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The Group is committed to building a harmonious, inclusive and rewarding work environment that leads to high engagement and enables our staff to grow and develop their potential in their careers with us.
All human resources matters are overseen by our Group Human Resources Department and handled according to the Employee Policy, as well as Towngas Human Resources Policy Manual and Employee Handbook. We comply with local laws and regulations in relation to recruitment and promotion, compensation and dismissal, working hours, rest periods, equal opportunities, diversity, anti-discrimination, and the provision of other benefits and welfare.
Our Code of Conduct outlines the expectations we set for our employees, their responsibilities and all relevant policies and procedures our employees should follow in their everyday work duties, including behaving ethically in their business practices, promoting equal opportunities and eliminating acts of discrimination. The Code of Conduct (including human rights-related topics) is mandatory for all employees, and the content is fully integrated into the induction training system (approximately two hours per course). Any employee found to be in violation of the Code of Conduct, Equal Opportunities Policy or relevant ordinance will be subject to disciplinary action. Compliance with the Code of Conduct is incorporated into annual performance appraisals and linked to the employee remuneration.
Through a systematic management model, we plan career development for employees within the Group.
The Group offers careers that are both fulfilling and rewarding, due in large part to our employment practices as covered under our Employee Policy. These include family-friendly policies and competitive remuneration packages that are well above the regulatory minimum, as well as other benefits.
Benefits for full-time employees include paid annual leave, 14 weeks of paid maternity leave, paternity leave, medical and dental insurance, group life insurance, town gas allowances, education allowances and performance-based bonuses in Hong Kong. We also provide a maternity allowance and counselling for managing emotional issues. Subject to eligibility, the children of our staff can take advantage of an education allowance and scholarship for attending overseas exchange programmes and local universities. Meanwhile, we implement various family-friendly measures, including flexible working hours, and employees may apply for temporary leave for family reasons, to support them in balancing work and family.
The Group regularly reviews and adjusts remuneration and benefits in accordance with labour market trends. We also conduct performance appraisals at least once a year with agreed goal settings between employees and their supervisors, to help improve employees’ performance and promote recognition of the efforts and achievements of employees. To enhance management effectiveness, each business segment adopts assessment mechanisms tailored to its operational characteristics. For example, the Renewable Energy Business adopts a 360-degree feedback mechanism.
The retirement benefits we offer include the defined contribution schemes and Mandatory Provident Fund schemes in Hong Kong. On the Chinese mainland, employees participate in social security plans organised by the relevant provincial and municipal governments.
We recognise that close communication with our employees is critical for maintaining a harmonious and productive work environment. To keep our employees engaged and informed, we provide multiple agile communication channels. Communication channels include suggestion boxes, intranet, employee surveys, focus groups and social media, as well as a dedicated channel for communicating directly with our Managing Director.
To promote effective agile communication between management and employees, the Strategy Ambassador Club was established to discuss the Group’s ongoing strategies and to listen to the opinions of our employees. Representatives from across Towngas, including frontline employees and managers, meet regularly in seminars, workshops and on business tours to keep our workforce up-to-date on business developments and new opportunities for the Group.
Our employees are also guaranteed freedom of association in the workplace and may join organisations and professional bodies of their choice in accordance with the law. Members of associations are also allowed to participate in association activities during working hours, reflecting the high degree of freedom they enjoy within the Group.
Although Hong Kong has no mandatory regulatory requirement with regard to collective bargaining, we consult our staff on a range of employment issues through our internal communication channels. We send formal notice at least two to four weeks ahead of time to all employees when significant operational changes are about to be implemented. On the Chinese mainland, we comply with applicable legal obligations concerning freedom of association and collective bargaining. While the labour unions of our project companies have not signed any collective bargaining agreements, the Group continues to maintain open communication with union representatives on staff-related matters.
Training our people and developing their skills and competencies are essential for our long-term success as a Group. The Group has established the Group Training Management Manual to facilitate the effective implementation of its learning and development initiatives. Supported by the Group Training and Development Department and Towngas Training Institute (TTI), the Group organises and provides a diverse range of training and development programmes, including competency and skills-based courses aimed at strengthening employees’ professional knowledge, technical competencies and skill sets.
The Group has training bases in Hong Kong and across various regions of the Chinese mainland, providing professional and technically focused training programmes. In addition, the Group partners with educational institutions to deliver accredited courses, professional certification programmes and continuing education initiatives, promoting talent development, facilitating knowledge sharing within the industry and supporting employees’ long-term career development. Training is provided through diverse learning channels, including classroom training, e-learning, virtual reality (VR) training, frontline attachments, workshops and site visits.
New employees receive training upon onboarding, and learn about the Group’s development history, corporate culture, policies and business processes through orientation courses. Recognising that individual employees have different learning needs, we identify and provide a wide range of training and development opportunities for our general and technical staff as well as our management colleagues.
The Group provides continuous learning and development opportunities for employees to maintain core competencies and acquire new skills needed to support business transformation and long-term growth. Apart from technical and engineering subjects as well as non-technical subjects such as leadership development and interpersonal skills, we also identify emerging areas, such as innovation, digitalisation and climate change, to help staff develop new skills or refresh their knowledge. To equip potential employees with management skills and build a sustainable leadership pipeline, we offer a variety of career advancement programmes.
Furthermore, we also encourage our employees to supplement their development through external courses, seminars, visits and conferences, according to identified training needs. Subsidies are provided for employees who pursue further education for work-related needs, according to the Towngas Human Resources Policy Manual.
We firmly believe in promoting equal opportunities and eliminating discrimination in all aspects of our employment practices as indicated in our Anti-discrimination Policy. We adhere to the anti-discrimination ordinances of all the jurisdictions where we operate, including recruitment, remuneration, compensation and benefits, promotions, transfers, training, and termination. We have absolutely no tolerance for employment discrimination on the basis of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, colour, religious or political beliefs, marital status, ethnic background or social origin.
The Group is committed to building an equal and inclusive work environment, follows a fair recruitment policy, and proactively hires talents from diverse ethnic backgrounds, persons with disabilities and middle-aged and older workers. In Hong Kong, we provide barrier-free facilities and a buddy system to help new employees with disabilities integrate into the corporate culture. Towngas has also signed the Racial Diversity and Inclusion Charter for Employers and participated in the Employment Programme for the Elderly and Middle-aged to promote racial diversity and re-employment opportunities. Meanwhile, by setting up mother care rooms and flexible work arrangements, we support women in balancing family and career, fully delivering on our inclusion commitment.
In support of a harmonious workplace, we have established an investigation mechanism for discrimination-related complaints, ensuring fair and independent procedures and respect for the privacy of all parties.
Prevention of Child Labour or Forced Labour In accordance with human rights principles, we strictly prohibit child labour and forced labour in our operations as stipulated in the Human Rights Policy. To ensure we are legally compliant with local laws and regulations in our recruitment, we check applicants' identity including, but not limited to, their age and eligibility for employment. We also ensure that employees are given rest days and are compensated for any overtime work, as required by local regulators. The relevant human rights policies and procedures are also accessible on our ESG website through Code of Conduct and Human Rights Policy to all employees at any time. Any employee violating these policies will be liable for disciplinary action that may include termination of employment. The Group will also report any suspected illegal act to the concerned authorities. We have extended the concept of fair labour throughout our entire supply chain and require our suppliers to comply with our policies on child labour and forced labour, as stipulated in our Code of Practice for Suppliers. Child labour and forced labour are two of our critical assessment criteria when we conduct an on-site Code of Practice audit of our suppliers. | Security The Group is committed to minimising potential security threats to its facilities and employees, protecting employees and the Group’s assets from harm or loss. To reduce security risks, we have implemented appropriate security measures. Security surveys and audits are conducted to assess possible threats or risks to our major facilities. We also work with governments and our partners to safeguard our assets and provide our employees and contractors with a secure work environment. While our security team does its utmost to protect our people and physical assets, it must also respect human rights in the discharge of its duties. We ensure that all security personnel are kept abreast of legislation concerning human rights and the rule of law and that they treat people in an appropriate and respectful manner. New security personnel receive training in anti-corruption and non-discrimination during their induction and are required to comply with our Code of Conduct. |
