HT Fashion: Actively practice people-oriented family-friendly policies
Reporter:Wan Han,Source:Textile and Apparel Weekly ,Date:August 14, 2024 Beijing

The Chinese textile and apparel industry employs approximately 20 million people, over 60% of whom are female workers, most of them migrant workers of childbearing age. In a country where the birth rate continues to decline, raising children is not just a personal matter but a significant social issue.

For companies in China's textile and apparel sector, a crucial question arises: How can they provide stronger support to their employees, ensuring they can work with peace of mind, maintain physical and mental health, and remain vibrant and enthusiastic in their roles?

In 2022, the China National Textile and Apparel Council launched the pilot project "Building Family-Friendly Textile and Apparel Enterprises." The initiative aims to create a more inclusive working environment, enhancing the cohesion, sense of achievement, and happiness among industry employees.

Notably, HT Fashion, a renowned Chinese apparel enterprise, has been at the forefront of advocating "family-friendly" measures. These initiatives focus on the family unit and prioritize emotional communication and interaction among family members. By organizing various activities and providing more family time, the company seeks to strengthen relationships among family members and enhance overall family happiness.

Upholding a People-Centric Philosophy

As a global apparel ODM supply chain group with 17 wholly-owned subsidiaries, HT Fashion employs over 3,000 staff, with women accounting for 80% of the workforce. Since its inception, the company has steadfastly adhered to a people-centric development philosophy. While continuously growing its business, HT Fashion has been progressively improving employee welfare systems, enhancing the quality of life for its staff, and focusing on boosting their sense of well-being.

The company's "family-friendly" initiatives encompass not only children's education and parent-child interaction but also marital relationships and humanistic care, fully meeting the emotional needs of family members.

To achieve this goal, HT Fashion has adopted a series of implementation strategies. First, in personnel management, the company reduces conflicts between work and family by implementing flexible working hours and flexible work arrangements. For example, by setting up "Mother Shifts" in multiple factories, mothers are allowed to find a balance between work and family. This model enables them to go to work while their children are at school and have time to care for them before and after school.

In terms of work models, the company adopts a piece-rate system, which not only meets mothers' income needs but also ensures they have enough time to accompany their children's growth. The Group plans to promote this successful experience throughout the entire organization, allowing more mothers to work without missing any important moments in their children's lives.

It is worth mentioning that HT Fashion has designated the Friday afternoon of the last week of each month as HT Family Day, aiming to enhance the parent-child relationship between employees and their families and enrich their family life.

On this day, the company organizes various wonderful HT parent-child activities, allowing employees and their children to participate together and spend pleasant times. Through these activities, the company hopes to convey care for its employees and advocate a balance between work and family life.

It is understood that a dedicated department within the Group is responsible for formulating policies, supervising implementation, and adjusting and optimizing. By hosting various training activities, the company enhances employees' understanding and emphasis on family-friendly practices. At the same time, it actively cooperates with professional institutions to introduce advanced family care concepts and practical experience.

Family friendliness consolidates the foundation of the group's development

As a leading enterprise group in China, HT Fashion regards corporate social responsibility as a core duty. While pursuing economic benefits, the company places great emphasis on the quality of employees' lives, committing to creating a warm and harmonious working environment.

In recent years, the group has added gyms and yoga studios within its premises, hired professional instructors for classes, and set up water bar to provide afternoon tea. These initiatives stem from HT Fashion's unwavering commitment to social responsibility

The company believes that building a family-friendly enterprise is a crucial way to fulfill its social responsibilities. By creating a supportive working environment and implementing innovative management models that focus on employee welfare, HT Fashion not only promotes the happiness of employees' families but also attracts and retains diverse talent. This approach enhances the company's innovation capabilities and market competitiveness.

To this end, the group places great importance on employee welfare and protection. In addition to standard social insurance and housing funds, it provides employer liability insurance, supplementary medical insurance, and accidental injury insurance, comprehensively safeguarding employees' safety and health both at work and in life. The company regularly organizes health check-ups and specialized women's health seminars, enabling employees to better understand and maintain their well-being, thereby improving work efficiency and quality of life. Adhering to a people-centric philosophy, the company cares for its employees through concrete actions, creating a warm and harmonious working environment.

Since implementing the "family-friendly" initiatives, HT Fashion's thoughtful policies have covered all stages of employees' lives—from being single to starting a family and building a career. For example, the group carefully plans recruitment strategies in line with employees' family planning, ensuring they can smoothly transition through different life stages. Whether it's marriage leave, maternity leave, or parental leave, employees are assured of their positions upon return, eliminating concerns about job loss due to family responsibilities.

Enhancing Psychological Support and Childcare Services

In recent years, through its "family-friendly" initiatives, HT Fashion has achieved remarkable results. The company has effectively improved employees' job satisfaction and quality of life, enhancing overall corporate performance, strengthening group cohesion, and boosting competitiveness. This has led to mutual development and progress between the enterprise and its employees.

Looking ahead, HT Fashion will deepen its investment in supporting the development of "family-friendly" policies. The company plans to strengthen on-the-job training and educational activities, effectively utilizing existing partnerships with educational institutions. By encouraging employees with lower educational backgrounds to continue their studies, HT Fashion aims to improve their qualifications and professional knowledge.

Additionally, the group has established a psychological counseling center, now officially operational. Equipped with advanced facilities and professional counselors, the center regularly provides services to alleviate work-related stress, particularly addressing the occupational and psychological pressures faced by working women. The group is also considering introducing in-house childcare programs and expanding early childhood education services to alleviate employees' conflicts between family and work, especially regarding childcare during holidays.

In the days to come, HT Fashion will continue to uphold its people-centric philosophy, continually optimizing family-friendly policies to create an even warmer and more harmonious working environment. By doing so, the company not only enhances the well-being of its employees but also solidifies its foundation for sustainable growth and success.