Employee Engagement Programs
When individuals begin working at Gildan, they become a valued member of a larger family. This is why we feel it is important for us to develop and implement various programs to better communicate with our employees, to support them in the many aspects of their lives – professional, family, and personal –, to encourage them to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle, and to recognize and reward their unique contribution to our Company.
At Gildan, we believe that such initiatives have the power to make a difference in improving our employees’ quality of life at work and at home.
Here are a few examples of local initiatives.
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Gildan TV
In 2009, the Communications Department in Central America identified the need for a better and more efficient mean of communication to our employees. After conducting surveys across our facilities, television was identified as the communication vehicle of preference by our employees. Gildan TV was created in response to this survey and it has become our newest tool in providing our employees information in an easy-to-digest, attention-grabbing manner.
The Gildan closed-circuit TV system allows plant management to broadcast messages to employees through TV monitors which are located throughout our textile and sewing plants, as well as at our health clinics and cafeterias.
The content that airs on Gildan TV is mainly educational and is developed to strengthen awareness of the Company’s policies, activities, employee success stories, and community programs, among other items.
In fact, as part of our TV programming, we have decided to include motivational clips composed of success stories from our own employees who have been able to make great changes in their lives thanks to Gildan. Employees with personal, family or work success stories were identified from several facilities, and were pleased to share their stories through Gildan TV as a way of motivating their peers.
After having witnessed the positive results of Gildan TV in Honduras, this creative way of communicating information to employees was extended to other locations. Our Barbados office has also implemented the system and our Charleston facility is in the final stages of introducing Gildan TV.
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Employee Assistance Program
Gildan's Employee Assistance Program is offered to all of our employees in Canada, in the United States and in Barbados, and provides one-on-one counseling to employees dealing with issues such as family matters, and personal, legal or financial problems. In 2011, we implemented the program in Charleston.
Specific to the Las Americas facility in the Dominican Republic, a partnership has been established with the Fenix Foundation to provide employees and their immediate family with psychological support, as needed, in the presence of addiction, personal challenges or domestic violence situations.
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Cooperatives
Our Honduras and Dominican Republic sewing and textile facilities have formed independent cooperatives in order to provide an incentive and to encourage employees to accumulate savings. These cooperatives assist employees with greater access to loans, which can be difficult to obtain in these countries, and at low interest rates compared with those available through standard banking channels. Participation in these cooperatives is voluntary and may be terminated at any time.
The cooperatives operate as independent legal entities supervised by an administrative manager. All cooperatives are exclusively available for non-management employees, who freely elect a Board of Directors among themselves on a biannual basis. As the cooperatives are located within our facilities, the finance department and external auditors are mandated with ensuring they are properly managed and operated in compliance with local regulations.
In Honduras, 11,320 employees are affiliated with these cooperatives. We are proud to report that in 2010-2011, approximately U.S. $ 10,350,000 was granted in loans. More than $15 million dollars have been loaned to employees in Honduras through the cooperatives since 2007 to October 2011.
In the Dominican Republic, Gildan is affiliated with an independent cooperative, which operates at Industrial Free Zone Las Americas, to offer this program to its employees. During fiscal 2011, our employees in that region received a total of 4,600 loans, which amounted to U.S.$ 1,330,000.
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Thank You Cards
In 2011, our Charleston facility initiated a unique way of rewarding employees whose behavior and contribution to the Company are outstanding: Thank You Cards.
The rationale behind this initiative is to encourage peer-to-peer recognition for outstanding performance and to foster a sense of community within the Gildan organization. How it works? Employees who notice a peer performing above and beyond what is required, or who makes a contribution in one of the eight areas listed below, are encouraged to write a Thank You card and present the appropriate section of the card to their co-worker as an acknowledgement of their special contribution. The other section of the card is given to the Human Resources Department for the employee’s file. Employees who receive a card then become eligible to receive a Thank you gift through a draw held among all recipients for a given period.
The eight categories are:
- Ethics and integrity
- Awareness of laws/rules/company policies/procedures
- Integrity of records
- Protection of company assets
- Employee relations
- Health and safety
- Customer relations
- Social responsibility
These areas are closely linked to our Code of Conduct, values, priorities and best practices.
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When baby arrives
At our facilities in Central America and in the Dominican Republic, our pregnant employees are given a baby shower celebration before their maternity leave. The Company uses this opportunity to present a variety of gifts including diapers, baby care products, and a complete and well-balanced meal which reinforces the importance of a healthy nutrition.
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Gildan's Saving our Family Program in Honduras
An assistance program called Saving our Family, which has been in place at a number of our textile and hosiery facilities in Honduras since 2009, was extended to all our Honduran facilities in 2011. This program responds to a need expressed by many of our employees, who requested support in handling personal issues and family situations in an effective and non-confrontational manner. The Saving our Family Program provides employees with free access to confidential counseling conducted by a certified professional specialized in marriage and family affairs. In 2012, we will be expanding this program to our Nicaraguan facilities.
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Family Days
At our Dortex facility in the Dominican Republic, Gildan sponsors Family Days, which are held twice a year. During these two-day events called “Juntos en familia,” employees are encouraged to invite relatives, visit the facility, share a lunch at the Company's expense, and take part in lots of games, food, raffles and contests. Our objective in doing this is to foster employees’ pride in their jobs and for their relatives to better understand the type of work they do.
In 2011, more than 5,500 employees and members of their families attended the events, during which conferences are also offered to employees on subjects linked to health. Dental consultations are also available for children.
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Children’s Festival
Gildan has been celebrating an annual Children's Festival at both of its sewing facilities in Nicaragua since we started our operations in 2004. The Festival, which is held in December, is dedicated to our employees' children. This year, more than 3,000 boys and girls enjoyed a day filled with sports activities, a variety of games, as well as plenty of food and candy.
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Celebrating Earth Day at Gildan
During the week of April 30th 2011, our Honduras and Nicaragua facilities celebrated Earth Day through various activities.
Honduras
- The Earth Day Fair was organized to offer our employees’ children a range of enjoyable activities centered around the environment and conservation.
- A children’s drawing contest was the highlight of the day, with the enthusiastic participation of more than 80 children ranging from 5 to 14 years of age.
- Presentations were made to educate children on a number of topics related to the environment, such as the importance of recycling and reforestation.
- Children were invited to calculate their personal environmental footprint and enjoy different games.
- Approximately 30 employees volunteered to participate in a reforestation activity at our San Miguel sewing facility.
Nicaragua
Gildan’s Nicaragua sewing facilities also joined in on the Earth Day celebrations by organizing a drawing contest in which employees’ children were invited to participate. A total of 300 children happily participated in the contest and the award ceremony that followed.
- The Earth Day Fair was organized to offer our employees’ children a range of enjoyable activities centered around the environment and conservation.
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Committed to an active way of life
In several of our locations, we have put programs in place to encourage our employees to adopt an active, healthy way of living. For instance, in the Dominican Republic, a Gildan Sport program was implemented to promote an active lifestyle and encourage team spirit among our employees. As part of this program, a Gildan basketball team was created, which has proved to be extremely popular.
In addition, our employees in Barbados held a three month “Commit to be Fit” competition, which included exercise routines and healthy lifestyle tips. Participating staff were divided into teams, with Gildan employees acting as trainers for each group. At our head office in Montreal, we established partnerships with gyms located close to our various offices in order to offer discounts to employees wishing to join.
