Download our 2021 ESG report here
2021 ESG Report
Download the ESG reportOur Environment - People and Planet
As an international organization, our business can have an adverse impact on the environment, and so we are commited to finding ways in which we can reduce that impact
Environmental
People and planet
As an international organization, our business can have an adverse impact on the environment, and so we are committed to finding ways in which we can reduce that impact. It is a responsibility we take seriously as a company, as leaders, as individuals, as partners and as suppliers.
We recognize that we have an influential role that can help create more sustainable communities in which we live and work. We take that role seriously, using opportunities to encourage best practice and demonstrate commitment through our own choices. We also promote all employees to participate in environmental programs within our various business units.
What We Do
Earth Week
Held in the middle of April, Airswift Earth Week is a week-long event centered around Earth Day, which aims to promote and support our commitment to sustainability.
Earth Week
Held in the middle of April, Airswift Earth Week is a week-long event centered around Earth Day, which aims to promote and support our commitment to sustainability. The goal is to:
- Educate ourselves and our communities about local environmental issues and how climate change will impact their region, the country, and the world
- Promote values and behaviors that address environmental degradation and climate change in an inclusive and participatory setting
- Empower ourselves and our communities with the skills necessary to take action to help fight climate change
- Maintain new habits and remember that even the smallest actions can have a major impact
Each Earth Week, Airswift pledges a 'donation' of hours from the global working week towards volunteering and education. At the first Earth Week in 2021, our people pledged to contribute 600 hours towards achieving our goals. Through events such as recycling drives, sustainability seminars, clothing swaps, tree-planting, litter picks, car-less commutes, and guerrilla gardening, Airswift employees over-achieved and donated 1,700 hours.
Travel
We work with expert organizations to gather data on and offset the carbon emissions from our employees’ travel
Travel
- Encourage alternative ways to get to and from work, such as cycling, carpooling or using public transport where feasible. We offer travel loans to employees who use public transport
- Ensure that all business travel is pre-approved by management and is permitted only when there is a clear need
- Actively promote communication and collaboration technologies that help minimize travel needs
- Work with expert organizations to gather data on and offset the carbon emissions arising from our employees’ travel
Waste
We encourage recycling, seek opportunities to recycle equipment, and reduce paper consumptions
Waste
- Use licensed and appropriate organizations to dispose of waste from our serviced offices around the world
- Encourage recycling by providing access to recycling bins within the business; and we seek opportunities to recycle equipment and re-use consumables wherever possible
- Reduce our paper consumption by encouraging double-sided printing whenever possible and printing only when necessary
Social - People and Participation
Because we are a people business, our company thrives when our people do
Social
People and Participation
Because we are a people business, our company thrives when our people do. We strive to build a company that gives a sense of purpose and achievement to all our people. One of the ways we do this is by building positive relationships with our local communities. We're focused on empowering our people as one of our strategic priorities and continually look for ways to:
- Build a representative workforce in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I)
- Support employee wellness at every stage of their careers
- Develop ways for our dispersed workforce to create meaningful careers with us
- Empower our global teams to engage with their local communities
What We Do
Management and responsibility
Management and responsibility
The Senior Vice President of People & Culture is ultimately responsible for DE&I, wellness and people development at Airswift. She is supported by the People and Culture Manager, and a newly created role of DE&I Coordinator. The HR team is supported by the DE&I committee, which is made up of representative employees from across the organization, who meet on a quarterly basis. The committee also provides feedback to the HR team and communicates measures to the wider organization.
Community engagement is encouraged and supported centrally, but is driven, planned and coordinated by regional representatives.
Strengthening Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Strengthening DE&I
We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. It is the right thing to do, and it is essential for building a better business. Valuing diversity helps us build high-performing teams that deliver excellent service to our clients and enable us to compete in current and future marketplaces. It is central to our ethos of growth, excellence, integrity and safety
Supporting wellness
We work hard to make sure that every individual working with and for Airswift is safe in their workplace
Supporting wellness
We work hard to make sure that every individual working with and for Airswift is safe in their workplace. Some of our contractors work in extremely hazardous environments, and we take every step to protect their physical wellbeing. Equally, we believe that mental wellbeing is just as important, particularly for the many employees and contractors who work away from home and loved ones.
Community Engagement
Our Vision
As a company, Airswift exists to provide employment opportunities for our staff, exemplary services for our clients, and a positive return to our shareholders. Our purpose also extends to making positive contributions to the wider society, particularly those who are less privileged than us. Our aim is to create and build positive impact within the local communities in which we operate.
Working with our local communities, our engagement programs support various organizations and charitable causes worldwide. Whether providing education in the areas in which we operate or setting aside time to give back to local communities each year, supporting these initiatives is embedded in who we are as a company. These programs are encouraged by the central leadership team but are initiated and managed at a grassroots level.
HSE policies
HSE Policies
We make sure that all employees are given appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision needed to work safely and efficiently. Our global health, safety and environment (HSE) management system describes our various policies on subjects that include among others:
- Fit for duty
- Job hazard analysis
- Stop work authority
- Incident investigation
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements
We issue a full health and safety policy to all new starters at Airswift, as part of the induction and onboarding process. That policy is also available online, and we notify all staff of any updates.
Every Airswift contractor is also paired with a service consultant who acts as their 24/7 support throughout their assignment. In addition, every Airswift employee and contractor has access to medical advice and support teams, as and when they are needed.
Mental Health First Aid Program
Mental Health First Aid Program
To enhance the safe and supportive at-work environment, every Airswift employee now has access to mental health first aid in addition to standard Employee Assistance program. We have established and trained a team of volunteer Mental Health First Aiders to bring greater understanding of mental health issues to the workplace. They have been trained to:
- Spot the triggers and early warning signs of potential mental distress
- Provide a confidential sounding board for colleagues
- Direct individuals to other resources, including professional help, if needed
The Mental Health First Aid program complements quarterly training sessions:
- For new starters: mental health awareness and tips for staying safe and well
- For managers: How best to support and help individuals in your team and the wellbeing of your team as a whole
Developing our People
Developing our People
We want our people to have careers with us that are rewarding and meaningful. We have a role to play not just in providing opportunities for our staff, but in encouraging, enabling, and supporting them to achieve their goals. We recognize that everyone’s needs are slightly different, so we work hard to promote a day-to-day environment that can respond to those needs and allow people to play to their strengths.
In particular, we encourage a ‘family friendly’ environment for all staff. We take pride in meeting all our obligations under local legislation, including maternity, paternity, adoption, parental and dependents’ leave. We also encourage our people to return and continue their careers with us after any extended leave and keep in touch with them during periods of absence.
We continue to develop new ways to communicate our initiatives to our people, to develop programs that they want, to find ways to connect them with the right opportunities, and to give them the chance to provide feedback at every stage.
MyPath
MyPath
Proactively offers increased training, exposure opportunities and career development to each employee. We have added new functionality to our HR system so that employees can build, access and update their personal development plan as they progress their career with Airswift. It gives employees the opportunity to provide a personal statement, career history, education and qualifications, language capabilities, team memberships, and professional strengths, as well as development needs and the departments and locations that would interest them.
Global leadership team
Global leadership team
Creates management opportunities and paths to promotion for mid- and senior-level individuals. We established the global leadership team (GLT) to engage the next level of leadership and invest in their future. The GLT operates on an annual rotation, and application is encouraged from employees in any function and any location. Members are selected by the CEO and SVP of People & Culture. Members also receive a bonus towards their own personal growth. In its first year (2020), three of the GLT members were promoted to the operating board.
Coaching program
Coaching program
Supports career development, particularly among women at management level and other under-represented groups. Members of the HR team partner employees with others who have already been through our coaching program to build up our management pipeline and individual connections across the business.
High flyers
High flyers
Recognizes the top-performing employees from every department around the world, who are examples of our culture of excellence. Members of the operating board nominate individuals in their region or department and then vote on the high flyers for that year. There is an annual event to celebrate their success with about 30 attendees where flights, accommodation, meals and entertainment are covered. Previous celebrations have been held in Miami, Dubai, Buenos Aires, and Florence.
Pulse checks
Pulse checks
Gain a quick snapshot of company sentiment and success of ongoing efforts to build a welcoming workplace. In addition to our annual engagement survey, we issue a short questionnaire each quarter to ensure that our people feel valued in the workplace.
Open feedback
Open feedback
To understand and help us deal with issues as they arise, we have set up an anonymous inbox that our people can email in confidence and raise any problems they feel cannot wait until the next formal survey.
Governance - People and Policy
All business activities must be performed in full respect of the law. That is the absolute minimum that any business should aspire to, and a mission on which Airswift will not compromise.
Governance
People and Policy
All business activities must be performed in full respect of the law. That is the absolute minimum that any business should aspire to, and a mission on which Airswift will not compromise. We operate in fair competition, with honesty, integrity and good faith, and with due respect for the legitimate interests of our employees, shareholders, commercial and financial partners – and crucially, of the communities in which we are present.
Governance is therefore extremely important to everyone at Airswift. It enables us to commit to:
- Remaining compliant in every country where we operate
- Continuing with rigorous compliance with all anti-bribery and corruption laws and guidelines
- Maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of all our colleagues and contractors
- Sustaining our position as a sound business that our shareholders, bondholders and customers can count on
- Upholding our reputation for quality in every aspect of our operations
- Building the leadership teams that can build a sustainable business for the future
What We Do
Management and responsibility
Management and responsibility
The board is responsible for setting the objectives, identifying key risks and setting the agenda for all aspects of our governance program. We have also established a compliance and risk steering committee as a subgroup appointed by the board and tasked with identifying, reviewing and mitigating risks for the business. The committee meets quarterly to look at all elements of risk across the business, as part of the ISO 9001 program. Each quarter the committee reviews, heatmaps, analyzes, and discusses business operations to identify important external and internal risk factors.
Business ethics
We have an established Code of Business Ethics as the central point of reference for anyone associated with our business
Business ethics
We have an established Code of Business Ethics as the central point of reference for anyone associated with our business and to which every person working with Airswift must adhere.
It is a standard that we have set for ourselves to ensure that no matter where we are in the world, everyone associated with Airswift will be morally just in their actions. It is of paramount importance for the good functioning, reliability and reputation of our business, all of which are crucial factors for our success. It is designed to help our employees comply with all laws and regulations governing our business, and outlines steps to prevent, detect and report any misconduct that may occur.
In addition to establishing what we expect from all personnel working for or on behalf of Airswift in all operations under our control, the Code of Business Ethics sets out how we approach the following issues:
- Avoiding conflicts of interest
- The consequences of being a global business
- Health, safety and environment
- Transparency in financial transactions
- IT security and data protection
- Treating co-workers fairly
- Doing the right thing – a guide for employees
We send annual statements to our clients, contractors, and employees every year reasserting our Code of Business Ethics.
Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC)
We take ABC very seriously and have a zero-tolerance approach to breaches by any party we interact or transact with
Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC)
As a global business, we take anti-bribery and corruption policies very seriously and have a zero-tolerance approach to any breaches by clients or potential clients. All Airswift personnel in all offices are expected to work in accordance with our ABC policies; each staff member takes a training module upon joining the company and is required to take a refresher course every year. The board receives a report on ABC each quarter.
Quality Management
We have established quality objectives for our entire business, as set out in our Quality Policy
Quality Management
We have established quality objectives for our entire business, as set out in our Quality Policy. These ensure that the needs of our business and our customers continue to be met. These objectives are reviewed on a regular basis, to monitor and measure performance.
We have secured BS ISO 9001:2015 accreditation for our Quality Management System in our global headquarters in the UK, the US and Singapore. All our policies are audited on a bi-annual rolling schedule for continual monitoring and improvement. We have processes in place to secure feedback from employees, customers and contractors. The board receives regular reports on quality management, and every region and every department has set quality objectives, metrics and performance targets. Compliance with the ISO 9001 standard also means we are audited by ISO three times a year.
As part of our commitment to quality control, we continuously look for opportunities to deploy technology and automation systems to improve performance and reduce manual errors.
Human Rights
We conduct our business in a manner that respects the human rights and dignity of all people
Human Rights
We conduct our business in a manner that respects the human rights and dignity of all people. Our Human Rights Policy is guided by internationally recognized human rights, as set out in the International Bill of Human Rights and the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
Our Human Rights Policy outlines our commitments with regards to:
- Governance
- Ethical recruitment
- Employment contracts
- Working conditions
- Non-discrimination
- Modern slavery and human trafficking
- Safe working environments
- Child labor and young workers
- Freedom of association and collective bargaining
- Grievance mechanisms and disciplinary procedures
Our anti-slavery policy is embedded into our compliance program to make sure we continue to work ethically and avoid introducing human trafficking and slavery into any part of our supply chain or network.
IT Security
We have more than 60 policies in place regarding the use of our IT systems, risk management and data protection
IT security
Airswift has more than 60 policies in place regarding the use of our IT systems, risk management and data protection. We are subject to all data privacy regulations in all the jurisdictions in which we work; we have adopted GDPR standards as our global baseline because it is internationally recognized as the most robust data privacy and security regulation in the world.
Staff are also required to take a variety of cyber security courses through our learning management system to minimize Airswift’s exposure to cyber-fraud, malware, and data privacy breaches. We regularly audit our systems to establish opportunities for improvement or sharing good practice, and report findings to the board.