Workplace Experience
and the Future of Work
Ayala Corporation generated a total of 117,851 jobs, a 12-percent increase from 104,841 in 2020. This signifies operations across the group are picking up and companies are beginning to accelerate after the disruption due to the pandemic.
Among our total direct hires of 85,869 are 60,150 permanent and 25,719 temporary employees. Temporary employees increased by 126 percent from 2020 due to expanded operations of Ayala Land and AC Health.
Meanwhile, total new hires increased by 18 percent from 10,105 in 2020 to 11,898 in 2021. Indirect hires decreased by 30 percent as companies across the group continued to have low levels of support.
Attrition rate was at -5 percent, a marginal increase of 2 percent from 2020 levels, which suggests some difficulty in filling our vacant positions.
A conducive workplace is a priority of Ayala for its workforce.
Employee Engagement
From May 24 to June 4, 2021, we administered the Ayala Engage 2021 questionnaire. This focused on five key metrics designed to measure what key actions can be taken to make Ayala Corporation a better place to work in.
2021 Ayala Group Sustainable Engagement Participation Rate and Results:
91%
Sustainable Engagement Score
63%
of employees want to stay
3 points higher than the Global High-performing Norm
4 points higher than the Philippine National Norm
Ayala Corporation’s highest engagement result in four cycles
The five key metrics are:
- Execution excellence
- Customer focus
- Empowerment and accountability
- Sustainable engagement
- Retention
Nine of the 76 questions centered on three specific aspects: Engage, Enable, and Energy. These questions determined the level of each employee’s participation and involvement in the company. We used the Willis Towers Tool to segment the participants into four categories, with the corresponding percentages:
They fully agreed to all nine questions under Engage, Enable, and Energy.
These are employees who are traditionally engaged but lack enablement, energy, or both for complete engagement. They need support in terms of work tools, team assistance, or changes in the work environment. These are our quick wins.
These are team members who are energized, enabled, or both, but lack a sense of traditional engagement in the company.
These are team members who have less favorable scores in the three aspects of Sustainable Engagement.
59% Highly Engaged
25% Unsupported
5% Detached
12% Disengaged
Notably, the highly engaged members increased by 18 percent since the 2019 result. The detached and disengaged employees also declined from 34 percent total to 17 percent.
To the question: “At the present time, are you seriously considering leaving this company?” Around 26,000 or 63 percent of employees confirmed they were staying in the company. Around 15 percent replied they were thinking of leaving. Some 21 percent said they were not sure or they did not know yet at the time of the survey.
63% Staying in the company
15% Considering leaving
21% Not sure or don't know
Inclusive Workplace
Female employees are at about 34,000 while male employees are at about 26,000, resulting in a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.33.
Employees aged 30 to 50 comprise 58 percent of direct hires, signifying that there are more people across the organization who are at a phase in their lives when they are establishing their careers and/or building a family.
All companies comply with allocation of parental leaves (maternal, paternal, and solo-parent leaves). On maternity leaves, 58 percent of those who availed have returned to the company and continue to be employed 12 months after. This shows that Ayala supports women in their journey to motherhood as they continue to fulfill their career goals.
Across the group, 17 percent of women are in the Senior Management team, and it is the company’s vision to increase this number.
Persons with disabilities are welcomed in our workforce. Currently, select Ayala companies track their PWD employees. However, the group aims to monitor this closely starting the next reporting cycle.
Ayala’s policy on Recruitment, Compensation, and Retrenchment also emphasizes that we ensure inclusivity and non-discrimination. All applicants are given fair treatment and opportunities based on their skills, qualification, and experience. For employees, their potential contribution to the company’s growth is also considered. We do not condone discrimination in any form, whether it is in gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, color, religion, age, marital status, disability, economic status, or political affiliation.
To further understand how we can promote Diversity and Equality across the group, Ayala joined WBCSD’s Business Commission to Tackle Inequality (BCTI), where Ayala’s President and CEO, Fernando Zobel de Ayala, is a Commissioner. This is an initiative by WBCSD with the view of mobilizing the global business community to jointly work on addressing different types of inequality.
Our membership in BCTI is one of our partnerships that helps us align our goals and strategies with a global perspective.
Compensation and Benefits
Ayala provides competitive compensation and benefits packages that are benchmarked against industry standards. For senior executives and key talents, Ayala offers a long-term incentive program. In April 2021, the Board approved the grant under the stock ownership program to eligible executives from the 3 percent of the company’s authorized capital stock allocated by the stockholders. The basis for the grant is consistent outstanding performance record over a period of three years. The grant price is based on the rounded-off volume weighted average prices of the stock at the Philippine Stock Exchange over the last five-day trading from April 16 to 22, 2021.
Training and Development
Throughout 2021, Ayala continued to push for professional development across its workforce in accordance with its Employee Development and Industrial Relations Policy.
Various programs were offered fairly to employees to help them:
- Develop their technical skills
- Improve functional knowledge
- Strengthen soft skills
- Overview of updates on legal topics like Data Privacy
- Explore areas of personal interest
Internal and external learning opportunities were opened to employees across the group. iPeople, the education arm of Ayala, supports more than 300 employees in their post-graduate studies for professional development. IMI continues to provide learning materials through its IMI University, its bespoke e-learning platform.
Globe has also invested millions for its employees’ learning and development, and strengthened its Globe University. It is also an e-learning platform that provides its employees with a wide range of courses to support professional development.
Ayala Corporation continued to offer Degreed and Coursera, another learning platform that offers a variety of courses that employees can take anytime, anywhere, at their own pace.
Total training hours reached a total of 2.4 million across the group and averaged at 40.25 hours or about 5 days of full training per person. Majority of the total training hours provided were for the rank-and-file employees. Ayala further ensures that Senior Management continues their knowledge and skills improvement, and a part of this is through their participation in Ayala Summits.
2.4 M
Total training hours
40.3
Average training hours
One of the annual key summits in the Ayala Group is the Integrated Corporate Governance, Risk Management, and Sustainability Summit. Attendance earns executives four hours-worth of credit by the SEC.
Called “The Board’s Agenda: A Pathway to Recovery through ESG,” the summit is discussed further in our Risk Management section.
More about the summitIntegrated Corporate Governance, Risk Management, and Sustainability Summit
A PATHWAY TO RECOVERY THROUGH ESG
At Ayala, ESG underpins everything we do and strengthens the resilience of our companies and communities. Our annual Integrated Corporate Governance, Risk Management, and Sustainability Summit held on October 21, 2021, put the spotlight on key environmental, social, and governance factors crucial to forging the path towards financial recovery and long-term sustainability.
Insights were drawn through meaningful discussions with thought leaders and ESG experts. Amid our complex new reality, ESG is shaping the way organizations address demands from different stakeholders and meet expectations for heightened social engagement and corporate citizenship.
During his keynote address, aptly titled “ESG as a Pathway to Recovery,” President and CEO Fernando Zobel de Ayala announced: “As Ayala’s concrete contribution to the well-being of future generations of Filipinos, we are announcing our commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. We are aligning ourselves with the global movement for climate action as our way to help secure our country’s future from the threats brought by climate change. We believe that we have the capabilities and collective will to make this happen.”
As Ayala’s concrete contribution to the well-being of future generations of Filipinos, we are announcing our commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.”Fernando Zobel de Ayala, President and CEO
Ayala’s announcement of its net-zero GHG ambition came ahead of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), where signatories to the Paris Agreement reported on their progress since 2015. In April 2021, the Philippines submitted its first nationally determined contribution to the Paris Agreement, committing to a projected GHG emission reduction and avoidance target of 75 percent by 2030.
We believe accelerating climate action is vital to our sustainability and resilience. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, global companies are moving towards net-zero emission. Capital has been flowing towards sustainable investments, as a growing number of investors and lenders walk away from carbon-intensive sectors. While our net-zero ambition entails risks and costs, we see it as a long-term investment for future generations, making Ayala a catalyst and partner for net-zero transition in the Philippines.
The annual Integrated Governance, Risk Management, and Sustainability Summit presents a collaboration of individuals from global organizations, working for a better future.
One of the annual key summits in the Ayala Group is the Integrated Corporate Governance, Risk Management, and Sustainability Summit. Attendance earns executives four hours-worth of credit by the SEC.
Called “The Board’s Agenda: A Pathway to Recovery through ESG,” the summit is discussed further in our Risk Management section on page 85.
It is in the same event that Ayala Corporation’s President and CEO, Fernando Zobel de Ayala, publicly declared Ayala’s commitment to Net-Zero: GHG Emissions, solidifying Ayala’s aim to contribute positively to the environment.
Championing Employee Rights
We acknowledge the critical role we play in ensuring that as a responsible employer, our workforce is accorded the respect it deserves. Our reporting framework reflects our commitment to the Global Compact Network Philippines, and upholding the 10 UNGC principles on Human Rights, Labor, Environment, and Anti-corruption.
Ayala continues to uphold the employees’ right to freedom of association and collective bargaining. This includes processes in settling disputes amicably and the opportunity for employees to express their right to receive economic value that is commensurate with their contribution to the company.
The following companies have labor unions:
| Company | # of Labor
Unions | % of Employees Covered by CBA |
|---|
| ALI | 1 | 4% |
| BPI | 25 | 75% |
| Globe | 1 | 3% |
| MWC | 1 | 12% |
iPeople
(Mapua Only) | 2 | 27% |
Ayala strictly enforces its policy on Child Labor and Forced or Compulsory Labor. There were no incidents of child and forced labor reported across the group.
Occupational Health and Safety
The onset of the pandemic showed the importance of mental health to Ayala employees, with people juggling their home responsibilities with work while coping with the loss of social interaction. Bosses became aware of this predicament, and Ayala Corporation intensified its efforts in supporting employees’ wellbeing.
What began as a response to pandemic- related stress evolved into company-wide mental health support. Through various employee surveys, our business units continued to check their employees’ mental health status. Ayala continued to support its workforce, ensuring that while profits are still needed during the pandemic, employee wellbeing is not sacrificed.
Through the Learning and Development unit, a series of self-help materials were shared to employees on topics like:
- How to manage stress levels
- How to meaningfully engage online
- How to do digital decluttering
- Self-care
- Establishing mental health support
Mental Health Support
Across the group, HR teams conducted virtual activities such as town halls, kapihan sessions, special occasion celebrations, and other mini-activities to engage employees outside of work to provide a breather and contribute to a positive mental health.
We provided mental health support to our employees and partnered with Mind You to provide preventive therapy and counseling session opportunities to employees who seek help. This initiative supplements the service offered by our resident psychologists, who are available for consultations every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month.
Some resources are specific to certain business units. Globe provides support through its HOPELINE, which offers free mental health support, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. ACEN also established an online counseling and psychological well-being hotline and channel, which are available for its employees.
Flexible Work Arrangements
Ayala Corporation also remained enforcing work-where-effective, acknowledging that giving the employees the option to work where they feel safest is beneficial throughout this pandemic.
Employee Engagement Roadshows
To determine how to improve our employee engagement, we conducted roadshows across the Ayala group. We discovered that some direct supervisors in their respective business units intentionally attended learning sessions, seeking guidance from HR on learning sources, and constantly checking if they were being effective managers, and were positively contributing to their co-workers’ mental health.
Wellness Activities
Throughout the year, Ayala provided online wellness activities, such as yoga sessions, mindfulness webinars, and other sessions that encourage physical activities, which employees can do while working from home. Ayala always ensures that its employees are in a safe, conducive, and rewarding workspaces to motivate them as they achieve their professional goals.
SAFETY IN LABOR-INTENSIVE SECTORS
Business units in labor-intensive sectors such as Ayala Land, Globe, IMI, ACEN, AC Infra, and Manila Water regularly monitor their Occupational Health and Safety statistics.
With pandemic health risks, business units that needed employees onsite continued to make structural changes to increase employee protection.
Ayala Group continued to institute basic sanitary and disinfecting measures in its work areas, and this was enforced across the group. All companies continued to roll out their vaccination programs under the Ayala Vaccine and Immunization Program (AVIP), implemented by AC Health.
IMI, Ayala’s manufacturing arm, strictly enforces COVID-19 prevention initiatives. This includes a shuttle service and antigen/RT-PCR testing for its employees. For its skeletal force, they continued to apply a stay-in program where employees who lodge for free in the work premises for a specified amount of time.
Beyond COVID-19 prevention measures, ACEI recently established its HSSE policy to standardize safety practices across all sites.
As for Globe, it maintains compliance with the local workplace health and safety regulations and even received enterprise-wide certification on ISO 45001:2018. Its Employees and Safety and Health, and Environment (SHE) Committee remains diligent in monitoring unsafe acts and conditions across company premises.
| Company | Total number of
non-disabling injuries
for employees | Total number of
disabling injuries
for employees | Total number of
fatalities (employees) | Safe man-hours
(employees) |
|---|
| Ayala Land | 208 | 11 | 0 | 108,295,600.00 |
| Globe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16,452,192.00 |
| IMI | 42 | 5 | 0 | 32,257,898.00 |
| ACEN | 26 | 0 | 0 | 6,268,189.00 |
| AC Infra | 22 | 1 | 1 | 4,240,172,74 |
| Manila Water | 22 | 0 | 0 | 48,297,811.00 |
In caring for our employees, we at Ayala go beyond the minimum requirements, ensuring they receive the optimum support needed to attain their professional aspirations and their personal goals.
We aim to set a social target as we explore social frameworks best suited for our diverse workforce.
Customer Experience
and Protection
Product Quality and Safety
Ayala Corporation’s various business units measure their performance using product and service quality and determine customer satisfaction ratings. Below are the 3-year results:
| Company | Metric | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|
| Ayala Land | CSAT | 89 | 95 | 95 |
| Globe | NET Promoter Score | 27 | * | 32.4 |
| Manila Water | Service Complaints Resolution | 99 | 97 | 98 |
| Billing Complaints Resolution | 98 | 93 | 98 |
| IMI Philippines | CSAT | 4.6 | 4.52 | 4.55 |
AC Motors
(Honda) | CSAT (sales) | 96 | 96 | 98 |
| CSAT (services) | 93 | 94 | 97 |
AC Motors
(Isuzu) | CSAT (sales) | 90 | 91 | 98 |
| CSAT (services) | 89 | 89 | 93 |
AC Motors
(Volkswagen) | CSAT (sales) | 85 | 94 | 98 |
| CSAT (services) | 88 | 81 | 95 |
| AC Infra LRMC | Customer Complaint Resolution Rate | 100 | 100 | 100 |
* No aggregated score available, please refer to the Ayala 2020 Integrated Report (page 116) for the breakdown
For 2021, Ayala Land has increased its operations significantly, with the aim of meeting the timelines for its projects. In all its development projects, it continued to follow the various standards and guidelines in building and maintaining its properties. Sales representatives of various properties have become more present both online and in person.
BPI introduced technological improvements to its customer feedback database to give clients a better monitoring experience of their outstanding concerns and financial records. Moreover, Customer Assistance Officers (CAO) went through specialized training on hard and soft skills to be able to serve customers better, especially in addressing concerns.
Globe continues to expand its digital infrastructure, adopting the best practices of ISO 26000 to help its units operate in a more sustainable manner. Gcash continues to make financial transactions easier for its users. Meanwhile, 917 Ventures pushed forth the partnership of Globe and Puregold and launched the PureGo app, enabling customers to conduct grocery shopping with same-day delivery. Moreover, Globe continues its campaign to fight online child pornography and have partnered with organizations such as the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, the Internet Watch Foundation, and #SaferkidsPH.
AC Health ensures that it strictly follows safety protocols for its employees across all their operations.
- Healthway – This business unit has become the partner of choice of many organizations for setting up COVID Vaccination sites for Ayala employees and external clients. It also extended manpower support to LGUs for their vaccination efforts. To further raise awareness on health and safety, especially related to COVID-19, Healthway cascaded videos and other materials across social media channels. It also offered free health education to corporations and communities through Wellness on Web. To further intensify efforts, it launched a new location for PCR Testing at the Dela Rosa Carpark.
- Generika – This business now has incorporated provisions in its Trade Supply Agreement and Distribution Agreement. It stipulates a set minimum, acceptable shelf life of products accepted by the distribution centers, both for regular items and house brands. It also instituted that product recalls be reported within 72 hours and ensured that products are pulled out from the stores within 7 days of the product recall.
IMI ensures product quality right from sourcing its raw materials up to distribution. Its 3TG metal raw materials are sustainably sourced and are not related to rebel groups in Congo and adjoining countries in any way. Moreover, it conducts regular assurance exercises with its suppliers. It also strictly adheres to quality processes and conducts thorough quality checks of its products.
AC Motors reinforced its Quality inspection initiatives, which resulted in fewer recurring back jobs on vehicles they handle. It formed Quality Check teams and specific quality projects to address service quality efficiency issues. Moreover, it has become more proactive in ensuring that customers get preventive maintenance (PM) for their vehicles. It optimizes the use of HondaTXT and IsuzuTXT to provide service updates and PM reminders across its client base.
The education arm pursued to improve its mechanisms for online classes. Despite the challenges they faced because of the pandemic, one of its IPO schools, Mapúa University, is listed for a third consecutive year as one of the five Philippine universities in the 2021 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings. It is the only global performance ranking that assess universities against the UN SDGs. The rankings also highlight an institution’s strength in terms of research, outreach, and stewardship.
Mapúa University is also among the 14 Philippine Universities included in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asia University Rankings. It is an independent research and analysis firm in London that assesses the strength of universities based on academic reputation, and employer reputation. They have been part of the list for two years in a row.
AC Infra’s Light Rail Motor Corporation installed UVC in all its trains, plus hepa filters and carbon filters in select trains. These initiatives aim to further ensure the safety and protection of the passengers from the pandemic. Its overall initiatives paved the way for the company to be awarded the Stevie Award and the Safety Seal for Depot and Stations in Pasay-Baclaran, EDSA, Libertad, and Gil Puyat.
Manila Water continues to provide safe and potable water. Water availability–especially during the summer season–is a major concern of their customers. To help manage expectations and reassure customers, Manila Water announces scheduled water interruptions as needed. It also directly coordinates with customers when needed and ensure complaints are resolved as fast as possible.
Wastewater services were continued throughout 2021. To effectively facilitate this, Manila Water coordinated with barangays and posted schedules in social media. It also provided regular project updates to community leaders.
Customer Privacy
Ayala puts prime importance on the fundamental right to privacy of its customers. To ensure that businesses across the group are mindful of the Data Privacy Act, various training programs on this subject are annually conducted for all employees.
In Ayala Land, Data Privacy compliance is partnered with cybersecurity training programs. With increased dependency on technology, its push for digitalization, and the large volume of personal data it handles, it is imperative for Ayala Land strengthen its safekeeping measures to further protect clients from cyber attacks and data breaches.
All BPI branches follow strict protocols in ensuring the privacy of clients. The company abides by the Data Privacy Act of 2021 (DPA) and the National Privacy Commission (NPC). The bank’s Data Privacy Office (DPO) plays an important role in ensuring that data privacy requirements are met across the organization. Moreover, to strengthen awareness across its employee base, data privacy lectures are already included in its onboarding program for new employees and officership programs.
Globe, being in the telecom industry, has fortified its Data Privacy efforts. Despite being at high risk for breaches and cyber attacks, it had zero substantiated complaints for 2021. Globe ensures its workforce is equipped with foundational training on data privacy and information security. It also conducts regular vulnerability scans in its systems, and penetration tests in its key critical platforms. Moreover, its Privacy Policy adheres to the Group Special Mobile Association (GSMA) Privacy Principles, which stipulate that the use of children’s information is only done in appropriate circumstances and in accordance to applicable laws. Globe has also partnered with the National Privacy Commission (NPC) for its Kabataang Digital Program, which teaches data privacy among the youth. It has also partnered with CANVAS in creating a children’s book that aims to teach data privacy.
Security Practices for Customer Safety
In efforts to protect customers from the effects of COVID-19, organizations across the group have, at the minimum, ensured that they implement all safety protocols and disinfection requirements.
The companies also established significant enhancements to allow for productive and meaningful customer experience while minimizing contact and risk of COVID-19 transmission.
We are committed to a holistic approach to improving customer experience, ensuring data privacy protection and addressing health safety concerns.
