At Veolia, our ambition is huge. We simply could not achieve our ambitions without people who are passionate and committed, who feel safe and fulfilled. That is why we ensure our people have a working environment that provides purpose and meaning, that allows them opportunity to reach and exceed their potential.
Our employees are one of the five areas that make up part of our multifaceted performance that we have analysed and measured in our 2021 Sustainability Report. An insight into how our employees are feeling and developing in their spheres allows us to identify opportunities for improvement, and really invest in the things that work.
We take a look at four aspects of the work environment we provide.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing
When evaluating the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees, we choose to focus on protecting our teams, preventing accidents and incidents and promoting mental and social health.
2021 has seen the launch of many successful campaigns and initiatives in providing for our employees. Internally, we launched a series of wellbeing events and days to cover topics surrounding mental, physical and financial wellbeing. Advice, practical tips and even discounts were distributed across the year and our team of 200 Mental Health First Aiders was developed to support fellow employees through their challenges.
We extended this to the public, launching our StreetKind and SiteKind campaigns, thanking the public for their kindness and positive interactions with our teams, promoting their safety and purpose.
The safety of our employees is our priority. From providing mental health support, physiotherapy sessions and financial advice, we want to ensure our people not only are safe, but feel safe too. Our aim for 2022 is to launch these tools across our operational sites in a wellbeing roadshow, only extending the importance of physical, mental, financial and social wellbeing of our people.
Inclusion
We recognise the importance of our role in building an inclusive organisation and workplace. In feeling a sense of belonging, a person's purpose, wellbeing and entire existence is reinforced. This is how we want our people to feel.
Currently, we have achieved a notably high score in the Diversity and Inclusion category in our 2022 Voice of Resources, we have removed or replaced 169 gendered job titles and we have built a 600 member strong community in Veolia’s online Equal Advisory Group, which provides a ‘safe space’ for our employees.
In driving our inclusivity efforts further, we aim to analyse our data to understand the actions required to ‘level out’ representation across the organisation and to better understand how to improve the experiences of current and potential employees with disabilities or long-term health conditions, so that everyone belongs.
Development
Career development and fulfilling potential is important to our people and thus important to the Veolia ethos. We ensure our teams have access to facilities, platforms and programmes that boost their skills and knowledge to allow them to advance to the next stage in their careers. Our Veolia Campus does this and so much more.
The Veolia Campus team works to fill skill gaps and identify new opportunities in which individuals require to succeed now and in the future. From environmental training to digital skills and industry best practice, the programmes and courses available to our teams assist in raising the level of performance within our workplace. In 2021, our employee commitment indicator reflected 85.9% engagement, with employees undertaking an average of 19 hours of training each.
We have provided other programmes over the year, including industry and facility specific Talent and Leadership Programmes. Committed to spreading Veolia’s purpose, 329 of our senior managers also attended a series of workshops and our graduate inductions underwent development, both highlighting that purpose and making it much more meaningful to our people.
Early Careers
Veolia aims to attract and develop the very best graduates and apprentices, welcoming 77 apprentices and 39 graduates in 2021 alone. This intake was our biggest to date, providing unique learning opportunities and professional experiences to the next generation.
We have partnered with AON to support the recruitment of young professionals, and are independently exploring traineeships and a Driver Apprenticeship Programme come 2022. We hope for this to encourage a wide range of young candidates to join Veolia at all levels of the business.
Concentrating on our people and their needs is important in creating an environment where individuals can feel safe, valued and have a sense of purpose. It is instilling this that we are able to collectively work together in achieving our goal of ecological transformation.
-Further Reading-
Veolia advances health and safety for vehicle crews
Veolia has now launched a range of initiatives that will further boost the company's stringent health and safety record, starting with vehicle crews.
Veolia launches StreetKind campaign to protect its teams
Veolia, the UK’s leading environmental solutions company, is taking a stand after reports from frontline staff more than doubled, with a 118% increase compared to the same period last year.
The Princess Royal visits Veolia’s Southwark facility to celebrate training and thank key workers
On Wednesday (19th May), our Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF) in Southwark, London gave a royal welcome to Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal.
Veolia has seen a 115% increase in apprenticeship intakes in the last four years
This National Apprenticeship Week, we are continuing to invest in talent and bring on the next generation of skilled workers to support a green recovery.