SUSTAINABILITY

In 2017, 34,499 people benefited from the different programs, including employees
of Grupo Sanborns and their families.

 

Social Performance
We work through the Carlos Slim Foundation which, with a high sense of social responsibility, efficiency and opportunity, carries out over 90 programs and projects in 13 different areas. Among others: education, employment, health, sports, culture and the environment, thus reaching over 45 million beneficiaries in Mexico and other Latin American countries. In 2017, particularly relevant for the Foundation was the initiative “México Unido” [“Mexico United”] for repairing the damages caused by the September earthquakes. During the emergency stage, the Group as a whole, with the outstanding work of its businesses and volunteers, responded immediately to the basic needs of thousands of affected persons, by supplying basic staples, camping tents, blankets and mats, water purifiers and telecommunications.

For the reconstruction and transformation stage, an invitation and call were launched so that for every Mexican peso received, the Foundation would contribute five more. We received a response from over 217 thousand donors who deposited their trust in us, with donations amounting to $412.4 million, to which $2,061.8 million were added by the Foundation. The resources were destined to housing reconstruction, health and education infrastructure, and the rescue of our cultural heritage. As established from the beginning, we have accounted month by month, with full transparency, on the acts and the application of the resources in the Foundation webpage. For further information, refer to: http://www.fundacioncarlosslim.org/

In addition to the Foundation activities, the Grupo Sanborns subsidiaries continued investing in education, health, community infrastructure and development, through the following initiatives:

  • Participation in annual campaigns for the prevention and control of medical conditions, in cooperation with the Instituto Carlos Slim de la Salud [Carlos Slim Health Institute],
  • Real property rescue program at Sanborns,
  • Program for hiring individuals with different capabilities in Sanborns and Sears, through the Mexican Federation of Organizations on Behalf of Disabled Individuals [Confederación Mexicana de Organizaciones a Favor de la Persona con Discapacidad (CONFE being the Spanish acronym)], the Multiple Service Center [Centro de Atención Múltiple (CAM being the Spanish acronym), the YMCA and the DIF,
  • Free courses at the “Train for the Job” [“Capacítate para el Empleo”] platform at the Fundación Carlos Slim, with access by the general public to the Job Exchange, which includes recruiting processes for the Grupo Carso companies.

Environmental Performance
Please refer to the Sustainability Policies, GRI4 indicators and general environmental indicators for: energy, water, biodiversity, emissions, effluents and residues, awards, certifications, recognitions and volunteer programs at the Carso Sustentable report, available at: http://www.gsanborns.com.mx/desempeno-ambiental.html

During 2017, Grupo Sanborns continued complying with the environmental standards applicable to it, mostly on matters of control and registration of residual waters, emissions into the atmosphere, as well as management and final disposal of solid residues and hazardous materials through companies authorized by the respective environmental or health authorities.

Labor, Health and Safety Performance
Grupo Sanborns is a source of employment for over 46 thousand permanent and temporary jobs in Mexico and some Central American countries. During 2017, employment decreased by 6.4%, as compared to the preceding year. Within the Benefit Programs established in Grupo Sanborns, there are:

  • Digital scholarships and other grants for the children of employees and their direct family members,
  • Home Office programs, flexible working hours for parents, financial support for funeral expenses and paid leaves of absence,
  • Health prevention campaigns, with the cooperation of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS being the Spanish acronym) and the Ministry of Health (SSA being the Spanish acronym.
  • Civil Protection Programs with training for volunteer brigades,
  • Personal development programs through ASUME, CRESE and the Social Well-Being Program,
  • Courses through the “Capacítate para el Empleo” [“Train for the Job”] platform at the Fundación Carlos Slim for basic training of the operational personnel,
  • Education and Training Programs on sales and management skills.

Taking into account the Mexico City Training Center and 96 training rooms located at the Sears operational units, as well as 49 training rooms at the Sanborns corporate offices, the two Training Centers, the Viaducto Plant and the foreign locations, including Panama and El Salvador, during the year a total of 43,082 courses took place, with 96,876 graduates, which includes technical, operational, educational, developmental and safety and health training. In addition, a major Civil Protection program was established in Sanborns, with the participation of 4,223 employees.

At Sears, personnel were trained and educated for the two new stores: San Angel and Querétaro La Victoria, as well as for the Perisur expansion, which represented the generation of 502 direct jobs.

As a result of the September 2017 earthquakes, the Sears Villa Coapa, Insurgentes, Buenavista and Centro Histórico stores were closed. All the employees affected by the closure of their units were relocated temporarily or permanently to fill vacancies in other units. 151 Sears and Saks Fifth Avenue were affected in various ways in their homes and the employees in need in that respect, were supported by the Carlos Slim Foundation.

308 Carso digital scholarships [Becas Digitales Carso] were granted to the children of employees and 207 Telmex scholarships were granted to employees or their children during the year.

The ASUME Program (Spanish acronym for Asociación de la Superación por México) comprised a scope of 173 groups, 2,246 employees who graduated, plus 160 employees enabled as instructors.

Continuity was given to the Human Quality and Social Liability Management System in Corporations [Sistema de Gestión de Calidad Humana and Responsabilidad Social en la Empresa (CRESE being the Spanish acronym) certifying six new units and re-certifying 22 units at Sears (stores, credit, technical service and logistics centers) for a total of 99 certified units, i.e., a 52% increase as compared to the preceding year. At Sanborns, we were able to recertify the Viaducto Commissary and, for the first time, the Tlalnepantla Commissary and the Chocolate Factory, to be distinguished as socially responsible corporations.

In the Social Well-Being Program, three fundamental aspects were worked on: Education, Health, Culture and Recreation. In 2017, 34,499 individuals were benefitted by the various programs, including Grupo Sanborns employees and their families, which represented 1,118 individuals more as compared to the previous year.

We continued working on the “Capacítate para el Empleo” [Train for the Job] platform at the Carlos Slim Foundation, using the same for basic training for operational and middle management personnel. Throughout the year, 550 Grupo Sanborns employees were trained for various trades and 3,160 new employees were hired for Sears, who were trained at said platform.

For further information and details, please refer the sustainability activity section at the Grupo Sanborns S.A.B. de C.V. corporate webpage at:
http://www.gsanborns.com.mx/responsabilidad-social.html