1. social sustainability

Social sustainability

In over 30 years, Indesit Company has transformed itself from a leading Italian company into a European group with its heart in Italy and ambitions in all the world’s major markets.

Indesit Company’s commitment to social progress takes various forms and translates into action in various contexts. It is increasingly focused on human capital and professional development. It seeks to strengthen its ties with the territories where it operates. It privileges transparent dialogue with suppliers. It believes in listening to consumers, in order to satisfy their needs.

People

Besides the headquartered in Fabriano, the Research Center and the Product Technical Units, Indesit Company has 16 production factories (Italy, Poland, United Kingdom, Russia and Turkey) and employs 16,000 people.

The cross cultural approach is the principle upon which Indesit Company personnel policy is based, aiming at developing one single corporate identity, while respecting diversity in the different local communities in which it operates. Diversity is an asset, a value that is increased through ongoing processes of knowledge, integration and exchange between people of different cultures while presenting an opportunity for personal and professional growth for employees.

Health and safety

Indesit Company considers workplace health & safety fundamental elements for the purpose of achieving excellence in performance. For this reason, the Company has implemented specific tools (policies, procedures and responsibility) to monitor employee workplace health & safety in all the regions in which the Group operates, while complying with the relevant local legislation.

Customers

Listening to and understanding customers, retailers and consumers provides the key to anticipating and meeting their needs and desires. Indesit Company is strongly focused on these categories of stakeholders in order to develop products and services that take their needs and expectations into account.

Supplier

Indesit Company’s purchase policy is based on the development of local suppliers, which are strategically located close to the Group’s production units. The Group’s policy for the identification and development of suppliers close to the factories is intended to create a significant and consolidated base on which to rely for future development plans.

Supplier selection criteria also include the supplier’s social and environmental responsibility policies. In line with its Corporate Governance, the Group’s only establishes relations with suppliers that comply with the governance standards envisaged in the relevant document, particularly with reference to the rules governing relations with the public administration, confidentiality and the ILO (International Labour Organization) conventions. Suppliers are also bound to comply with specific quality standards that the Group monitors by means of periodic controls performed by the Group’s Quality Division.

Community

• CRESCO Crescita Compatibile
  Indesit Company has joined CRESCO Crescita Compatibile, a project promoted by Fondazione Sodalitas and organized in collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano, with funding from Regione Lombardia (local government).
  Growing out of collaboration with ANCI, Legambiente, Cittadinanzattiva and The Natural Step, the initiative aims to create a network of municipalities – the so-called CRESCO Islands – committed to building an alliance between local administrations, business and the public, throughout the country, and developing sustainable public policies and replicatable models.
  The CRESCO project focuses on basic issues such as energy and water saving, use of renewable energy sources, waste sorting, re-use of materials, reduction of waste and use of means of transport with a low environmental impact.
  In collaboration with local government, the companies in the project have committed to educating citizens, including students, to use natural resources intelligently, on a daily basis, and thereby reduce environmental impact.
  The CRESCO project started up with a number of pilot municipalities and then transferred our best sustainability practice to citizens across the whole Country.
  
  Literature Video
In addition to continuing the Jonathan project, which helps young people in the Jonathan Association find work, the Group also participated in the following cultural and social initiatives.
• Prince’s Trust
  In collaboration with the Municipal Council of Peterborough, operating partner of the Prince’s Trust National Team Programme, Indesit Company offered its support for a training project addressing jobless young people aged 16-19 (courses on job search skills). Participants took part in simulated job interviews and some of them were offered a two-week internship at the Group’s factories.
• Radomsko children’s support
  On the occasion of Children’s Day at Radomsko (Poland), a playground was inaugurated thanks to the collaboration between Indesit Company and local government. The playground is located in the centre of the city and has swings, wooden shelters, roundabouts and slides. It is guarded and open 7 days a week.
• Łodz campaign
  Indesit Company supported the "Zawodowo dla Łodzi" (Professionally for Łodz) campaign. The campaign’s main objective was to create and disseminate a locally relevant industrial culture to improve the image of the vocational schools in the city of Lodz. Indesit Company met with several students and explained the importance of this type of training, which results in real job opportunities.
• Children in Need
  The Petersborough contact centre served as a branch of “Children in Need”, receiving donations for children in need. More than 100 Indesit Company employees contributed as phone operators and raised 2,400 promises of donations.
• Indesit well in Karamoja
  The Company donated a well to the “Acqua per Karamoja” project promoted by Africa Mission. The “Indesit well” provides clean water for the Catholic Mission run by the Abim Town Council (village of Wiawer, Yenelemi parish), which has a primary school for 170 students as well as 7,000 other people in the Yenelemi district. In north-east Uganda, Karamoja is one of the most drought stricken parts of Africa, with an average per capita consumption of water of between 5 and 10 litres a day. The project’s main objective is to raise the average daily availability to at least 15 litres.
• Mario Sasso’s “Videoglaz” hits Moscow
  Moscow’s museum of modern art hosted a personal exhibition by the Italian Mario Sasso, a living legend of video art and TV design in Europe. The exhibition is just one of the cultural events promoted by Indesit Company.
• Orphanage in Lodz
  Indesit Company started to work with an orphanage in Lodz (Poland) that looks after not only children but adults. The Company provides material and moral support for the younger occupants and also supports job placement for the older ones in Indesit Company plants
• Annual swimming event in Prague
  As a partner in the community, Indesit Company sees its role as a dynamic commitment growing over time. In 2008, it organized the annual swimming races for diversely able athletes, under the aegis of Prague’s city administration. The first prizes in the various events were Indesit dishwashers.
• Indesit Company against leucodystrophy
  The Spanish anti-leucodystrophy Association or- ganized a series of events in Gastor (Andalusia) to raise funds for the struggle against this disease. The key moment was a walk through the streets of the village by a huge crowd of supporters. Indesit Company supports the Association by organizing fund raising of its own to donate to the cause.
• Co-operation with 9th Children’s House
  This important Polish organization looks after some 30 young people and Indesit Company helps it by creating conditions for their development and supporting them in learning new professional skills so that they can find jobs. The objective is to start giving some of them working experience in the Company in 2009.
• Making Headway
  In 2008, Indesit Company supported Headway Cambridgeshire, a charity that helps people who suffer from brain injuries. To improve and develop their capacities, the Company gave the centre a series of appliances that guests can use within the framework of a rehabilitation programme teaching the basic skills needed in living a normal life, such as cooking, keeping a kitchen clean and washing clothes.
• Indesit for Children in Need
  In 2008, Indesit Company continued to support BBC Children in Need, which has been helping needy children for years. The Peterborough call centre staff devoted their time and professional skills to receiving donations for the Association.
• Sports field for Radomsko
  In collaboration with the local authorities, Indesit Company donated funds for a special new sports field for the town. The official opening of the facility will be in June 2009.