Social responsibility

Working environment is an important issue in the construction industry and infrastructure. Vestum sees an obvious connection between business results and a work environment that is safe and inclusive where people thrive, develop and trust their employees and managers.

The group has a vision that employees in all situations should be offered healthy and safe workplaces without accidents, injuries or discrimination and a more equal gender balance.

Increased diversity and inclusion

Workplaces' ability to recruit and motivate employees and create loyalty, largely depends on everyone feeling like part of the team and being given the opportunity to develop on equal terms. Our starting point is that all employees feel welcome at workplaces so as not to risk losing valuable skills. In the sectors where Vestum operates, there is a lack of women in operative and management positions. For example, fewer than 10 percent of women are employed in the Swedish construction industry.

Safe workplaces

The risk of accidents creates a responsibility on the part of employers to take safety measures and other necessary care such as working time controls to reduce the risk of injury as well as measures related to the pandemic to protect employees' health. Systematic work around health and safety in the work environment contributes to employee loyalty and strengthened motivation, which also facilitates the supply of skills and to maintaining the trust of society and customers. Comprehensive work environment processes are already in place in several of our subsidiaries where health, well-being and employee development are continuously followed up and prevented through structured work. In some of the companies, the work environment management work is certified by a third party. Work environment, training and organization form part of Vestum's ongoing follow-up in the subsidiaries.

Trust and respect for human rights

Several subsidiaries are active in smaller towns where they are a significant employer. Long-term action in these locations creates mutual trust between the company and the local community, and ensures a long-term operation and supply of skills. Decisive for the world's trust is that people are guaranteed fair working conditions and that their freedom and rights are respected. This means, among other things, that child labour, unpaid overtime, forced labor and other violations of people's freedom are opposed. The work environment legislation in Northern Europe ensures this for employees. However, fraud and violations of the rules occur in the construction industry in the form of illegal labor, unregulated working hours, unpaid overtime or unpaid wages, and substandard working conditions.

Employees within the Vestum Group are offered contractual working conditions, wages and working hours. All discrimination based on gender, age, ethnicity, political opinion etc. is opposed. Perceived misconduct and suspicions of rule violations within the group or with contracted suppliers can be reported anonymously via Vestum's whistleblower function by employees and outsiders. Vestum supports the UN principles for human rights and in 2022 will carry out a risk analysis and develop a process for the work with Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD).