CREMONA – Security, training, scholarships, loans, health: these are the thematic areas that make up the ‘Noi per noi’ welfare plan implemented in 2020 by Coop Lombardia for its 4,728 employees. A plan strengthened in the year of the pandemic, with new and different initiatives aimed at workers and their families.
Respect for people, fairness of treatment, safety, training and teamwork are the guidelines that guide the management of Human Resources of Coop Lombardia.
“Respect for people, fair treatment, safety, training and teamwork are the guidelines that guide Coop Lombardia’s human resources management” explained the cooperative’s human resources director. Luca Rizzardi. “Despite the health emergency that has also hit our region hard – added Rizzardi – Coop Lombardia continued its commitment to its 4,728 employees, expanding and strengthening the ‘Noi per Noi’ welfare plan dedicated to them “.
Specifically, in 2020 the cooperative has awarded a bonus to employees who have obtained a high school diploma or degree in the course of their activity in the cooperative. There are also numerous scholarships awarded to the most deserving of employees’ children attending high school or college. A specific ranking was also reserved for students with specific learning disabilities. Also expected a ‘school loan’ at zero interest aimed at the purchase of texts, school materials, expenses for additional lessons and remedial courses.
Helping an employee or his family to make a wish come true, thanks to a crowdfunding that involves all the employees of the cooperative, is the goal of the ‘Noi per te’ initiative.
The commitment in the health and wellness area is also important. In particular, the cooperative offered psychological support for the entire period of the 2020 pandemic. The ‘3xte Fund’ of paid leave, fed by the Cooperative and by the generosity of all its collaborators, was addressed to colleagues with particular hardships or needs generated by the pandemic.
Still on the health front, employees were able to request reimbursement of the cost of the flu vaccination. Furthermore, since 2018, Coop Lombardia has joined the Lombardy Region Workplace Health Promotion program which aims to promote healthy lifestyles in order to prevent the onset of chronic diseases.
For the commitment in its stores during the pandemic, Coop Lombardia was awarded with a certificate of “Workplace that Promotes Health” 2020 from the Milan ATS. Lastly, Coop Lombardia joined a specific initiative to speed up the vaccination plan against Covid-19 for all workers.
“The values on which we have built these new initiatives – concluded the director of human resources -, arise from listening to and involving our workers from which we were able to grasp the dedication and spirit of solidarity that all of them have been able to demonstrate especially in the periods more critical”.