PEOPLE 24The individual components of the programme are illustratedthrough various measures, including posters, stickers andtraining sessions. <strong>Brenntag</strong> Cornerstone is accepted very wellin <strong>North</strong> <strong>America</strong> and has significantly improved occupationalsafety. As a result of this success and the positive effects ithas had, the concept has now been rolled out at all Europeanlocations.Safety affects all <strong>Brenntag</strong> employees – starting with thetop-level management. The elements of the Cornerstoneprogramme are a major help when it comes to optimisingour safety performance even further. As far as content isconcerned, the aim is to increase safety awareness, to boostteamwork among employees, to look out for one another,to feel responsible and to act with responsibility, as wellas to increase attention and vigilance in the workplace.To achieve perpetual improvement, we always challengeall business processes to identify better ways to operate.In Europe, the Cornerstone programme was launched viaa special “Safety at Work” day on 30 October 2012. At thisevent, all employees attended safety training sessions –from the administrative staff and warehouse operatorsto sales employees. There were also presentations featuringgeneral information about Cornerstone and covering thefirst element, “Leadership and Accountability”. As was thecase for our <strong>Brenntag</strong> colleagues in <strong>North</strong> <strong>America</strong>, posters,roll-ups and banners were distributed to all Europeanbranches in the relevant languages. All employees haveaccess to key information via the intranet. The employeesalso watched video clips from the COO of <strong>Brenntag</strong> Europeand the regional managing directors, in which managementrequested all employees to pay attention to their own safety,as well as that of their colleagues. All six Cornerstone elementsare due to be introduced gradually at the individualEuropean locations during 2013.Dedication –<strong>Brenntag</strong> employees set an exampleOur employees are not only characterised by their excellentqualifications but also by their dedication and team spirit.For a company that operates in over 70 countries and transcendsmany languages and cultures, we have one thing incommon that binds us together – our passion for our businessand the chemical distribution sector. Our employees areencouraged to get involved in social and sustainabilityprojects by joy of working and by the belief that much canbe achieved by working together.Employees help to build housesOver the years, <strong>Brenntag</strong> employees from <strong>North</strong> <strong>America</strong>have volunteered and made charitable contributions tomany different causes, personally and through theworkplace. The interest in community programmes hascontinued to flourish, resulting in the development of the“You be the Difference” campaign and the beginning of apartnership with “Habitat for Humanity”, a non-profitorganisation dedicated to providing decent, affordablehomes to families in communities around the world.For every local home built, a payment is sent to “Habitatfor Humanity International”, which funds a home in adeveloping country.<strong>Brenntag</strong> employees pledged both time and moneyto “Habitat for Humanity”. <strong>Brenntag</strong> <strong>North</strong> <strong>America</strong>,<strong>Brenntag</strong> <strong>North</strong>east and <strong>Brenntag</strong> Specialties employeesparticipated in Habitat builds during the summers of 2011and 2012. These 50 plus employees brushed up on theircarpentry skills by installing insulation, painting skirtingboards, walls and ceilings, and preparing kitchen cabinetsfor installation. Some of the teams also participated indemolition and yard cleanup.Dedication, the willingness to help others and team spiritare what characterise our <strong>Brenntag</strong> <strong>North</strong> <strong>America</strong> colleagues,who are leading by example with their “Habitat for Humanity”charity projects. Through their commitment, dedicationand desire to contribute, <strong>Brenntag</strong> and its employees aresupporting the local community through “Habitat forHumanity” and many other charitable organisations.Public relations in the classroomBritish specialty chemicals distributor Multisol has developeda special project to boost the chemical industry’simage among the public. The aim is to explain the significanceof chemicals in our daily lives because people canonly appreciate them if they understand what they areused for.Multisol, which has been part of the <strong>Brenntag</strong> Group since2011, has taken on this task for the field of solvents andhas already won plenty of prizes for its commitment.Multisol colleagues visit schools in order to explain toyoung people the influence that chemicals have on ourday-to-day lives. A visit to the Multisol facility in Irlam,Greater Manchester, aims to illustrate to the 16- and 17-year-olds the link between their chemistry studies andthe practical applications enabling the students to recogniseand appreciate the importance of chemicals in ourday-to-day lives. The presentation of the safety regulationsused in the industry is of particular importance.The visit has shown to have the positive knock-on effectof increasing students’ interest in chemistry as a subject.In 2011, Multisol won the ESIG Award for Product Responsibilityfor its dedication. As a result of this success andthe positive feedback, the project will be continued inthe future.
PEOPLE 25Employee loyalty –learning from each otherDedicated employees are one of the key factors for thesuccess of a company. The prerequisite for this is goodemploy-ee loyalty. Happy employees who feel valued moveour company forwards thanks to their high motivation andlevels of commitment. The <strong>Brenntag</strong> Asia Pacific managementteam wanted to learn more about the dedication of theiremployees, and their issues and needs, so they initiatedan employee survey. The first “Dedication and Culture”survey for <strong>Brenntag</strong> Asia Pacific was conducted overthe course of three weeks in 2011, asking nearly 1,000employees for their opinions on various topics.The key drivers for dedication that were mentioned in thesurvey included people, work tasks, motivation, values, careeropportunities, recognition, quality of life, policies andprocedures, and compensation and benefits. The aim of theevaluation was to highlight the solidarity and commitmentof employees and, using these results, to boost their associationwith the company and to establish <strong>Brenntag</strong> as an employerof choice. After evaluating the data, it became clearthat learning and development play one of the biggest rolesin promoting employee loyalty. As a reaction to the resultsof the survey, Community of Practice (CoP) events havebeen held in a number of countries since early 2012.Employees who work in similar areas or posts, join forceswith a learning community in order to gain skills in thatarea. The exchange of information and experiences enablesmembers of the group to benefit from the knowledge ofthe others, which in turn drives their personal developmentand widens their skill set.A wide range of these learning communities have beenpracticed at <strong>Brenntag</strong> Asia Pacific. In China, there was a“Lunch and Learn” programme on the topic of culturaldifferences around the world, for example. The aim was toincrease the participants’ awareness and understanding ofthe cultural features of other countries. By interacting with<strong>Brenntag</strong> colleagues around the world every day, employeescan put this knowledge directly into practice. The membersof the group then discuss their experiences working withpeople from other cultures and their position in a multinationalcompany. The CoP will continue to support trainingand personnel development in <strong>Brenntag</strong> Asia Pacific.Our employees are one of the key factors of our success.
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