In 2022, Guayakí Yerba Mate focused to make our integrated company more engaging, diverse, and inclusive for our workers in both North and South America. We focused on employee engagement by rolling out an engagement survey and action planning process and on employee development by implementing performance development through goal setting, feedback, and assessments. We also enhanced manager capabilities through training and implemented better on-boarding practices by developing a new on-boarding program called Guayakí University that immerses new hires in company culture, history, and each business function responsibilities.

Guayakí’s support for the well-being of all employees is also reflected in our various benefit structures. As an example, all employees for U.S. operations are provided 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage, the option to utilize Flexible Spending Accounts or Health Savings Accounts, an Employee Assistance Program, and a 401(k) plan with a company matching program. We added two additional paid holidays (Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Indigenous People’s Day) and increased the PTO accrual amount.

We continue to conduct annual compensation reviews and reassess our pay structures to additionally consider fair living wages, bonuses, cost of living adjustments, and employee benefit programs for our employees in both North and South America.

Guayakí has also continued to hire and retain formerly incarcerated individuals and system-affected individuals through our partnership with the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, which empowers formerly and currently incarcerated people to thrive by providing a support network, comprehensive reentry services, and opportunities to advocate for policy change. We are building a talent pipeline of individuals who are system-affected and share our company mission and values – we currently maintain a workforce of 5% formerly incarcerated workers within The Yerba Mate Co., LLC distribution entity. We believe in providing system-affected individuals opportunities to advance and build careers for themselves; almost 53% of employees through this program are now in management roles through internal promotion. We are continuing to review and improve ways to find, train and promote these individuals throughout our business.