SOCIAL
SUSTAINABILITY
We prioritize social sustainability by fostering inclusive practices, supporting communities, and ensuring the well-being of our employees and stakeholders.
SOCIAL
As Malaysia’s construction industry continues to be a primary driver in boosting the country’s economic and social development agenda, we will continue to leverage on this as one of Malaysia’s leading infrastructure developers in playing a leading role in nation building.
EMPLOYMENT DIVERSITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
We acknowledge our employees, referred to as our People, as the most valuable asset to drive our company’s success. The management of our People has been guided internally by the WCE Employee Handbook, Terms and Conditions of Service as well as WCE’s Code of Ethics & Conduct.
DIVERSITY
Diversified, developed and highly engaged employees are the pillars of the Group’s human resource and talent practices. We do not discriminate against any race, gender or minority during our hiring practices. Our employees’ racial composition includes 91% Malay, 4% Chinese and 5% Indian. In terms of gender profile, we have 128 male employees and 90 female employees comprising 6 males and 3 females at Senior Management and Management level, 3 males and 3 females at Junior Management, 22 males and 13 females at Executive level and 97 males and 71 females at non-executive level.
As part of the Group’s commitment to foster equal opportunities, inclusion efforts are widely practised to provide employees with equal access to opportunities and resources.
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
We offer competitive compensation packages with significant benefits, as our employees receive Annual Physical Examination, Hospitalisation & Surgical Insurance as well as life insurance and disability coverage through our Group Personal Accident Benefits and Group Term Assurance with Critical Illness Benefits. Our employees also receive medical benefits, maternity and paternity leaves. Our compensation and benefits packages are regularly reviewed and updated in line with market practices and offerings.
HUMAN RIGHTS
WCE supports the rights of employees as provided by the law. This includes the right to mandatory benefits and welfare, humane working conditions and the right to freedom of association, to bargain collectively and to express grievances.
Employees are free to join, support or participate in any legal association, cultural society, professional body or political entity so long as such associations are not illegal, i.e. involvement in outlawed groups.
As much as possible, WCE provides sufficient notice periods for both major and minor operational changes that could affect employees. Such changes include changes to employment conditions, location of work, nature of work and any changes to remunerations or benefits as well as contract status such as promotions, probationary periods and dismissals.
Employees are entitled to and are encouraged to seek further clarification or information regarding any operational change. Employees also have the right to voice any grievance or dissatisfaction arising from the change with their immediate superior or the Human Resource Department.
In FY2023, there were no complaints in relation to the operational changes which resulted in constructive dismissals.
CREATING A POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT
We believe that striking a good balance between work and active social programmes is important in fostering teamwork and boosting morale. During the year, the Group organised its inaugural WCE Sports Day as well as staff celebrations in conjunction with Hari Raya and Chinese New Year.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
Instilling a culture of safety in our workplace is of the highest priority for WCE. We take pride in our achievement towards maintaining high standards on occupational health and safety measures to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. We believe that a safe and conducive workplace for our employees is the foundation for a motivated and productive workforce.
HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT POLICY
The WCE Project is governed by the highest standards for health, safety and environment (“HSE”). This is done by ensuring our activities are not detrimental to the environmental, safety and health of our employees, sub contractors, customers or any member of the community. The following principles are adhered to:
The project management team, contractors and all those involved in the project will be guided by the motto, “Health, Safety and Environment is Everyone’s responsibility through ensuring the following:
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE
We have established the Occupational Health and Safety (“OHS”) Committee to oversee the health and safety matters, review adequacy of Health and Safety policy and practices, and address regulatory compliance issues through meetings on a quarterly basis.
The OHS Committee is headed by a Chairman and its member comprising employees and employer representatives.
HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAININGS
Beyond having in place standards and systems, it is crucial for us to raise health and safety awareness among our employees to prevent workplace accidents. Series of on-job training and daily safety briefings were conducted at project sites on emergency response, HSE management, toolbox briefings, handling of plant and machineries and environmental management system.
As WCE continuously ensures a high level of health and safety compliance, HSE policies, principles and laws, we are pleased to report that we achieved zero accidents and no lost time injury during the financial year (FY2022: Nil).
TRAINING AND EDUCATION
The Group emphasises nurturing our employees through its learning and development platforms to build and enhance their competencies and skills. The Group believes that learning and development are fundamental to continuous improvement of operational performance.
In WCE, development needs are identified through frequent interaction between superiors and employees as well as the Annual Performance Appraisal. We adopt a Balanced Scorecard performance management tool covering four elements which are Financial, Customer, Internal and Learning & Growth. The Learning & Growth perspective is under the Leadership Competencies whereby the assessment pertaining to self-growth and strategic thinking. WCE practices a transparent approach with the appraisal being conducted between the employee and his or her superior. Areas for improvement are identified and plans formulated to close the performance gaps. To further improve the Human Capital Management functions, the Group had in FY2023 organised a Key Performance Indicator (“KPI”) workshop and team building event with the aim to achieve the following key objectives:
WCE offers subsidies for approved self-development courses as well as study and examination leave to encourage employees to upskill their knowledge and capability. In FY2023, a total of 19 training programmes were attended by our employees with an average of 19 training hours per employee.
SOCIOECONOMIC COMPLIANCE
It is in our interest to comply with national laws and regulations in the countries where we operate. We ensure that our employees are aware and fully comprehend of our standards in all sustainability aspects. Measures and controls such as standard operating procedures, audits and inspections by local authorities are in place, among others, to strengthen compliance with regulations, there by reducing financial risk and impact.
The following is a list of key laws and regulations that are related to our business activities:
LOCAL COMMUNITIES
We are conscious of the interconnection between our business and the communities in which we operate. While contributing to the growth of the economy, we are also committed to giving back to society through various initiatives.
During FY2023, several social and environmental activities were initiated as part of the WCE Corporate Social Responsibility (“CSR”) programme to engage the communities and areas along our alignment. The activities are listed as follows:
