Meet-Less Fridays and Other Pandemic Workplace Innovations

Promoting employee well-being while working from home

Manila, Philippines – June 14, 2021 – COVID-19 has changed the world that we know today. One of the changes the pandemic has brought is the work-from-home set-up or WFH. This has been proven to work especially for employees who don’t need to be physically present in their office. However, there are some challenges. The lack of disconnect between work and home has led employees to work longer hours, be in back-to-back meetings, and sometimes be less present in their personal lives. Another consequence of WFH is the lack of connection between employees. These are challenges snacks company Mondelez Philippines aims to help address for its people working from home, to help improve their well-being and productivity.

To aid colleagues in their journey to better physical, emotional, and mental health, Mondelez Philippines provides three different programs to improve employee support: Meet-Less Fridays, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and the Sabbatical Leave.

Starting this 2021, the Meet-less Fridays program allows employees to have meeting-less time every Friday afternoon to focus on their individual projects or tasks. It’s the latest initiative by the Company in support of its Flexible Working policy. No meetings means employees can complete other deliverables, gather as a team to celebrate small and big wins, recharge for the next week, or attend other activities initiated by the company that promotes well-being. “At Mondelez Philippines, we want our employees to know that we respect their time and their hard work throughout the week, and we want to give back time each week for them to use for themselves,” shares Aileen Aumentado, Mondelez Philippines People Lead.

The support for this program has been great, with colleague Donna Maligalig sharing, “Our Meet-less Fridays drive has allowed our employees to get a “breather” from a full week of virtual meetings and let them focus on their weekly targets, just in time before their much-awaited weekend with their families. This drive has developed win-win business and people solutions while balancing business and people needs.”

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) aims to support employees by providing online counseling for various mental health topics. It aims to ensure employees never feel alone or lack support. From time to time, everyone experiences situations that affect their general well-being. Employees can reach out to this EAP service for practical information, including physical, financial, legal, and family care resources. This can be done through counselling over the phone, online, or in person. All counseling sessions are confidential between the employee and the counsellor. Mondelez Philippines wants each employee to know that they are never alone in whatever challenge they may face.

Lastly, the Sabbatical Leave program allows employees to take a prolonged leave from work to recharge and reenergize their mental well-being, or prioritize other needs such as caregiving responsibilities, self-development, and community work.

The new normal has added different challenges and responsibilities for each employee. The Sabbatical Leave is a chance for employees to experience a “break from work.” This will allow the employee to work on different aspects of his or her personal growth. These include the ability to recharge and reenergize for mental well-being, enable critical caregiving responsibilities, self-development, gain further education, and to participate in community work they are passionate about. The sabbatical leave provides an opportunity to help find the time, space, and perspective employees need before getting back to work fully energized and engaged.

Mondelez Philippines is committed to supporting the diverse needs of its people in facing the challenges brought about by the pandemic. “We pride ourselves in building a winning growth culture and this is not possible without the makers and bakers of our delicious products,” ends Aumentado. With our three new initiatives, Meet-less Fridays, the Employee Assistance Program, and the Sabbatical Leave, Mondelez Philippines aims to support its people’s journey to better physical, emotional, and mental health.

About Mondelēz International

Mondelēz International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDLZ) empowers people to snack right in over 150 countries around the world. With 2020 net revenues of approximately $27 billion, MDLZ is leading the future of snacking with iconic global and local brands such as OREO, belVita, and LU biscuits; Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate; Sour Patch Kids candy, and Trident gum. Mondelēz International is a proud member of the Standard and Poor’s 500, Nasdaq 100, and Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Visit www.mondelezinternational.com or follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDLZ.

About Mondelez Philippines

Mondelez Philippines Inc. has been providing consumers with delicious snack products for the past 58 years – since 1963. Its product portfolio includes Tang powdered beverages, Eden cheese, mayonnaise, and sandwich spread, Cheez Whiz spread, Oreo cookies, Tiger energy biscuits, belVita breakfast biscuits, as well as Toblerone and Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolates. The company employs about 450 people in the Philippines, with a manufacturing facility in Parañaque City. Visit https://ph.mondelezinternational.com/home.