People Empowerment
Social responsibility is a matter of course for us and a fundamental component of our corporate governance. Through various social projects, especially at our locations and in our procurement countries, we tackle current challenges and support people inside and outside our company.
The s.Oliver brand has been a supporter of the Special Olympics movement in Germany since the first National Games in Stuttgart in 1998. Special Olympics Deutschland e.V. is the sports organisation for people with intellectual and multiple disabilities and stands for inclusion and fun in sport. At the Special Olympics National Games 2024 in Thuringia, employees will once again be deployed on site to become part of the movement as corporate volunteers.
Engagement in Our Procurement Countries
Our social engagement already begins in our procurement markets because, as a global company, we work in an international value chain. That’s why we not only want to secure the social standards in our production, but also actively support the people. We already launched the project “Work2Learn Advanced” 10 years ago, which we implement together with the children’s rights organization Save the Children in Bangladesh. In this project, we enable young people aged 16 and above to receive vocational training in the areas of garment screen printing and design, and arrange internships with subsequent jobs. Its successor, the “Young Workers Development Program,” has been running since 2022, which, in addition to the subject of vocational training, also places a strong focus on the rights of workers. In this way, we are making our contribution towards minimizing the risk of child labor in Bangladesh.
Cotton made in Africa
Furthermore, we support smallholder farmers in various African countries in growing cotton sustainably and economically together with Cotton made in Africa. We also work with other partner organizations to increase social and environmental standards as well as transparency with regard to the origin of our materials. In order to do so, we run projects on organic cotton cultivation and empowering women in our supply chain.
Accommodation for Ukrainian Refugees
Due to the war in Ukraine, the S.OLIVER GROUP worked in close cooperation with the district office to provide accommodation for refugees from Ukraine at its headquarters. Lots of our employees lent a hand in clearing out and setting up the space, as well as providing people with first aid. The second step was to create a childcare facility for the Ukrainian children. The company hired a Ukrainian childminder for this purpose.
Our Employees Are Committed to the Cause: You Are Welcome
“You are welcome” is the name of our employee initiative, the aim of which is to show solidarity with those in need in the region of our company headquarters. A budget has been made available for this project by our management team, which the initiative is responsible for managing and uses for good causes. For example, in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, in 2020 we donated 10,000 garments to the Malteser relief fund in Würzburg to be distributed as needed. We also provided numerous jackets to train station missions in autumn 2020 as part of the “Donate Warmth” campaign. In 2021, more than 5,000 garments were donated to the Bavarian Red Cross (Würzburg district office) alone, which then forwarded the clothing on to refugees in Bosnia. In 2022, the S.OLIVER GROUP participated in several fundraising campaigns for refugees from Ukraine and those still living in the country by donating items of clothing.
Bernd Freier Fonds
Suddenly everything has changed from one day to the next. Difficult circumstances can affect all of us. That is why our company founder and owner set up the “Bernd Freier Funds” to enable us to provide help for our employees and their family members. The fund is open to applications from all employees who find themselves in need through no fault of their own and offers financial support in difficult life situations.