ECOVE continues to build a happy and friendly workplace for our employees, and through talent cultivation and training, we integrate our employees' career plans with the Company's development goals, so that they can grow and thrive together with ECOVE, and work together for a better and more sustainable future.
Talent attraction and retention
Employee Composition and Distribution
ECOVE focuses on the field of circular economy and is actively involved in recruiting and cultivating relevant professionals. In 2023, ECOVE had a total of 931 employees (excluding overseas employees and directors). Additionally, there were 141 non-employee workers who were contracted for long-term tasks such as facility maintenance, cleaning, solidification packaging, and greening. Among these workers, there were 119 males and 22 females (excluding overseas contractors). Due to the field and nature of our business, the employees were predominantly male at 77.6% of the total. In terms of the types of employment, the majority, 97.7%, were full-time staff. All of ECOVE's employees are local talents and are working to enhance employment opportunities in Taiwan. In 2023, ECOVE employed a total of 15 employees with disabilities, surpassing the required employment ratio set by the regulations in Taiwan. This demonstrates ECOVE's commitment to creating a fair and inclusive employment environment, where individuals with disabilities are given equal opportunities and support.
Advancement and Pay
ECOVE provides fair and competitive compensation in order to attract, retain, and motivate talented individuals. Every September, an annual performance evaluation is conducted for all employees who have completed their probationary period. For employees who have not yet completed their probationary period, a performance assessment is conducted after the probationary period ends. Salary adjustments and bonus distributions are based on individual performance, level of responsibility, and future growth potential. The magnitude of salary adjustments and the criteria for bonus distribution are not influenced by employment type, gender, or age differences. At the same time, performance improvement counseling measures are in place, whereby the department head and the employee concerned will jointly set up a three-month specific counseling plan to discuss and formulate a specific action plan for improvement based on the SMART principle, with a specific list of items to be improved, as well as the expected completion time and measurement indexes, and the results of the work will be reviewed regularly and documented in detail.
In addition, ECOVE actively participates in salary surveys to ensure that we offer competitive overall salaries, and that by 2023, the average monthly salary for female staff, our main operating base, was 1.06 times the basic wage, and for male general staff, our main operating base, was 1.05 times the basic wage in Taiwan. Salary reviews and salary adjustments are conducted annually based on market salary surveys, individual functions and performance, as well as salary adjustments based on the results of living wage evaluations. The purpose of setting a living wage is to protect employees' basic livelihood and maintain their purchasing power necessary for basic living, so that employees and their families can maintain a certain level of food, clothing, housing, transportation, education, and insurance, and so that employees' salaries can steadily provide for the needs of family life. In addition to meeting the statutory minimum wage requirement under the basic working hours condition, the criteria for determining the living wage are also set with reference to the relevant data from the competent authorities to ensure that the basic needs of employees and their families can be met, and that the minimum fees and costs required for living expenses, including food, clothing and accommodation, can be covered. The average per capita consumption expenditure data from the household income and expenditure survey report of the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics of the Executive Yuan is used to compare with the current wages to confirm whether the employees' wages are sufficient to support the local living standards in each county and city. In terms of career development, the Company provides employees access to learning opportunities for cross-departmental functions and development and always inquires employees on their willingness before internal rotation is conducted. In case that employees transfer due to business needs or are willing to be transferred, we and employees will spend time together to negotiate and discuss so that sufficient preparations and adjustments for business arrangements and employee preparations can both be achieved. In case of significant operational changes, we will notify the employees in advance within the time limit prescribed by law. All of the above efforts are made in pursuit of putting the right persons in the right places.
Human Rights Protection and Welfare
ECOVE adheres to the human rights policy established by the CTCI Group, supporting the key principles of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the UN Framework and Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The Company explicitly prohibits any form of discrimination or exclusion among employees based on factors such as gender, race, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, job level, nationality, and age in its code of conduct for ethical behavior. Additionally, ECOVE emphasizes the importance of maintaining a healthy and safe working environment, strictly prohibiting any form of sexual harassment, violence, threats, or intimidation. In order to communicate the content of the human rights policy to the employees and to provide them with training, the Company organizes two mandatory courses, namely, the New Employee Education Training and the Legal Compliance Week. The education and training for new recruits is a mandatory course for new recruits, which includes courses related to human rights and ethics such as Prevention and Treatment of Sexual Harassment and Ethical Conduct, Code of Ethical Conduct, and Principles for Safe and Secure Protection of Personal Data, etc. The participation rate was 100%, and the cumulative number of hours of training for the education course for new recruits in 2023 is 579 hours. The legal compliance week is a mandatory course for employees to regularly remind and deepen their compliance with relevant laws, regulations, knowledge, and operational procedures, to enhance risk identification, prevention, and response capabilities, and to eliminate the occurrence of legal compliance incidents. The content of the mandatory course includes: safety and health, quality, administration, and human resources related issues, such as sexual harassment prevention and complaint measures, gender equality work law, ethical behavior and reporting methods, and personal data protection principles. The number of training hours for the 2023 legal compliance week program is 1,782 with a 100% program participation rate. In addition, CTCI University offers courses related to human rights protection and welfare for colleagues to take, such as: Integrity Law Compliance Advocacy, Personal Data Protection Law, Wrongful Infringement Prevention, Introduction to the Basics of Labor Law, and Workplace Hazards and Prevention of Overwork.
With respect to sexual harassment, ECOVE has established a Sexual Harassment Grievance Handling Committee and set up a complaint hotline at (02)2162-1688#56112 and dedicated email HR@ecove.com to receive complaints. If there are occurrence or suspected occurrence of sexual harassment incidents, the committee shall activate an investigation procedure to conduct investigations on the basis of the principle of confidentiality and non-disclosure. Investigation reports shall be submitted within three months. If found to be true, punishments will be meted based on the seriousness of the incidents. In terms of the Sexual Harassment Complaint Handling Committee, the department head of Group Shared Services (GSS) serves as the commissioner while other members are selected from among employees by the head of each department in consultation with the highest supervisor of the GSS. The ratio of female members shall not be less than half. ECOVE endeavors to protect employees' freedom of association and does not employ child labor. With the philosophy of caring for employees and co-sharing of profits, we provide excellent working environment and unimpeded channels of communications. In 2023, there were no incidents of sexual harassment grievances nor unlawful discrimination acts. Moreover, there were no workers strikes or suspensions of employment due to labor disputes or labor incidents.
Communication Channels
To fully communicate with employees, an "Employee Opinion Platform," which contains channels for employees to speak their minds, has been established at ECOVE. Five types of channels exist on the platform: facility management, employee mailbox, proposal for improvement, sexual harassment complaint, and whistleblowing on violations against the Ethical Code of Conduct. All complaints are handled in confidentiality to protect the rights and interest of the whistleblowers. In 2023, five complaints were received and one was substantiated after investigation. Furthermore, ECOVE has also nominated employer and employee representatives according to regulations. Representatives for each side account for 50% of the committee. In order to promote communication and harmony between the company and the employees, labor relations meetings are organized every quarter to discuss matters on labor conditions, benefits, and productivity. Additionally, the company conducts regular communication and performance interviews between supervisors and colleagues. Every two years, ECOVE conducts a survey on engagement to understand the mentality and feelings of employees in the work environment. Colleagues can also express their opinions through the internal complaint mailbox (HR@ecove.com) We use multiple channels to understand the voices of our employees and keep the communication channels open so that we can improve and solve problems immediately. In 2023, with full communications between management and labor, there were no violations of labor laws and regulations due to labor disputes.
ECOVE also embraces the trend of the digital era by launching the my CTCI APP in collaboration with the Group. This digital platform integrates various systems such as HR, education and training, and real-time message announcements. It allows employees to access the latest information instantly, whether they are at home or on the go, enabling seamless communication regardless of distance. During the challenging times of the pandemic, my CTCI played a crucial role and became one of the essential tools for remote work.
Employee Caring
ECOVE continues to invest in employee care. In addition to the basic labor and health insurance, health checkups and shareholding trusts, employees are insured on the day they arrive at work and the Company fully pays for their life insurance, accidental injury insurance, occupational disaster insurance, medical limit insurance (hospitalization medical, injury medical, and funeral allowance), and also provides other options for employees and their family members to take out at their own expense, such as term life insurance, injury insurance, hospitalization medical limit insurance, injury medical limit insurance, maternity insurance, parents' hospitalization medical daily limit insurance, cancer health insurance, and funeral allowance. We also provide subsidies (50% of the optional items will be borne by the Company and 50% by the employee). At present, more than 80% of our employees choose to enroll their dependents in group insurance. We hope that by taking care of our employees, we can enable them to work in a comfortable and burden-free environment while protecting their work safety and family life. For employees who are stationed overseas (China and Macau), the Company also provides full subsidies for round-trip airfare, home leave, and relocation allowances to help drive the overall operation upward.
Employee Engagement Survey
ECOVE conducts an Engagement Survey every two years. In 2023, the total number of respondents to the survey was 813, with a response rate of 98% and an employee recognition rate of 76%. The survey covers topics such as supervisor management, performance promotion, career planning, learning and development, compensation and benefits, sense of accomplishment, teamwork, communication, retention, and job assignment. According to the survey results, the three items with the highest level of employee recognition are: "In the place where I work, everyone has to take personal responsibility for complying with the safety rules and procedures", "I clearly understand how my work contributes to the achievement of the company's goals", and "I clearly understand the welfare programs provided to me (e.g., employee group insurance, leave, retirement system, etc.)". In addition, we have formulated action plans for improvement of the organizations that scored low on the survey results, including: Career and Talent Departments, Work Execution/Cooperation, Employee Experience, and Rewards and Performance. We have developed multiple channels to increase visibility in the job market, established a group of technical experts to assist with cross-departmental and cross-disciplinary professional and technical resources, established an emotional connection between supervisors and employees, strengthened supervisors' communication skills, and a mechanism for retaining key talent. All of these programs are implemented according to a timeline, and are reviewed and improved in order to increase employee recognition.
Welfare Pluralism
ECOVE colleagues enthusiastically participated in the Group's 2023 "Break the Limit. Together." campaign.
ECOVE has established the "Labor Pension Reserve Supervisory Committee" as required by regulations and opened an account in a government-designated financial institution. The existing pension scheme is actuarially calculated, compliant with government regulations, and fully allocated. Under the new pension scheme, the Company contributes 6% of employees' monthly wages to the individual retirement accounts at the Ministry of Labor, which applies to all eligible employees. ECOVE established an Employee Stock Ownership Trust (ESOT) Charter with an eye to attract and retain talents while motivating employees and boosting the cohesiveness of employees to co-create benefits for the Company and shareholders. We provide an Employee Stock Ownership Trust program, whereby employees can contribute (5% / 10% / 15%) of their salary each month according to their own financial situation, and then the Company will return 50% of the contribution to encourage long-term investment in the form of a "Stock Ownership Trust Account". Through the Company's incentives, employees can hold shares of the parent company for a long period of time and share the fruits of the Company's operation. At the same time, based on the principle of the Company's performance appraisal policy, salary adjustments and bonuses are made based on the performance of employees, which motivates employees to actively engage in their work. In 2023, a total of 580 employees participated in the employee stock ownership trust, representing a participation rate of 66% among eligible employees.
To encourage employees to conduct regular health checkup, ECOVE reviews the health checkup items offered by contractual hospitals every other year, as well as provides free health checkup for employees. We continue to care for employees and promote health management, as well as provide a safe, healthy, and friendly work environment. In 2023, we have approved to increase the amount of subsidy for health checkups according to the requirements of different age groups, which will be implemented in 2024. In addition, in order to take care of the rights and interests of our employees and also to do our best to address the problem of childlessness, we have increased the number of days of maternity leave, pregnancy checkup accompaniment leave, and paternity leave, which are more favorable than those stipulated in the laws and regulations. Effective September 1, 2023, maternity leave has been extended from eight to ten consecutive weeks. Pregnancy checkup accompaniment leave and paternity leave have been extended from a total of seven days to ten days. In accordance with the Joint Employee Welfare Committee of the CTCI Group and Article of Incorporation Subsidiary Regulations V- Children's Education Subsidies, we provide subsidies for children's education for each semester. ECOVE and its subsidiaries have established an Employee Welfare Committee for many years. In 2020, in collaboration with affiliated companies within the Group, the CTCI Joint Employee Welfare Committee was established. The committee consists of representatives elected by employees and representatives from management, working together to enhance the planning and provision of welfare services for employees within the Group. The committee organizes periodic trips, family day, club activities, sports day, year-end parties, etc. To boot, birthday gifts, seasonal holiday gifts, and various subsidies are offered so that personnel can focus on their work without worries. In the second half of 2023, due to the lifting of the closure of the pandemic, the Group resumed the relevant activities of the Welfare Committee. In October, the Group held the "Break the Limit. Together." campaign, which was attended by about 3,000 people, including executives of the Group's local and overseas companies, as well as colleagues and family members of CTCI's domestic affiliates, and demonstrated the enthusiasm and vitality of the Group's employees. ECOVE has launched the Welfare Portal, providing a convenient platform for employees to access information about the Welfare Committee's operations, related regulations, and guidelines. Through this platform, employees can electronically apply for various welfare subsidies and register for activities. This digitalization of processes ensures transparency and efficiency in serving the employees. Furthermore, the Welfare Committee has collaborated with online platforms to replace the traditional distribution of physical gift vouchers with welfare points. Employees can now use these points on the platform to choose from a variety of options such as travel, shopping, or redeeming vouchers. This change aims to enhance the convenience, flexibility, and diversity of welfare benefits for employees. In order to promote employee relations, in addition to providing employee care and assistance, handling employee opinions (including proposal improvement, employee complaints, unlawful assault, sexual harassment, and reporting), we have commissioned an external professional organization to run the CTCI Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), which provide 24-hour free counseling services, online self-assessment tools (sleep, mood, depression, stress, etc.), psychological health education, information, and resource channels to solve problems faced by employees. We provide our employees with a workplace where they can work with peace of mind, actively promote the self-management of occupational health, strengthen the protection and care of physical and mental health, create a healthy working environment, and promote physical and mental well-being.
Talent Cultivation and Development
Educational Training and Industry-University Collaboration
In order to cope with the rapid changes in the industry and to cultivate employees to continuously enrich their professional and English skills, each employee is entitled to a full subsidy for TOEIC test fees and foreign language study subsidies during his/her employment; if the Company's business needs require employees to participate in short-term professional training or on-the-job training at domestic and overseas institutes, the Company will bear the full cost of the training, including training tuition and fees and travel expenses. Due to the unique and professional nature of the business, ECOVE has formulated the "Employee Continuing Studies Management Procedures" for training and cultivating of professional competence of employees, and annual training plans and subsequent follow-up reviews of results are carried out accordingly. At the same time, with the aim of improving competitiveness and internationalization, ECOVE encourages employees to obtain certificates in English, Japanese, German, and Arabic language. On top of providing subsidies, employees are also offered online learning resources, books available for borrowing, and discounts for supplementary courses.
In view of the lack of domestic programs and resources in the field of incineration, ECOVE has established a series of incubation programs in conjunction with its affiliates in the field. In 2023, ECOVE signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Industry-Academia Collaboration with the Central, Chung Yuan, Ming Chi, Tamkang, Feng Chia, Chin Yi, Chaoyang, Chia Nan and the China Medical University, to provide long-term collaboration in the areas of consultancy, technology exchange, internships, on-the-job training, and so on. In 2022, due to the pandemic, a total of 1 trainee worked in the Xizhou plant upgrade and preparation project, and at the same time could earn school credits, in order to effectively utilize the resources of both sides and establish a cooperative relationship between the industry and academic institutions. In 2023, the Company continued to promote industry-academia cooperation by signing internship programs with seven schools, including Ming Chi, Chin-Yi, Feng Chia, Chia Nan, Tamkang, Central, and Chaoyang, with the aim of fostering young talents and cultivating quality manpower; in 2023, the number of interns totaled 12. Since 2020, we have integrated the existing online training systems, GTS (Global Training System) and the Knowledge Base System, with other business groups within the CTCI Group and external resources to create a new comprehensive training management system called "CTCI University." We have expanded our knowledge domains to include six major colleges: HSE College; Engineering and Design College; Project Integration College; Business Management College; Leadership College; and General Education College. Following a university-like structure, each college offers various specialized departments and programs tailored to meet the specific professional competency requirements. Each and every staff member of the Group belongs to a specific academic department. Annual training integrates external professional training and internal accelerated improvement programs, and plans tailor-made mandatory credits that meet the needs of their positions, so as to satisfy the needs of individuals and departments on a rolling basis. We offer a full range of job training courses and management courses to help our colleagues continue to learn and advance in their career planning. All staff members use digital training and teaching to learn without time difference or borders. In addition, through the digital platform, we also combine the original knowledge base system and the free YouTube resources for English courses to produce knowledge and experience into courses or learning resources, so that colleagues can quickly and effectively move forward to the goal of career planning.
In 2023, the total duration of employee training programs, including online, classroom-based, and external training, amounted to approximately 22,848 hours. These training programs covered various areas such as professional function training in incinerator operation and maintenance, safety and health training, self-care and wellness courses, as well as general and management training. The total expenditure on training costs for the year was approximately NT$2.43 million. (Updated)
ECOVE is actively investing resources in talent development, aiming to attract like-minded professionals and providing comprehensive education and training programs. The Company focuses on training new talents and offers specialized training for different job categories. In addition to creating Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for each employee, ECOVE also allocates resources to develop management capabilities, implement mentorship programs, and establish the CTCI University. This comprehensive approach ensures that employees have access to the necessary resources and opportunities for diverse development at every stage of their careers. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth, ECOVE promotes a strong sense of identification with its corporate culture and heritage. In terms of the elite talent cultivation mechanism, we have identified all the key positions, high potential talents and young talents of the CTCI Group, listed them according to the talents and abilities required for the Group's future development, and then considered their past performance in order to screen them at different stages. The proper allocation of the division of labor in each business area also allows for the creation of tailor-made rotation plans and succession training programs to cope with possible risks in the future. With regard to formulating the IDP for personnel primed for key roles, personnel are able to understand their own strengths and weaknesses through communication with workplace mentors, on top of being encouraged to hone their knowledge, skills, and attitude. A diversified development approach is adopted to elevate their competitiveness, which in turn would effectuate a win-win result in elevating the competitiveness of personnel and the Company and fostering a work environment of limitless career progression and boundless opportunities for growth. Along with that, we use the elite talent training mechanism to properly lay out the division of labor for each business area and customize the mobility plans for personnel, essentially carrying out the succession training plan to cope with the potential risks in time to come.
Performance of elite talent cultivation
Total Participation of ESG
ECOVE combines corporate culture with sustainability issues and implements a series of internal activities to ensure that employees embody the spirit of sustainable development in their daily work practices, thereby achieving the vision of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) integration for all. We foster a sustainable culture by promoting soft advocacy and fostering consensus among employees. Through methods such as team readings, bulletin postings, group sharing, and team advocacy, we ensure that information is conveyed to each and every employee. We also continuously integrate the corporate culture into the daily lives of all employees through activities that raise awareness of ESG. By encouraging team participation in these activities, we aim to enhance team cohesion.
ECOVE is committed to fulfilling its corporate social responsibility by integrating corporate culture with sustainability issues. We have designed and implemented a series of internal activities to internalize the importance of ESG among our employees. These activities aim to raise awareness, foster a sense of identification, and encourage active engagement in daily work with a focus on sustainability. By doing so, we empower our employees to make a greater sustainable impact and contribute to the long-term success of our organization.
The first step in promoting "All-Staff ESG" at ECOVE is to incorporate ESG issues into the Company's meeting processes. Prior to any internal meeting with five or more participants, an "ESG Moment" is introduced to encourage employees to broaden their perspectives beyond their own work and engage in discussions related to sustainability and environmental protection.
The ESG Award is organized by CTCI Group to encourage employees to take climate action. It includes categories such as net zero EPC, circular economy, smart solutions, biodiversity, and "Talent Development, Gender Equality, Multicultural Workplace, Social Care for Vulnerable Groups, Community SDGs Sustainability Events" for social influence. The award recognizes outstanding project proposals that contribute to these themes. The employees of ECOVE, embracing the spirit of "All-Staff ESG," have achieved recognition in the ESG Award for their outstanding contributions to sustainability and impactful initiatives in 2023. They have received awards in the categories of Climate Action and Social Impact, focusing on themes such as carbon reduction, circular economy and healthy living.
