Worker treatment, worker voice, compensation, safety and environmental management in Tyson’s plants will be evaluated by an internal oversight committee and an outside auditing firm as part of the social compliance program launched in 2015.
Auditors will spend several days at a plant, review employment records and interview several randomly selected employees. Results will reflect plant performance and areas of needed improvement and be shared with corporate management. Audit results may also be shared with Tyson Foods customers.
“We believe we’re a caring, responsible company but also know we must strive to be better in all we do,” said Joe Lloyd, vice president of ethics and compliance for Tyson Foods. “This new program enhances our social compliance efforts and is intended to help us be more transparent with our customers about our working conditions.”
A new worker safety initiative launched in 2015 is also included in the last segment of the report. The initiative describes the creation of a pilot project to improve safety communication within the plant as well as safety practices and awareness. Originally slated for nine locations, the pilot program has been expanded to 19 with the possibility of more by early summer. Creation of an executive safety council is also included in the worker safety initiative.
Since the last sustainability report (2013), Tyson has reduced the injury and illness rate at the company by 12 percent. In fiscal 2015, Tyson’s retention rate for all employees was 72 percent and over half of its employees have worked at the company for five or more years.
The Workforce and Culture segment also covers human rights, labor relations, hiring, compensation and benefits, and diversity and development.
