sector. Therefore ongoing professional and continuing training is a key requirement critical to business. Due to strict industry-specific requirements, Tecan must comply with requirements and guidelines set forth by various supervisory authorities and must also demonstrate that its employees possess the required knowledge. Aided by an SAP-based system, Tecan ensures that training processes are carried out to a sufficient standard throughout the company. Each individual employee receives a personalized training profile, enabling employees and line managers to check and update the current training status. It also ensures that information on training levels is available electronically at all times for audits. Tecan is working continuously to develop and improve this learning system. It is intended to provide an effective performance record and offer employees the best possible training opportunities.

In 2022, Tecan was able to extend training opportunities by offering all employees access to LinkedIn Learning, and 20 hours of paid working time in which to pursue this. Trainings conducted by Product Management, mandatory trainings assigned via the online Learning Services Organization platform, and external trainings organized and financed by line managers are also among the development opportunities provided at Tecan.

Tecan focuses on developing its top talent and future leaders through the global talent management program Next Gen Tecan, initiated in 2019. The aim of this 18-month long program is to offer nominated employees a broad experience within Tecan. In addition to workshops focused on different aspects of personal and professional development, it comprises a personal mentoring from one of the Management Board members. The second phase provides an opportunity to get to know Tecan better, including deep dives in different departments, sites and regions. The third phase focuses on concrete projects, each sponsored by members of the Management Board. Ten colleagues have completed this program and another 11 enrolled in 2021, continuing into 2023. The first ten participants worked together to successfully complete three projects, and some have since undertaken new roles within Tecan, including follow-on work to the successfully delivered projects. 

To foster personal growth and career development, Tecan maintains a mentoring program that is available to all employees. In addition to the general program, special programs such as diversity mentoring are offered. The mentoring program can help employees in meeting their career goals, get practical advice, encouragement or support, and further develop capabilities and personal skills. Overall, it supports networking within the company and has a positive impact, improving leadership and social competencies. 

Tecan’s annual performance review process is offered to 100% of our employees, and in 2022 was carried out for 82.15%. Line managers are also encouraged to seek employee input and provide regular feedback regarding performance outside of the formal review process.

Tecan participates in providing high quality apprenticeships, to train future generations. There were 17 people enrolled in Tecan’s Swiss apprenticeship program in 2022, contributing to UN SDG 8.6, to “substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training.” 

Excluding apprenticeships, on average Tecan employees enjoyed an estimated 33.51 hours of training per employee in 2022, with a total of more than 8,000 hours spent on Learning@Tecan courses, amongst 33 types of trainings.