Human Rights and Workforce

Our 7,000 employees are the driving force behind our mission to Connect What Matters to solve the world’s greatest challenges. We are committed to providing an environment that supports employees and helps each member of the team be at their best. This starts with our mantra of “Winning the Right Way.” We conduct our business following the highest of ethical standards. We also commit to win together, as a team, and to not place the gains of any individual above those of the team. This creates an environment where employees are not placed in situations that compromise their values and where they support one another as we strive for the greater good.

We believe in the power of collaboration. We are stronger when we work together and leverage the abilities of all team members. Our employees are in over 50 countries and come from many different backgrounds. This diversity nurtures our winning spirit and entrepreneurial culture. Our global business structure facilitates connections around the world to drive innovation, solve problems for our customers, and strengthen the skills of our employees.

Employees can count on competitive pay and benefits, but it takes much more than this to create engagement. We promote powerful internal communities through our Employee Networking Groups (ENGs). Job and career growth are important pillars in our organization, and are supported through a variety of programs, such as our recently launched global mentoring program and our global scholarship program for children of H.B. Fuller employees. We also help our surrounding communities through volunteerism and our company foundation. In this section, you’ll learn more about what we are doing to support our valued employees.

Nathan Weaver
Senior Vice President, Human Resources & Communications, ESG

Caring for our people

Employees are the glue that holds H.B. Fuller together. While our benefits vary by market, they are designed to attract top talent and build long-term relationships with our people. In 2022, we launched several market-competitive programs and extended benefits to ensure our employees feel supported and recognized.

Examples of extended benefits:

• Paid Parental Leave - U.S. program that began in 2022 and provides 100% paid time off for up to six weeks for employees (birthing and non-birthing parents), in addition to other benefits.
• Global Employee Assistance Program - a program that provides employees and their families with confidential support, resources, and information for personal work-life issues.
• HBF Recognize - a service anniversary which celebrates and rewards employees for their years of service to the company.

“Talent Up”: Building manufacturing bench strength

In 2022, we launched a new “Talent Up Program” in the U.S. to grow and develop our operations team and build manufacturing bench strength. The four-month development experience includes classroom training, hands-on practice, job shadowing and stretch project work. To date, 60% of program participants have been promoted, 20% of whom are women and 10% of whom include underrepresented minorities (URMs). The second annual edition of the program will take place in 2023; it is open to all operations employees with aspirations to become people managers, take on new challenges, and have a more significant impact on H.B. Fuller’s business.

"Thank you so much for putting this program together. I have already benefited so much in terms of increasing my leadership skills and effectiveness as a communicator, and helping to make my site a better and more enjoyable place to work. Being given the opportunity to see other plants across the country has been memorable and something I am very grateful to have experienced. This makes me excited to continue to grow with H.B. Fuller."
– Joseph Hart, process engineer, South Bend plant, Ind., U.S.

H.B. Fuller Recognition Program

H.B. Fuller’s employee recognition program is designed to reward teams and individuals who go above and beyond their day-to-day responsibilities and demonstrate our core values: the Spirit of Winning, the Power of Collaboration, and the Essence of Courage.

With our Spirit and Power Awards, all employees can nominate individuals or teams who go above and beyond their day-to-day responsibilities to make a difference and drive growth. Members of our leadership team are also eligible to receive H.B. Fuller’s annual “Best of” Awards, which are given to our leaders who have make significant, meaningful contributions to the company several categories. 

The Essence Award is H.B. Fuller’s highest level of employee recognition, and rewards leaders who achieve exceptional leadership and game-changing results. In 2022, we honored Scott Walker (left), senior principal engineer in Engineering Adhesives, and Ron Vollmer (right), vice president, commercial roofing, in Construction Adhesives for their achievements. Scott was recognized for his work as the integration manager of an important acquisition, and Ron was honored for his contributions to growing H.B. Fuller’s roofing business.

Our commitment to our people and to accelerating equality for all has never been more relevant than it is today. Diversity and Inclusion is explicitly one of our priority Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) material issues and an intentional part of who we are, our culture, our code of conduct and how we do business.

At H.B. Fuller, we have built our reputation on a foundation of dependability and trust. We earn that trust by ensuring our actions and behaviors are always in line with our company’s values: The Essence of Courage, the Power of Collaboration, and the Spirit of Winning. We also incorporate the principles of empowerment and leadership into our culture while fostering innovation and the development of outstanding global talent.

Women in Leadership

H.B. Fuller has a long history of developing women leaders across our organization and in our senior ranks. Currently, more than 40 percent of our board of directors comprises women leaders, and in 2022, we appointed our first female CEO in the company’s more than 135-year history.

Inclusive and diverse culture

H.B. Fuller’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is essential to accessing talent and unleashing game-changing innovation. With this in mind, H.B. Fuller Employee Network Groups (ENGs) were formally launched in 2021.

There are currently three ENGs active in the U.S.:

• Black Employee Network (BEN) - A network of Black employees in the U.S. and Canada.
• Next Generation Professionals (NextGen Pros) - A network of employees early in their career in the U.S. and Canada with gradual expansion globally.
• Women at Fuller(W@F) - A network of employees who identify as women in the U.S. and Canada with gradual expansion globally.

In 2022, we expanded our W@F and NextGen Pros program in Latin America, and we continue to explore further expansion. Together, these groups have grown to involve nearly 1,000 employees across North America and Latin America as of 2022.

Some of these groups include professional and personal development workshops, live and virtual networking activities, discussions with company leaders, participation in university recruiting and new hire onboarding, and engagement in community service projects. To date, more than 500 employees have joined one or more of the ENGs. Each group has plans to grow its membership and expand geographically.

Community Affairs Councils

H.B. Fuller empowers its people to invest in their local communities through our network of 38 Community Affairs Councils (CACs), composed of dedicated groups of employees who respond to local needs through volunteerism and financial donations. Based on employee feedback, CACs guide their work to local nonprofit organizations and are empowered to respond quickly and at the request of their colleagues. In 2022, CACs held supply drives for school supplies, shoes, holiday gifts, blankets, hygiene items, and much more, along with more than $75,000 donated to organizations in their local communities.

Making a Difference in the World

H.B. Fuller continues to invest in strengthening communities, supporting employee volunteerism, and connecting employees with causes they value. For the 14th consecutive year, groups from more than 20 countries volunteered their time to make a difference in their communities through service as a part of our Make a Difference initiative.

Examples of the meaningful volunteerism recently made:

• Building compost systems with school groups
• Cleaning garbage from parks and waterways
• Donating food, hygiene products, weather-appropriate clothing, and other essential goods to people in need
• Updating a water system to benefit a school

International Response

H.B. Fuller is very much a global company with a stake in building healthy, safe communities for all. In 2022, several events created a humanitarian crisis for the people of Afghanistan and Ukraine. When a war broke out in Ukraine, our employees responded in many ways:

• A matching fund was set up by the H.B. Fuller Company Foundation.
• Employees around the world connected with Ukrainian friends and family to provide housing and employment.
• Make a Difference projects were organized in support of children impacted by the war.

In 2022, refugees from Afghanistan also relocated to many of the regions and cities where H.B. Fuller does business, and local employees addressed their needs by donating household items and volunteering to set up house for displaced individuals and families.

Learn more about how we support our community by following #HBFullerCares on social media and by reading our Sustainability Report.

H.B. Fuller Company does not knowingly purchase goods or services produced using forced labor, child labor or in violation of any applicable local labor laws. Our standard purchase order requires that our suppliers comply with all applicable Federal, State or Local Laws, Rules, Regulations, Ordinances and Executive Orders. Employees are required to abide by H.B. Fuller’s Code of Business Conduct.

Supplier Expectations Letter