As of March 2023, BIM Land employs a total of 148 individuals through its project subsidiary, Thanh Xuan Joint Stock Company who oversees the development of Thanh Xuan Valley Project. Additionally, there are 782 workers employed by construction contractors at the project site.
The Intercontinental Phu Quoc and Regent Phu Quoc hotels are currently operational and have their own HR department. Intercontinental Phu Quoc has 486 employees and Regent Phu Quoc has 506 employees. As the hotels' operator, Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) is responsible for implementing its HR policies and procedures whereas the project subsidiaries have the contractual relationship with the hotel employees.
Human Resources Policies and Procedures: The HR team at the hotels check that IHG’s labor policies and procedures comply with national regulations. The IHG adheres to its Internal Rules and Regulations, which are generally consistent with IFC PS2 requirements and covers working hours, overtime limits and payments, holiday entitlements aligned with national regulations, salary and benefits, insurance, employee grievance process including workplace sexual harassment, disciplinary offences, right to freedom of association, defined policies on child labor and forced labor, and non-discrimination and equal opportunity.
All hotel employees receive a three-day induction training that outlines the benefits, terms, and conditions of their employment, with additional training provided on hygiene and work-related requirements. Future employees of the hotels under construction will receive a similar induction training.
Working Conditions and Terms of Employment: Full-time employees have their terms of employment and rights and responsibilities formalized into employment contracts that are shared with them. Information about their rights is documented in an employee handbook, which is available to all employees. Interns are provided with an internship agreement that outlines the basic terms of engagement. Annual health checks are also provided to all employees.
Workers’ Organization: As per Vietnamese Labor Code, workers have the right for freedom of association and collective bargaining. 100% of the employees are members of the labor union. A collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was developed for Intercontinental Phu Quoc in November 2019 is due for renewal since 2021 and a CBA for Regent is in place since March 2022. Both covers working hour and rest hour, overtime, annual leave, insurance, salary and bonus, and allowances. As set forth in ESAP #3, the Intercontinental Phu Quoc will update its CBA following the current 2019 Labor Code as the current agreement has expired.
Non-discrimination and Equal Opportunity: IHG has a policy on diversity, equity, inclusion, and equal opportunities, which is included in the Our Code of Conduct. The policy is communicated to all staff working within the group and to workers during induction training. It emphasizes a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination, harassment, or bullying in the workplace, regardless of whether the behavior comes from a colleague, guest, or anyone else. The policy also includes a mechanism for reporting and receiving complaints related to such incidents, including an anonymous channel. Going forward, as part of ESAP #4, a training program will be developed to ensure that once a year refresher training will be provided covering gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) policy and procedures, GRM, and Code of Conduct for all existing staff, including security guards and short term contracted personnel. Feedback from workers and service users will be collected and used to increase the effectiveness of such training. In addition, additional specialized training will be provided for those with specific responsibilities related to prevention of and response to GBVH.
As part of ESAP #4, BIM Land will also develop its own policy and procedures on discrimination and GBVH, including disciplinary procedures and a referral path for survivors of sexual harassment managed by qualified personnel. The policy and procedures should meet PS2 requirements.
Worker Grievance Mechanism: IHG has established a grievance process that is outlined in the employment handbook, which is distributed to all workers during induction training. The process is clearly defined and includes steps for escalation, as needed. Workers can bring grievances in a confidential manner, including submitting anonymous grievances, in accordance with the established process. For Thanh Xuan Valley project under construction, worker grievance mechanism will be adopted as part of the project ESMS (ref ESAP #2). In cases the contractors/subcontractors are not able to provide a grievance mechanism, BIM Land will consider extending its grievance mechanism to include contracted workers and disseminate information about its existence.
Occupational Health and Safety: Operational hotels have safety management procedures and incident handling protocols that outline key operating principles and requirements for hotel and recreation operations. These include L&FS, Food Safety, Leisure Safety, Emergency Response, Crisis Management, Legionella Control Procedure, Storm Prevention, Pest Control, and required trainings. New recruits receive orientational training on Fire Safety and General Security, and regular OHS training covers the above-mentioned procedures, with a focus on security, food safety, pool safety, and emergency situations for all staff. Over the past years, there have been no fatalities or major incidents reported during hotel operations.
Workers Engaged by Third Parties: BIM Land’s construction contracts include clauses requiring the contractors to comply with labor and national standards for managing OHS and labor compliance. As part of ESAP #2, BIM Land will retain a qualified consultant to undertake periodic ESMS implementation monitoring (OHS and labor) to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the ESMS for the project under construction. This consultant will submit their report directly to the BIM Land EHS manager and will; be retained until sites are commissioned to the future operators. BIM Land will support contractors to strengthen their labor and OHS systems including a standard for workers’ accommodation in line with IFC’s “Workers’ Accommodation: Processes and Standards” guidance note (ESAP #5).
For construction project in Vinh Phuc, the contractors have appointed an experienced EHS Officer to ensure OHS compliance. The EHS Officer is responsible for providing training to site-based workers, maintaining OHS statistics, investigating accidents, and ensuring corrective actions are implemented. Daily, weekly, and monthly reports are compiled at each project site, and incident investigation and reporting procedures are followed. Based on the site visit findings, OHS programs have been well-implemented, with all workers using appropriate personal protective equipment, adequate housekeeping and signage, and no accidents reported.
