65 The Hershey Company | 2021 ESG Report The Big Picture Our Company Cocoa Responsible Sourcing and Human Rights Environment Our People Youth Community About This Report Our People Providing a Caring Employee Experience We recognize that employee well-being is a cornerstone Supporting Balance SmartFlex Benefits of an engaged, innovative and productive workforce. and Well-Being When our employees feel seen, respected and cared for, During the year, mental health stayed in the SmartFlex is our suite of policies that spotlight, with employees becoming more open enables individuals to create their own they give their best. about the struggles they were facing during balance between work and personal life. constant uncertainty. Our approach was to It is designed to improve productivity, Hershey is proud to offer a competitive Community Benefits regularly engage with our people managers boost job satisfaction and increase suite of benefits, a full list of which may be and expand our benefits system to ensure employee engagement. found on our Careers page. These include: • Hershey Company Scholars Program: employees felt heard and supported. • Parental Leave: A total of six weeks scholarships to children of Hershey employees of consecutive paid time off or a total Family Benefits pursuing post-secondary education. In 2021, many employees continued to work of 15 days of flexible paid time off for • Paid parental leave including • Unique volunteering opportunities, including from home and some were hired as fully all full-time salaried U.S. employees in adoption benefits. at Milton Hershey School. remote — emphasizing Hershey’s flexibility addition to other similar benefits available • Dollars for Doers program: Hershey donates and ability to attract diverse talent. This only to employees. • Fertility coverage. $500 to an employee’s nonprofit of choice underscored the importance of our continued • Flexible working solutions. after they log 50 hours of volunteer service in transition to a more flexible working model for • Flex Tech: Utilizing new technologies a calendar year. all our employees, regardless of their role. We and personally owned devices to provide Well-Being Benefits have scaled up our work to improve scheduling employees with secure access to • Private rooms designed for breastfeeding, • Employee relief fund that provides grants for manufacturing teams and retail employees company systems from work or home. quiet reflection, prayer or wellness rest breaks. to individual employees facing disaster while migrating to a more virtual workplace for • Flex Time: Salaried employees choose or hardships. corporate employees. how best to manage their work time • State of the art fitness center at our Hershey, • Matching gifts program (see page 87). We also adapted our benefits to find more ways based on work priorities and personal Pennsylvania campus. to recognize the added workload of caring for commitments. • Employee Assistance Program through families during working hours. • Family FLEX: Employees can designate Beacon Health: In 2021, the program time in their workdays to care for children, expanded to include up to 10 free virtual visits For example, our Bundle Program is an family members, other loved ones and with a counselor per problem per year (for “Educare” virtual platform designed to give even themselves. This enhances flexibility Hershey employees and each person living employees a break from childcare and elderly in a virtual work setting and better equips in their household). care responsibilities by enabling children ages employees to balance business needs 3–11 and elderly family members to engage with with personal obligations. vetted and trained instructors in one-on-one or small group sessions virtually. Children can take educational adventures in science, engineering, arts and culture, health and wellness or diversity and inclusion, and receive tutoring or collaboratively work on homework. Older family members can connect with others and engage in intellectually stimulating experiences in arts and culture, travel and games. This program was expanded in 2021 to include “Power Up” programs providing coaching and professional development during one-on-one sessions and in small groups.