- Social Responsibility

• Raising the standards of team management, implementing efficient processes and effective projects conducted in the area of ​​HR, and continuous development of employees – are part of our everyday life. We develop and train our team on an everyday basis, taking care of the best-suited methods of improving qualifications. We provide dedicated training and development paths, indicate possibilities available within our organization, and bring support in acquiring any necessary competences and skills.
• We operate in accordance with international ethical standards. In our activities, we obey the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact agenda and we do not allow and prevent human rights violations. We undertake many activities related to raising ethical standards; we have developed and introduced our Code of Conduct, appointed an Ethics Officer and an Ethics Committee. In cooperation with the Ethics Line, we implemented procedures for reporting irregularities and launched an anonymous channel dedicated for communicating sensitive information.
• We have introduced an internal Anti-Mobbing and Anti-Discrimination Policy, and we build a culture of awareness, support and recognition of the benefits of diversity among our employees on a daily basis.We undertake many initiatives in this area – meetings with employees, competitions, training and workshops are organised, the topic is addressed in our internal communications, and we have also established a team from among our employees to work together on initiatives in this area. In 2023, we were recognised in the Lidl Fair Pay competition for promoting equal pay between women and men. As confirmation of our commitments in the DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) area, since 2024 we have been signatories to the Diversity Charter – an EU initiative to promote diversity, equity and inclusivity in the workplace.
• We acknowledge how important health and safety is for every human being. Velvet CARE undertakes many activities promoting physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. Every year we organize Velvet CARE Sport Challenge and encourage our employees to sports activities. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we developed and implemented disease prevention procedures, distributed personal protective equipment as well as vitamins and supplements booting the immunity system.

• We support the organization of local activities that promote health and well-being and are an important part of the region’s social life. We are present at cultural and sports events in our poviat (e.g. Heros Run, Olkusz Days, Ogrodzieniec Days, Harvest Festival, Juromania, Jura Traithlon, local picnics).
• For many years we have been helping local community centres, schools, kindergartens and social welfare centres by supplying them with our products. In accordance with the introduced Donation Procedure, we provide material support to selected organizations (e.g. hospital in Olkusz, kindergartens and schools in the region, centres for the sick and the elderly).
• It has already become a tradition that during the Christmas season, , we collect gifts for the poorest families living in the Klucze region as an initiative of Velvet CARE Employees.
• During the pandemic, we donated over PLN 100,000 for the purchase of a new respirator for the Hospital in Olkusz, produced over 5,000 inserts for protective masks and distributed them among the local community; we also supplied hospitals in the Małopolska region with our hygiene products. Together with Angelini Pharma, as part of the #dobropowraca campaign, we provided patients of 10 hospitals all over Poland with packages of basic necessities.
• During the war in Ukraine, , we support refugee centres, organizations providing aid at the border and our employees who host people in need of help with our products and engage in voluntary activities.

• As part of the educational and grant program for primary schools “ Save Nature”, we reach children and school communities with environmental education, and inspire them to undertake actions for the sake of the environment. This program implements the obligations set out in the Inspiration pillar of the Eco Agenda 2025 sustainable development strategy, and at the same time is consistent with other ESG activities undertaken by Velvet CARE. In 2021, „Velvet. Save Nature” received the Diamond Award in the competition” ESG Leaders organized by the Warsaw Stock Exchange, NN Investment Partners TFI S.A. and PwC Polska. In June 2023, the programme was awarded in the CSR category of the Abris ESG Awards.
• We promote hygiene among children, educate, organize workshops, competitions and sports activities in kindergartens and schools from all over Poland as part of the „Year with Velvet hygiene” educational programme. We encourage teachers to use the free materials and lesson plans, during which children learn through play how to properly care for cleanliness and hygiene and we shape their good habits in this regard.

To ensure the possibility of anonymously reporting potential irregularities, we have launched a whistleblower contact channel on the Ethics Line platform. Reports are accepted there by an independent, external company. This process ensures anonymity and security, and at the same time allows the whistleblowers to track the status of the case until they receive a response to the reported topic. The manner of reporting irregularities and handling received reports is set out in the Internal Reporting and Follow-up Actions Procedure.