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“Respect the Team – is what Dayco lives by on a day-to-day basis. I am proud to be a part of Dayco’s global team where all staff, regardless of their differences, are treated with respect. We have great policies and systems in place from recruitment and annual performance management to making sure people have equal opportunities for growth within the company. Dayco China’s leadership team ensures compliance with these policies and systems to foster a culture of respect and equality across all plants in China. Embracing diversity, equity and inclusion is a never-ending goal for Dayco China where we will continuously leverage opportunities to enhance in this space. I am pleased to say that 50% of our leaders are women in China’s Guiyang office” – Kennie Wang, Director of Global Strategic Sourcing Belt.

“Nobody is exactly like you and that is exactly your power”, written on an award to recognize women on International Women’s Day, is how we here at Dayco Mexico perceive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to me is treating all people, regardless of differences, the same because it is through these differences that we are able to grow further as a company. Dayco Mexico understands that access to job opportunities does not look the same to everybody. Especially to those that are considered vulnerable – single mothers, people with disabilities, the young and more senior groups of people, etc. I am proud to say that we have several initiatives in place that allows us to go that extra mile to ensure vulnerable groups have equal access to Dayco Mexico’s job opportunities – Karla Errejon, Plant Manager – Dayco Mexico.

Holding themselves accountable to the highest standards of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), Dayco begins from the top down supporting a diverse leadership team. Meet Karla Errejon, Plant Manager of Dayco’s San Luis Potosi (SLP), Mexico facility and a key member of the leadership team. She joined Dayco’s leaders in 2013 with many aspirations, one being enabling a culture of diversity and inclusion at Dayco. Since then, Karla and her team have created opportunities for some of the most vulnerable – women, single mothers, members of the LGBTQ community, the young and the more senior groups of people, amongst others.

Dayco’s leaders serve as role models and are responsible for promoting diverse, fair, and comfortable environments. Karla has taken this to heart by seeking to bring different people from various backgrounds to join the Dayco Mexico team. The company’s diversity mission commenced with gender – increasing the number of women in senior positions. To date, 33% of women in the Dayco SLP facility are in leadership positions. Their DE&I journey then shifted from solely focusing on female development and employment to focusing on both females and other vulnerable community members. Extra measures were taken to ensure that single mothers with low incomes and senior members of society were introduced to the right people within the organization and provided with access to job opportunities.

SLP Women on International Women’s Appreciation Day

Dayco is leading by example and has many DE&I initiatives under way. For example, although recent college graduates are often overlooked in Mexico, the company provides internship opportunities linked to more permanent roles for those candidates who excel. On March 8th, International Women’s Appreciation Day, the company recognized female employees for their hard work through an award focused on the idea that “nobody is exactly like you and that is exactly your power”. Further advancing DE&I initiatives to promote workforce equity for people with disabilities, the company is having internal discussions to possibly partner with “Juntos”, a local non-profit organization with a mission to ensure that all women living with disabilities have access to services and opportunities. This undertaking would include revamping the work environment to make it more conducive to accommodate the needs of the disabled – of which Karla and her team have begun having these conversations.

“Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to me is treating all people, regardless of differences, the same because it is through these differences that we are able to grow further as a company” Karla states. Indeed, Karla and her team are working diligently to provide a diverse, fair and comfortable environment for all current and future Dayco employees.

Dayco believes that a diverse workforce allows for better decision making that ultimately leads to better risk management. Grounded by their Code of Conduct, Dayco’s culture promotes equal opportunities and has zero tolerance for discrimination. Dayco seeks to bring different people from various backgrounds into the company to promote an environment of respect and mutual understanding.

Dayco Poland has been on a mission to make their Production workforce more diverse – about 38% of production staff are Ukrainian. Following this shift, Dayco Poland noticed that workforce diversity offered unique perspectives making them more successful as a company.

Dayco took this initiative to the next level by translating some of the most pertinent documents into Ukrainian. Documents translated included (but not limited to) – Work Regulations, Code of Conduct and Employee Information Book. By offering documents in multiple languages, Dayco Poland was able to ensure that employees of different backgrounds needs were being met, which is a basic human right. By doing so, Dayco will continue to provide their workforce with an environment where each individual is recognized as important to the company and can thrive and grow to their farthest potential.

Even prior to the war on Ukraine, Dayco Poland has welcomed Ukrainian staff members into their Dayco home. Following the war, with thousands of individuals fleeing to Poland, initiatives to enhance diversity and ensure seamless transitions have been proven to be even more crucial. To ease Ukrainians transition into their Dayco home, Dayco Poland has been offering free Polish language classes to Ukrainian staff members. “Openness to other cultures gives us strength, shows our tolerance and respect for people, regardless of their origin. Through working with employees from Ukraine, we experience mutual learning of our cultures and values, we become better. The cultural diversity that we have built is unity, strength and success in joint action” Piotr Madejski, Plant Manager.