BEIJING, Oct. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Trip.com Group, a leading global travel service provider, received a Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Award in the Gender-inclusive Workplace category by UN Women China for its outstanding performance in empowering women and promoting gender equality.
The award is organised by the WeEmpowerAsia programme, an initiative of UN Women in partnership with the European Union, and recognises companies who take action for gender equality, and adopt relevant gender-inclusive measures in the private sector to advance inclusive growth.
Accepting the award on behalf of Trip.com Group, Jane Sun, CEO, commented at the ceremony, "We are honoured to be recognised for the work we have done in creating a gender-inclusive workplace at Trip.com Group. As one of a few female-led companies in the technology sector, we take great pride in the gender-inclusive working culture at the Group."
"By making gender equality central to business practices, the private sector can be a driver of progress that benefits all, including their businesses as well," said Smriti Aryal, Head of Office of UN Women in China.
Female Representation Far Exceeds Industry Levels
With an equal opportunity recruitment process, the Group has a strong diversified workforce which drives growth and development. Today, women represent more than 50% of all staff, far exceeding other technology companies. 41% of mid-level staff are female, whilst one third of management at VP-level and above are women.
Women are fundamental contributors to the technological developments and innovation at Trip.com Group, with women making up 30% of the travel Group's product research team, higher than the industry average. Their presence helps drive continuous change and development, while promoting gender equality to ensure women feel the value of their roles in the business.
To ensure an inclusive and friendly workplace, the Group adopts a clear code of conduct to explicitly oppose harassment, with a dedicated internal complaint channel to further promote a healthy work environment for all employees.
Supporting Pregnant Employees and Working Mothers
Trip.com Group supports working mothers and cares for pregnant employees. To demonstrate support to families, and to promote working families, a financial maternity gift and a maternity allowance is given to female employees. During maternity, women can also receive a travel allowance during workdays, in which the Group alone invests more than RMB 1 million every year. Pregnancy recliners are provided in the office, and each floor is equipped with breastfeeding facilities.
Enhancing Employee Happiness and Satisfaction
Research shows that flexible working hours and a hybrid-working model can have a impact on employee happiness, as well as enable employers to be more inclusive of diverse employee needs. In 2019, the Group introduced a flexible working system that allows employees in some departments to be flexible in their working hours, and enable employees, especially working parents, to allocate work time based on their situation.
As an industry pioneer, Trip.com Group is currently exploring implementing a hybrid-working model in an effort to improve both employee efficiency and satisfaction. In 2010, Trip.com Group implemented a "Work from Home Trial" targeting customer service staff, with the trial proving working from home enhanced employees' performance and work satisfaction. This year, the Group launched a new hybrid-working trial with an upgraded research design and has expanded the scope of employees to cover more positions. The results of the research will be closely examined and action taken to provide employees with a future long-term working practice to drive performance and satisfaction.
"The WEPs Award is a testament to our efforts of improving equality and inclusion," said CEO of Trip.com Group, Jane Sun. "We will continue to build a company that values all people equally, champions female success, and empowers women in the workplace."
About Trip.com Group
Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services, and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of comprehensive travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centers. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021, Trip.com Group has become one of the best-known travel groups in the world, with the mission "to pursue the perfect trip for a better world".