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HUMAN CAPITAL

The Group continues to look at innovative ways of selecting and engaging new staff. All new staff, usually on their first day of work, participate in a detailed induction programme, which covers areas such as the Group’s vision, mission, ethics, management team, health and safety requirements, policies, procedures and processes.

All employees are automatically included in the Group’s various benefits such as medical aid, Group life benefit scheme, wellness programme and free access to Group products such as miTraffic, miPayslip, Look4Help, Look4Me, among others.

The Group life benefit scheme is employer-funded and includes death, disability, dreaded disease and funeral benefits. Membership of Discovery Health is compulsory for all new permanent employees earning over R6 500 per month. In order to ensure equality of access to employee benefits, the Group also offers medical aid cover to those earning below this threshold, through Boncap Medical Aid, a product of Bonitas and underwritten by Hollard.

All changes to terms and conditions of employment, including any changes in significant operational matters, are approached in a consultative manner, with the objective that a mutual understanding of the matter more likely results in acceptance of the outcome.

This year, BLD, Cigicell and Cellfind undertook a project aimed at strengthening the human resource structures and processes, while better aligning these with the business objectives. A leading HR solution provider, Labournet, was appointed to facilitate the process. This involved a one-on-one consultation with every employee, regardless of their location, to establish their duties, KPAs and KPIs. These metrics were encapsulated in a job description and linked to a job grading system. All performance assessments and skills development plans are referenced to the job descriptions, KPAs and KPIs. The results of the process are available on-line to line managers and subordinates, via the employee self-help module on Psiber. The project has enjoyed the support of both staff and management and is to be rolled out to TPC in due course.

The Group co-ordinates employee and social wellness days at head office on a quarterly basis. These include blood drives in partnership with SANBIS, food parcels and winter blankets for the needy, Bandana Day for cancer awareness, Women’s Day and World Aids Day. Staff Wellness days are arranged where staff are able to undergo various health checks. These are well supported by all. HIV/Aids testing and prostate testing were offered and overwhelming participation was recorded.

A monthly internal newsletter is distributed electronically to all staff, aiming to share important events, achievements, highlights, and profile companies and employees, while recognising employees who are recommended as “Super Heros”.

Management views incidents of child or forced labour as morally abhorrent. By extension, Blue Label does not allow child labour, forced or compulsory labour, and considers such incidents, although most unlikely, could be a risk to the Group and its reputation. Furthermore, the Group supports the rights afforded to children by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, the Bill of Rights, the labour laws of the country and other relevant legislation

EMPLOYMENT EQUITY

The Group promotes and supports equal opportunity and fair treatment of all employees in accordance with its employment equity policy. The Group’s recruitment policies and procedures are aimed at enabling staff and external candidates to compete for job and/or promotional opportunities in an equitable environment, where the sole criterion is merit based.

The performance of subsidiary companies in terms of their employment equity targets is recorded and monitored, and reported quarterly to the Social, Ethics and Transformation Committee. The Group continues to be non-unionised.

The table below reflects the demographics and profile of the employee base, excluding operations at the international associates and joint ventures:

AM: African male, CM: Coloured male, IM: Indian male, WM: White male, AF: African female, CF: Coloured female, IF: Indian female, WF: White female.

The employee headcount has decreased steadily over recent years due to restructuring, consolidation and streamlining of resources, however, the acquisition of RMCS in the period under review has seen a slight increase in employee headcount.

For the period under review the Group submitted a consolidated Group employment equity report to the Department of Labour.