Social

Our employees go to work every day to make a difference - a difference for our guests and for each other. That's why every employee plays an important role in achieving our ambitious goal of being the best version of ourselves. As a company, we also have an obligation to create the very best environment for each and every one of our dedicated employees.

Our employees are the core of Comwell Hotels

At Comwell, we give our employees the opportunity to train and develop, for instance through Comwell Student Academy and Comwell College. We set the framework for a stimulating environment, and here we experience that our young, talented students dare to take responsibility, and not least there is room for employees who need a more considerate framework in their working life, for example through the Sunflower program.

At Comwell Hotels, we strive to create the best environment for our employees every single day. And one of our key focus points is to take social responsibility by creating a working environment with room for everyone, where no one is discriminated against. This includes meeting every person with inclusiveness, which is why diversity at Comwell is crucial to the opportunities and well-being of our employees.

Our efforts to create an inclusive work environment span across age, gender, ethnicity and skills. Diversity allows for different prerequisites and approaches to come into play in everyday life - a life that for some may require special needs for a period of time or perhaps permanently.

In 2023, Comwell became the first hotel chain in Denmark to become part of the Sunflower programme, which aims to raise awareness of invisible disabilities. Having an invisible disability doesn't have to affect your work, but it can mean that in certain situations you need a little extra time, for example to complete a task.

This creates comfort for our employees, but also for our guests, who can all go to our reception desks around the hotels and get a Sunflower lanyard if they need it.

Attracting and training students is one of the areas we are particularly focused on at Comwell. And to strengthen our training programme, we have - with input from both students and department managers - developed our own Student Academy, which was rolled out completely in 2023.

The Student Academy is a supplement to Comwell's students' ordinary training programme and helps to ensure that students get the most optimal development and learning, both professionally and personally, during their time with the company. Along the way, the students try their skills in so-called 'cross training', where they perform tasks that normally belong to another profession - for example, kitchen students are learning how to work in the reception and MeetingDesigners are taught how waiters work.

The aim is to create a greater understanding between specialisations and tasks of different employees.

Hear what the students have to say here:

We have also joined the ‘JA TAK til elever’ initiative, which is a certification scheme developed by Dansk Erhverv (The biggest employers' association of Denmark), the Education Secretariat and selected vocational schools.

We are also involved in the work with Role Models, developed by the Student Schools' Student Organisation (EEO), where several of our students visit primary schools and talk about their everyday life in school and internships - all with the aim of inspiring more young people to take a vocational education.

Meet Anna Kehlskov. For the final part of her traineeship, she has been part of Comwell's Student Academy.

For Anna, it has been a particularly valuable experience to be able to meet with other students who have the same education as her, to spar and share challenges and successful stories. One of the most meaningful things is the personal development she has undergone, which has also been shaped by the comfort, trust and responsiveness that the Student Academy has shown her.

At Comwell, it is important for us to create a strong bond with our employees. Young and old both. And we know that for older generations in particular, the ability to organise their working hours is important in order to continue in the labour market.

And we want them to do so. To continue. For us, each employee's knowledge and skills are important in our daily work, which is why we do everything we can to customise a career plan that perfectly matches each individual's career hopes and dreams.

Late Career Policy

In our experience, a 65-year-old colleague can be just as energetic and willing to work as a 30-year-old. So it's not age that determines a strong and important workforce. That's why in 2023 we chose to end the term 'senior' and instead introduced a Late Career Policy that allows for dialogue, openness and flexibility regarding the wishes and needs that may arise during this phase of working life.

Our Late Career policy is based on the employee's life phase, potential challenges and wishes - always in relation to the opportunities Comwell can offer.

At Comwell Hotels, we want to help inspire our employees to develop and learn no matter where they might be in life. That's why our Late Career Policy helps set the framework for people to recognise career opportunities or want a change of scene, even if they're over 60.

A framework that may involve considerations such as:

• A balanced retirement from the labour market?

• More freedom to do what you love?

• Staying connected with just a few hours a week?

Through dialogue and openness, we find the right solutions for each individual employee, which also plays a part in our continued focus on ensuring a good and safe working environment with a high degree of well-being and focus on a proper framework.

60-year-old trainee waiter Ole Roloff, 65-year-old a la carte waiter Jørgen Berg Nissen and 58-year-old waiter Helge Lorenzen all still have impressive careers at Comwell Kolding, where they benefit daily from their many years of professional experience.