Empowering People – Opening New Perspectives
At every company location, we help our employees grow and encourage fair, respectful collaboration—even in challenging times. Across the globe, we set clear social and environmental standards in our supply chain. Wherever we work, we promote education, inclusion, and a strong sense of community.
Our Focus Areas in Social Responsibility
Responsibility for Employees
Digitalisation, artificial intelligence, shifting markets, and demographic changes shape products, technologies, and business models. These changes also affect personnel structures, responsibilities, and teamwork. ZWILLING meets this transformation with dedicated leadership, targeted qualification, and the goal to make adjustments transparent and support employees with care.
Employees in the ZWILLING Group contribute to long-term value creation worldwide.
Proportion of women in management positions in 2025.
ZWILLING employees worldwide covered by a collective agreement.
Social, technological, and economic changes bring new challenges for every company. ZWILLING is restructuring, which means making tough decisions, including reducing positions. These steps impact employees in their professional and personal lives. ZWILLING acts with fairness, transparency, and respect.
We continue to focus on creating future-ready jobs and development opportunities. Our leadership principles offer guidance and reliability. We invest in training and education, empowering employees to take on new roles and supporting them through change.
We communicate decisions openly and show new paths where possible. In challenging times, a company’s social responsibility becomes clear.
ZWILLING managers guide teams through a complex, changing workplace. They build trust, encourage collaboration, and unite diverse perspectives. Leadership at ZWILLING means steering international teams with a cooperative approach, blending digital skills with sustainable development.
To support this, we have introduced Leadership Principles across the group. Developed with international input, these principles focus on trust, diversity, entrepreneurial thinking, customer orientation, and openness to change. ZWILLING managers connect local insight with global perspective, adapting to each location’s culture and structure.
Rolling out the Leadership Principles started a group-wide process to strengthen responsible leadership at ZWILLING and anchor it in daily work. Training formats – workshops, digital learning, and coaching – help managers engage with each principle. The focus stays on real challenges: leading global teams, balancing economic efficiency with sustainability, building open feedback, and navigating change.
These formats offer practical, role-specific learning for different regions and experience levels. Dialogue stands at the centre: managers reflect, share experiences, and develop solutions together. This shapes a leadership culture ready to address tensions with responsibility and openness to learning.
Digital technology, new ways of working, and changing business models raise the bar for ZWILLING teams everywhere. ZWILLING supports employees in professional and personal growth, tailored to roles, markets, and experience. Alongside everyday learning in projects and agile teams, we offer internal training, coaching, and external development.
Employees gain IT skills, specialist and methodological knowledge, and expertise in communication, leadership, and collaboration. Digital learning formats grow in importance, complementing in-person training. Team-based knowledge transfer remains key as specialist knowledge changes quickly. ZWILLING aims to build a learning culture that equips people for change and encourages active participation.
Even in economically challenging times, apprenticeship training at ZWILLING remains an essential pillar of personnel development – and an investment in the future. At our Solingen location, we offer, in addition to classic dual vocational training, combined programs with a university of applied sciences degree. By the end of 2025, ZWILLING had 30 young people in training, including 10 dual-degree students. High professional standards, individual guidance from dedicated trainers in the respective departments, and additional seminars and targeted exam preparation all help apprentices succeed along the way. This consistently translates into above-average graduation results – and in 2025, we were once again able to offer every graduate a job.
Our apprentice blog and Instagram channel give an authentic look at day-to-day training life at ZWILLING. Here, our young talents post their own content and videos – covering everything from training topics and semesters abroad to tips on applications and starting a career. This builds connection, sparks interest, and helps us secure the quality of our applications going forward, while also strengthening our profile as a training company.
Employee health and workplace safety are priorities at ZWILLING. We take measures at every site to prevent accidents, occupational illnesses, and overexertion. ZWILLING identifies health and safety risks early, takes action, and pursues measurable improvements.
Overall responsibility for occupational health and safety rests with the Executive Board member for Operations (COO) of ZWILLING J.A. Henckels AG. Local companies build safety structures and meet legal requirements. Beyond mandatory training, we run regular safety sessions to raise awareness of risks. Almost all ZWILLING employees worldwide are now covered by an occupational health and safety management system.
Responsibility on Site: Initiatives for Employees
ZWILLING supports employee health with offers from preventative care to yoga and a holistic health management system at Solingen.
ZWILLING Shanghai received “Advanced Member 2024” recognition for preventive fire protection – a sign of active safety culture.
ZWILLING India opens an in-house daycare at Swarnabhoomi, supporting the balance of work and family.
ZWILLING builds team spirit at Pleasantville, USA, through joint activities and social involvement in the region.
Sustainable Supply Chain
We see sustainability as a whole. Our responsibility stretches from start to finish and includes every supplier relationship. Through risk-based audits and assessments, we regularly check working conditions and environmental effects in our supply chain. Together with our partners, we keep raising social and environmental standards – and go further than regulations require.
of our purchasing volume by value in 2025 came from suppliers with a valid BSCI audit. This covers suppliers from risk countries who deliver goods, components or raw materials to the ZWILLING Group worth more than 10,000 euros each.
BSCI audits took place at ZWILLING suppliers in 2025. External, independent inspection companies carried out these audits semi-announced – within a set four-week window, without giving the exact date.
of our purchasing volume by value in 2025 came from suppliers who manage and improve their environmental performance with the BEPI programme or an ISO-14001 certification. This covers suppliers from risk countries who deliver goods, components or raw materials to the ZWILLING Group worth more than 10,000 euros each.
For us, respecting human rights in global supply chains is daily practice. Since joining amfori BSCI in 2017 and amfori BEPI in 2021, we have checked social and environmental risks using international standards and regular audits. With the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG), we sharpened our approach and put systematic risk management in place. We keep a close eye on social and environmental performance at our partners’ sites and guide prevention and improvement together, learning as we go. Open dialogue with suppliers is at the centre. We support real improvements on site and choose to go beyond legal requirements. Even as the LkSG is debated, we stick to this forward-looking path. For us, acting sustainably in the supply chain is not a short-term project – it builds trust for lasting business partnerships.
Since 2022, we have carried out risk analyses every year in line with the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) – looking at both social and environmental risks. We focus on two main areas:
- Country risk: We group our suppliers’ countries by their risk for human rights and environmental issues, using international data and indices.
- Industry risk and type of work: At the same time, we look at the industry and the type of activity, as some sectors may carry higher risks.
By combining both, and adding a careful check of the risks we spot, we see clearly which suppliers and regions need special attention. For higher-risk countries or activities, we set up action plans, strengthen audits and start prevention programmes. Results from audits, supplier talks and reviews flow straight into our actions. This helps us spot issues early and work side by side with partners on solutions. Our approach builds transparency and shared responsibility – and lays the groundwork for strong, lasting partnerships.
The amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative – amfori BSCI – is an internationally recognised system for raising social standards in global supply chains. Its code of conduct follows the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Global Compact, the OECD Guidelines and the conventions of the International Labour Organization ILO. The amfori association brings together more than 2,400 companies from around 50 countries – importers, retailers and brand manufacturers. We use standard BSCI audits to check social standards in the supply chain, spot issues and take focused action. When action is needed, our trained ZWILLING inspectors support improvements on site. Our team has checked product quality at suppliers for decades and now tracks improvements closely in direct dialogue. Alongside official BSCI audits, they also carry out their own on-site checks.
*Share of value-based purchasing volume that was transacted with suppliers who can provide a valid BSCI audit. In scope are suppliers from a risk country who supply goods, components, or raw materials to the ZWILLING Group with a value of more than 10,000 euros each. Risk countries are countries that are classified as at least "Medium Risk" in the amfori ESG Risk Compass, based on the World Bank's WGI.
The amfori Business Environmental Performance Initiative – amfori BEPI – brings an environmental perspective to our responsible sourcing. It starts with a self-assessment on topics like energy and water use, emissions, waste and chemicals. This helps our suppliers’ sites understand and manage their environmental impact. It also shows which areas matter most. From here, we find strengths, spot room for improvement and, when needed, work together on plans to cut negative impacts and build knowledge. Both programmes – amfori BSCI and BEPI – are now part of our risk management and sustainability strategy. By looking at social and environmental data, we gain clear insights into challenges and action points along the supply chain. This lets us shape our procurement processes responsibly and steadily improve working conditions and environmental protection.
*Share of value-based purchasing volume that was transacted with suppliers who record and continuously develop their environmental management using the BEPI program or an ISO 14001 certification. In scope are suppliers from a risk country who supply goods, components, or raw materials to the ZWILLING Group with a value of more than 10,000 euros each. Risk countries are countries that are classified as at least "Medium Risk" in the amfori ESG Risk Compass, based on the World Bank's WGI.
“The path to sustainable business starts with procurement. Here we choose our partners and set our standards. By weaving social and environmental criteria into our purchasing, we shape a responsible supply chain. This safeguards product quality and protects people and the environment in the long run.”
Dr. Michael Otremba, Global Head of Purchasing ZWILLING Group
MAKING AN IMPACT – TOGETHER WITH PARTNERS WORLDWIDE
A BSCI audit revealed an unacceptable practice at a partner site. ZWILLING acted at once – in line with our zero-tolerance policy and our commitment to fair working conditions.
With the ZWILLING Supplier Code of Conduct, we ask our suppliers to ensure fair working conditions, protect people and the environment – and take an active part in audits and risk checks.
As a member of the amfori BSCI System Project Group, we help shape the BSCI standard – working towards practical solutions for fair and sustainable supply chains.
ZWILLING was chosen as a model company for effective environmental management in the amfori BEPI programme. In video features, we share insights into our work – and pass on our know-how to amfori members and suppliers worldwide.
Responsibility for Society
At ZWILLING, creating lasting value means caring for people. Through the global ZWILLING Care programme, we shape local progress at our production and sales sites – with more opportunities for learning, targeted support when it matters, and encouragement towards independence and participation. We focus on training for disadvantaged children and young people, and on helping families secure their livelihoods. Our approach blends swift humanitarian help with steady, ongoing support – so each project leaves a lasting mark.
Since 2011, the ZWILLING Foundation India has trained 488 women in a range of skills at its centre.
So far, 64 sponsorships have been arranged. Children from Pondicherry in southern India receive financial support and encouragement for their growth.
Since 2021, we have donated 124,539 meals to people in need through the ZWILLING Share programme.
Career prospects can change lives – as the ZWILLING Foundation India has been proving for more than a decade. Founded in 2011, the foundation set up a training and education center not far from the TWEEZERMAN production site in Pondicherry, South India. For a better life – the name of the facility says it all: young women with disabilities, who often suffer from social exclusion, receive vocational training in textile processing. This gives them the opportunity to earn their own income and, , to lead an independent, self-determined life. From 2011 to 2024, a total of 488 women have completed training, and the majority of them are now standing on their own two feet.
What began with the qualification of young women is now embedded in a more comprehensive support network. The ZWILLING Foundation India has established further support services around the training center, including programs to secure the livelihoods of families and child sponsorships.
A small spark can set big change in motion. In Pondicherry, the ZWILLING Foundation India gives families in tough situations the chance to secure their future. With start-up funding, people can open market stalls, run mobile snack bars or launch grocery shops – earning a living for themselves and their families. The foundation also offers hands-on training in fields that match local needs. Gaining a qualification opens up real chances in the job market and paves the way to independence.
To break the cycle of poverty, the ZWILLING Foundation India puts the spotlight on children – especially those facing challenges from the very start. Through sponsorships, children with disabilities or in difficult situations receive wide-ranging support until they reach adulthood. School fees, learning materials, tutoring, medical treatments, medicines, mobility aids, vision and hearing support, and accessible toilets are all covered. Regular medical check-ups form part of every sponsorship. When each child turns 18, they receive a sum from a fund – a stepping stone for the future. Today, anyone interested can take on a sponsorship, reaching beyond the Werhahn Group.
