Health

The sustainability of any business requires investment in developing talent. And retaining top talent requires more than simply offering rewards and good pay. It requires investment in both personal and professional development and improving the well-being and health of employees and their families

Nitro Quimica’s employee well-being initiatives include prevention and health management programs for Company employees.

Nitro+ Saúde

Nitro+ Saúde is a company health program comprising a range of projects and initiatives. In addition to a 24/7 outpatient clinic and attending physicians from Monday to Friday, Nitro Quimica also monitors these medical services and uses the data to inform and plan initiatives and campaigns to improve employee health. Employees with chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, are given special care to help them better cope and improve their quality of life. The Company’s canteen offers employees a varied menu with low sodium, fat and sugar content.

Nitro + Saúde also encourages employees to adopt a healthier lifestyle, exercise regularly and prevent disease. The program follows a monthly calendar of health campaigns.

Nitro Quimica also holds meetings with family members to answer questions about their health insurance plans. The health insurance provider holds lectures to inform employees on how to use their health insurance plans and address subjects of interest depending on users’ epidemiological profile and the season.

Benefits

Our employees are entitled to a range of benefits, including some benefits that, while mandatory under Brazilian regulations, include enhanced features for our employees. Benefits are provided to all employees except part-time employees (apprentices and interns), who are not entitled to private pension plans or to use of the company’s credit union facilities.

The Company provides these employees with basic benefits including meal vouchers and transportation tickets, life insurance, health insurance and maternity/paternity leave. Nitro Quimica matches employees’ contributions to the Company’s pension fund. For employee’s well-being and financial peace of mind, the Company offers a credit union as well as school materials for employees’ children. G4-LA12

Back pain is one of the most common complaints at the workplace. In 2016, Nitro Quimica conducted an ergonomics assessment that mapped out locations and departments placing greater physical strain on employees. Based on this assessment, in 2017 a functional biomechanics project was initiated to improve employee posture at previously identified workstations. A physiotherapy professional will be hired to address posture and needed workplace adaptations.

The Engineering Department is also developing a project to improve our automation systems at workstations requiring greater physical exertion. Other than these biomechanical issues, there are no activities at Nitro Quimica posing and occupational health hazard to employees.

Our reported health and safety indicators are for our operations in São Paulo and exclude first aid cases. Data is compiled through a specific system and includes injuries involving employees and third-party workers. We have not recorded any fatalities in the past 19 years.

Development

Employee turnover at Nitro Quimica has been historically very low. We believe our exceptional ability to retain talent can be attributed to an effective talent acquisition and selection process that attracts professionals who are not only competent in their roles, but above all, aligned with the beliefs and behaviors we value.

To further improve our approach, in 2016 we conducted a comprehensive competencies drill-down exercise that mapped all positions, profiles and job descriptions across the organization. We also outlined a training roadmap for technical and operational positions, and a separate training roadmap for leadership and management positions. This provides greater clarity to new hires on what is expected of each position. Another program, called Ciclo de Gente, assesses our employees’ competencies.

Trainee Program

Nitro Quimica launched a new trainee program in 2016, attracting 6,000 thousand candidates from universities across Brazil in the first year of the program. Eight candidates who completed the program were selected to begin work in 2017, and all were subsequently hired for positions in Marketing, Management Systems, Logistics, Procurement, Production, Controllership and Technical Support. At the end of the year, an additional team of 6 trainees was selected for the 2017 edition of the program.

Rates of new employee hires and turnover were measured using this approach only in 2016; all hires and terminations were at the same operation (São Paulo).

Once a year, all employees take part in a comprehensive and objective performance assessment process. One of the individual performance assessment criteria is achievement against annual targets based on the company’s strategic roadmap and annual tactical roadmap. The outcome from performance assessments covers two factors: collective goals and individual goals.

Every employee undergoes a 360° feedback assessment once a year, in which they assess their own performance and are assessed by their manager, peers and subordinates (as applicable). After completing a cycle of eight assessments, employees receive feedback from their managers. The outcomes from the assessments are input into a matrix through which employees can view how well they are performing and where investment is needed in professional development. An individual development plan is prepared as a final outcome from the process to inform employees on how best to improve their performance and structure their career plans. Assessments are not formally recorded for apprentices and interns.

Achievement of individual goals entitles employees to receive variable compensation depending on their position and level in the organization.

Education Sponsorship Program

Around 20% of Nitro Quimica employees have been awarded education grants. Half are enrolled in engineering and post-graduate programs, and the other half in language courses. Education grants pay for part of employees’ tuition fees and are awarded to employees longer than one year with the company according to their training requirements as identified through 360° Feedback.

The company also supports and sponsors short training programs targeting employees’ specific training requirements. Through a partnership with a local university, employees and their relatives are eligible to a 50% discount on any graduate program.

¹ Records are not kept of training provided to the board or third-party workers.

Our Human Resources department provides information on training provided by third-parties. Evidence and attendance records showing hours of training provided by different departments and in-house instructors (such as safety, quality and environment training) are kept by the relevant departments or individuals. For education grants, in some cases only the total number of course hours have been documented. Records are not kept of the actual number of hours of classes taken in each course.

Full support

Nitro Quimica’s Employee Assistance Program offers assistance and advice to employees or relatives facing financial, legal or health problems.

The service is offered by specialist professionals to help employees resolve personal problems. The program recorded 49 cases handled and 206 inbound and outbound calls in 2016, achieving a utilization rate of 10.1% compared with a global average of 3.5%.

All sessions are confidential and address issues that include:

• life changes and crises;
• family concerns;
• marital or relationship problems;
• matters relating to child or elderly care;
• fears and anxieties;
• mood swings (sadness, anguish and discouragement);
• loss of loved ones/mourning;
• substance dependence, alcoholism and smoking;
• interpersonal conflicts on or off the job.

Climate Survey Improvement

The Company also runs a not-for-profit credit union of which 70% of our employees are members, offering personal loans at lower-than-market interest rates.

In 2016 we implemented a Retirement Planning Program to assist employees who are nearing retirement. The program was created specifically to assist employees in making decisions and organizing and planning for retirement. Through the program, employees can better prepare for their departure from the company. The aim of the program is to help employees nearing retirement to prepare ahead for intangible aspects including social, economic, health and personal issues and to minimize the anguish that some people experience as they approach this period in life. Six retirement planning meetings were held with 35 employees in attendance. The program is run on a biennial basis.

Preparing ahead for e-Social

Nitro Quimica has prepared ahead for the future implementation of e-Social, a Brazilian government program that will unify company filings to social security agencies such as the National Social Security Institute (INSS), the Ministry of Social Security and the Ministry of Labor and Employment. The Company’s management system integrates payroll, human resources and health and safety information, allowing us to seamlessly conform to e-Social filing requirements.