Employee Safety and Well-being

Full-scale war brought to Ukraine not only destruction but also a deep mental health crisis, which affected everyone. The war radically changed the lives of our employees, leaving deep, often invisible, scars on their psyche and emotions. In this new reality, mental health and well-being have become critically necessary for the personal resilience of every member of our team and, ultimately, for maintaining the company’s functionality and effectiveness.

Ignoring this painful reality and the enormous psychological burden on people would have been unacceptable. That is why a decision was made that went far beyond ordinary corporate policy: to invest resources in comprehensive care for the mental health of our employees. We understood that this was not just an investment in productivity, but a deep understanding of our responsibility to people who face the challenges of war every day. It was a decision of the heart, not just the mind.

As Marta Trush, CEO of Auchan Ukraine, aptly notes: “Caring for employees, especially during a full-scale war, has become the foundation for building working relationships. We did not forcibly dismiss employees, did not reduce staff, did not cut payments. That is, when there was a shortened day due to a difficult situation or frequent air raid alarms, when the store closed earlier than scheduled, employees were still paid for full working hours.” These are not just words; it is a principle that permeated all our actions.

At the company level, a Crisis Committee operates, which pre-developed a detailed personal safety and business continuity plan (BCP), including:

• crisis scenario outlines
• description of department specifics when different scenarios occur
• step-by-step actions for each unit of the enterprise
• evacuation plans

However, the most important and unwavering decision has been: from the first day of the full-scale invasion, company facilities close during air raid alarms. This decision is our inviolable safety rule for employees and customers, despite the considerable financial losses it entails. This is the price we consciously pay for the peace of mind of our people.

From February 24, 2022, flexibility became not just an option, but a necessity that remains relevant today.

We expanded options for work schedules, as we understood that some had to go abroad, some relocated within Ukraine. Every manager is in constant contact with their team, schedules were maximally adapted, implementing hybrid work formats to provide employees with a sense of stability and control amidst complete chaos.

We provided financial support to those who needed it: assistance to those who lost their jobs due to store closures in combat zones, and allocated resources for those who continued to work in the most difficult conditions, on the front lines or in the rear, making extraordinary contributions.

We understood that it was critically important for the entire country that those on the front line of contact – be it the state, private, or non-governmental sector – possess skills for maintaining and restoring mental health. Therefore, already in 2022, five of our colleagues underwent “Self-Help Plus” training from WHO Ukraine, part of the initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska. This scaled program, being a continuation of the “Business without Barriers” initiative, which we are signatories to, aims to:

1) overcome mental barriers caused by the war

2) allow thousands of employees of companies across Ukraine to master vital stress management skills.

Care knew no bounds. For employees forced to leave Ukraine, we organized assistance and support centers with the help of colleagues from other countries where our network is present, particularly from Poland.

Over 100 employees found shelter there and received support in resolving logistical, administrative, and household issues. More than 70 employees, for example, found employment in our network’s stores in other countries, continuing their professional activities in safe conditions. Although this meant losing valuable personnel for the business in Ukraine, the desire to preserve mental well-being and help colleagues was paramount. We

believed and continue to believe that humanity and support are the most valuable investment, which always pays off manifold.

Results from 2022 to today:

• Training programs:

1) “Self-Help+” training from WHO is not a mandatory training program; it is open to everyone who wishes to support their mental well-being. We do not collect exact attendance lists.

In 2023, 40 trainers were trained, almost 500 employees trained, totaling 1,986 hours of training.

In 2023, up to 90% of the company’s staff attended materials from external animators on the topic of mental health care:

– “Stresses of War” training

– “How to stay resourceful” training

– session for TOP 100 managers “Manager’s Resources: live, work, motivate”

– session for HR team “Body practices for resource acquisition”

– session for HR team “Veteran Reintegration”

2) In 2025, 4 training sessions on “Fears of War” and “How to stay resourceful” were conducted for employees with hearing impairments by Serhiy Kucherenko (certified doctor, business trainer, founder of HealthPromo).

3) A new training “Emotional burnout and mental health” was launched in 2025.

4) On a monthly basis from the second semester of 2025, thematic mental health trainings are conducted by external trainer Serhiy Kucherenko, certified doctor, business trainer, founder of HealthPromo.

5) First aid training: first aid sessions are implemented at all facilities.

• Additional days off: a decision was made to provide additional days off so that teams could spend time with their families and take care of their mental state: 2023 +1, 2024 +2, 2025 +5, and we

plan for 2026 +6.

• A separate working group has been created to monitor the “mental state temperature” and develop activities as needed.
• Health events: 269 events organized in 2024 (creative workshops on coffee/wine painting/aromatherapy, social events, trainings, informal meetings with management, etc.).
• For the first time in 2024, the “Mental Health Week” initiative was introduced, which includes an additional day off on October 10 or the day before.

The initiative will be held in November 2025.

• Online community: a mental health community was launched on the company’s internal platform – Birdy. There are dedicated community animators who constantly fill it with thematic content (exercises, videos, tips, etc.).
• Safety and evacuation: evacuation continues from the first day of the war, despite financial losses, with safety as a priority, directly affecting the mental peace of the teams. Separate new-model shelters have been built for logistics teams (almost 5,000,000 UAH total cost).
• Morning support: after difficult nights, coffee and treats are organized, as well as emotional support in the form of hugs or warm conversations.
• Mental state diagnostics: tests/diagnostics have been implemented at auxiliary service meetings to assess the general mental state (we use open-access tests).
• Psychological consultations: psychologist consultations are covered by the insurance program.
• Information: constant informing of employees about sources of psychological assistance, particularly through internal communications (InkA training platform, internal corporate newspaper AuchangeNews).
• Meeting optimization: the number of meetings and committees has been reduced for a positive impact not only on productivity but also on mental state. For example, every last Monday of the week, the HR directorate does not have a weekly meeting.
• Flexible schedule: continued provision of flexible schedules and remote work for auxiliary service employees.
• Financial partner`s support: guided by a deep understanding of authors’ needs and the importance of mental resilience during the war, and striving to scale these efforts to provide vital assistance and community development, we provide financial support to the “Yak ty, brate?” charitable foundation, almost 100,000 UAH has been provided.
• Financial support for employees: іn March 2022, the internal charitable fund “Auchan with You” was established with the aim of helping employees affected by the war. To this day, it assists employees in categories such as housing restoration and healthcare (including providing aid in cases of an employee’s death or the death of first- and second-degree relatives). As of today, 86 employees and their families have received assistance totaling over UAH 14,000,000. The fund

is financed by the international corporate fund FSIA.

We see our mission for the coming years not just as providing support, but as compassionately responding to the needs of our people, continually seeking the most effective paths to their mental well-being. Because it is through their inner strength and a sense of being supported that each individual can endure and thrive, forming the bedrock of our collective movement forward towards victory.