Employee Safety and Well-being

The full-scale invasion exposed a vulnerability that could no longer be ignored: EVA employees were coming to work every day under constant emotional strain. Many had family members serving on the front line; others were grieving losses; still others lived in uncertainty, with every air raid alert reminding them how fragile life had become. For a company where the majority of the team are women, this reality was especially painful and complex.

There was another factor: 422 EVA employees, including 25 women, are currently serving in the Defence Forces of Ukraine. The company maintains contact with them, provides gear and equipment, yet the very fact that colleagues risk their lives daily inevitably affects the team’s morale. This could have escalated into exhaustion, lower productivity, interpersonal conflict and health issues.

Within the first weeks of the war it became clear: stress was no longer an individual experience, it had become a collective one. EVA recognized that without a systemic approach to employee wellbeing, the company risked losing its most valuable asset – its people. It was necessary not only to respond to employees’ needs, but to create an environment where they felt supported, had access to professional help and knew they were not left alone with their fears and experiences.

In wartime, safety is no longer only about physical shelter. It is about emotional balance, the ability to cope with stress and finding the strength to work, raise children and support loved ones. Society was changing, and EVA needed to evolve with it to preserve its team, its resilience and its trust.

EVA took its first step at the beginning of the full-scale invasion: the company opened access to webinars, launched a psychological hotline and shared self-help materials. But soon it became clear that isolated actions were not enough. A comprehensive system was needed. This led to the creation of “We Are Together” (My Razom) in 2024 – a holistic employee support program for wartime.

The program has grown into a multi-level model that addresses key aspects of mental wellbeing.

The core elements are psychological services: individual consultations with in-house psychologists, additional sessions with external specialists funded by the company and weekly group meetings “Morning Coffee” (Rankova Kava), where employees openly discuss stress, recovery, emotional resilience and team support.

A second key component is “Women’s Circle” (Zhinoče Kolo). EVA noticed that not all women in difficult life situations were ready to work with a psychologist right away. Yet they needed a space for conversation and shared experience with others going through similar challenges. This was the reason behind launching the Women’s Circle, and it has already proven its effectiveness as a source of support and stability for many participants.

Beyond psychological support, EVA is developing a culture of inclusion and veteran reintegration. Within this area, the company conducts training programs on team management, working with veterans, interacting with people with disabilities and supporting colleagues experiencing loss or difficult personal circumstances. EVA is also developing dedicated guidelines for store managers and staff on how to interact with veterans, people with disabilities and colleagues who are grieving or in crisis.

By the end of 2025, the results became tangible and measurable:

• 18 training programs for 1,126 employees
• 141 consultations with corporate psychologists and 105 consultations with external specialists
• 40 “Morning Coffee” (Rankova Kava) group sessions
• monthly psychological advice published as videos and articles by in-house experts
• two successful iterations of “Women’s Circle” (Zhinoče Kolo) support and recovery groups

“We Are Together” (My Razom) has become more than an internal initiative. It is proof that a company can serve as a pillar of support even in the hardest times. People who feel safe work with greater confidence, make better decisions and know how to support others. This is why EVA chose care, humanity and a systemic approach – a decision that has helped keep the team resilient and united despite external challenges.