RHI Magnesita’s employees and contractors are entitled to a safe and healthy workplace. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, this fundamental employer obligation has assumed even greater significance and the company has worked hard to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of all.
Throughout 2022, COVID-19 safety protocols remained in place and routine testing helped maintain both workforce safety and business continuity. Execution of regional Health & Safety coordination was further strengthened and a culture of cross-regional communication, benchmarking and knowledge sharing established.
High plant loads combined with reduced staffing due to COVID at the beginning of the year were contributory factors behind a slight increase in Lost time injury frequency rate LTIF from 0.19 in 2021 to 0.20 in 2022. However, Total recordable injury frequency rate (TRIF) decreased from 0.61 to 0.54 in 2022. Most regrettably, one contractor died as a result of a workplace traffic accident in India. An urgent investigation into the root causes of this incident was carried out and changes were made to relevant guidelines worldwide to improve safety procedures.
The Group continued to progress its occupational Health & Safety programmes, seeking to balance leading and lagging indicators in order to be more pro-active and less reactive. Leading indicators are helping employees to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their safety efforts, giving direction and insights into the typical behaviour and conditions that precede any incident. In 2023 so far, the Preventive Rate indicator has almost doubled compared to last year, demonstrating ongoing improvement in the safety awareness culture. The implementation of ISO 45001 standards is also being extended to the refractory installations side of the business. Overall, RHI Magnesita proceeds to accelerate the standardisation with a global Health & Safety Management System and its certification by an external notified auditing body, while incorporating local needs.
Customer focus is the core of RHI Magnesita’s culture, which features four key dimensions: innovation, openness, pragmatism and performance. To drive and maintain this culture we must attract, develop and retain a diverse and high performing workforce. Employees expect and deserve an inclusive, safe and empowering work environment. Colleagues from over 90 countries bring with them a wide range of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. The Group supports and encourages a mindset of lifelong learning, and personal and professional growth.
In 2018, the ‘Culture Champions’ network was introduced: More than 60 employees worldwide began engaging with colleagues on a regular basis to promote the company’s corporate culture. This work continued in 2022, and in 2023, the cultural champions began including the theme of unconscious bias in their activities.
In 2022, a new global antiharassment policy was also introduced as a further step towards diversity and inclusion commitment.
RHI Magnesita will continue promoting diversity amongst its employees including in management positions, where good progress has been made to date but further efforts are required to meet our 33% target by 2025.
As a core value, diversity is promoted within RHI Magnesita’s corporate culture. The company is committed to providing equal opportunities for all employees, regardless of age, gender, skin colour, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability. Through its diversity and inclusion strategy, the Group’s goal is to provide a culture of inclusion and wellbeing for all employees. RHI Magnesita believes that companies should reflect the world around us. Embracing diversity and building inclusion into everything the company does is important for the success of the business and helps to connect with the customers we serve. Employee diversity is key to this, as it gives rise to new ideas and approaches. A broad range of talent and perspectives from a varied workforce is required, assessed based on gender diversity, international representation, and generation management.
In December 2021, a new diversity strategy was launched including the adoption of a Diversity Charter. In 2022, key initiatives have included a survey of the needs of female leaders, trainee workshops, external events participation, global anti-discrimination and diversity training and a LinkedIn learning diversity campaign.
RHI Magnesita’s internal global women’s network helps to shape the company’s gender diversity agenda. Its intended refreshment in 2023 will focus on promoting global and regional measures to improve diversity, keep track of progress and co-ordinate the roll out of diversity initiatives with line functions. Female representation on the Board of Directors at year end 2022 was 33%. Currently, 21% of all senior leadership positions are held by females (2018: 12%) including the Executive Management Team (EMT) and their direct reports. RHI Magnesita’s goal is to increase the share of female leaders at both Board and EMT plus direct report level to 33% by 2025.
During the challenging period of COVID-19, RHI Magnesita focused on keeping employees safe and informed. Extra efforts to engage were made through new communications channels, while home-working guidance and psychological support were offered.
In the most recent global employee survey, realized in 2022, the engagement score stood at an encouraging 79%. This score is based on six criteria — satisfaction, recommendation probability, pride to work for RHI Magnesita, belief in the company’s future direction, team motivation and willingness to go the extra mile – and compares positively to a global benchmark of between 73% and 74% for manufacturing industries. To accelerate the digitalisation of its business, RHI Magnesita has appointed more than 100 digital champions across its global workforce.
Three Employee Representative Directors sit on RHI Magnesita’s Board of Directors, providing a voice in the boardroom on a range of issues, in particular those which directly impact the workforce, such as remuneration, agreements to accommodate working conditions under COVID-19, and plant closures. More than three quarters (82%) of the Group’s employees belong to unions or are covered by works councils or collective bargaining.
At RHI Magnesita, we are committed to helping people grow. We encourage life-long learning and help all our employees, regardless of their role or location, improve their current skills or acquire new ones, needed for their future within RHI Magnesita.
Regardless of age, gender, or nationality, every RHI Magnesita employee is a valued asset of the global network we’ve established. That’s why we care, support, and invest in our employees by offering a wide range of benefits.
