Operating in many countries, we are often confronted with the different needs of our employees. We therefore try to make a focused contribution, where possible, according to the needs of the community and our employees

In Sri Lanka, we have five companies and over 13,000 employees. Our first facility was opened in 1999, in a town that was still devastated by a civil war. We grew over time, and we like to think that we’ve made had a positive impact on the development of the areas where we operate. The specific situation in the country led us to a series of actions to help our local employees there.

Qualified personnel, spaces, and suitable tools are available to all employees in case of injury, discomfort or illness during work hours.

A doctor is present at the company's infirmary twice a week and two or more nurses are available daily, able to administer over-the-counter drugs or prescribed medicine as needed.

Professional midwives are present twice a month so as to provide medical check-ups to pregnant employees.

Professional counselors work each day at our production facilities to provide basic psychological support to employees dealing with personal or family distress.

Each facility has a company cafeteria with a common area where employees can eat.

Breakfast and lunch are provided for free to all employees.

In addition, according to Sri Lankan traditions, tea is served free of charge twice a day, during special breaks.

Dinner is also provided, free of charge, to those who work overtime hours in the evenings.

We try to provide a free, safe transportation system for all our employees.

In total, we’ve activated over 250 bus lines that cover, on average per facility, a home-work radius of over 50 km.

When employees are required to work in our establishments beyond normal working hours, we offer a minivan service to ensure all of our employees get home safely.

We offer small, interest-free loans to our employees in Sri Lanka. The amount provided increases proportionally to the seniority of the employee.

Our Dialogue Team project began in 2006. Staff delegates (one per department) collect the main work-related requests from their colleagues and share them with an HR representative to find collective solutions in accordance with the company.

Since 2010, the company has guaranteed one out of every fifteen employees training in IBPS (interest-based problem solving) and mediation.

We organize volleyball, cricket and football tournaments each year, with the goal of creating team spirit and providing recreational activities.

Our employees in Sri Lanka are also offered access to gyms, football pitches and basketball and volleyball courts, to be used freely after work. We also organize various annual events at our structures (Christmas Party, Summer Party, Family Day), offering recreation and time spent relaxing among colleagues with music and live concerts, food and beverages, games, gifts for the children of our employees, and tours of the facility for family members.

In 2004, Sri Lanka was struck by a devastating tsunami. An entire region was swept away by the fury of the sea. To help the area recover, we built a village with our own funds, donating ownership of the property to families who lost everything.

Services and funds to facilitate the work of our employees are provided in almost all production units located in underprivileged areas. They include:

• Transportation to and from home;
• Free or steeply discounted prices of meals from the cafeteria;
• Healthcare services on-site;
• Sports facilities for employees;
• Events for socializing and team building;

In some cases, we fund technical schools to train young people. We always try to do our part to develop the communities we work in.

In Ethiopia, for example, there is a severe lack of water. So, during the inauguration of our new facility in Mekele in October 2018, we gave the local village a well for the extraction of water, which is then purified.

We also installed a series of showers available to our employees. We give each employee a 10 L canister of potable water each week. In the area bordering the company, a diagnosis and first aid centrer was built, available to employees and their families should they need it.

Further out but always surrounding our buildings, we’re planting native shrubs and trees, many of which have disappeared due to the recent drought.

These are just a few of the examples of what we try to do to grow harmoniously with the communities that host us.