Cultural transformation and prevention at sea
Ensuring a psychologically safe and inclusive environment is paramount, no matter where you work.
Setting a global standard
Maersk has zero tolerance against bullying, discrimination, violence, sexual harassment, sexual assault or harassment of any kind. We want every employee to be treated with respect and dignity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where diversity is valued. We have launched a global policy which:
- Sets out the minimum standards of behaviour we need from our employees
- Helps our employees identify any situation of misconduct
- Empowers people to speak up if they witness anything inappropriate.
Every employee has the right to work in an environment that is free from prejudice, bias, offensive and inappropriate behavior. That makes it a key principle for us to handle all reported incidents promptly, fairly, and transparently and to work hard to promote an environment where people speak up and receive our support to do so.
Our mission is to constantly develop a workplace where everybody can thrive and live to their full potential regardless of background, gender, nationality, religion or sexual orientation. While many initiatives have taken place to date, we recognize that we need to build not only a physically safe workplace, but a psychologically safe environment where people speak up if they feel or see something inappropriate.
Training numbers
A cultural transformation at sea
Most of the men and women working onboard our vessels are highly honorable, respectful and hardworking. We do however also know that we have not always had a fully safe and trusted environment onboard all our vessels. For the past couple of years, we have worked very hard on changing this and we are determined to create both a physical and psychologically safe and inclusive working environment on our vessels.
Read about key initiatives in our Cultural Transformation at sea
We have improved our complaint procedure, trained the people who handle the reports and opened new lines of reporting
A Complaint Board has been established to handle all cases related to sexual assault and sexual harassment (SASH). The Board reviews and assists the handling by the appointed case-officer to ensure a thorough, fair and transparent handling for all involved parties. Furthermore, we have upscaled our complaint handling resources, provided first response training for all relevant shore-based employees and opened new lines for our employees to raise complaints.
Across ranks, our seafarers can raise a complaint via the Maersk Ombuds function, the Maersk Whistleblower and via the Seafarer Hotline, a dedicated point of contact for seafarers.
On Our Respect Radar campaign
In June 2022, we launched the “On Our Respect Radar” campaign which focuses on enabling people to identify harassment of any kind as well as ensure they know how to react to it. It addresses all seafarers but has a special focus on leaders. As part of the campaign, all 2,500 seagoing leaders and relevant office personnel have received anti-sexual assault/anti-sexual harassment training.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, anti-SASH trainings sessions are being conducted on board all vessels for all crew. The anti- sash sessions are to be carried out 4 times a year and will continue throughout 2025, as the sustainment of the vocabulary and enabling everybody to speak up, is essential when changing the culture. Furthermore, all Senior Officers and all crew have customised anti-SASH e-Learning available. The aim of the campaign is to make sure that all have a common vocabulary and know what constitutes sexual harassment and what to do if one experiences a situation of misconduct.
Leading as ONE Program
A leadership program for all seagoing leaders and their shore-based managers has been launched. The leadership program addresses behavior skills and how to provide a psychologically safe working environment. The program was launched in 2023 and 97 % of all seagoing leaders have gone through the program by the end of 2024. The leadership training continues in 2025. All Senior Officers and ship management functions will receive face-to-face training in the following capabilities:
- Trust & Inclusion
- Guarding our Safety
- I am a Role Model
- I Lead with Presence
The program is fully dedicated to supporting the cultural transformation and equip all leaders with the tools they need to build a work culture of inclusion and respect.
Cadet culture program
To further strengthen all ranks, and to make sure that we create a solid foundation for a working life of inclusion and respect, a Cadet Culture program will be rolled out across Maersk. The program focuses on making sure that all cadets know the support they get if they experience any situations of misconduct. Furthermore, the program focuses on preparing our cadets for a role as future leaders – a role where they are mindful of own behaviours, the nature of SASH and know how to contribute to creating a psychologically safe work environment. In the fall of 2024 more than 650 cadet were trained and the Cadet Culture Workshops will be carried out every year from now on.
Rating Culture Workshops
Throughout 2024 Rating Culture Workshops have been carried out in Manilla to encounter that all ratings become part of the conversation around the Cultural Transformation. Today more than 1100 ratings have participated in face-to-face scenario-based workshops in Manilla. The intention of the workshops is to shed light on the different reporting opportunities any employee has in Maersk, whilst also supporting a robust understanding of what constitutes harassment, bullying and discrimination. The workshops will continue in Manilla in 2025 and will also be launched in Mumbai for Indian ratings.
Listening to the seafarers
We listen to and connect with the seafarers regularly to understand the prevailing culture and gauge our progress on the transformation, including
- Quarterly Pulse Surveys
- Bi-annual Engagement Survey
- Crew Connects with seafarers
Focus on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion across the fleet
Attracting diverse talents
At Maersk, ensuring a more gender balanced fleet is a key priority, and the goal for 2025 is to have more than 7% female seafarers working in our fleet. To reach that goal, we have launched several initiatives across different markets that support female attraction. In India, we launched the Equal at Sea initiative in 2022, an industry-first program, with the ambitious goal of hiring of 50% Indian women cadets in the deck and engine streams by 2027. The initiative focuses on advancing gender equality within the maritime industry, addressing the historical underrepresentation of women seafarers, and fostering an inclusive environment for all.
As part of this initiative, we have introduced:
- School Outreach Program – Raising grassroots-level awareness about maritime career opportunities for women.
- Women Cadet Program (2022) – Launched as India’s first Women Cadet Program, this initiative revamped the learning experience at the Maersk Centre of Excellence, ensuring an equitable learning environment for women trainees.
- Equal at Sea Conference (2022/23/24) – An annual conference that brings together policymakers, industry experts, and women seafarers to discuss challenges, explore opportunities, and collaborate on solutions.
- Women Rating Program (2024) – A pioneering program that creates a structured career path for women to take on roles onboard ships through an alternative entry mechanism.
- Maersk Star Scholarship Program – Aimed at supporting cadets and ratings from financially weaker backgrounds to realise their dream of a maritime career at Maersk.
- Gender Sensitization Training – Designed a specialized program to equip faculty and administrative staff at maritime schools with the skills to recognize and address unconscious biases and gender stereotypes. This initiative ensures that women seafarers receive equitable guidance and mentorship throughout their training journey.
These initiatives have already demonstrated impact. In just two years, by 2024, we achieved 45% hiring of women cadets in the deck and engine ranks. To date, 70 women ratings have enrolled in our training program, many from rural towns where seafaring is rarely seen as a career path. This demonstrates how Equal at Sea goes beyond Maersk and is a bold step toward reshaping the maritime industry and building a future where equal opportunity is not just an aspiration, but a reality for all.
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