The Acron Group’s commitment to social responsibility is based on the close partnership we have with our employees, the community and the government. The Group is aware of the paramount importance and value of its personnel, whose work creates the foundation for success and stable growth.

The Group believes that conducting an effective human resources policy aimed at enhancing social security, ensuring safe working conditions and improving the leisure opportunities of its personnel is one of the most important conditions for the Group’s activities. Our management is constantly working on improving working conditions, providing employees with competitive salaries and extensive social benefits. Our benefits package is described in the Collective Agreements our companies sign with their employees.

The Group’s human resources policy aims to create a team capable of achieving any goals it faces. We go beyond simply hiring well-trained personnel by constantly developing employees’ professional skills and knowledge, forming a corporate vision and creating the conditions for personal accomplishment. We hold a wide range of courses, seminars, on-the-job training sessions and internships in other departments in order to keep our employees at the top of their profession.

Occupational safety and awareness programme. The Group’s companies are production facilities associated with a high hazard level. To mitigate such risks, the companies are engaged in efforts to create a safe labour environment and improve the operations culture. Acron performs staff training, provides workers with individual protection, protective clothing and healthy meals. Each year, the Group’s companies sign an agreement with their employees regulating health and safety issues, defining measures to improve labour conditions and earmarking the funds for such measures.

The Group improves labour safety through the following initiatives:
• Technical revamping of production facilities
• Effective individual and group protection measures, protective clothing, sanitary and medical means
• Providing incentives for employees to strictly comply with safety rules and regulations
• Increasing staff awareness of health and safety rules
• Monitoring and controlling the operations safety system

The health care programme covers medical treatment and rehabilitation for employees and their families. The Group’s facilities have on-site health centres with modern medical and diagnostic equipment. Acron provides financial support to the Aurora health resort. In order to engage employees and their families in healthy lifestyles and involve them in regular exercise and sports, Acron and Dorogobuzh have health clubs with swimming pools, gyms, weight-rooms, tennis courts, football, volleyball and basketball courts. Both companies hold their own Olympic games annually. The Raduga health camp (Veliky Novgorod) and the Lastochka health centre (Dorogobuzh) open their doors every summer to children of the Group’s employees.

The family support programme manages social benefits and guarantees provided to families with children. Cash supplements are paid to Group employees, including families with newborns, large families, mothers caring for children under the age of three and single mothers. The Group’s employees receive additional family leave time and have access to family recreation opportunities. A special stress-free department ensures that pregnant employees work in the best possible conditions.

Social support for retirees is targeted at enhancing the social security system for former employees. Retirees have access to medical centres for treatment and receive additional financial assistance. The Group allocates money for special events for its retirees.

Management also arranges recreation opportunities for employees and their families. Cultural centres in Veliky Novgorod and Dorogobuzh provide meeting space for dozens of employee clubs. Concerts, competitions and festivals are held on a regular basis. Acron actively cooperates with the Veliky Novgorod Dostoyevsky Drama Academic Theatre.

Because we know that our future depends on the preparation and training of future employees, the Group implements a set of measures to select, train, plan and manage the career development of trained experts. Retaining young specialists is one of the most important sources of reinforcement for our personnel reserve. The Group participates in career guidance for school students who are interested in careers that are in demand at the Group’s companies. Graduates go on to attain degrees from specialised chemical universities in St. Petersburg, Ivanovo, Tver, Smolensk, and Novomoskovsk. Scholarship recipients meet regularly with company managers and specialists. The Group also offers assistance to young specialists whose living conditions need to be improved, providing them with apartments in a special housing complex or paying partial compensation for rental expenses.