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ISS has announced its commitment to hire 1,000 refugees or more across its North America business by the end of 2025.
The pledge by ISS was made at Tent Partnership for Refugees’ US Business Summit on Refugees in New York City. Creating professional and economic opportunities for people who have been forcibly displaced from their home countries, the ISS programme aims to reduce barriers for refugees to help them integrate by providing training and employment.
Margot Slattery, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at ISS World Services A/S said: “We live in very unsettled times, and we must all support where and how we can. ISS has an over 120-year legacy as a people company, and we have always had a strong drive to make a true difference for people and societies. Today, as we work globally for customers across 30 markets and have more than 350,000 employees, our social responsibility is ever more evident. We are pleased to support this important initiative and provide opportunities and a chance for stability for so many people fleeing global disruptions.”
Tent is a non-profit organisation founded in 2016 by Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya that is committed to improving the lives and livelihoods of displaced refugees. It is comprised of a network of 260 companies that collectively have pledged to hire tens of thousands of refugees.
Ulukaya commented: “The American business community is showing incredible leadership, and I am so proud of the companies, including ISS, standing up for refugees today. These companies will benefit from welcoming these hard-working, loyal, and resilient individuals – but my hope is that this is only the beginning. As refugee crises start to fade from the headlines, I hope that companies will recognise that hiring refugees is not only the right thing to do, but also the smart thing to do.”
ISS’s pledge builds upon the company’s extensive global efforts to support refugees. ISS is part of the Sunflower Project, another Tent initiative, which has a mission to accelerate the economic inclusion of Ukrainian refugee women in Europe through better access to employment. Last year, ISS joined the Tent Mentoring Refugee Women initiative in Europe, committing to mentoring 50 refugee women over the next three years in Spain, France and the Netherlands. In addition, in the Netherlands, ISS has hosted information sessions in collaboration with Refugee Talent Hub. And in Denmark, ISS offers apprenticeships and mentorships to refugees.
While some personnel are finally returning to the office – the great majority of organisations (up to 83 per cent) anticipate a hybrid mix of on-premises and working from home to continue for the foreseeable future.
This means that when it comes to providing access to the workplace, where once it was simply enough to maintain a welcoming reception for visitors, organisations today must also keep a close eye on access permissions in real-time to keep buildings safe and secure while ensuring they comply with compliance.
Pitney Bowes Smart Access Management in association with FMJ has produced a new White Paper which explains how to create a welcoming, actively managed environment for authorised people.
It explains how new Smart Access Management™ (SAM) delivers a complete, real-time and data-driven view of all your people, visitors and contractors, to help give you greater control and visibility.
To download the white paper click here.
