Valuing people is at the core of who we are as a company — from our over 15,000 employees to those who live in the communities in which we operate.
Our dedicated and talented teams of professionals share an ongoing commitment to excellence and are the driving force behind our success. Their collective dedication, creativity, passion and initiative enable us to innovate and grow.
We’re proud to share some of our initiatives in this field below. For more details, read our 2019-2020 Sustainability report.
The safety and well-being of our employees is one of our highest priorities and a continuous focus at all of our production facilities and in our business decisions and plans.
We seek to eliminate all workplace injuries and have implemented a prevention-oriented strategy. All of our employees participate in proactive initiatives aimed at preventing injuries and promoting a world-class safety environment. This approach has helped us achieve safety performance 3 times better than the manufacturing industry average.
We recognize the essential role our employees play in our continued success. We value diversity, innovative thinking, decisiveness and leadership skills — qualities that are essential in our fast-paced environment. We focus on promoting from within for rewarding careers and long-term growth.
At Pactiv Evergreen, we help employees advance their careers for the long-term — which is one of the reasons our people tend to stay with us for many years. Take Christine DeHaven, for example. When she joined Pactiv about 14 years ago in a human resources role, she never expected she would one day be managing one of our plants. Now Senior Director of Digital Manufacturing for the company, DeHaven exemplifies our efforts to develop careers and reward those who are willing to challenge themselves.
When DeHaven transitioned out of HR into a production manager position, she admits she had a lot to learn. We helped ensure she received the training and experience she needed. Before long, she was elevated to manager of our 600-plus employee plant in Bridgeview, Illinois, and most recently became part of a team driving digitization across our operations. “The company recognizes individuals who are willing to take on something new and who show interest in trying another field,” DeHaven says. “It’s part of our culture — if you want to try something new, speak up. The right opportunity might be there for you.” DeHaven found yet more opportunities at Pactiv through our Leadership Advisory Council (LAC), a two-year networking and development program for high-potential employees. The LAC offers the chance to connect with senior leaders and develop targeted action plans for cross-company improvements.
We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce. Our culture is built on a variety of backgrounds, experiences, personalities and thought perspectives.
In 2019, we hired a new Chief Human Resources Officer to revamp and accelerate our people strategy while also making it more inclusive and robust. In particular, we’re exploring ways to build our pipeline of talent so we can have greater representation of women and people of color in senior roles. While nearly 50% of our total U.S. employees are ethnic minorities, we recognize that we have an opportunity to increase diversity in leadership roles.
Pactiv Evergreen encourages our employees to give back to the communities in which we live and work. We partner with many organizations that create stronger communities and more sustainable economies. In 2020, many of our efforts focused around helping communities fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. We donated thousands of cups, containers and other items to non-profits across the U.S. and Canada to feed healthcare workers, homeless people and others in need. We also provided more than 2 tons of plastic to make face shields.
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