People

The unprecedented global demand for face masks fueled by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic has created issues from hoarding and price gouging, to health risks such as reusing of single-use disposable masks and potential shortages for those who need them most.

As a company that values our people as the most important asset, Esquel Group has taken immediate and effective preventive measures to maintain the highest level of workplace safety since the outbreak of the epidemic. At the same time, we have been working tirelessly for a quick and intermediate solution to address the problem of face-mask shortage in the communities where we operate. Today we are excited to announce the initial launch of YiJiaRen Mask, a pilot project to manufacture reusable masks.

YiJiaRen Mask, which translates to "One Esquel family", is a unique cotton mask that is washable and reusable for up to 30 times. It is a three-ply cloth mask designed with an outer layer made with our woven fabric treated to have an anti-viral and anti-bacterial surface. The treated fabric has been tested to be effective against certain viruses and bacteria by multiple laboratories in Guangdong province. It is also coated with water-repelling materials against droplets from penetrating or remaining on the surface. The middle layer is made of non-woven Polypropylene material to increase filtration ability, and an inner layer is made of cotton-lycra jersey fabric to improve comfort.​

We hope our product can provide people with a reasonable level of protection, reduce the use of disposable masks which can then go to those who need them most, as well as alleviate the level of waste and impact to the environment.

Education is key to upgrading our entire workforce. As we progressively recruit young and educated new talents, we must also ensure that the Esquelers who joined us in the early days are not left behind. We are proud to be the first in our industry to provide knowledge-based training to workers at our manufacturing sites. Together with the Open University of China, we have jointly organized the Worker Education Sponsorship Scheme since 2015. This fully-funded 2.5-year tailor-made e-learning program provides frontline staff and some supervisors without tertiary education with an opportunity to pursue professional skills and educational qualifications. Equipped with the right skills and knowledge, all our workers have the chance to achieve greater upward mobility. 

Since the inception of our sponsorship program, we have enrolled over 1,600 employees to date in courses teaching quality management, mechanical engineering, lean manufacturing, and more. The program is just part of what we do to empower people at Esquel, enhancing their digital capabilities and readiness to become part of Esquel’s knowledge workforce.  

“Fun people serving happy customers” is our mission. It is our belief that running a good business requires a healthy workforce, which directly benefits staff recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction. We take a proactive approach to care for employees’ wellbeing holistically, by investing in facilities and developing campaigns and policies that are designed to promote work-life balance. Our goal is to have employees who have positive physical and mental health, so that they come to work every day feeling empowered and ready to achieve peak performance.

Dining constitutes a significant part of our employees’ wellbeing, from the physical effects of their diet to mental de-stressing during mealtimes. Our Dining 2.0 approach changes the way dining has been treated in the textiles and apparel industry – usually, a quick fix of fast food before diving back into work – and redefines it as a value-adding part of the day, promoting health and facilitating social interaction. We offer nutritious meals in our dining halls at manufacturing sites, invest in the infrastructure so there are plenty of spacious and open places for eating on site, and generally give our employees the time to relax and recharge. It is our aim to ensure Esquelers can perform at their very best.

Certain roles in the textiles and apparel industry can be demanding on the eyes, especially frontline fabric and garment inspection. We are very aware of these occupational health risks, and care about the wellbeing of our employees in all aspects.  

In partnership with Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center (ZOC), the largest eye institute in China, we provide Esquelers with our Vision Screening program, providing 4,000 of our manufacturing site workers with free vision screening and 300 with glasses at no charge, from 2019 to early 2020.

To reduce eyestrain throughout the day, we encourage regular eye care routines by setting times twice a day for frontline workers to exercise. Esquelers are motivated to stay fit and healthy through our health-related talks, promotion of positive work-life balance, and open, comfortable spaces on site for taking breaks in. With the hopes of keeping our employee retention high, we endeavor to ensure the physical health of Esquelers is well-maintained for the long term.

All Esquel factories have an Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) committee chaired by the director of operations at that site. A safety officer is assigned to monitor and report on performance against internal targets and works with the corporate EHS team and all key managers at the facility. All factories are monitored regularly and undergo stringent safety systems inspections biannually. Audits related to EHS are conducted by internal teams and external organizations, as well as by customer representatives. Areas of importance include fire and building safety, emergency preparedness, dust and noise control, indoor air quality and chemicals management.

Apart from people management, Esquel has also promoted EHS concept daily. Informative promotional safety videos and attractive posters are must-haves but on top of these, our site management team continues to reinvent how we engage and educate our colleagues. During our Safety Production Month at Integral, for example, “The Battle of the Safety Uniform” tested whether workers were wearing their safety gear properly, and mini-games probed and heightened awareness of safety measures by testing their knowledge of safety signs and drills. We go the extra mile to engage our staff, to ensure they have a robust understanding of accident prevention. Maintaining a safe, comfortable and trustworthy workplace is a top priority for us.  

Esquel Group signed the United Nations’ Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), a set of guiding principles established by UN Women and the UN Global Compact, pledging commitment to women empowerment practices and gender inclusion.  

This is just one step in our ongoing journey to promote diversity and inclusive growth in the workplace. We are always seeking to provide education and training for potential career advancement for both women and men at Esquel. A stellar example is our “You Can Code!” project, which has been digitally empowering all of our employees regardless of their gender via coding workshops since 2015, equipping them for upcoming digitalization and technology waves. 

At Esquel, we will continue to foster initiatives that support equal opportunities in the workplace and bring positive impact to gender inclusion in the global textile and apparel industry overall.