Performance
Workforce Composition
At the end of 2009, PotashCorp employed 5,136 people, 35 percent of whom were salaried. The remainder are paid hourly. In addition, 587 contract workers were engaged in specific projects at the company’s sites.
Almost 60 percent of employees were skilled or semi-skilled craft workers or tradespeople working at our mines and manufacturing facilities.
We added a net 56 new positions in our potash operations, mostly at Cory where our expansion continued.
The decrease in US staffing was primarily due to a 168-person layoff at our White Springs FL phosphate facility. White Springs employees were offered severance packages that exceeded legal requirements and union contracts. Further details are available in our 2009 Summary Accountability Report (PDF 2.1 MB).
PotashCorp’s Workforce by Country
PotashCorp’s Workforce by Employment Category
Demographics and Diversity
Gender Composition — Women accounted for almost 9 percent of PotashCorp’s workforce in 2009. The top three employment categories were administrative support (42 percent), professional jobs (27 percent) and managerial positions (16 percent).
There were three female board members.
PotashCorp Gender Diversity by Country: Female Employees as % of Total Employees
Gender Diversity in PotashCorp’s Management
Ethnic Composition — The ethnic diversity of our workforce has been relatively stable over the years for which data are available.
We had two minority board members in 2009.
Ethnic Diversity by Employment Category for 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009
Workforce Activity
Employee Turnover
Company turnover numbers were up, primarily due to layoffs at White Springs FL.
Our Trinidad plant significantly reduced its turnover rate, rebounding from last year’s loss of some employees to competing operations. We continued to maintain a competitive compensation package in Trinidad, providing professional training, advancement opportunities and support along with competitive salary, bonus and benefits.
Our Canadian turnover rate was down from previous levels despite temporary inventory adjustment layoffs at all potash sites during 2009.
Divestitures and Layoffs
We experienced temporary layoffs in our potash division due to record-low global demand for product, but each plant found ways to keep many of those employees working (see Site Performance section). Unfortunately, we had to permanently lay off 168 employees at our White Springs facility due to lack of product demand.
Absenteeism
Absenteeism is tracked at each site, and most supervisors are required to meet with employees who have above-average absentee rates.
Employee Wages
To attract and retain employees, PotashCorp offers fair and competitive wages. Value Distributed and Direct Economic Impacts detail policy and performance changes in 2009.
Employee Benefits
The employee benefits that did not change in 2009 are outlined in the Labor Policy tab.
All employees participate in an annual performance-based bonus program. In 2009, although the company failed to meet the corporate financial criteria normally required to trigger short-term incentives, the board approved bonuses for employees at the plant sites based on their achievement of site-specific safety and environmental targets. We also raised the individual employee performance variable for salaried employee bonuses from 20 percent to 30 percent.
We introduced “Best Doctors,” a service for Canadian employees which connects seriously ill plan members with world-renowned specialists. The service is designed for employees with a serious medical condition or a diagnosis from their primary doctor, and allows them to receive an expert second opinion to confirm the correct diagnosis and treatment plans. The program was introduced for salaried employees in 2009 and hourly employees in 2010.
Unionization
In 2009, union members comprised 36 percent of our employees. The number of union jobs was reduced due to the permanent layoffs at White Springs FL. Sixty-six percent of union members work in Canada (potash) and 34 percent in the US (30 percent in phosphate, 4 percent in nitrogen). There are no unionized employees at our Trinidad operations.
Contract negotiations were successfully concluded in 2009 with the International Chemical Workers Union at White Springs, the Communications, Energy & Paperworkers Union of Canada (local 922) at Lanigan SK and the Rocanville Potash Employees Association at Rocanville SK. All three were completed without disruption of operations.
Training and Lifelong Learning
We provide employee training and education assistance as part of our goal to attract and retain quality employees. Opportunities to upgrade skills include internal and external training and tuition assistance for college-level or higher degrees.
In 2009, PotashCorp employees received an average of 99 hours of training — the most training per employee recorded in five years. Much of this training occurred primarily at the plant sites, with focus on required job skills, safety and emergency response.
The top five training categories were:
- Training to improve job skills (43 percent of training hours provided)
- Safety training (17 percent)
- Crisis and emergency response training (10 percent)
- Apprenticeship training (9 percent)
- Employee development (4 percent)
Workplace Health and Safety
Safety Milestones and Awards
Nothing is more important than the safety of everyone at our sites. We passed several safety milestones and received many awards in 2009.
Safety Awards and Milestones for 2009
Injury Rates
In 2009, we established record lows for the company in recordable and lost-time injury (LTI) rates. We reduced our overall LTI rate by 41 percent and our Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recordable rate by 27 percent.
We also set records in LTI and OSHA recordable rates in our phosphate division, where our increased emphasis on contractor safety performance yielded success. Total site recordable and LTI injury rates were down 20 percent and 37 percent, respectively, from 2008. These records were the result of our employees’ dedication to safety.
In 2009, we enacted a “no cell phone while driving” policy. We had a representative from the National Safety Council speak at the feed plants and at our Best Practices Conference in June 2009 on the hazards of distracted driving.
We are continually seeking ways to improve performance in safety to align tactics with corporate goals and incentives and to share best practices within the company under the guidance of the Senior Safety Leadership Team. We strive to create a safety culture that personalizes safety and to develop leaders within the company who exhibit a strong personal safety ethic motivated by concern for human life.
Fatalities
Unfortunately, we had a fatality at our New Brunswick potash facility in November when an underground construction worker was struck by a pipe during installation. We responded by rigorously re-evaluating the safety engagement and commitment of all managers, supervisors, employees and contractors. We also continue to focus on recognizing hazards and conditions while performing work.
Emergency Response Competitions
Every year we participate in the Saskatchewan Emergency Response Competition.
