Care for well-being
Our people are essential to the success of Action. That is why, health and safety management and employee well-being are key priorities at Action. The key objective is to provide a healthy and safe work environment for everyone, in every role.
Back to People
New Health & Safety policy
We launched the Action Health and Safety (H&S) policy in 2022. Our Health and Safety policy helps us to protect employees from hazards, avoid injuries, illnesses and incidents, minimise or eliminate safety and health risks and provide employees with safe and healthy working conditions. As in previous years, there were zero fatalities linked to work related activities at Action in 2022.
The policy gives a clear overview of our ambitions, translated into policies, procedures, and systems. Action now has a framework to systematically analyse health and safety performance per entity, on typical indicators such as incidents, near misses, fatalities, and training on health and safety. This framework is the basis for continuous improvement, decision making, budget planning, workstreams and communications. Each country has a country Health and Safety policy available in their own language, signed off by the General Manager in that country.
In 2022, we have been able to reduce the number of incidents by creating more awareness of a safe and healthy working environment and by setting up policies and training courses that apply to all parts of Action. Reporting of accidents has improved because of the increase in awareness and better policies.
Results 2022
International and national teams
In 2021, we established a more coordinated international approach to health and safety, stepping up from the earlier country-level approach. The International Health and Safety team, which drives policy development and trend follow-up, was strengthened with an additional team member in 2022. In addition, each country has a local team in place as required by national regulations and international standards, and everywhere we operate we have an independent health and safety management system in place. This dedicated team now consists of 21 individuals compared to 16 in 2020. All Action businesses strictly follow applicable H&S regulations, which means that Action has adequate and sufficient risk inventory and evaluations (RIEs) in place to identify and evaluate hazards and risks, including those with the potential of high-consequence injury.
All Action employees and external employees are subjected to the same applicable H&S rules and guidelines, driven by relevant legislation and internal H&S standards. The total number of people working for Action covered by an occupational health and safety management system in 2022 was 79,755.
Our offices, stores and DCs conduct hazard identification and risk assessments to determine the root causes of and follow up on, workplace injuries, illnesses, and incidents. Requirements are continuously monitored to ensure that Action remains compliant. Where relevant, partnerships with external medical services and health and safety technical service providers have been established to cover people working directly or indirectly for Action. In full alignment with applicable health and safety regulations, every country office conducts periodic consultation and engagement with internal stakeholders. Our employees are continuously encouraged to speak up on all health and safety topics.
Throughout the year, we provided employees with health and safety training. Over 11,500 employees took part in health and safety training in 2022. The training courses include broader safety training and specific work-related hazards and situations. The curriculum is extended as needed and based on legal requirements.
Training
Four health, safety and
well-being weeks
We organised four dedicated theme weeks in 2022 to raise awareness related to health, safety and well-being for stores, offices and DCs. In addition to Health, Safety and Security weeks, we organised a Vitality week for the first time in September. Well-being was the main focus for this week, aimed at all Action employees. Heart, Body and Mind were the three themes. Messaging ranged from how to deal with stress and the importance of healthy nutrition, to correct work posture and giving compliments. We encouraged the employees to participate via multiple communications channels and activities, like daily messages, narrowcasting, a Vitality Action magazine and a ‘Happy & Good’ webinar. An e-learning course on vitality was available via the online Action Academy. Next year, the health and vitality weeks will be combined.
We will continue to roll-out the 2023-2025 People Plan. After all: Action’s people are key to our success, now and in the future. Their commitment and energy enable us to meet our ambitions. We want everyone who works for Action to be proud and engaged to work for Action.
Looking forward
Action has set a new goal for Recognition and personal growth in 2023. Seven new groups will start with the senior leadership programme. In 2023, we want to achieve an average of one internal store promotion to Store Manager or Assistant Store Manager per store per year and provide vocational training to 445 students in the four countries we currently offer it and Poland.
In 2023, we will carry out another Voice of Action, our engagement survey, with an additional questions on well-being to gain insight in the baseline. We will also introduce pulse surveys to allow us to gather in-depth insights on a specific topic with a targeted population, for example, on a team or country level. Another of our goals for 2023 is to keep our work-related fatalities to zero. We are making every effort to further reduce the Lost-time incident rate year on year.
Back to People
Our people are essential to the success of Action. That is why, health and safety management and employee well-being are key priorities at Action. The key objective is to provide a healthy and safe work environment for everyone, in every role.
Care for well-being
Back to People
We will continue to roll-out the 2023-2025 People Plan. After all: Action’s people are key to our success, now and in the future. Their commitment and energy enable us to meet our ambitions. We want everyone who works for Action to be proud and engaged to work for Action.
Looking forward
Action has set a new goal for Recognition and personal growth in 2023. Seven new groups will start with the senior leadership programme. In 2023, we want to achieve an average of one internal store promotion to Store Manager or Assistant Store Manager per store per year and provide vocational training to 445 students in the four countries we currently offer it and Poland.
In 2023, we will carry out another Voice of Action, our engagement survey, with an additional questions on well-being to gain insight in the baseline. We will also introduce pulse surveys to allow us to gather in-depth insights on a specific topic with a targeted population, for example, on a team or country level. Another of our goals for 2023 is to keep our work-related fatalities to zero. We are making every effort to further reduce the Lost-time incident rate year on year.
Four health, safety and well-being weeks
We organised four dedicated theme weeks in 2022 to raise awareness related to health, safety and well-being for stores, offices and DCs. In addition to Health, Safety and Security weeks, we organised a Vitality week for the first time in September. Well-being was the main focus for this week, aimed at all Action employees. Heart, Body and Mind were the three themes. Messaging ranged from how to deal with stress and the importance of healthy nutrition, to correct work posture and giving compliments. We encouraged the employees to participate via multiple communications channels and activities, like daily messages, narrowcasting, a Vitality Action magazine and a ‘Happy & Good’ webinar. An e-learning course on vitality was available via the online Action Academy. Next year, the health and vitality weeks will be combined.
Throughout the year, we provided employees with health and safety training. Over 11,500 employees took part in health and safety training in 2022. The training courses include broader safety training and specific work-related hazards and situations. The curriculum is extended as needed and based on legal requirements.
Training
International and national teams
In 2021, we established a more coordinated international approach to health and safety, stepping up from the earlier country-level approach. The International Health and Safety team, which drives policy development and trend follow-up, was strengthened with an additional team member in 2022. In addition, each country has a local team in place as required by national regulations and international standards, and everywhere we operate we have an independent health and safety management system in place. This dedicated team now consists of 21 individuals compared to 16 in 2020. All Action businesses strictly follow applicable H&S regulations, which means that Action has adequate and sufficient risk inventory and evaluations (RIEs) in place to identify and evaluate hazards and risks, including those with the potential of high-consequence injury.
All Action employees and external employees are subjected to the same applicable H&S rules and guidelines, driven by relevant legislation and internal H&S standards. The total number of people working for Action covered by an occupational health and safety management system in 2022 was 79,755.
Our offices, stores and DCs conduct hazard identification and risk assessments to determine the root causes of and follow up on, workplace injuries, illnesses, and incidents. Requirements are continuously monitored to ensure that Action remains compliant. Where relevant, partnerships with external medical services and health and safety technical service providers have been established to cover people working directly or indirectly for Action. In full alignment with applicable health and safety regulations, every country office conducts periodic consultation and engagement with internal stakeholders. Our employees are continuously encouraged to speak up on all health and safety topics.
In 2022, we have been able to reduce the number of incidents by creating more awareness of a safe and healthy working environment and by setting up policies and training courses that apply to all parts of Action. Reporting of accidents has improved because of the increase in awareness and better policies.
Results 2022
New Health & Safety policy
We launched the Action Health and Safety (H&S) policy in 2022. Our Health and Safety policy helps us to protect employees from hazards, avoid injuries, illnesses and incidents, minimise or eliminate safety and health risks and provide employees with safe and healthy working conditions. As in previous years, there were zero fatalities linked to work related activities at Action in 2022.
The policy gives a clear overview of our ambitions, translated into policies, procedures, and systems. Action now has a framework to systematically analyse health and safety performance per entity, on typical indicators such as incidents, near misses, fatalities, and training on health and safety. This framework is the basis for continuous improvement, decision making, budget planning, workstreams and communications. Each country has a country Health and Safety policy available in their own language, signed off by the General Manager in that country.
Back to People