SEEKING to promote best corporate practices in creating inclusive work environment for individuals with disabilities, Qaderoon Business Disability Network invited its members as well as partners in the Ministry of Labor and the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) to visit Panda Retail Company, a Savola Group subsidiary. The visit included a tour of Panda's Hypermarket in Roshan Mall, where visitors saw company employees with disabilities performing their duties. The employees talked to visitors, explaining how they complete their daily tasks and communicate with their colleagues. Concluding their tour, the guests visited Panda headquarters, where they attended and took part in a series of presentations at a meeting. Panda CEO Muwaffaq Jamal started the meeting by speaking about the retail company's "belief in the social inclusion of people with disabilities," before overviewing the firm's work environment and highlighting efforts to hire persons with disabilities. Jamal told the attendees Panda now employs 278 workers with disabilities and plans to recruit 10 challenged persons every month this year. He said individuals with disabilities are efficient, reliable and committed to tasks they are entrusted with accomplishing. Following the presentation, two Panda employees with disabilities, shared with the audience their challenging work experience, emphasising the company's support to ensure their success. Dr. Mervat Tashkandi, advisor to the minister of labor who also oversees HRDF's Persons with Disabilities Employment Program (Tawafuq), discussed polices on protecting the rights of employees with disabilities, explaining the framework and requirements of inclusive work environment. For his part, Hasan Hamed, Takamol Holding, business development manager, briefed participants on the company's recently launched remote work programme and the opportunities it provides for persons with disabilities. The meeting concluded with an open discussion on how to enhance work environments and ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities. Commenting on the tour, Khalid Sindi, Qaderoon executive manager, said: "We are delighted to see the efforts of Panda and the Savola Group, a member of our network, in creating inclusive work environment for individuals with disabilities. Realizing the importance of persons with disabilities as effective members of the workforce, Savola Group is committed to providing job opportunities for them." "I would like take this opportunity to commend the efforts of the Ministry of Labor and HRDF, in guiding and supporting the private sector to encourage the employment of persons with disabilities," Sindi added. Qaderoon Business Disability Network is a nonprofit organization providing guidance, advice, training and best practice for private sector employers to facilitate the recruitment, retention and inclusion of employees with disabilities, through favorable policy and disability confident work environment. Together we are able.
