People
People are at the heart of our business. Through a culture of continuous improvement, we empower employees to grow, build skills and reach their full potential.
Our people pillar is focused on three focus areas
Building a growth mindset
Strengthen our people’s skills and capabilities by empowering teams to think differently, challenge the status quo, and collaborate to solve problems. Everyone, no matter what level, is encouraged to continuously improve themselves and the business.
A safe and positive work environment
We foster a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement by learning through action, where failure fuels growth, authenticity is celebrated and every voice matters.
Support local causes
We support our local communities by engaging with causes near our sites that matter most to our employees.
Building a growth mindset
The STAR Academy
The STAR Academy is our learning and development programme designed to grow continuous improvement and leadership skills through experiential learning and training. To support career progression and future growth, we introduced a four-level CI certification, giving employees the chance to celebrate key milestones along their learning journey.
Strengthen System
Strengthen System is the foundation of STAR Academy, introducing key continuous improvement tools and behaviours that we want every employee to be part of and helping employees see processes differently. All employees completed the training, led by our business leaders, and received an illustrated handbook to the Strengthen System.
Development Programmes
Our development programmes are designed to support employees wherever they are in their career journey. From building essential skills early on to advancing leadership capabilities, we offer a range of opportunities. Each programme is crafted to help our people grow, strengthen their expertise, and unlock their potential, while driving innovation and supporting our business strategy.
Mentoring Programme
Our mentoring programme pairs employees with mentors to support their development and career goals. Open to all, it offers personalised guidance and advice to help individuals grow.
Professional Development Programme
The Professional Development Programme is designed to identify and support emerging internal talent, empowering them to contribute beyond their current roles. Participants set personal development goals and are paired with a leadership mentor for guidance throughout the year.
Mini-MBA Programme
Our mini-MBA programme, which was launched in 2026, is a major investment in developing our future leaders. It provides practical skills in strategy, finance, and economics, blending theory with real-world application to prepare participants to shape the future of our business through an energising and collaborative experience.
Continuous Improvement Learning
We partner with Shingijutsu Global Consulting to deliver events that promote learning and continuous improvement. Employees travel to Japan to experience the Toyota Production System first hand, gaining practical insights into world-class tools and methodologies. These experiences enable our teams to apply this knowledge to drive efficiency, enhance operational excellence, and embed a culture of continuous improvement across our organisation through our own Strengthen System.
A safe and positive work environment
Our success depends on our people. We’re committed to helping everyone reach their full potential by recognising, encouraging and developing talent across the business. Avon values equal opportunity and upholds a zero-tolerance policy for harassment, bullying or discrimination. We strive to foster a respectful workplace and a positive, inclusive culture.
#FIERCE about respecting our people
- Health and safety: Achieving our goal of zero harm requires every individual to take ownership of safety and actively engage in creating a safer workplace. Workplace safety is reinforced through mandatory training and robust policies. Employees receive training via a blend of online and in-person sessions, while production staff complete additional role-specific safety and environmental training. Employees are encouraged to take a proactive approach, logging safety and environmental issues via observation cards, which are resolved through our ‘Find It, Fix It’ process.
| 2024 | 2025 | |
| Observations / near miss | 934 | 1,183 |
| Lost time incidents | 5 | 10 |
| Major injuries / fatalities | 0 | 0 |
- Culture: Through our culture of continuous improvement we empower employees to grow, build new skills and reach their full potential.
- Diversity: We value diversity and are committed to providing equal opportunities for all, free from discrimination. As part of this commitment, we proudly partner with Women In Defence, an organisation dedicated to accelerating gender equity within the defence sector.
Supporting local causes
Our employees continue to show remarkable generosity and commitment to supporting our local communities. We have three focus areas as part of our community programme that ensure it maximises the positive impact we can make together:
- Supporting causes that matter to our employees
- Supporting causes that are local to our sites and employees
- Supporting the community we serve
Positive Social Impact
- We run a charitable giving programme that enables employees to request donations to causes they care about. These requests are managed locally by our FIERCE Committees, which oversee the distribution of charitable contributions. Through these efforts, we proudly support numerous charities each year, whether through small donations or acts of goodwill such as food drives and clothing collections.
- We partner with charitable organisations that closely align with our community focus areas, creating opportunities to collaborate on initiatives that reflect our values and strategic objectives.
- We continue to sponsor Team Forces. Our sponsorship goes towards funds to enhance the lived experience of the armed forces community through the power of sport, challenge, and adventure.
