Sustainability
People are at the centre of everything we do
What does a family business like dalli mean by sustainable HR work? Thomas Zlaugotnis, Head of Human Resources at dalli, answers questions about the various aspects of this complex topic.
Thomas Zlaugotnis, Head of Human Resources at dalli “We firmly believe that diversification brings significant benefits for both the working environment and efficiency. That’s why we actively promote diversity in our company. “
Mr Zlaugotnis, what does sustainability in HR mean to you and why is it so important for dalli to focus on it?
“Sustainability in HR means that we develop strategies and practices that contribute to the long-term stability, health and well-being of our employees, the company and society. It’s about organising our HR work responsibly, which means offering fair working conditions, promoting employee development and taking measures to reduce our environmental footprint. This is so important for dalli because employees are at the heart of our company. We can only be sustainably successful as a company if they are healthy, motivated and qualified.”
In your opinion, what are the key success factors for motivated employees?
“There are certainly many topics that play a role here. In my opinion, the most important topics are good working conditions and fair pay, recognition and appreciation, a good working atmosphere, good leadership, meaningful work, development opportunities and open, transparent communication.”
How would you describe the corporate culture at dalli?
“The corporate culture is largely characterised by a high level of loyalty to the family business and a strong desire to find solutions together, even in difficult situations. As part of the strategic realignment, a cultural process was launched to support this vision and mission. The focus is on values such as goal-orientation, passion, pioneering spirit and cooperation in a spirit of partnership. The cultural change is accompanied by management events, the implementation of a cross-level culture team and departmental workshops to operationalise the values in day-to-day business.”
What does dalli mean by fair and good working conditions?
“dalli is a company that is bound by collective labour agreements and offers its employees numerous benefits that exceed those of collective agreements. These include company pension schemes, health programmes and flexible working time models. The dalli group acts in accordance with national law and international standards, such as the principles of the International Labour Organization (ILO). These are set out in the “Code of Conduct for the dalli group and M&W and their employees”. The Code of Conduct is available to every employee in electronic form in the document management system and is available in the respective national languages. The contents of the Code of Conduct are communicated to all employees in annual briefings.”
How do you see dalli positioned in the area of occupational health and safety?
“Occupational safety and health protection are firmly anchored in the dalli organisation and also in the strategic objectives. By 2030, dalli will increase occupational safety per hour worked by 50% compared to the base year 2020. The company medical services are regularly available to employees and a wide range of preventive medical check-ups are offered.”
How is co-determination organised at dalli?
“Works councils, youth and trainee representatives (JAV) as well as representatives for severely disabled employees and addiction officers are firmly established at dalli. The works councils are in regular dialogue with the management and advocate for the concerns of employees at all company locations. As part of the establishment of a Group Works Council, the dialogue between the works councils at all locations and with the management will be intensified.”
What is the current situation regarding equality at dalli?
“Currently, 67% men and 33% women from a total of 32 nations work at dalli. The proportion of women in management positions is currently 31%. One of our strategic objectives is to achieve a balance between women and men in management positions. To further promote gender equality, we have appointed an Equal Opportunities Officer who works with HR and managers to implement appropriate measures.”
Is there a company suggestion scheme at dalli?
“Yes, a company suggestion scheme has been established at all German company locations. All suggestions, including those relating to the environment and occupational safety, are assessed and rewarded by an independent committee in accordance with a system defined in a company agreement.”
Is the use of temporary workers an issue at dalli?
“At peak times and when there are staff shortages, dalli uses temporary workers. They are treated like our own staff in terms of pay, induction training, safety instructions and working time regulations, in accordance with the principle of equal treatment.”
How does dalli ensure compliance with labour rights in the supply chain?
“Compliance with labour rights in the upstream supply chain is clearly communicated to all suppliers and service providers via our “Code of Conduct for Suppliers”. This code of conduct is defined as an integral part of the contract via the terms and conditions of purchase.”
What happens in the event of compliance violations and how does dalli deal with potential risks relating to employee rights?
“Compliance violations of any kind, including violations of employee rights, can be reported internally and externally to the Compliance department. This can also be done anonymously via our electronic whistleblowing system. Potential risks relating to employee rights, including in the upstream supply chain, are analysed and managed via our risk management system. To date, no significant risks have been identified and no specific material cases of violations of human rights or employee rights have occurred.”
You mentioned that the diversity of opinions, expertise and ideas is crucial to dalli’s success. How do you promote this diversification?
“We firmly believe that diversification brings significant benefits for both the working environment and efficiency. We therefore actively promote diversity in our company. We achieve this through targeted measures such as training, workshops, cross-functional project work and the promotion of an open corporate culture in which every opinion counts.”
Employee health is a top priority at dalli. What measures do you take in this area?
“Our interdisciplinary occupational health and safety committees and health management circles communicate and manage relevant topics. These include immunisations, physiotherapy measures and early detection diagnostics. Safety specialists, safety officers and the company medical service carry out regular workplace inspections to check ergonomics and safety and advise employees. We also offer a comprehensive safety training programme.”
Do you also support your employees outside of working hours and outside of the workplace?
“On the voioo platform, we have more than 3,000 offers in the areas of work life & team culture, crises & strokes of fate, health & prevention and family & social life. This support can help our employees to cope well in all situations.”
dalli is a company that is bound by collective labour agreements and offers its employees numerous benefits that exceed those of collective agreements. Can you tell us more about this?
“Yes, that’s correct. Our collective agreements and wage agreements ensure that fair pay and attractive holiday arrangements are guaranteed. In addition, we offer numerous above-tariff benefits to further motivate our employees. At our locations, we offer performance-related bonuses in recognition of achievements as a team. We recognise company loyalty in the form of anniversary bonuses and celebrations. We are working on benefits such as bike leasing etc.”
What role do the works councils and communication with the workforce play at dalli?
“A works council with the corresponding committees has been established at each location. There is also a Group Works Council and a European Works Council. Regular communication between the employee representatives and the management has been implemented. In addition to the regular works meetings, we use town hall meetings, the employee magazine “dalli intern” and other channels such as newsletters and themed events to keep our employees informed and promote dialogue.”
How do you contribute to the compatibility of family and career?
“We offer a wide range of measures to support the compatibility of family and career. These include flexible working hours, part-time options, mobile working for up to 40% of working hours and additional benefits such as subsidised daycare and holiday childcare.”
How do you cater to the needs of people with disabilities?
“We naturally offer jobs for people with disabilities and have set up representatives for the severely disabled. As far as possible, we always cater to the individual needs of our employees, for example by providing special IT equipment for visually impaired employees, subsidising workplace glasses and height-adjustable desks.”
Mr Zlaugotnis, how does dalli support the qualification of young people in our company?
“dalli is strongly committed to training young people. We offer numerous apprenticeships and dual study programmes. In addition, there are twelve voluntary examiners from our workforce at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce. We also make our training workshop available as an examination centre.”
What role does dalli play as an employer and training organisation in the regions?
“dalli is an important employer and training company at its locations. In this way, we make a significant contribution to economic stability in the respective regions. At all our production sites, we attach great importance to open dialogue with the local population. This helps us to maintain good neighbourly relations and create a positive environment.”
Does dalli also provide support for charitable and public organisations?
“We support our employees who are involved in non-profit organisations such as the voluntary fire brigades, the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief or the German Life Saving Association by giving them unconditional leave of absence for deployment times without having to accept any losses. We also maintain close relationships with the respective voluntary or full-time fire brigades and regularly make our properties available for training purposes and large-scale exercises. In addition, we support supervisory public institutions that can use our properties for practical exercises and examination purposes for supervisors in training.”