H12. Employees

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2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

Personnel data¹⁾

Average number of employees

46,275

46,084

45,980

47,222

46,385

of which companies fully integrated into HR platform

28,683

28,394

28,824

29,659

25,866

Permanent staff/temporary employees,²⁾ %

81/19

82/18

81/19

80/20

Full-time/part-time, %

96/4

97/3

96/4

97/3

Total number of part-time staff

1,642

1,194

1,614

1,052

1,362

of whom women

968

875

1,210

980

930

Staff mobility¹⁾

Number of employees who joined the Group

9,278

6,891

5,516

6,945

13,585

of whom, through acquisitions

677

190

5,518

Number of employees who left the Group

7,256

7,402

6,485

7,815

7,321

due to divestments

945³⁾

109

–

due to restructuring

105

260

345

544

584

due to retirement

468

443

524

383

418

of which temporary employees

959

1,939

1,420

1,799

1,857

Personnel turnover, excluding restructuring, retirements, divestments, temporary employees, %

of which companies fully integrated into HR platform, %

of whom in jointly-owned companies, %

1)	Companies acquired in December 2021 (AquaCast Liner and Hydrofera) are not included in the 2021 numbers.
2)	Fixed-term employees in China with three or six-year contracts are classified as temporary employees.
3)	Since the divestment of Sancella Tunisia occurred at the end of the year, these are included in the “average number of employees” in 2020.

Diversity, equity and inclusion

The right competence and experience form the basis for Essity’s success and value creation. Essity works to increase diversity, equity and inclusion. It makes the company stronger when employees are different and contribute with their unique expertise, background and experience, and complement each other.

In 2021, a new Vice President Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was recruited and a steering group appointed under the leadership of the CEO. During the year, Essity also presented a Group target that gender distribution at all management levels (Executive Management Team, senior management and middle management) is to be within the interval 40/60% no later than 2025. The target is reported at an aggregate outcome level for the three management levels and the outcome for 2021 was 32/68%.

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2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

Gender¹⁾

Women/men, %

35/65

34/66

Women (total number Board members)

5 (12)

6 (12)

5 (13)

Women (total number Executive Management Team)

4 (13)

3 (12)

5 (14)

Women (total number senior management)

35 (104)

30 (98)

25 (101)

30 (117)

Women (total number middle management)

195 (622)

177 (607)

163 (580)

177 (641)

183 (696)

Gender distribution at management levels, %
(total for Executive Management Team, senior management and middle management)

32/68

29/71

28/72

27/73

26/74

Age, %

Employees under 20 years of age

21–30 years

31–40 years

41–50 years

51–60 years

Employees over 60 years of age

Nationalities¹⁾

Total number of nationalities

124

117

112

105

102

Number of nationalities in Executive Management Team (number of members)

6 (13)

6 (12)

5 (14)

Number of nationalities in senior management (number of senior managers)

19 (104)

18 (98)

20 (98)

17 (101)

18 (117)

Number of nationalities in middle management (number of middle managers)

44 (622)

44 (607)

39 (580)

39 (641)

36 (696)

1)	Refers to companies fully integrated into the HR platform.

Salary

No unjustified pay differences should exist due to gender, age or background. This is regularly monitored and any unjustified differences are addressed on an annual basis.

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Average combined salary¹⁾, %

2021

2020²⁾

2019²⁾

2018²⁾

2017²⁾

Women’s median wage compared with men’s (men’s wage 100%)

Women’s median wage compared with men’s in senior management (men’s wage 100%)

Women’s median wage compared with men’s in middle management (men’s wage 100%)

1)	Applies to full-time salaries (December 2021) for active employees from the five countries where Essity has most employees (Sweden, Germany, France, the USA and Mexico). Salaries for the President, Executive Vice President and CFO are excluded. Only refers to companies fully integrated into the HR platform.
2)	Average median wages have been restated for 2017–2020 and are now weighted based on the number of employees per country and at management level. Wages for the USA and Mexico are only included as of 2019.

The total pay difference between men and women is because Essity has more men at higher management levels. Essity is working so gender distribution at management levels is to be within the interval 40/60% no later than 2025.

Performance and individual development

Engaged employees with the right competence who are continuously developing, form the basis for a successful Essity. An important foundation is that all employees have individual goals and development plans. Employees and line managers are expected to regularly follow up goals and ensure adequate support and development. Development activities are identified in dialogue concerning current work and future aspirations and include for instance leadership, functional skills and the “Beliefs & Behaviors” set of values. In 2020, a global, digital HR platform was introduced that encompasses shared processes for the entire company. Essity is implementing the system in the company’s business groups and units on an ongoing basis. The table below reflects most of the development offered by the company to its employees and which is administered in the Essity Learning Management System. Certain local instructions and training of employees at production facilities are managed outside of the system.

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Number of internal training hours (thousand)¹⁾

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

Total number of internal training sessions

210.0

166.8

114.0

81.2

140.8

of which digital training sessions

89.6

93.6

39.5

23.8

24.6

of which virtual sessions

92.3

40.9

1.9

0.9

0.0

of which physical training sessions

28.2

32.3

72.7

56.5

116.2

The number of training hours per employee

1)	Refers to companies fully integrated into the HR platform.

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Investments in skills-enhancement activities	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
Total, SEKm	136	115	117	141	152
per employee, SEK	2,940	2,500	2,500	3,000	3,300
Value added (SEK) per employee	775	826	800	661	666
Return on human capital	1.58	1.73	1.61	1.50	1.59

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Internally appointed vacancies¹⁾, %

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

Vacancies appointed through internal candidates

1)	Refers to companies fully integrated into the HR platform.

Employee goals and engagement

Essity’s winning culture is based on the company’s purpose to break barriers to well-being and the company’s “Beliefs & Behaviors”. From the outset, Essity has conducted regular employee surveys to monitor employee engagement. In 2020, “Pulse Surveys” were launched for white-collar employees and these were extended in 2021 to include all employees.

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Culture and development¹⁾, %

2021

2020

Long-term goals

Individual goals

²⁾

100

of which white-collar employees

100

Individual development plans³⁾

²⁾

100

of which white-collar employees

100

Employee engagement

90⁴⁾

above global benchmark

1)	Refers to companies fully integrated into the HR platform
2)	In 2020, Essity implemented a new tool for Goal Setting and Development, which was introduced solely for white-collar employees during 2020.
3)	Individual goals are measured on a continuous basis.
4)	Includes solely white-collar employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Employee relations¹⁾

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

Percentage of Essity’s employees covered by collective bargaining agreements

1)	Refers to companies fully integrated into the HR platform.

Read more about how Essity works with employees in the chapter Attractive and engaging employer.