Transparency and Certification Regulations for the LEADING EMPLOYERS Award

1. Purpose and Scope

LEADING EMPLOYERS recognises employers which, on the basis of a data-driven, multi-stage meta-study, rank among the top one per cent of the employers examined in their respective market.

These Transparency and Certification Regulations set out the requirements for the award and for the use of the LEADING EMPLOYERS seal. In particular, they govern:

access to the certification scheme;
the requirements and the fundamental principles of the assessment;
the involvement of experts and relevant stakeholders;
independent external monitoring;
the handling of complaints and infringements; and
the suspension or withdrawal of the right to use the seal.

These Regulations apply to all companies and organisations that have received the LEADING EMPLOYER award or that use the LEADING EMPLOYERS seal.

2. Scheme Owner

The owner of the certification scheme and issuer of the LEADING EMPLOYERS award is:
Institute of Research & Data Aggregation GmbH
Cremon 11
20457 Hamburg
Germany
Email: kontakt@leading-employers.org

The Institute of Research & Data Aggregation is responsible for conducting the meta-study, for data processing and the assessment procedure, and for the administration and further development of the certification scheme.
The independent external review and monitoring of the certification scheme is carried out by the Global Sustainability Foundation.

3. Open and Non-Discriminatory Access

The LEADING EMPLOYERS certification scheme is open to all employers within the markets examined on transparent, objective and non-discriminatory terms.

Employers are not required to apply, to pay for participation or to commission the study. Companies are assessed on the basis of uniform criteria and of data that are publicly or lawfully available.

Inclusion in the study and the outcome of the assessment areindependent of whether a company:

is a client of LEADING EMPLOYERS;
purchases a licence or service package;
cooperates with LEADING EMPLOYERS; or
subsequently wishes to make active use of the seal awarded.

The award cannot be purchased. Fees are charged solely for additional services and for the contractually agreed commercial use of the seal. They have no bearing on the outcome of the study or on the decision togrant the award.

4. Eligibility for the Award

A company may receive the LEADING EMPLOYER award if:

it falls within the geographical and substantive scope of the relevant country study;
a sufficient and reliable data basis is available for an assessment;
the identity and organisational affiliation of the company can be clearly established;
the available data meet the specified requirements as to quality, timeliness and relevance;
the company has undergone the multi-stage process of analysis, data cleansing, validation and quality assurance;
its overall result places it among the top one per cent of the employers examined in the relevant market;
and there are no proven serious circumstances that would undermine the meaning and credibility of the award.

The award relates to the company named, to the respective country or market, and to the award year stated on the seal. It may be transferred to other companies, group undertakings, countries or periods only with prior written approval.

5. Basis of Assessment and Methodology

LEADING EMPLOYERS is based on a multi-stage meta-study, which brings together a wide range of data sources, perspectives and subjectareas in order to obtain as comprehensive and realistic a picture of employerquality as possible.

The following are taken into account in particular:

academic studies;
audits and certifications;
employee and applicant surveys;
employer review platforms;
benchmarks and competitions;
memberships and voluntary commitments;
publicly available company information;
careers websites and talent communications;
social and corporate responsibility;
employer reputation; and
other reliable HR and labour market data.

Sources are classified according to criteria including theirquality, informative value, timeliness, geographical relevance, representativeness, independence, validation and potential risk of manipulation.

The assessment is conducted in a multi-stage process which comprises, in particular, the collection, classification, standardisation, cleansing, enrichment, evaluation and quality assurance of the data. Automated analytical procedures are supplemented by manual reviews and plausibility checks.

No individual rating or source is in itself decisive for the award. The determining factor is the consolidated overall assessment within the relevant market.

Further information is published on the publicly accessible LEADING EMPLOYERS methodology page.

6. Involvement of Experts and Stakeholders

The requirements, quality standards and methodological principles of the certification scheme are developed, and regularly reviewed, with the involvement of appropriate experts and relevant stakeholders.

The interdisciplinary Advisory Board of LEADING EMPLOYERS contributes expertise in particular in the fields of human resources, employer branding, corporate management, academia, digitalisation, data protection, transformation, international corporate law, certification and employer reputation.

The members of the Advisory Board include:

Prof. Dr Gunther Olesch – human resources, employer branding and corporate management;
Christa Stienen – HR strategy, transformation, talent management and employer branding;
Prof. Dr Philipp Riehm – academia, digitalisation, communication and data protection;
Dr Christian Bornhorst, LL.M. – international corporate law, governance and compliance;
Dennis Utter – international HR certification and employer reputation.

The Advisory Board supports the further development of the methodology and the certification requirements in an advisory capacity. Input from academia, employer practice, the labour market, law, compliance and the general public may be taken into account in the further development of the scheme.

The Advisory Board does not replace the independent external review and does not take sole decisions regarding the monitoring of the certification scheme.

7. Independent External Review and Monitoring

The independent external review and monitoring of theLEADING EMPLOYERS certification scheme is carried out by the GlobalSustainability Foundation.

In this procedure, the Global Sustainability Foundation acts independently, both organisationally and in substance, of the Institute of Research & Data Aggregation and of the companies receiving the award. It has no share in the revenue from the use of the seal, and its review decisions may not be made contingent upon any commercial relationship with an award-winning company.

External monitoring comprises, in particular:

review of the publicly defined requirements;
review of the methodological and organisational certification procedure;
verification of the separation between the award decision and the commercial use of the seal;
sample-based review of certification decisions;
oversight of the complaints, sanctions and withdrawal procedure;
examination of potential conflicts of interest;
assessment of compliance with the certification requirements; and
documentation of any deviations identified and of the corrective measures required.

The review procedure is guided by recognised principles of independence, impartiality, professional competence, documented decision-making and verifiable evidence.

The most recent external review of the study methodology and of the certification scheme was carried out by the Global Sustainability Foundation on 15 June 2026.

External monitoring takes place at regular intervals and, in addition, on an ad hoc basis where there are specific indications of material deviations from, or infringements of, the certification requirements.

8. Use of the Seal

The LEADING EMPLOYERS seal may be used only by companies which:

have been validly granted the award for the company, country and award year concerned;
hold a valid authorisation to use the seal; and
comply with the applicable rules on use and design.

In particular, the seal may not:

be altered in content or design in a misleading manner;
be transferred to companies or group undertakings that have not received the award;
be used for countries or markets not covered;
be used beyond the authorised period;
be combined with statements that go beyond the actual substance of the award; or
continue to be used following the suspension or withdrawal of the right to use it.

9. Reports and Complaints

Reports of potential infringements of the certification requirements or of improper use of the seal may be submitted by companies, employees, applicants, competitors, consumers and other stakeholders.

The following central point of contact is available for this purpose:

compliance@leading-employers.org

A complaint should identify the employer concerned and the alleged infringement and, where available, include appropriate supporting evidence. Reports may be treated confidentially upon request. Anonymous reports will be investigated provided that they are sufficiently specific and substantiated.

Complaints concerning the requirements for certification, the independence of the decision or compliance with material requirements will be submitted to the Global Sustainability Foundation in full and unaltered for independent review.

Persons or companies who submit reports in good faith shall suffer no detriment as a result.

10. Investigation Procedure for Potential Infringements

Upon receipt of a report, the following procedure shall generally apply:

Receipt of the complaint is recorded and, as a rule, acknowledged within five working days.
A preliminary review is conducted to establish whether the report is sufficiently specific and falls within the scope of these Regulations.
The company concerned is, as a rule, given the opportunity to submit a statement and appropriate evidence within a reasonable period.
In matters concerning the certification requirements or the integrity of the scheme, the Global Sustainability Foundation is involved in the review.
The decision is taken and documented on the basis of the available facts, evidence and statements.
The company concerned is informed of the outcome and of any corrective measures required.

In the event of potential direct deception, a particularly serious infringement or a threat to the credibility of the certification scheme, the seal may be provisionally suspended pending the conclusion of the review.

11. Sanctions and Withdrawal Procedure

Infringements of the requirements or of the terms of use are assessed having regard to their nature, severity, duration, recurrence, impact and remediability.

Depending on the individual case, the following measures may be taken individually or in combination:

11.1 Notice and Request for Correction

In the case of minor or first-time deviations, the company may be notified of the infringement in writing and requested to rectify it within a specified period.

11.2 Formal Warning

In the case of significant or repeated infringements, or those not remedied within the specified period, a formal warning may be issued. This may be combined with mandatory corrective measures and a follow-up review.

11.3 Provisional Suspension

The right to use the seal may be provisionally suspended if:

a serious infringement appears likely;
a final review is not yet possible;
the required evidence is not submitted within the specified period;
the company obstructs a review;
or continued use of the seal could mislead the public.

During the suspension, the seal may not be newly published or used in any new communications. Existing uses must be removed or deactivated without delay upon request, and at the latest within the period notified.

11.4 Withdrawal of the Award or of the Right of Use

The award or the right to use the seal may be withdrawn in particular if:

it is proven that the requirements for the award are not, or are no longer, met;
material information has been misrepresented intentionally or through gross negligence;
the seal has been used in a misleading manner repeatedly or seriously;
an impermissible transfer to other companies, countries or periods has taken place;
the corrective measures ordered have not been implemented within the specified period;
the independent review is obstructed or refused;
a serious breach of applicable law or of fundamental social or labour-related minimum standards has been proven;
or continued use would be liable to significantly impair the meaningfulness and credibility of the certification scheme.

In the event of withdrawal, the company must cease all use of the seal without delay, and in any event no later than five working days after receipt of the decision. This applies in particular to websites, social media channels, job advertisements, business stationery, presentations, digital platforms and any other promotional materials.

The company may be removed from public directories of award-winning employers. Where necessary to prevent the public from being misled, the withdrawal may be made public.

11.5 Immediate Measures

In the case of particularly serious, manifest or continuing infringements, the use of the seal may be provisionally suspended or withdrawn without a prior period for correction. The right of the company concerned to submit a statement subsequently remains unaffected.

12. Decision-Making and Independent Oversight

Decisions on suspension or withdrawal shall be reasoned in writing and documented.Where a measure concerns compliance with the certification requirements, the Global Sustainability Foundation shall be involved as the independent external review body. Its findings must be taken into account in the certification decision. Any suspension or withdrawal required by it on the basis of a serious infringement it has established must be implemented by the scheme owner.

Commercial interests, the purchase of services or the duration of a client relationship must have no influence on the review or the decision.

Persons with an actual or potential conflict of interest may not take part in the decision concerned.

13. Review of a Decision

The company concerned may request a review in writing within 14 calendar days of receipt of a sanction decision.

The request must be addressed to:

compliance@leading-employers.org

The review is carried out by persons who were not involved in the original decision. Where the certification requirements are affected, the Global Sustainability Foundation shall be involved.

As a rule, the request shall have no suspensive effect where continued use of the seal could be misleading. The company shall be informed of the outcome of the review in writing.

14. Confidentiality and Data Protection

Complaints, review documents and personal data are processed confidentially and only to the extent necessary.

Information may be disclosed to the Global Sustainability Foundation and to external advisers with the requisite expertise, insofar as this is necessary for the independent review, for legal assessment or for the conduct of the procedure.

Statutory obligations regarding retention, provision of information and disclosure remain unaffected.

15. Periodic Review and Amendments

These Certification Regulations are reviewed at regular intervals and whenever there are material legal, methodological or organisational changes.

Amendments are published together with a version number and effective date. Material amendments to the certification requirements are made with the involvement of appropriate experts and stakeholders and are subject to independent external review.

As a rule, an award is governed by the version published at the time of the relevant certification decision. Provisions on sanctions, complaints and monitoring apply, from their entry into force, also to awards already granted that remain valid.

Contact

Questions concerning the methodology and the certification scheme:

kontakt@leading-employers.org

Reports of potential infringements, complaints and compliance matters:

compliance@leading-employers.org

Independent external review body:
Global Sustainability Foundation
Birkenweg 622395 Hamburg
Germany
Email: info@global-sustainability-foundation.com