MC AWARDS €500 EXTRAORDINARY SUPPORT TO 36,000 EMPLOYEES
MC will award its employees a sum of €500 in December. This measure will cover 36,000 people, which represents an investment of over 15M euros. This is a gesture that the company believes can help mitigate the impacts felt on the cost of living, providing a better Christmas for everyone, in the particularly difficult context we are experiencing.
MC has always been committed to the well-being of its people, both professionally and personally. It is part of its value proposition and something that’s ingrained in its culture. 2022 has been particularly challenging for the Portuguese, with an impact on family budget management. Thus, throughout the year, MC has been reinforcing its internal package of financial and social benefits for employees, in an annual investment of more than 10M euros. With a direct financial impact, the increase in the meal subsidy, of approximately 22 euros per month, stands out.
MC’s benefits package includes, among others, a telecommunications plan with a mobile phone voucher, health and life insurance and access to exclusive benefits and partnerships in different areas (leisure, health and well-being, education...).
In addition to these benefits, MC reinforced, in 2022, the food supply it makes available to its people in the store operations’ and logistics’ social areas.
Since the balance between personal and professional life is a priority for MC, the company has allocated an additional 2 vacation days to all employees, as recognition and appreciation of attendance.
It should be recalled that MC recently implemented new work flexibility benefits, such as Flex Friday, which allows 3,000 employees to condense an hour into the working day, from Monday to Thursday, in order to have Friday afternoon free. Alternatively, it is possible to work in a hybrid regime, choose the daily working hours and still benefit from hour reductions, with a proportional reduction in salary.
The company also strengthened the ‘Somos Sonae’ (We are Sonae) programme, which, in addition to the financial literacy area, has a new mental health axis. This MC solidarity program, developed in partnership with the Portuguese Red Cross, was created in 2013, with the aim of intervening and supporting Sonae employees in economic or social vulnerability situations. This programme provides support in various areas, from goods, services and essential products, legal support and renegotiation of debts and credits, support in the health area (psychological and oral health), among others. Since 2020, it also has a new support axis for Domestic Violence Victims.
Also in the health area, in addition to life insurance and psychology or psychiatry consultations included in the health insurance, the company provides free online psychological support consultations, 24 hours a day. Additionally, the #PrecisamosFalar (We need to talk) programme was created, which aims to raise awareness to the mental health issue and provide everyone with tools that allow them to be attentive to warning signs (theirs and those around them). This programme operates in three distinct phases: awareness; information and training.
For Vera Rodrigues, Head of People at MC, “We are going through a complex economic context, which poses challenges to the Portuguese families’ budget management. And due to that, our commitment to society, during this difficult time, starts from within and with our people right from the start.
And for that reason, because we are attentive to their well-being, we wanted to provide them with a happier festive season with their families. We know that extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, and thus, this year, we decided to go ahead with this special measure.
In fact, throughout 2022 we implemented a wide range of measures that we believe can reinforce our people’s commitment to MC and that will provide them, as a whole, a better Christmas for everyone. At MC, everything we are, we achieve together. We are #BetterTogether.”
MC has always been committed to the well-being of its people, both professionally and personally. It is part of its value proposition and something that’s ingrained in its culture. 2022 has been particularly challenging for the Portuguese, with an impact on family budget management. Thus, throughout the year, MC has been reinforcing its internal package of financial and social benefits for employees, in an annual investment of more than 10M euros. With a direct financial impact, the increase in the meal subsidy, of approximately 22 euros per month, stands out.
MC’s benefits package includes, among others, a telecommunications plan with a mobile phone voucher, health and life insurance and access to exclusive benefits and partnerships in different areas (leisure, health and well-being, education...).
In addition to these benefits, MC reinforced, in 2022, the food supply it makes available to its people in the store operations’ and logistics’ social areas.
Since the balance between personal and professional life is a priority for MC, the company has allocated an additional 2 vacation days to all employees, as recognition and appreciation of attendance.
It should be recalled that MC recently implemented new work flexibility benefits, such as Flex Friday, which allows 3,000 employees to condense an hour into the working day, from Monday to Thursday, in order to have Friday afternoon free. Alternatively, it is possible to work in a hybrid regime, choose the daily working hours and still benefit from hour reductions, with a proportional reduction in salary.
The company also strengthened the ‘Somos Sonae’ (We are Sonae) programme, which, in addition to the financial literacy area, has a new mental health axis. This MC solidarity program, developed in partnership with the Portuguese Red Cross, was created in 2013, with the aim of intervening and supporting Sonae employees in economic or social vulnerability situations. This programme provides support in various areas, from goods, services and essential products, legal support and renegotiation of debts and credits, support in the health area (psychological and oral health), among others. Since 2020, it also has a new support axis for Domestic Violence Victims.
Also in the health area, in addition to life insurance and psychology or psychiatry consultations included in the health insurance, the company provides free online psychological support consultations, 24 hours a day. Additionally, the #PrecisamosFalar (We need to talk) programme was created, which aims to raise awareness to the mental health issue and provide everyone with tools that allow them to be attentive to warning signs (theirs and those around them). This programme operates in three distinct phases: awareness; information and training.
For Vera Rodrigues, Head of People at MC, “We are going through a complex economic context, which poses challenges to the Portuguese families’ budget management. And due to that, our commitment to society, during this difficult time, starts from within and with our people right from the start.
And for that reason, because we are attentive to their well-being, we wanted to provide them with a happier festive season with their families. We know that extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, and thus, this year, we decided to go ahead with this special measure.
In fact, throughout 2022 we implemented a wide range of measures that we believe can reinforce our people’s commitment to MC and that will provide them, as a whole, a better Christmas for everyone. At MC, everything we are, we achieve together. We are #BetterTogether.”