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Supporting people and communities

WestRock people and communities WestRock people and communities

We foster a diverse, inclusive and engaged workplace focused on people and safety.

Committed to our team members and communities

WestRock is investing in education, safety and the communities where we live by:

  • Empowering our team members to build meaningful careers
  • Advancing diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging at WestRock
  • Giving back to the places where we operate
  • Aiming to foster a culture of learning while reducing barriers to technical education and skills development
 
Download the 2023 Report
Employee Benefits
In 2023, we introduced the Cancer Navigator program to our employee benefits portfolio, connecting patients to cancer experts and facilities in their area that are equipped for treatment of their diagnosis. The program:
  • Provides guidance tailored to each patient’s cancer type, location and situation
  • Identifies and proactively conducts outreach calls to patients to offer services
  • Helps coordinate patient’s access to experts and appointment set-up for testing and treatments
  • Connects patients with additional resources, including coordination of homecare needs, transportation, nutritional support, community resources and caregiver support
Employee Health and Manufacturing Safety

Employing a strong occupational health and safety strategy and strong related performance are fundamental to our Values. Protecting the health, safety and overall well-being of our team is central to delivering on WestRock’s business and sustainability goals and essential for attracting, retaining and motivating top talent in our industry.


WestRock safety strategy

Eliminate life-changing events and reduce risk through engagement, execution of targeted, results-driven activities and focusing on systems designed for continuous improvement.

WestRock safety strategy
How We Make Safety Happen

We are aiming to improve on safety by: 

  • Continuing our enterprise-wide safety efforts around the human and organizational performance (HOP) philosophy
  • Employing the WestRock Safety Excellence System (SES), an automated, cloud-based safety data and tracking system
  • Providing occupational health and safety training to team members based on their exposure to potential hazards and risks in the workplace
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WestRock Employee Support

The WestRock community includes more than 50,000 team members. Their success is a key driver in our ability to build a strong and sustainable future at WestRock. We strive every day to provide a safe, diverse and inclusive workplace through programs and policies that allow team members to thrive in their work and in their communities.

50,000+

Team members

557,244

Total training hours

Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging

We believe that diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging (DIEB) are competitive advantages. We are dedicated to creating a work environment where all team members feel they belong, are respected and valued and can do their best work.

WestRock is working to advance DIEB, and we strive to accomplish these aims through a focus on:

  • Education: Our managers and team members — both salaried and hourly — have access to training to identify and address unconscious bias.
  • Engagement: Our WestRock Resource Groups continue to grow and drive positive change within our company.
  • Recruitment: Our talent acquisition team and programs continue to focus on increasing our diverse hiring through partnerships on college campuses, in our rotational programs and through veteran and military programs. 
 
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Looking forward

We are continuing to invest in building an exceptional talent pool and a culture where all team members can be their authentic selves. We are excited to advance on several initiatives this year, including:

  • A Technical Training Essentials program for our technical trainers to engage in on-the-job training and certification of front-line team members
  • The Leading Inclusivity program, an interactive experience designed to introduce and reinforce the characteristics of what it means to be an inclusive leader at WestRock
WestRock Community Partnerships

Investing where we work

Our communities make us strong, and we aim to help strengthen them in turn. We leverage our skills and resources to drive real, lasting improvements, with a focus on workforce development for manufacturing, environmental sustainability and team member community engagement. WestRock engages in strategic philanthropic partnerships at the enterprise level, and we encourage each of our facilities to identify and participate in activities that will benefit its communities. Our locations connect to their communities through sponsorship and team member volunteerism.

669,018

Trees planted through our community partners

Community Engagement at WestRock

We invest in our communities through three strategic areas of focus:

  • Environmental sustainability: Keeping forests as forests through conservation projects and family landowner programs, and the development and preservation of urban tree canopies and public green spaces
  • Manufacturing workforce development: Helping people build rewarding careers while cultivating the manufacturing workforce of tomorrow
  • Team member community engagement: Supporting financial and volunteer commitments to causes about which our team members are passionate
 
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Ongoing Community Engagement Highlights

In fiscal year 2023 WestRock continued Unboxing Good in communities across our global footprint, investing in the economic and environmental sustainability of the communities where our employees live, work and play and we do business.

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"We stayed true to our giving strategy in 2023 resulting in greater outcomes for landowners, urban and forest tree canopies, the manufacturing workforce pipeline and nonprofits that benefited from our team members' community engagement.”

- Mandy Burnette, Director, Corporate Giving 

745

nonprofits supported by WestRock team members through our Grants for Volunteers and Matching Gifts programs

1,276

grants totaling over $2.9 million has been granted to WestRock team members provided by the WestRock Employee Relief Fund since its inception