Empowering
People
Our People & Communities
Management Approach
At Kraton, our mission is centered on creating a better future for our people and the communities we serve. We cultivate a culture that embraces diversity and inclusion, recognizing and valuing the unique backgrounds, perspectives, and talents of every individual. This commitment extends beyond culture to include the protection of human rights, the prioritization of employee safety and well-being, and a steadfast dedication to corporate social responsibility. Empowering People stands as a foundational pillar of our sustainability strategy, integral to our values, embedded in our policies, and reflected in our long-term objectives.
Our focus extends across three key areas:
Well-Being
Our Culture
Community Engagement
Our Policies Include:
Our Policies Include:
Inside Empowering People
Kraton is deeply committed to providing fair and equitable compensation to all employees.
Our minimum pay consistently exceeds global living wage standards, reflecting our dedication to valuing the contributions of every team member. We prioritize work-life balance by offering generous leave benefits that go beyond standard vacation time, including parental, bereavement, and military leave.
Flexible work arrangements are a key part of our approach, with options such as remote work and flextime available when suitable for the role and business needs. Comprehensive healthcare coverage is provided to all eligible employees worldwide, ensuring their well-being is fully supported.
Read more about Working Conditions on page 45 of the 2024 Sustainability Report.
Kraton acknowledges and upholds the fundamental rights of all employees to form, join, or support associations to represent their interests and negotiate collectively or individually. We are committed to maintaining an open two-way communication system that enables employees to express their concerns comfortably. We have implemented collective agreements in various Kraton locations across the U.S. and Europe and established employee representative bodies, such as works councils, at our facilities worldwide. However, we believe that collaborating directly with our employees is the most effective way to explore possibilities and drive change together, rather than relying solely on third-party representatives.
Read more about Social Dialogue on page 45 of the 2024 Sustainability Report.
At Kraton, we believe leadership development is essential to building a strong, sustainable organization. In 2024, we expanded our Management Fundamentals program, a development initiative designed for both new and experienced people leaders. Built in response to employee feedback, the program is tailored to meet the growing demand for stronger leadership capabilities and greater managerial effectiveness. It equips leaders with the tools, confidence, and mindset to lead with purpose, build trust, and inspire high-performing teams.
Read more about Career Management & Training on page 46 of the 2024 Sustainability Report.
At Kraton, we are committed to fostering a workplace where diversity is embraced, equity is upheld, and inclusion is practiced, ensuring all employees have the opportunity to succeed and feel valued.
Our policies aim to create an equitable environment by eliminating obstacles and fostering a culture of collaboration and mutual respect.
Read more about Diversity, Equality & Inclusion on page 46 of the 2024 Sustainability Report.
People are at the core of our sustainability efforts, as we recognize that a thriving community is not just where we operate but a vital part of our journey of growth and innovation. That’s why community engagement is essential to building trust and lasting relationships. By actively listening and responding to local needs, we align our business objectives with the interests of the communities we serve, fostering meaningful impact and shared success.
At Kraton, our approach to community engagement is rooted in both global alignment and local impact. We strive to consistently uphold our core values worldwide, tailoring our efforts to reflect the unique needs, cultures, and expectations of each community we serve. This balance enables us to deliver meaningful and locally relevant support, while maintaining a global standard of excellence in how we show up and contribute.
Our community engagement initiatives focus on three key themes:
Partnering in Education
Supporting education to build skills and enable a successful future
Supporting Sustainable Communities
Helping communities thrive through volunteering, supporting those in need, and promoting environmental sustainability
Leading in our Communities
Performing vital action within our communities where we can come together to make a positive difference
Read more about Community Impact & Giving on page 48 of the 2024 Sustainability Report.
At Kraton, Safety & Integrity is a foundational core value that guides everything we do. We are committed to fostering a Zero Harm culture across all our operations. A key part of this commitment is the systematic reporting and tracking of all incidents, including near misses, to help us identify risks and implement preventive measures. This proactive approach is central to our health and safety program.
We apply the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) cycle within our Safety Management System (SMS) to continuously improve performance in Health, Safety, Environment, and Security (HSES). This framework, supported by strong safety culture, operational discipline, structured management systems, the right tools, active worker engagement, and regular risk assessments, drives ongoing progress toward HSES Excellence.
To reinforce our safety culture, we begin meetings with dedicated safety moments, encouraging shared responsibility and awareness at every level of the organization.
Read more about Employee Health & Safety on page 50 of the 2024 Sustainability Report.
Our stance on corruption and bribery is clear: We do not tolerate it in any form, whether by our employees or anyone acting on our behalf. We understand that corruption violates the law, undermines trust, and harms the communities it touches. Upholding our values means actively preventing bribery and corruption, even if it means forgoing a business opportunity. No profit is worth compromising our integrity and values.
We require all administrative office employees (approximately 1,200 employees) to complete online compliance training modules on a quarterly basis. Employees who are susceptible to additional compliance risks due to interactions with certain businesses and individuals outside of Kraton also receive additional and tailored training.
Read more about Anti-Corruption on page 52 of the 2024 Sustainability Report.
Kraton’s Information Security team is fully committed to protecting the confidentiality and integrity of proprietary data belonging to both Kraton and our third-party trading partners. Our robust Information Security Program combines administrative, technical, and physical safeguards, all of which are regularly reviewed by trusted external security experts. We align our efforts with the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework to evaluate and continuously improve our cybersecurity capabilities and maturity. Since 2019, our Security Information and Event Monitoring (SIEM) system has been actively monitored by a third-party provider to detect and respond to potential threats.