SHANGHAI, China — Yum China Holdings, Inc. announced that the Top Employers Institute has certified the Company as a Top Employer China for 2021. The global certification program recognizes leading employers that demonstrate dedication to the betterment of the workplace through excellent HR policies and people practices. This is the third year in a row that Yum China has received the Award and is a testament to the Company’s long-standing commitment to employee care centered around its “Fair, Care and Pride” principles.
This year’s award holds extra significance as it comes at a time when the industry continues to navigate the challenges of COVID-19.
“For more than 30 years, Yum China has always believed in our “People First” philosophy. To be named a Top Employer China for the third consecutive year is a fantastic achievement,” said Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China. “COVID-19 has reinforced our determination to look after our employees and in 2020 Yum China’s primary responsibility was to protect the safety and livelihoods of over 400,000 employees, while contributing to the wellbeing of their families.”
Yum China’s employees are its most valuable asset and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic the Company has always prioritized employee health and safety. The Company has set up special fund to provide additional assistance for frontline employees and their families impacted by COVID-19. In February 2020, Yum China announced the launch of a Restaurant Management Team (RMT) Family Care Fund which is an extension of the existing Restaurant General Manager (RGM) Family Care Program. The voluntary scheme requires a small financial contribution from participants and provides critical illness and additional accident coverage for family members of restaurant management employees. The scheme goes beyond the normal market practice by increasing the age cap to 75 years for employees’ parents and 22 years for their children. In December 2020, Yum China expanded the scheme to provide critical illness coverage for qualified restaurant supervisors. As of the end of 2020, the scheme has covered over 13,000 employees and more than 26,000 family members.
In recent years, Yum China has made considerable progress in the digitalization of its Human Resources processes. This includes creating a more efficient, intelligent and integrated digital workplace ecosystem covering talent management, compensation and benefits, training and development, performance management and employee engagement. COVID-19 has further highlighted the importance of digitalization and in the early stages of the outbreak, Yum China’s Human Resources function quickly introduced several measures including video interviewing, employee live streaming tools and mobile learning platforms.
“Since becoming an independent public company, Yum China has put in a lot of efforts into fostering a culture of agility and innovation. Through digital empowerment, Yum China enables over 400,000 employees to stay connected, while strengthening their sense of belonging,” said Aiken Yuen, Chief People Officer of Yum China.
The Top Employers Institute programme certifies organisations based on the participation and results of their HR Best Practices Survey. This survey covers 6 HR domains consisting of 20 topics such as People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Well-being and Diversity & Inclusion and more.
