Community involvement and development
In assessing the material issues, the Executive Group Management has made community involvement and development one of three focus topics. Community involvement and development stands out due to its many aspects which have the common goal of achieving a positive impact everywhere we operate. For HUBER+SUHNER, this includes the promotion of education, culture, and sports, as well as support for groups at the edge of social and/or workplace exclusion. Open, honest, and fair interactions with local and regional administrative authorities and other organisations such as schools, universities, and charitable organisations, are also part of this broad topic. The company’s direct investments globally and via its foundation for projects in education, the environment, culture, sports, and for disadvantaged groups can take the form of donations in cash or in kind, as well as vocational training positions or support for employees in their engagement through voluntary work within the community.
Approach
Country organisations are responsible for their community involvement and development activities according to the local setting, needs, and possibilities. The local teams from various departments select and execute projects according to our globally binding Community involvement and development guidelines. Outcomes are shared quarterly within our organisation to promote different successful projects so they can be implemented in varying forms on other locations if possible and appropriate.
In 2022, HUBER+SUHNER for the first time coordinated various actions from Europe to the United States to support Ukrainian people and refugees in a three-step approach: involve, welcome, and integrate. This included volunteering time and goods, financial donations, housing, and workplace integration. It was the first initiative where several countries joined together for one cause.
In November and December 2023, country organisations from across the world joined the initiative with locally adapted activities to support organisations which help underprivileged groups. This will be continued.
Objectives
As of the 2022 financial year, HUBER+SUHNER is investing a total of 0.5 % of budgeted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), or at least CHF 500,000, for the support and initiation of projects. The funds are provided from the operating business as well as from the HUBER+SUHNER Foundation.
With this focus topic, the goal is not only to support the communities where we operate, but to increase employee motivation and engagement beyond our daily business operations. The spirit of giving reflects a deep sense of stewardship and and our compassion for people. These are crucial traits in everyday life, in business, and beyond. For HUBER+SUHNER this shapes our culture and is one of many ways we live and cultivate our five values:
- Care
- Trust
- Passion
- Accountability
- Transparency.
HUBER+SUHNER will continue its exchange and sharing of best practices among our country sustainability representatives on a quarterly basis to align activities and further increase employee engagement and our relationships with local community members and organisations. Our ambition is to build strong ties and foster a mutual understanding of social and environmental risks and opportunities.
Progress
Country organisations
211
projects supported for community involvement and development
In 2023, we supported 211 community involvement and development projects (PY 173) through the engagement of 79 % of HUBER+SUHNER Group companies (PY 67 %). This equalled a financial investment of CHF 515,000. Despite the lower absolute investment, we remain on track and were able to support more projects than in previous years.
In 2023, we organised for the first time a joint holiday season activity to support underprivileged groups, with the participation of employees in Australia, Costa Rica, India, Poland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States to donate goods, toys, food, or money to select organisations. India took the occasion of Diwali – the festival of lights – to hold various events, including stall sells from local pottery craftsman and artwork from a school, as well as conducting a clothing, toy, and book drive for underprivileged people in the vicinity of our offices.
515,000 CHF
spent for community involvement and development projects
At the end of 2022, HUBER+SUHNER published its globally binding guidelines on the topic of community involvement and development. As of the 2022 financial year, HUBER+SUHNER has a total of 0.5 % of budgeted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), or at least CHF 500,000, available for the support and initiation of projects. The funds will be provided from the operating business as well as from the HUBER+SUHNER Foundation.
Table 7: Community involvement and development
|
Year |
|
Investment in CHF |
|
Number of projects |
|
Proportion of country organisations |
|
2020 |
|
333 000 |
|
118 |
|
56% |
|
2021 |
|
459 000 |
|
104 |
|
53% |
|
2022* |
|
579 000 |
|
173 |
|
67% |
|
2023 |
|
515 000 |
|
211 |
|
79% |
HUBER+SUHNER Foundation
The HUBER+SUHNER Foundation in Switzerland, established in 1947, is another important channel to support our own employees as well as projects by non-profit organisations in the vicinity of the Herisau and Pfäffikon ZH offices and production sites. The Foundation’s mission is to fund select social, cultural, and sports projects.
After a couple of years where the global Covid-19 pandemic had halted or postponed some projects which were funded in 2020 already, the number applications and funded projects has increased again since 2022.
Two of the projects are described in more detail in our “Highlights from around the globe” section.
Table 8: HUBER+SUHNER Foundation projects
|
Year |
|
Number of projects |
|
2020 |
|
105 |
|
2021 |
|
86 |
|
2022 |
|
142 |
|
2023 |
|
145 |
Planned actions
Country initiatives
Going forward, we want to further collaborate and engage with the communities where HUBER+SUHNER has office and/or production sites in a strategic manner and according to our Community involvement and development guidelines. We are committed to the social and environmental well-being and improvement of our surrounding communities. We will:
- Through the HUBER+SUHNER Foundation, operating in Switzerland only, and with our country organisations, invest at least 0.5 % of the budgeted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) or CHF 500,000, whichever is higher, into community development projects
- Continue to encourage our employees, where possible, to support projects by donating their time, know-how, funds, or goods
- Identify a global community engagement and development project as this is one of our three focus topics, where all countries can contribute to one bigger cause
- Define and implement additional processes to measure the effectiveness and outcome of our community involvement and development activities.
Stories from around the globe
China charity bazaar
In China, a charity bazaar was organised in May with the support of a variety of employee donations. A total of RMB 5,200 was raised and doubled with a company donation to RMB 10,400. The “Cheer for Mulan Foundation”, which provides free education and medical support to underprivileged women in rural areas, received the funds for its important work.
Germany is adding more beehives
For the past couple of years, our colleagues at HUBER+SUHNE Cube Optics AG in Mainz have become bee experts. Starting with one hive, they now have a total of four beehives with: the ZomBees, FrisBees, GarBees, and CuBees. The impressive amount of 60 kg honey was harvested in 2023 thanks to colleagues who have become the beekeepers and form the “Imker AG”. The honey is offered to visitors, given to the bee caretakers and sold to other employees to fund the project. Employees’ children were invited to witness the harvesting process this year and learn about the fascinating world of bees.
India continues to fiberise rural villages and
their schools
HUBER+SUHNER in India continues with its fiberisation project by empowering rurals schools and their pupils with internet. The country’s rural areas often lack the necessary infrastructure for reliable internet connectivity, such as broadband networks, cell towers, and power supply. Since 2022, HUBER+SUHNER in India has brought high-speed internet access to approximately 2,200 village schools. Students and teachers can expand their knowledge and digital tools, thanks to our teams’ engagement beyond business.
Malaysia encourages employees to recycle
Since March 2021, our team in Malaysia has been running a recycling project. Employees can bring their recyclable waste such as paper, plastic, and metals from home to the office premises as there is limited public recycling infrastructure available. In May 2023, a next step was taken with the inauguration of a recycling room infrastructure. The collected recyclable waste is handed over to a recycling center, run by the Malaysian arm of the charitable “Tzu Chi” organisation with its focus on charity, medicine, education, and humanist culture. At the foundation’s recycling center, recyclable waste is sorted for reuse or disposal. All proceeds from the sale of the reusable materials are invested in, among others, the non-governmental charity for medical care and environmental protection. In 2023, 2,919 kg of waste were recycled (PY 530 kg). Over the past three years, a total of 6,000 kg waste could be recycled thanks to the project.
Mexico goods drive for a school and an elderly home
The team in Mexico got together and held a drive of goods including hygiene items and clothing for “Nuestra Señora del Rosario”, a nursing home for the elderly in Empalme, where our production site is located. Additionally, lamps, office furniture, and workshop accessories were donated to the local “Conalep technical school”.
Tunisia thought of others during Ramadan and “World Blood Donor Day”
During the holy month of Ramadan, our colleagues in Tunisia came together with donations of basic foods for families in need. On 13 June, World Blood Donor Day, our employees were welcomed by a medical team from Work Medicine Complex to make it is easy to donate blood and ultimately save lives.
United Kingdom raised money for people with cancer
In the UK, our team in Bicester supported the Hummingbird Cancer Support Group charity with a donation of £ 2,000. The organisation provides mental support to cancer patients and their family members.
Our team in Charlotte (USA) connected for a cure
Employees of HUBER+SUHNER Inc. in Charlotte, United States, in April joined the "PanCan (Pancreatic Cancer) Purple Stride Run 2023" as team “Connecting for a Cure.” One of our colleagues was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and the team ran in to support him and to raise awareness. They raised USD 12,754, exceeding the targeted goal of USD 10,000, to fund vital research for new treatments.
Astrolab employees in Warren (USA)
Together with “United Way”, some colleagues of the team in Warren, United States, rolled up their sleeves and stuffed back-to-school backpacks with goods donated by their co-workers.
A donation drive was held in August, when our employees collected baby wipes, diapers, and other hygiene items for the “Moms Helping Moms”.
The HUBER+SUHNER Foundation in Switzerland – select projects
Wagerenhof Foundation
"Wagerenhof," a foundation and center of competency and service, for over 100 years has provided housing, care, work, and leisure activities for adults with a cognitive impairment and their families. The organisation supports 250 people and offers 52 specialised jobs in a protected but inclusive environment so that all participants can enjoy high quality of life.
Wagerenhof residents were missing spaces where they could spend time together chatting, playing computer games, relaxing on a sofa, have a drink at the bar, dancing, and celebrating birthdays and other events. Additionally, the area was envisioned to allow for quiet time reading or listening to audio books or CDs. And very importantly: they had wanted a kitchen so they could cook and enjoy food together. The final outcome of the project is all of this and more. The Wagerenhof team also got a library that includes an aquarium and a cinema. Since November 2023, the “King’s Kitchen” has offered weekly cooking events for and with Wagerenhof residents. The HUBER+SUHNER Foundation contributed to the new spaces with a substantial donation.
Werkheim Uster
Around 285 people with cognitive impairments live and work in the "Werkheim Uster". The organisation’s goal is to promote equality and a self-determined lifestyle for its residents, ensuring that people with disabilities can actively participate in society.
With its Mehrwerk (meaning more work) services, the Werkheim Uster stands for more collaboration, more possibilities, more inclusion, more independence, and more capabilities for residents. Different Werkheim Uster teams as well as local companies share a common workspace at the Mehrwerk. The vision is that employees with and without impairment work together on equal terms and on an equal footing. In total, 75 employees and 12 specialised staff work at Mehrwerk and an additional 50 people work for the companies renting Mehrwerk spaces.
A next step was the Mehrwerk Gastronomy, through which a range of fresh and seasonal foods and beverages could be served during breaks and lunch for Mehrwerk employees and tenant companies, as well as the neighbouring companies.
The contemporary new cafeteria will serve as a meeting place and supports inclusion and diversity. Mehrwerk Gastronomy also expands the range of service offerings and increases the collaboration of Werkheim Uster employees with the neighbouring commercial center and its companies. The HUBER+SUHNER Foundation supported the Mehrwerk Gastronomy with a donation for the purchase of the filtration system for its barrier-free, sustainable water dispenser. The Mehrwerk employees with cognitive or physical impairments have access to the water dispenser at any time. The robust, user-friendly system boasts illuminated sensor buttons with pictograms and easy-to-access panels that can be mounted at various heights, making it the perfect choice for the Mehrwerk team.
