Associate Safety and Wellbeing
Protecting & Helping Our People Thrive
Keeping associates safe, treating them with dignity and respect, and giving them a workplace where they can thrive are essential to winning in the marketplace.
Safety is Our Top Priority
Safety is a critical element to Fortune Brands’ growth strategy, integral to Company culture and one of our core values. Our Employee Safety & Environmental Stewardship Principles set standards for how we maintain a safe work environment and guides our business operations.
We are proud of our strong, industry-beating safety metrics. We always strive for zero safety incidents, and are proud to have celebrated many safety milestones with our businesses over the years.
Fortune Brands has had seven facilities reach 1 million hours or more free of safety incidents.
With 68% of our global workforce in production and distribution facilities, we know it’s extremely important that we rigorously manage our safety risks. We do this through trainings, tracking safety data, paying special attention to our targeted “Critical Elements” and reporting to senior management on safety initiatives and opportunities.
We are also proud that we significantly improve the safety of our acquired businesses. Fiberon’s Total Recordable Incident Rate improved by 68% after its first two years of being part of the Fortune Brands family of companies. Our focus on safety, and the immediate investments we can make to accelerate safety practices, is a major advantage for the companies we acquire.
COVID-19 Response
Cross-functional teams from across the Fortune Brands organization have been working together in the face of the pandemic since February 2020. We’ve shared our experiences, insights and resources to help each other take fast and aggressive actions to keep our people safe. In 2021, we were recognized for our COVID-19 agility and response by the International SOS Foundation.
The centralized support from Fortune Brands coupled with on-the-ground and dedicated associates across our business highlights how Fortune Brands is structured for agility, and how we take proactive actions in light of challenges.
Learn more about early actions we took in response to COVID-19.
Fortune Brands strongly encourages our associates to get vaccinated against COVID-19. We have emphasized that, while currently optional, vaccines are the best tool for keeping each other safe. As of the summer of 2021, we have conducted 37 on-site clinics where more than 2,500 associates were able to easily get vaccinated.
Benefits
We offer a total rewards package designed to help associates and their families maintain or improve their physical, emotional and financial health. In 2020, Fortune Brands invested nearly $250 million toward associate health and wellbeing programs. Most of our associates are eligible to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k) plan and eligible to receive a company match.
Training & Development
We help our associates be successful in the job they have today, and develop the skills to grow in their career and be ready for tomorrow. Supervisors, managers and senior leaders receive training on coaching skills, which helps facilitate stronger team development. We also run front-line and mid-line leadership development programs that build skills like empathy, communications, conflict management, team development and strategy development. Fortune Brands also makes significant investment in high-potential leaders to help them prepare for greater levels of responsibility. As a result of participating in our accelerated development program, over 90% of participants have made significant development progress.