Castrosua is a family business that, since its inception, has strived to make its employees feel like part of that family. This does not mean that the work environment has always been perfect: as an entity created over 70 years ago, we have resisted, with some sacrifices, the less fortunate moments in our country and have had our own learning experiences. We are convinced that Castrosua’s working conditions deserve permanent review, aspiring to continuous improvement. Only thanks to a team with renewed enthusiasm and motivation will we continue to lead innovation in the design of coach and bus bodies.
The protection of Castrosua workers
Grupo Castrosua has approximately 90,000 square meters of facilities spread across several plants or work centers located in Santiago de Compostela, Vilagarcía de Arousa, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and Madrid. The management team monitors and cares for the work climate at each of these locations, where the physical protection of workers is very important due to the nature of our activity.
Castrosua personnel involved in the manufacturing of bodies must always use PPE or Personal Protective Equipment. PPE is essential for protecting workers from occupational hazards that could endanger their safety and health. These are special equipment for daily use and handling of various machinery.
Castrosua provides its employees with safety glasses, hearing protection, safety footwear, work clothes, high-visibility vests, and any other material necessary to minimize risks in the performance of their tasks.
Based on the analysis and evaluation of the risks of each job, priority is given to the elimination of avoidable risks by using chemical products and processes that are less hazardous to people’s health, providing training and information to workers, and selecting personal protective equipment that offers a higher degree of comfort and protection.
The resources that the company must provide to the employee for their protection are detailed in the Welcome Manual given to each worker starting their activity at Castrosua and in the Group’s Working Conditions Document. In this latter agreement, as it could not be otherwise, other rights such as holidays, paid leave, and business travel allowances, etc., are also included.
However, beyond internal definitions and what is stated in the Working Conditions, Grupo Castrosua has proven over the years that, as important as this agreement regulating Castrosua’s working conditions is, a polished internal communication that helps strengthen ties between workers and makes them feel comfortable in a company that is also their home.
Internal communication strategies to achieve a good work climate
As we explained in a previous post about Castrosua’s internal communication, in our company we use all the tools at our disposal to improve communication with staff and thus achieve a climate of trust that positively impacts the motivation and productivity of everyone.
Semi-annually, Castrosua shares a digital newsletter with its workers, which includes the most important company news, as well as other interesting content for the staff and employee interviews.
With the advice and support of the Internal Communication Team (ECI), made up of volunteers from all levels of the organization, Castrosua has launched several initiatives and activities to boost its communication with employees and foster camaraderie, although this year its plans were disrupted by the pandemic, these are the star activities:
Christmas Hot Chocolate
It is one of the company’s most popular social events, open to the families of our staff.
Christmas Lunch and Grupo Castrosua Awards Ceremony
Castrosua’s Christmas lunch is one of the most special events for the company. During this event, the group’s president, Juan Luis Castro, and the CEO, Beatriz Castro, have the opportunity to thank the Castrosua team for their work throughout the year. Additionally, the Grupo Castrosua Awards, which include a monetary prize, are presented at this lunch. On one hand, the D. José Castro Award is presented to the Grupo Castrosua employee who represents the company’s values, including respect for people, integrity, and a positive attitude. On the other hand, the D. Jose Manuel Castro Award is given to the employee who has distinguished themselves by their contribution to innovating and optimizing any production procedure and/or process within their department, in such a way that their contribution has resulted in the optimization of collective work.
Breakfasts with the President
From time to time, the president of Castrosua holds working breakfasts with employees. This way, Juan Luis Castro can listen to their concerns and get to know them in a more personal setting.
Sports Days
Sports activities are often organized to strengthen relationships between colleagues. Our padel, football, cycling, skiing, or fishing leagues and sessions are very well received. Sometimes, the families of our workers can also participate.
Collaborations with NGOs
At Grupo Castrosua, we are proud of the great involvement of our employees in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) actions. Our company regularly collaborates with NGOs in collecting food and toys or in organizing charity runs.
Agreements with Other Companies
While not the most important aspect, and knowing that there are other priorities in caring for Castrosua’s working conditions, in recent years we have developed an exclusive benefits program through an agreement with over 30 brands that offer attractive discounts to group employees.
Since we have mentioned that there are priorities when defining our workers’ working conditions, we will highlight that one of them is investment in their training. Below, we explain why.
Castrosua’s Commitment to Employee Training
At Castrosua, we consider it essential for our human capital to have access to continuous and quality training. This enables their professional development and, as a team, allows us to take on great challenges such as Castrosua’s international expansion, which is currently going through a truly exciting moment.
To ensure that our professionals grow and, consequently, our company grows with them, we dedicate a valuable part of our budget each year to developing an annual training plan. Castrosua’s Training Plan includes various training activities, many of which are requested by the workers themselves, who express their needs and reach prior agreements with the directors of each area. At Castrosua, we always place people at the center of our actions; in this regard, we highlight a training on psychosocial well-being in the current year, an initiative to which more than 300 people subscribed.
Furthermore, to meet departmental needs, our group facilitates learning a foreign language: English. Castrosua covers the costs of official exams in addition to subsidizing enrollment fees or materials. The crucial aspect for the company is that staff take advantage of the classes, which we believe they can benefit from both professionally and in their personal lives.
Grupo Castrosua maintains a firm commitment to employee training, hoping that they will expand their professional skills within the company and with the desire that they will also continuously renew their motivation.
