At JTI, advocating for equality in the workplace is more than lip service. We walk the talk by implementing programs that provide equal opportunities to our employees that are free from discrimination of any kind.
JTI Philippines has since become the first company in the country to earn EY’s Global Equality Standard (GES) certificate on equal opportunities, achieving several of the highest assessment scores possible.
JTI Philippines was commended for several of its corporate initiatives, including:
an analysis that found the company to be fully compliant on equal opportunities, which is embedded in the culture of the organization;
flexible working measures, which, among other key benefits, give eligible employees the option to work 50% of their time away from the office;
its progressive global family leave policy, enabling employees across the country holding eligible positions, regardless of gender, sexual orientation or the way they become parents, to benefit from 20 weeks fully paid leave when welcoming a child;
its focus on career progression through the likes of mentorship programs, as well as recruiting for underrepresented groups and having a balanced assessment and interview process – including its innovative Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) ‘Bright Start’ program that supports individuals from socially disadvantaged communities by giving them the opportunity to attain a college degree, while simultaneously earning a salary and developing their careers at JTI, together with its ‘Drive Ahead’ program aimed at enrolling in driving school female employees, who are interested in a career in the field so that they can acquire a professional driving license that is required for a field force role;
and a market-leading approach to its wellbeing initiatives, including a strong focus on mental health.
The certificate was awarded to all three JTI entities in the Philippines – its nationwide market operations with its head office in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, its global business services center also in Metro Manila, and its manufacturing facility in Malvar, Batangas.
“DEI is at the core of what we do at JTI. It is business critical, and we recognize it is important that workplaces be held to account,” notes Ari Wisnubroto, People and Culture Director at JTI Philippines. “The GES certification, therefore, does not mean that our work is done at JTI Philippines. It is crucial that our DEI policies and practices evolve and are audited on a regular basis to ensure that our programs are benchmarked and that we are meeting our responsibility to serve the needs of our 5,500+ employees across the country.”
EY’s GES is one of the first worldwide Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) certifications and provides an in-depth diagnostic of all aspects of DEI, including measuring equal opportunities in the workplace. The GES framework is universal and increasingly being applied internationally by world-leading brands, having been used in over 50 countries and across five continents to date.
The assessment is a stringent process and requires evidence of comprehensive practices that protect and promote a level playing field for all employees, creating a safe haven of equality which is free from all forms of discrimination. The national accreditation for JTI in the Philippines follows the company’s global certification in 2021, where it became one of the first multinational companies in the world to receive the GES.