The Jerónimo Martins Group's inclusion policies have been again recognised by the Portuguese Institute of Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP), awarding Pingo Doce, Recheio Cash & Carry and the Group's holding company the distinction of 2025 Inclusive Employer Brand.
This initiative recognised companies, public and social sector entities for their open and inclusive management practices towards people with disabilities and impairments. To this end, the jury evaluated the applications based on criteria such as the existence of labour market inclusion programmes, the adequacy of infrastructure and the adaptation of internal communication tools to make them accessible to all.
According to Susana Correia de Campos, Employee Relations & Internal Social Responsibility Global Director at the Jerónimo Martins Group, “as an international group, with operations in six different countries and a multitude of businesses and functions, diversity and inclusion are an essential part of who we are. Promoting opportunities for men and women based on merit, developing opportunities for people of all age groups and encouraging cooperation between different generations, and including people who are disadvantaged in accessing the labour market in our teams are fundamental principles for the Jerónimo Martins Group's actions in the area of diversity and inclusion”.
The Jerónimo Martins Group and its companies adopt an inclusive approach towards the surrounding communities, creating employment, training and development opportunities also for those who face disadvantages in accessing the labour market. The most paradigmatic example of this approach is the Incluir Programme, launched in 2015 in Portugal, with the aim of creating training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities and/or impairments, migrants, refugees and people in socially vulnerable situations.
The programme follows a methodology tailored to each case, beginning with recruitment and selection conducted by a technical team specialising in rehabilitation and social reintegration, and encompassing training in psychosocial skills and practical training in a work context (first in a simulated context and then in a real context), as well as adaptation of the workplace (physical or functional).
Between 2015, the year of its launch, and 2024, the Incluir Programme has reached 2,059 people. In addition to training and integrating these individuals, it is worth highlighting the training given to Group employees who take on the role of mentors in this programme, preparing them to welcome, integrate, support and maximise the potential of the colleagues they will receive. The mentors also receive training in ‘Leadership for Difference’, which was created specifically to raise awareness among leaders and give them tools to manage difference, welcoming, supporting and developing each person without unconscious bias. By 2024, this training had reached 4,546 leaders.
The path taken by the Jerónimo Martins Group over the last decade in implementing inclusion policies and developing best practices for responsible corporate citizenship has earned it national and international recognition.
The Incluir Programme was awarded in the first edition of the European Commerce Awards, organised by EuroCommerce, as best practice in the Qualification and Inclusion category. This year, the World Economic Forum distinguished the Incluir Programme as one of eight case studies featured in the “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2025 Insight Report”, which reveals business initiatives with a major social impact developed around the world.
As a result of the work carried out in this area, Financial Times and the online platform Statista recognised the Jerónimo Martins Group in 2024, for the second consecutive year, as a Leader in Diversity. In addition, the Jerónimo Martins Group was included in the FTSE Diversity & Inclusion Index – Top 100, ranking 46th worldwide, and was the only Portuguese company and the only company in the supermarket and convenience store industry to feature in this index, which analyses more than 15,500 listed companies worldwide.