Kai Pataky, BILLA Executive Board Member: "By fulfilling the statutory employment obligation for 2024, we as the BILLA family have reached an important milestone, and we can be very proud of that. But for us, true inclusion means more than just complying with regulations. What really counts is our attitude in everyday life. Our corporate culture, our cooperation and our commitment make the difference and contribute to a more inclusive working environment. This commitment has already been recognised on several occasions. Most recently, the BILLA Inclusion Weeks received the Silver Award in the Diversity and Sustainability category at this year's HR Awards. I would like to thank everyone involved who is committed to inclusion in our company and who encourages us in our pioneering role."
BILLA: Living diversity as an employer
The food retailer is strongly committed to offering people with disabilities the best development opportunities within the company. To this end, it cooperates closely with regional institutions, organisations and associations throughout Austria. Training courses and workshops are held regularly, including regional cafés for employees in management positions. The events serve to connect organisations and managers by raising awareness of the inclusion of people with disabilities in the labour market and providing practical insights into successful integration measures.
In order to give young people with disabilities low-threshold access to work, the food retailer has launched the BILLA Inclusion Weeks and Days in cooperation with NEBA, Lebenshilfe and Jugend am Werk. These events give young people valuable insights into the world of food retail, introduce them to various activities and help them overcome their fears – with the aim of inspiring them to apply for an apprenticeship or job at BILLA.
"Since 2023, we have held eight inclusion weeks in more than 20 markets with around 450 participants. Inclusion projects like these show that the professional integration of people with disabilities is not only feasible, but also enriching for our BILLA family. Teams with employees with disabilities report a more positive team structure, an increase in helpfulness and an appreciative work culture," says Lisa Köb, BILLA Head of People & Culture.
Practical and, above all, calm practice of food retail activities is possible thanks to BILLA's collaboration with ‘Haus Aktiv’. Since 2020, several rooms – from a fully functional checkout to shelves stocked with practice products – have been set up for training purposes at the location in the 23rd district. The aim is to inspire people with disabilities to take on further internships at a BILLA or BILLA PLUS, which will subsequently lead to permanent employment. Particular mention should be made of the efforts of BILLA market managers Ekhard Oberleitner and Sabine Weigert, who were awarded the Louis Braille Medal in Gold by the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland for their services to the inclusion of people with disabilities.
Inclusive shopping experience at BILLA and BILLA PLUS
But BILLA makes inclusion a reality not only as an employer, but also in its daily contact with its customers. In stores with employees who have visual or hearing impairments, the grocery retailer provides information via posters and voluntary wearable buttons. These promote understanding on the part of customers and facilitate interaction in everyday life. To make shopping more accessible, the food retailer introduced the ‘quiet hour’ in 2021. During this time, acoustic and visual stimuli are deliberately reduced in selected stores for people who are sensitive to stimuli and those on the autism spectrum in order to create a more relaxed shopping atmosphere. To reduce personal contact, delicatessen orders are placed on the counter instead of being handed over directly. In addition, the pace at the checkout is adjusted so that customers have enough time to put away their purchases. The ‘quiet hour’ currently takes place in 44 BILLA and five BILLA PLUS stores from Monday to Saturday outside peak hours during a fixed period. The offer is being continuously expanded to other locations.
* See Statistics Austria microcensus supplementary survey on Austrian disability policy commissioned by the Ministry of Social Affairs, 2015
** Employment obligation: Companies with at least 25 employees must hire one beneficiary with a disability per 25 employees.
