By JULIETTE BOURNE

HR Director Edward Snell & Co.

Human Rights Day holds deep meaning for many South Africans, myself included. It’s a reminder of our country’s journey toward justice and a call to honour that legacy through the way we lead, work and live.  As HR Director at Edward Snell & Co., I see this day as both a reflection point and a recommitment—to build a workplace where dignity, equality, and empowerment are not just values, but lived experiences. It’s not about having all the answers or getting everything right all the time, but about showing up every day with the intent to do better.

Respect and representation in action

At Edward Snell, respect, inclusivity, and non-discrimination are at the heart of every people-related decision we make. We’re proud that more than 85% of our employees are people of colour, broadly aligned to the country’s economically active population. Representation matters, and so does meaningful growth—and over the past three years, we’ve invested more than R4 million in employee upskilling as part of our ongoing development and succession planning.

We also believe that true inclusion goes beyond demographics—it’s about creating a culture of diverse thinking and lived experiences. One of the things I’m most proud of is how we’ve built spaces where employees feel they can speak up and be heard.  Our annual engagement survey is just one tool we use—but it’s the in-person conversations and post-survey debriefs that truly bring it to life. These moments help us better understand the unique realities and aspirations of our people. It’s this feedback that shapes our actions, and I believe that’s part of why we’ve seen such strong engagement scores, reflected in our healthy employee net promoter score of 32.

Honouring our history through strong partnerships

Unionized environments have played a critical role in shaping the rights of workers in South Africa, and we recognise and respect that legacy. While we maintain a healthy and traditional union relationship, we’ve also worked hard at building open, direct dialogue with all employees—creating space for them to serve as thought partners and to be heard in real time.  Our culture is grounded in our corporate values: respect for the individual, and leading with confidence and humility; values that guide how we show up for each other, every day.

Human Rights Day reminds us that equality, respect, and empowerment aren’t once-off campaigns or annual check-ins—they must be woven into the fabric of our organisation. And while we’re not perfect, we are committed. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made and even more determined to keep doing the work.