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ICL has established various mechanisms to support the welfare and wellbeing of its employees. The Company’s approach is holistic, incorporating both development and support on a wide range of aspects.
In Israel, ICL has in-house professional social workers that support both managers and employees. ICL’s Social Support gives tools and support for employees and their families. Any employee that has a special need, such as health issues, personal or family issues, personal emergency, financial dilemmas and so on, can reach out for the support of ICL’s Social Support. Incorporating emotional support, utilizing social rights and connecting to available community support assists individuals in need and enables them to return to a functioning and independent life routine.
In addition, ICL employees can contact an external service that provides psychologists and trained professionals to help with various issues. The service is anonymous and confidential, and the identity of the users of the service will not be known to anyone from the Company or outside the Company. The service is free for the first two meetings and is subsidized for the next few meetings.
ICL enables generous wellbeing benefits to its employees through collective agreement benefits or through a personal contract’s wellbeing annual plan.
ICL initiated a new volunteer program where employees volunteered to be in contact with ICL retirees. In addition, ICL employees with elderly parents received a gift. Read more on ICL’s response to COVID-19.
Transitioning from employment to retirement is a major change for ICL’s employees and their families. Being properly prepared for retirement is extremely important and enables an optimal transition from a life of work to a fulfilling life in the aftermath of a career.
As an organization that sees its employees as critical to its success, ICL invests significant efforts to give its employees the best tools to handle retirement.
In Israel, ICL operates a unique program to support employees that are retiring. The program includes about seven full day meetings for employees and their partners. ICL sees great importance in the participation of the partner of the employee, as well, as retirement affects the entire family.
In each meeting, a different factor of retirement is discussed via presentations, simulations and hands-on practice. Issues discussed include handling change, financial implications, family and friends, as well as health and wellbeing.
In Europe, ICL has engaged the services of a third-party wellbeing coaching consultant. Focusing mainly on Dutch employees, the service is now available to ICL employees throughout Europe.
This service (‘HeyCoach’) helps people with either mental health issues, work life balance issues or specific stress-related concerns. ICL launched this service for its employees during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. It was made available to help ICL’s employees address wellbeing issues.
The HeyCoach service is a secure, confidential and anonymous service offered to ICL’s employees in the EU by an external company. The company offers one-on-one virtual support by qualified and experienced coaches and organizational psychologists to employees who feel unbalanced and/or are finding it difficult to manage their current work life situation. The service is provided for free.
ICL U.S.A provides an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for employees and all family members regardless of whether they pay for ICL benefits or not. This program provides professional counseling (video, phone or in-person) for crisis management (weather disaster, terrorist attack, pandemic), relationship support, mental health, addictions/rehab, financial issues, self-improvement, stress, trauma/grief/loss. Employees may also visit onsite for crisis management.
ICL U.S.A also operates a wellness program devoted to improving the health and overall wellbeing of its employees and their spouses (who have ICL medical insurance). This program provides tools, motivation, and support to assist them on the journey to a healthier life.
Employees and family members who are covered by ICL’s medical plan and take compliance related medication for conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol can receive mail order medications without any co-pay as with other medications. This is provided to encourage employees to maintain their medical protocols and thus lead a healthier life.
The Company also provides retirement planning tools and sessions through its 401(k) plan administrator.
ICL has implemented an EAP similar to that in the US, coordinated with the government’s (national) benefits.
Additionally, ICL Brazil implemented several wellness events focused on the mental health of employees who worked in an isolated manner during COVID, including events every day for an entire week that included presentations by mental health professionals, professionally facilitated round-table meetings, and virtual fun team competitions to foster a feeling of community.
