Hayleys Plantations sets regional benchmark with GPTW certification for KVPL & TTEL
Hayleys Plantations set yet another benchmark in the local and regional industry when another subsidiary Kelani Valley Plantations PLC (KVPL), was ranked as a Great Place to Work (GPTW) in Asia and Sri Lanka, in addition to being recognised as one of the Best Workplaces for Women.
Notably, Hayleys Plantations subsidiary Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC (TTEL) became the first Regional Plantations Company (RPC) locally and globally to be certified as a Great Place to Work last year. The company was also ranked as the 2nd Great Place to Work in Asia and the Great Place to Work in Sri Lanka. TTEL was also among the 10 Best Workplaces for Women.
“A great place to work certification is unique as it draws on the lived experiences of employees in the organisation. Having scored well on the key criteria surveyed for the certification for the second year running is a testament to the unique policies and processes we have created in collaboration with our employees over generations. Most importantly, we are delighted to have been recognised as a great workplace for women, given that they account for 58% of our workforce. This is a significant milestone for our organisation and the plantations industry,” Hayleys Plantations Managing Director Dr. Roshan Rajadurai said.
Effectively, KVPL became the second RPC to be GPTW certified locally and globally and has been ranked among the Top 50 Workplaces in SL and Asia. The RPC is also ranked among Asia’s 30 Best Workplaces and the 15 Best Workplaces for Women for 2022.
TTEL achieved similar recognition the previous year and was ranked among the 10 Best Workplaces in the Manufacturing and Production sector in Sri Lanka. The RPC also won the Best Public Limited Company Award and the Gold Award for the extra-large enterprise category.
The certification is based on a comprehensive evaluation of HR protocols and an anonymous employee survey across the entire workforce – from tea harvesters to middle and senior managers. This year’s survey revealed that 98% of KVPL employees found the company a Great Place to Work.
Over the past few years, Hayleys Plantations has rolled out unique industry-first employee-centred initiatives such as digitalising its records to create a centralised system to streamline rewards, recognition and incentives in real-time.
Moreover, capacity-building programmes have been organised to improve and recognise skills across its workforce. The sector pioneered the industry’s first Plantations Management Symposium to identify innovative processes adopted by managers. Hayleys Plantation’s partnership with the Employers Federation of Ceylon, ILO, National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) and the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC) empowers field officers with access to the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ), Sri Lanka’s first National Skills Passport offered to the plantations industry. A Best Tea Harvester competition was also organised to celebrate and recognise the hard work and precision of Hayleys’ tea harvesters.
Training and development workshops were also organised together with initiatives for youth empowerment through Estate Worker Housing Corporative Societies.
Moreover, the sector fosters a familial culture by supporting the families by organizing school transportation for children and distributing dry rations weekly to circumvent the rising cost of living and maintain health standards.
Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and leadership behaviours proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation. The certification helps companies attract and retain top talent, receive critical employee feedback, and benchmark their culture against the world’s most successful companies.
