Diversity, inclusion central to company, says JTI UK

DIVERSITY and inclusion “are central” to Japan Tobacco International (JTI), an organisation that cares about its people and is mindful about creating a workplace where everyone is encouraged to be their best self, a senior executive has said.

 In a recent chat with Eastern Eye, Ruth Forbes, inclusion and office operations director at JTI UK, talked at length about the company’s beliefs and policies as well as thought process that drive its work culture.  

“Diversity and inclusion are central to JTI as an organisation,” she said. “We firmly believe that it will make us stronger as a business in three keyways – enabling employees to be themselves, encouraging new ways of thinking and allowing us to lead inclusively.” 

 A leading firm in the tobacco and vaping industry, JTI operates in 130 countries with a workforce of 48,000 employees from 119 different nationalities. 

 In 2023, JTI’s ‘introductions programme’ was awarded the ED&I Initiative Award at the GG2 Leadership & Diversity Awards, hosted by the Asian Media Group, publishers of Eastern Eye and Garavi Gujarat. The trophy was collected by JTI’s then inclusion and wellbeing director, Natalie Richardson. 

 Forbes said, “Our ‘Introductions’ programme has continued since we won the GG2 ED&I Initiative Award in 2023. This continues to break down barriers and increase collaboration and productivity through introducing colleagues to each other.”  

Among notable initiatives at JTI is ensuring that all employees have access to free mental health and wellbeing services.  

From 2021, the company also rolled out mandatory training on how to support the wellbeing and positive mental health of their teams to line managers. 

 Forbes said, “We have been mindful to create an environment where employees are able to speak out about their mental health struggles and encourage colleagues to openly share concerns and seek help when they need it.”  

JTI is in the process of refreshing its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) strategy and action plan to ensure employees feedback is considered throughout the process. Forbes said, “Over 10 per cent of our UK employees are currently participating in DE&I focus groups to guarantee that their voices are heard within the strategy. We are looking forward to sharing more later this year.”  

She added, “We also host regular awareness sessions for employees on various important issues, such as race and ethnicity, LGBTQ+allyship and disability awareness. On top of this, we run ‘unconscious bias’ training to support employees so that they can identify and manage their biases. 

 “Our most successful initiatives always have employees at the centre of them. For example, our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) play a pivotal role in fostering a sense of belonging. 

 “Our UK Pride Chapter ERG has been running since 2021, while our UK Enlighten and EmbRACE (ERG) will launch in May 2024. EmbRACE exists to help us on our journey to build a truly meritocratic and inclusive culture by ensuring all ethnic groups are treated equally.”  

Forbes said the wellbeing culture in the company has resulted in a transformation in recent years. 

 “We are proud to be accredited with a gold award in Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Index for best practice organisational support when it comes to mental health. We’ve also been named as a Top Employer for the 12th year in a row,” she said. 

 “This is a recognition of the positive and supportive workplace we have created and underlines our commitment to keep improving the lives for our employees, year after year.” 

 JTI’s “family leave” policy supports employees by helping them in the early stages of raising a family, while continuing to allow them to “thrive” at work. Introduced in 2021, it offers a minimum of 20 weeks fully paid leave for employees, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or whether they become parents by giving birth, or through adoption or surrogacy. 

 In addition, JTI UK takes part in industry-specific networks, alliances, and partnerships dedicated to discussing inclusion and diversity, Forbes said.  

“By engaging with other organisations, attending conferences and collaborating on initiatives, we’re able to gain exposure to best practice and emerging trends in the broader business landscape. 

 “We also conduct regular exercises to compare our inclusion and diversity initiatives against industry benchmarks and leading practices. This involves research into global and regional trends, enabling us to identify areas for improvement.” 

 Empathy is key, so is open communication, she added. Employees imagine walking in the shoes of their colleagues, so they can empathise. 

 Forbes said, “This is driven by offering open communication and transparency at all stages of our diversity, equity and inclusion strategy. 

 “That’s why it is critical that we provide employees with the correct education and awareness around diversity and inclusion issues so that they are fully informed on the initiatives we implement. 

 “We provide feedback channels so employees can share their views and help us shape our strategy.” 

 JTI also ensures that inclusion and diversity considerations are integrated into its hiring and promotion processes. 

 Forbes said, “Our job descriptions are written in an inclusive manner, avoiding language that may unintentionally discourage individuals from diverse backgrounds. In addition to this, JTI implements a structured interview process to ensure consistency and fairness at all stages.” 

 The organisation also makes sure it examines the outcome of its diversity initiatives. The annual employee survey enables staff to score JTI on their sense of belonging, fairness and inclusion at the company, she explained. 

 JTI’s refreshed DE&I strategy will also include an actionable measurement plan, so that progress can be tracked.  

“This gives us a clear and measurable way to view the effectiveness of our initiatives,” Forbes said.