As part of building an increasingly better work environment and in recognition of our professionals’ fundamental role in the firm's success, we have established a Health, Compliance and Work Environment department. Although the areas this department encompasses are already of utmost importance within the firm, placing them under a single management structure means we can generate greater synergy and more impact in our actions.
We have several initiatives within the theme of health and well-being. Mind is the firm’s mental health program; DH Saúde involves an internal team that addresses professionals' physical and mental health-related concerns; DH in Touch provides support through conversations on personal and professional topics; while Mattos Filho Bem-Estar concerns a set of initiatives that aim to promote balanced lifestyles, including allowances for running event registrations and gym memberships.
The new department also addresses the theme of ‘Career and Work Environment’ through efforts focused on guiding labor relations, occupational health and safety, careers and benefits, international programs for professional development, and people management.
Furthermore, the diversity, equity and inclusion component encompasses our affinity groups and initiatives for promoting diversity and a fair and inclusive work environment.
Within this supportive, transparent atmosphere, we prioritize the health and well-being of our professionals by providing and enhancing our listening channels.
Meanwhile, the compliance aspect encompasses the fim’s Integrity Program, a set of internal policies and management processes that are now overseen by the department to prevent any practices that violate laws, ethics and human rights.
"Mattos Filho stands out for its human approach to everything that our professionals require. More than simply creating new channels, strategies, and people management tools, we aim to build a space where professionals feel comfortable expressing themselves and where they know they are heard. They should feel secure that the issues raised will be taken seriously and handled properly, as part of a healthy work environment that welcomes communication and dialogue."
Mind – our mental health program – was created in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic. With our hybrid work model now in place, different opportunities for evolving the program have emerged.
With monthly meetings focusing on habits that prioritize health and a balanced lifestyle, ‘Mind Dialogues’ was introduced in partnership with The School of Life. This global organization specializes in developing emotional intelligence through culture and has helped promote a safe environment for open conversation, learning, and exchanging experiences.
At the same time, we have expanded the team that coordinates activities related to Mind, which now include telepsychology and individual support services, as well as guided meditation sessions, among various others.
2022 also saw the launch of our Mind affinity group. While the program focuses on the individual mental health of each professional, the affinity group focuses on collective mental health.
Its objective, therefore, is to unite and support professionals who have their own mental health challenges (or are in contact with individuals who have them) in order to establish broad, in-depth discussions on the topic and assist in emphasizing care within our organizational culture. Moreover, the group looks to share information about mental health more broadly in order to combat stigma and promote collective responsibility in caring for one another.
In a year that marked our return to the office in a hybrid format, we reinforced our focus on developing our talents and helping them adjust. Meetings between teams were commemorated more frequently as day by day, we better understood the needs of our professionals in this new context.
The integration of in-person and remote work was guided by Conecta, a program created during the pandemic that is based on flexibility, well-being, efficiency, and connection. The program’s initiatives allowed for a smooth, safe transition back to the office for our professionals and for clients – who also now have more options in regard to the services we offer.
In the lead-up to return to in-person work in March 2022, several measures were taken to ensure the best possible experience for our professionals during this important moment. Materials regarding best practices were prepared and our office spaces in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasília were retrofitted with lockers and other amenities for professionals to use. Conecta has also led to a more modern head office, with a refurbished library and one floor completely renovated in line with the open space concept to create a more interactive and collaborative environment. We implemented a system that allows professionals to reserve workstations at all our offices, allowing for more flexibility in choosing places and facilitating daily interactions between teams. The meeting rooms were also equipped with new audio and video conferencing technology.
During the early days of the return to in-person work, remote work kits were distributed, and special welcome activities were carried out to facilitate integration between teams.
Throughout the year, Conecta conducted surveys to understand professionals' perceptions of hybrid work and identify potential improvements in the short, medium, and long term. In December, the program established another initiative: Conecta Em Qualquer Lugar (Connect Anywhere), allowing all eligible professionals to work remotely 100% during the end-of-year holiday period.
"In adopting the hybrid model upon returning to the office, we embraced flexibility while still valuing physical presence, which is crucial as we primarily deal with people. By understanding how our clients want to be served and, at the same time, acknowledging the needs of our teams, we have found an ideal balance between the two worlds: the efficiency of remote work and the importance of in-person interaction."
Mattos Filho’s Integrity Program is divided into three pillars: the code of conduct and ethics, an ombudsman and reporting channels, and information security and data protection.
Ever since the firm was founded, we have been committed to ensuring our internal and external initiatives are based on the principles of integrity, ethics and transparency. In 2022, one action we took in this regard concerned developing a questionnaire for suppliers and service providers to assess the level of transparency in their organizations, ensuring that those we engage with are also aligned with best market practices.
Above all, compliance is a matter of culture, processes, and training. As such, in 2022, we regularly used our communication channels to update our people on the subject. Throughout the year, we provided our professionals with specific information on how to deal with compliance questions in their daily work activities. We published articles on the presidential elections, provided a historical timeline of the fight against corruption in Brazil, and shared fundamental concepts of corporate integrity, among other topics. Moreover, we always allow professionals to ask questions and contact the firm's Ethics & Conduct Committee, facilitating access to our transparency and integrity policies.
"Our professionals are increasingly familiar with compliance-related tools and feel confident in using the available channels at their disposal. At first glance, compliance may seem cold, based on rules, policies, and codes. Yet, looking deeper, we can see it is more than that. It is something quite human. Its greatest virtue is bringing people together through trust, transparency, and ethics – fundamental concepts for both the firm and society to function."
