In 2025, Royal Ahrend continued to strengthen its social performance, focusing on integration, employee experience, health and safety and diversity. 

Employee experience

Our Employee Experience Index (EXI) reached 73,2 in 2025 (2024: 72,6), further improving the 2024 index. Results highlighted the importance of leadership, communication and working conditions, which are all priorities that will be addressed in our 2026 follow-up plan.

In 2026, we will focus on strengthening integration and collaboration across our international teams, while enhancing employee engagement programs. We will also continue to invest in employee development by expanding our learning offering with a broader range of in-company training opportunities. As our organization becomes increasingly internationally oriented, we aim to establish more consistent standards for recruitment, collaboration, and performance management across our CEE region.

Health and safety

Our commitment to health and safety remained strong in 2025. All operations are covered by a certified occupational health and safety management system (ISO 45001) or relevant legal frameworks, ensuring 99% coverage of employees and non-employees.

We recorded three work-related incidents in 2025, five fewer than in 2024. Of these, one was classified as a Medical Treatment Case (MTC). We continue to target zero severe workplace accidents by 2030. Additionally, we offered voluntary health checks at various locations, focusing on vitality, work-life balance and lifestyle. These checks, carried out by independent providers, support long-term employability and are part of our strategy to reduce absenteeism to below 4,5%. 

Diversity and Inclusion

Gender diversity remains a key focus area. In 2025, we uphold equal gender representation on the Board of Directors. Company-wide, the workforce remains stable with at least 33% male and female representation. Female representation in sub-top management is currently 8%, a decline compared to previous years and below our trajectory toward achieving the 2027 target of 28%.

Our diversity efforts also extend to social inclusion. By the end of 2025, 11% of our workforce consisted of differently-abled individuals, consistent with prior years. We will continue to encourage inclusive hiring practices and evaluate opportunities to increase diversity, especially in leadership roles, in the years to come.

Customer health and wellbeing

At Royal Ahrend, we design furniture that supports the health and well-being of users through ergonomic, adaptable and environmentally-responsible solutions. All new products follow a standardised development process, with a strong focus on indoor air quality and safe materials. By the end of 2025, 61% of our own product sales complied with the ANSI/BIFMA e3 M7.1 furniture sustainability standard, and we are on track to reach 95% by 2027.

Innovation plays a key role in enhancing user well-being. In 2025, we introduced a new backrest for our trusted A2020 desk chair, enabling customers to upgrade their existing chair by replacing just one or two components, while meeting the latest ergonomic standards. In addition, we launched a skylight ceiling for our Qabin office pods, bringing natural daylight into the space and helping employees feel more energized when working inside. These product enhancements reflect our commitment to creating healthy, comfortable, and future-proof work environments.

Outlook 2026 and beyond

In 2026, we will build on our progress by further strengthening international collaboration and continuing to align our HR processes across all locations. A central focus will be on employee engagement, with tailored actions based on the results of our Employee Engagement Survey.

We will expand our learning and development initiatives, management development and integrating it into the Ahrend learning platform. Health and safety efforts will also be reinforced, particularly in reducing absenteeism and maintaining our goal of zero severe workplace accidents. We will continue working toward our diversity targets, especially by improving the representation of women in leadership positions and supporting inclusive practices across all levels of the organisation.

For consumers and end users, we will continue to prioritise health and well-being in our product design by expanding the use of safe, certified materials and enhancing ergonomic features across our portfolio. We aim to reach 95% compliance with the ANSI/BIFMA e3 M7.1 standard and increase supplier compliancy to Cradle to Cradle Certified® basic level requirements to 60% by 2027. Additionally, we will invest in research and innovation that supports both physical comfort and mental well-being in the workplace, ensuring our solutions remain aligned with evolving customer needs and sustainability standards.