Good employment practices
We want to offer an inclusive workplace. We believe it is important that our employees have opportunities to develop themselves and that they are proud of their contribution to our organisation. Every employee deserves recognition for this. Good employment practices apply to all employees, including our temporary workers. We want everyone to feel at home at the VanDrie Group.
Our employees are our greatest asset. Without them, we are unable to produce our products. It is therefore important that we know how to recruit, retain and train employees. As an employer, we also have a responsibility to guarantee the health, safety and welfare of all our employees.
Health, safety and welfare of our employees
Maintaining and promoting the health, safety and welfare of our people is a key principle.
Sickness absence
One indicator to ascertain how our employees are doing is sickness absence. In 2023, the absence rate was 5.62 percent. As such, absenteeism was lower in 2023 than in previous years. Despite this result, we remain committed to reducing sickness absence further.
Heavy labour
A considerable part of the work in our production environments involves heavy labour. We are therefore investing in robots and automation that take over routine tasks. This enables us to reduce the physical strain on employees. In collaboration with the University of Twente, we created two PhD research positions to identify the opportunities and options of automation in our meat production in 2021. This research continued throughout 2023.
Compass
A good working environment is characterised not only by healthy and safe working conditions, but also by cooperation with dedicated colleagues who enjoy their jobs. We want our employees to feel safe in the workplace and to be treated with respect. We share our compass with employees. This compass describes who the VanDrie Group is and what we do, but it also explains the rules of conduct when dealing with one another. We expect all our employees to act in accordance with our values during the course of their work: engagement, being one step ahead, a focus on quality, and a sense of responsibility. Bullying, discrimination, sexual harassment and other undesirable behaviour will not be tolerated.
Reports to confidential advisers
Confidential advisers have been appointed in our companies and the SpeakUp line can also be used for anonymous reporting of undesirable behaviour, potential abuses or unlawful acts. Two reports were submitted to confidential advisers in 2023 and 0 reports to SpeakUp. The reports submitted to confidential advisers were investigated by the authorised persons at the relevant locations. Following this investigation, appropriate sanctions were imposed on colleagues who had committed violations.
Recruiting, retaining and training our employees
By offering attractive terms and conditions of employment and sufficient training opportunities, we aim to recruit, retain and train skilled employees.
The VanDrie Group employs about 4,375 people. These include both permanent employees and temporary workers. We rely heavily on temporary workers at our Dutch meat processing companies in particular. Although we have been committed to increasing the number of permanent employees for several years, the number of temps entering into permanent employment is limited. For migrant workers who work with us as temps, there are often numerous considerations in respect of staying for a fixed period of time, for example, a temporary opportunity for a good income which is used to build a life in their home country following departure. Various foreign temporary workers therefore prefer a flexible working relationship. The VanDrie Group wishes to assist in providing adequate housing close to the locations. This is an intensive and complex process that also requires cooperation with the various government authorities involved. We are continuing to explore the options.
Average number of years in service:
One indicator that provides insight into employee retention is the average number of years in service. In our organisation, this has been well above 10 years in service on average for several years. In 2023, the average number of years in service in our organisation was 11.98. We therefore see that the trend of a limited decrease compared to previous years is continuing. For example, the average number of years in service in 2022 was 12.5.
Recognised work placement companies
The four meat processing companies in the Netherlands are recognised as official work placement companies, as are Labora, Navobi, Alpuro, Alpuro Breeding and Schils. The training of students is an enjoyable and rewarding way to bring in staff who are motivated and eager to learn. Many students continue working for our organisation after their training. Students have a fresh perspective and offer current knowledge and new insights. That is why we also offer plenty of internships.
