Code of Conduct

Expeditions require the existance of a code of conduct, that is adapted to their special requirements.

You can find the Code of Conduct - Expeditions here:

When you are going to be part of an expedition with RV Polarstern you will have to fill the Expedition Interface System - EIS with your personal information, travel details and freight. Additionally, you will also have to acknowledge that you have read and understood the Code of Conduct and accompanying documents before the expedition start. Compliance with the code is requirement for your participation.

To illustrate what we mean by a common understanding of respectful interaction, the AWI has produced a video together with the shipping company Laeisz, which will also be shown on board at the beginning of the expedition. The crew is equally informed about the content of the video and our Code of Conduct.

https://youtu.be/a8tJ6p5B_nY

There are participants from different cultural backgrounds on board and mutual consideration must be shown accordingly.

All passengers are requested to dress appropriately and neatly on board and to refrain from wearing long underwear or tight-fitting sportswear in the public areas of the ship, for example.

Working clothes and boots are used on deck and in labs, but shall not be used in messroom I and the social rooms.

Psychological emergency

Critical incidents or extremely stressful situations may require professional psychological help from ashore. Therefore AWI logistics has established a two stage system to provide expedition participants in need of psychological support with immediate assistance. Please do not hesitate to directly contact the two experts listed in the info box: Psychological Aspects

Persons of trust

To make sure that expedition participants have the possibility to personally talk to persons of trust, two ombuds persons have to be appointed for each expedition. One ombudsperson will be appointed before the expedition by the chief scientist, the second ombudsperson is elected on board at the start of the expedition. Ideally, the two persons of trust should be one female and one male, but if the election results in both being of the same gender, then that is also fine. Please inform the ship's coordination (schiffskoord@awi.de) of the name of the 2nd trusted person elected on board.

The reason that one ombudsperson is designated in advance of the expedition is so that the ombudsperson then has the opportunity to prepare appropriately for this task. The person elected on board is elected by the community, but does not necessarily have any kind of prior knowledge. However, this is not necessarily a disadvantage or an obstacle, since the experts mentioned below are always available to assist the ombudspersons on board.

Guidance for persons of trust an be found in the info box to the right.

Ombuds persons have to be other than the chief scientist him- or herself and participants need to have the possibility to talk to them in private.

The appointed persons of trust do not necessarily need to have a special training, as this is not always feasible for expedition participants, but briefings will be carried out beforehand and trainings will be offered whenever possible in the course of the expedition preparation. If they request for help they are free to contact Katharina Kramer (katharina.kramer@awi.de +49(471)4831-2252) or Eva-Kathrin Landscheid (eva-kathrin.landscheid@awi.de +49(471)4831-2333) from AWI directorate’s office, who are in charge of complaints with regards to the General Act on Equal Treatment.

Our scientific coordinator for Polarstern, Ingo Schewe, is member of the conflict management team and staff council chair. In cases of conflicts you can also contact him (ingo.schewe@awi.de; 0049 471 48311737).

Complaint Office:

https://www.awi.de/en/work-study/awi-as-an-employer/information-on-employment/complaint-office.html

Conflict Management Information:

https://intranet.awi.de/en/administration/human-resources-department/personalentwicklung/konfliktmanagement-kopie-1.html