The GRI Standards offer additional information about our sustainability strategy and progress. This report has been prepared according to GRI Standards: Core Option.
GRI General Standard Disclosures
Note: this report is optimized for viewing on a desktop/laptop monitor.
Organizational Profile
| 102-1 | Name of the organization | Steelcase Inc. |
| 102-2 | Activities, brands, products, and services | 2022 Annual Report pp. 1-4 |
| 102-3 | Location of headquarters | Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States of America |
| 102-4 | Location of operations | 2022 Annual Report, Manufacturing and Logistics p.4 |
| 102-5 | Ownership and legal form | Steelcase Inc. (SCS) is a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange |
| 102-6 | Markets served | 2022 Annual Report pp. 1-4 |
| 102-7 | Scale of the organization | 2022 Annual Report, Item 1 pp.1-8 |
| 102-8 | Information on employees and other workers | 2022 Annual Report, Employees p. 7 |
| 102-9 | Supply chain | 2022 Annual Report, Item 1 pp.1-8 |
| 102-10 | Values, principles, standards, and norms of behavior | 2022 Annual Report, “To our shareholders” letter |
| 102-11 | Precautionary Principle or approach | Steelcase takes a precautionary approach towards environmental management. We follow insights gained from decades of research, leveraging partnerships with leading companies and organizations and our experiences and feedback from customers, giving us valuable guidance and perspective. It is for these and many other reasons we have taken a leading role in finding creative and responsible ways to operate and design products and applications. |
| 102-12 | External initiatives (endorsements or participation) | AFNOR NF Environment certification program Beyond Benign BIFMA LEVEL® certification program Blue Angel certification program Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Civic 50 CR Evenson – Environmental Foundation Board FEMB level certification program Fitwell certification Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody certification Furntech – AFRDI Green Tick Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Grand Rapids Energy Advisory Council Healthier Hospitals Initiative ISO 14001 LEED® certification program Living Products 50 OEKO-TEX® certification program Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) RE100 (Renewable Energy 100) SCS Indoor Advantage™ certification program State of Michigan Environmental Rules Review Committee Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) United Nations Global Compact University of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems External Advisory Board U.S. EPA Green Power Partnership U.S. DOE – Better Plants Challenge, Better Practice Awardee, Better Climate Challenge, Better Buildings Low Carbon Pilot, Better Buildings Waste Reduction Network Wege Prize Competition Preliminary Judge WELL Building Standard® certification program |
| 102-13 | Membership of associations | Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturing Association (BIFMA) Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) The Business Roundtable Ellen MacArthur Foundation Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce Green Chemistry & Commerce Council Inforum West Michigan Michigan Chamber of Commerce United Way We Are Still In West Michigan Air & Waste Management Association West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC) West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum (WMSBF) World Affairs Council |
Strategy
| 102-14 | Statement from senior decision-maker | Impact Report 2022, A Note From Sara Armbruster p. 2 |
| 102-15 | Key impacts, risks, and opportunities | 2022 Annual Report, pp.8-13 |
Ethics and Integrity
| 102-16 | Values, principles, standards, and norms of behavior | 2022 Annual Report p. 4 |
| 102-17 | Mechanisms for advice and concerns about ethics | Steelcase prides itself on maintaining an open, empathetic leadership organization. The Open Door policy has allowed for any employee to seek redress with more senior management. We have also adopted this in our corporate code of conduct, the Global Business Standards (GBS) and mechanisms for reporting on issues of concern. The GBS encourages employees to take their concerns to their manager or team leader. If that person is unable to help, or if this is inappropriate based on the concern, employees can use the Open Door policy to go to a more senior person. If they are concerned about going to management, the employee can use the Integrity Helpline. The Helpline is managed by an external vendor so employees can confidentially, and anonymously if they choose, speak out on situations raising legal, safety, environmental or other concerns at work. Every effort is made to keep this service confidential. The consultant employees speak with is not a Steelcase employee, no recording devices are used and, except where local law precludes anonymous reporting, employees are not required to give their name. If an employee chooses to file a report, they will be given a tracking number to check on the status of the report. Legal and Internal Audit follow up on every report. |
Governance
| 102-18 | Governance structure | Corporate Governance Overview |
Stakeholder Engagement
| 102-40 | List of stakeholder groups | Impact Report 2022, ESG Materiality Overview pp. 74-76 |
| 102-41 | Collective bargaining agreements | 2022 Annual Report, Employee p. 7 |
| 102-42 | Identifying and selecting stakeholders | Impact Report 2022, ESG Materiality Overview pp. 74-76 |
| 102-43 | Approach to stakeholder engagement | Impact Report 2022, ESG Materiality Overview pp. 74-76 |
| 102-44 | Key topics and concerns raised | Impact Report 2022, ESG Materiality Overview pp. 74-76 |
Reporting Practice
| 102-45 | Entities included in the consolidated financial statements | 2022 Annual Report |
| 102-46 | Defining report content and topic boundaries | Impact Report 2022, ESG Disclosure Practices pp. 71-73 |
| 102-47 | List of material topics | Impact Report 2022, ESG Materiality Overview pp. 74-76 |
| 102-48 | Restatements of information | There are no restatements of information provided in previous reports. |
| 102-49 | Changes in reporting | No significant changes. |
| 102-50 | Reporting period | Impact Report 2022, ESG Disclosure Practices pp. 71-73 |
| 102-51 | Date of most recent report | Impact Report 2022, ESG Disclosure Practices pp. 71-73 |
| 102-52 | Reporting cycle | Impact Report 2022, ESG Disclosure Practices pp. 71-73 |
| 102-53 | Contact point for questions regarding the report |
esg@steelcase.com |
| 102-54 | Claims of reporting in accordance to the GRI Standards | Impact Report 2022, ESG Disclosure Practices pp. 71-73 |
| 102-55 | GRI content index | Impact Report 2022, Global Reporting Initiative Index pp. 77-109 |
| 102-56 | External assurance | Impact Report 2022, ESG Disclosure Practices pp. 71-73 |
Business Ethics
| 103-1 | Explanation of the material topic and its boundary | 2022 Annual Report |
| 103-2 | The management approach and its components |
2022 Annual Report |
| 103-3 | Evaluation of the management approach | 2022 Annual Report |
| 205-2 | Communication and training about anti-corruption policies and procedures | Globally, all salaried and hourly employees are required to complete policy and compliance training regarding our Global Business Standards (GBS). We have updated our GBS course materials and provide online training for GBS, Conflict of Interest and the Integrity Helpline. In addition, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act training is provided annually for sales and other employees where applicable. We have adopted a new Anti-Bribery, Anti-Corruption policy and will be conducting training with relevant employees. |
| 205-3 | Confirmed incidents of corruption and actions taken | We have not had any confirmed acts of corruption that were material or raised issues that required contacting government officials. |
GRI Topic-Specific Standards
Sustainable Product Design
| 103-1 | Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary | Impact Report 2022, Our Planet |
| 103-2 | The management approach and its components | Impact Report 2022, Our Planet |
| 103-3 | Evaluation of the management approach | Impact Report 2022, Our Planet |
| 301-1 | Materials used by weight or volume | Some of the key materials Steelcase uses in products include steel, petroleum-based products, aluminum, other metals, wood, particleboard and other materials and components. Due to the complexity of manufacturing Steelcase products, material weight and volume vary significantly by product type and options selected. Steelcase calculates materials used by products on an individual basis. |
| 301-2 | Recycled input materials used | Steelcase actively looks at the commodity markets and recycling streams to accurately assess our products from a recyclability and recycled content perspective. To date, globally, we have assessed over 650 builds of products, with around 30 different material commodities, in each of our major markets. |
Circular Economy + Product End of Use
| 103-1 | Explanation of the material topic and its boundary | Circular Economy and Product End of Use is a material topic for Steelcase as it relates to climate change impacts through resource extraction and carbon impacts from waste produced from our products at end of use. Steelcase is working to develop a network of partners to support end-of-use solutions to help divert not only our products from landfill, but also competitor products. |
| 103-2 | The management approach and its components |
Steelcase is managing end-of-use solutions for our customers through a network of partners, including internal support, dealer support and third-party support. |
| 103-3 | Evaluation of the management approach | Steelcase has set a strategic corporate target to establish a network of global partners to support sustainable end of use solutions by the end of 2023. |
| 301-3 | Reclaimed products and their packaging materials | Steelcase engages with extended producer responsibility laws globally. In regions where obligated, we offer product and packaging recycling support for our customers. |
Climate Change
| 103-1 | Explanation of the material topic and its boundary | Impact Report 2022, Our Planet |
| 103-2 | The management approach and its components | Steelcase shares in-depth information related to our energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions in our annual CDP submission. Please see our 2022 CDP response – 2022 CDP Section C1. |
| 103-3 | Evaluation of the management approach | Steelcase shares in-depth information related to our energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions in our annual CDP submission. Please see our 2022 CDP response – 2022 CDP Section C1. |
| 302-1 | Energy consumption within the organization | Steelcase shares in-depth information related to our energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions in our annual CDP submission. Please see our 2022 CDP response – 2022 CDP Section C8.2c. |
| 302-2 | Energy consumption outside the organization |
Steelcase shares in-depth information related to our energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions in our annual CDP submission. Please see our 2022 CDP response – 2022 CDP Section C6.5. |
| 305-1 | Direct (Scope 1) GHG emissions | Steelcase shares in-depth information related to our energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions in our annual CDP submission. Please see our 2022 CDP response – 2022 CDP Section C6.1. |
| 305-2 | Energy indirect (Scope 2) GHG emissions | Steelcase shares in-depth information related to our energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions in our annual CDP submission. Please see our 2022 CDP response – 2022 CDP Section C6.2, C6.3. |
| 305-3 | Other indirect (Scope 3) GHG emissions | Steelcase shares in-depth information related to our energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions in our annual CDP submission. Please see our 2022 CDP response – 2022 CDP Section C6.5. |
Waste Management
| 103-1 | Explanation of the material topic and its boundary | Waste is a material topic for Steelcase because it impacts our local communities and our carbon footprint. All waste disposal methods have emissions associated with them, with landfill being the largest contributor. Waste is typically measured internally based on the total waste produced from our manufacturing processes. Steelcase waste is predominately made up of raw materials for manufacturing such as metals and wood. Steelcase has conducted several waste audits to determine the source of our waste and we routinely review waste data to enable corrective actions and project development to reduce our significant sources of waste. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 103-2 | The management approach and its components | Steelcase manages waste through waste invoices and data tracking to help understand the sources of waste and act to reduce total waste to improve our environmental impact. Steelcase has a core value to protect the environment and being a proper steward of our raw materials is part of this core value. Steelcase has set ambitious carbon reduction targets, which includes reducing total waste emissions by 14% by FY31 from a FY20 baseline. This goal equates to a 20% total tonnage reduction in waste globally. Each manufacturing plant has been asked to reduce waste according to their contribution to total waste and projects and programs have been established to help meet these goals. Scrap minimization will be our focus for manufacturing to achieve this target. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 103-3 | Evaluation of the management approach | Steelcase conducts routine waste audits and monitors and measures scrap daily. All Steelcase manufacturing is ISO 14001 certified and are subjected to regular third-party audits. All manufacturing waste is tracked utilizing Resource Advisor as a data collection tool. The data is then displayed through a Tableau dashboard program, allowing more visibility to all. Steelcase has historically set waste to landfill diversion goals, and in 2020 we exceeded our target of a 20% reduction in waste to landfill from a 2010 baseline. In setting new targets, Steelcase is refocusing efforts on waste minimization and waste reduction through responsible materials management. Steelcase calculated GHG emissions from disposal methods and has set fiscal year 2031 targets to reduce emissions from waste by 14% using fiscal year 2020 as a baseline year. This target allows a more systemic focus on responsible materials management and waste minimization and also aligns with our broader carbon strategy. In fiscal year 2020, more than 79% of our waste was in the form of wood and metals, which renewed our focus on scrap reduction efforts to prevent the waste from occurring in the first place. Scrap champions and teams have been established in the plants and new scrap tracking tools are being evaluated to help us better monitor and measure scrap. Through benchmarking with other local manufacturers, we have piloted new scrap tools that will help Steelcase not only track and report scrap in a more effective manner, but also allow for more meaningful corrective and preventative actions to reduce scrap. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MA 306-1 | Waste generation and significant waste-related impacts | Steelcase has invested in circular measures to manage the significant aspects of our waste including developing relationships with partners to help provide feedstock for new products. We continue to donate to local community members for upcycling purposes and support local and global communities in their efforts. Steelcase has always been an insight-driven company, wanting to understand issues deeply so they can be solved effectively. When it came to packaging design and implementation and packaging waste on the jobsite, the approach to understanding the problem was no different. We held a design thinking workshop called “Hack the Pack” to bring together a cross-functional team to find ways we could improve product packaging to benefit our customers and the environment. Through that workshop and multiple jobsite visits, Steelcase gained insights on how we think about packaging – from a design concept, material makeup including upstream and downstream impacts, transit and delivery considerations, site constraints and readily accessible methods of disposal. While the projects that came out of this workshop are not all complete, progress is being made including re-designing packaging to eliminate plastics to help improve the recyclability of our packaging for our customers. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MA 306-2 M | Management of significant waste-related impacts |
Steelcase manufacturing waste is predominately made up of raw material scrap in the form of wood and metals. Through a renewed focus on responsible materials management, Steelcase is refocusing efforts on scrap reduction and prevention to minimize total waste impacts. Waste from incoming supplier packaging accounts for 25% of the waste. Steelcase is working with our supply chain management team to help address incoming packaging waste. Steelcase is looking at waste reduction efforts downstream for our customers through reducing packaging waste. We have set targets to reduce single use plastics in packaging and to increase recycled content in our packaging to help drive a circular economy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 306-3 | Waste generated | The FY21 total waste generated is 32,870 tons. Table is shown below to represent the details.
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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
| 103-1 | Explanation of the material topic and its boundary | Impact Report 2022, Our People |
| 103-2 | The management approach and its components | Impact Report 2022, Our People |
| 103-3 | Evaluation of the management approach | Impact Report 2022, Our People |
| 405-1 | Diversity of governance bodies and employees | Total average age of all employees: • Global: 41.04 • Americas: 41.62 • Asia: 36.78 • EMEA: 42.33Total gender breakdown globally: • Male: 63.75% • Female: 36.25% Estimated U.S. minority breakdown: |
| 405-2 | Ratio of basic salary and remuneration of women to men |
Steelcase routinely assesses discrepancies in compensation with the intent of meeting both legal requirements and corporate values regarding equal pay. |
| 406-1 | Incidents of discrimination and corrective actions taken | Steelcase takes seriously its commitment to maintaining workplaces compliant with applicable anti-discrimination laws and free from any type of discrimination. All Steelcase employees are expected to follow Steelcase Core Values and Global Business Standards, which include commitments to treating all people with dignity and respect and creating a culture of inclusion and non-discrimination. We have a robust investigation process co-owned by our Corporate Compliance Officer, our Director of Internal Audit, our Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel and our VP, Global Talent and their teams and report any allegations periodically to our Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. In FY22, Steelcase had no material issues occur related to incidents of discrimination or corrective actions taken. However, we take every claim elevated by an employee through both formal and informal channels very seriously. Learn more about our antiharassment policy and measures to ensure confidentiality is maintained. |
Employee Wellbeing
| 103-1 | Explanation of the material topic and its boundary | Impact Report 2022, Our People – Employee Wellbeing |
| 103-2 | The management approach and its components | Impact Report 2022, Our People – Employee Wellbeing |
| 103-3 | Evaluation of the management approach | Impact Report 2022, Our People – Employee Wellbeing |
| 403-1 | Occupational health and safety management system |
Steelcase has a global comprehensive occupational health and safety management system. The system has been implemented to achieve legal requirements and standards that are best practices in health and safety. The system and protocols we developed are based on recognized risk management and legal guidelines. We use a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) tool to anticipate, recognize and prevent hazards. All associates such as hourly, salary and union/nonunion are required to follow our occupational health and safety management system. At this time, all employees are required to follow health and safety guidelines. We believe our people are one of our greatest assets and, as such, safety is paramount. It’s part of our culture for our company to excel. Our safety record, and our commitment to it, supports the development of our brand reputation. And although we’ve made significant progress over the past few years, we know that safety is a journey that never ends. |
| 403-2 | Hazard identification, risk assessment, and incident investigation | Steelcase has a comprehensive program to identify work-related hazards and assess risks on a routine and non-routine basis called Job Safety Analysis (JSA). The standard provides clear expectations and methods to anticipate, recognize and control hazards in the workplace. A global team of occupational health and safety professionals lead the implementation and review of our JSA procedures. Daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual reviews are conducted on our JSA performance management system. Any gaps found in the system are quickly identified and documented in our To-Do’s accountability system. A specific person and date is set by which the process or JSA must be revised to continuously improve our system. A comprehensive accountability system for continuous improvement has been implemented at Steelcase called the Lean Management System (LMS). Steelcase has an open-door policy to report any work-related hazard, hazardous situation and all other concerns of any nature. To ensure workers are protected against reprisal, we have several tools for leaders and employees. Employees have the right to communicate and remove themselves from any work situation they believe could cause injury or illness. We have a comprehensive Steelcase employee handbook to explain how to report and how they are protected against harassment and retaliation for reporting a concern. A description of the processes used to investigate work-related incidents, including the processes to identify hazards and assess risks relating to incidents, are needed to determine corrective actions using the hierarchy of controls and improvements needed in the occupational health and safety management system. |
| 403-3 | Occupational health services | We have a Global Wellbeing Policy and Services that contribute to the identification and elimination of hazards and minimization of risks to employee total worker health. Steelcase has been a long-time leader in Total Worker Health (TWH) to ensure an employee’s total wellbeing is considered along with providing a comprehensive list of services. We use leading and lagging indicators of occupational health services to ensure we’re providing high quality experiences and resolving employee health concerns. |
| 403-4 | Worker participation, consultation, and communication on occupational health and safety | Employee engagement and involvement in an occupational health and safety management system is critical to achieve world-class results. Further, we strive to build a cross-functional team to represent the health and safety team. We use the Lean Management System for addressing issues and holding people accountable to get things done. During our safety committee meetings, all leading and lagging indicators of safety are reviewed to ensure we are proactively identifying and preventing hazards in the workplace. Members on a joint health and safety committee are responsible for areas in the plant and are champions for safety within the facility. It is imperative that peers represent and challenge each other to continuously improve safety. They are responsible for promoting safety, reviewing data, listening to concerns and providing feedback on how to continuously improve our safety culture. These teams meet weekly, biweekly and at least once a month to review data and conduct safety inspections in the facility. All committee members have the authority to observe and identify opportunities to improve workplace conditions. We do not exclude or prevent workers from participating on a safety committee. Participation is voluntary. |
| 403-5 | Worker training on occupational health and safety | Steelcase is committed to providing legally required safety training and behavioral-based safety training to employees to ensure world-class health and safety results. We train monthly on a diverse array of global health and safety topics such as environmental awareness, PPE, hearing conservation, emergency evacuation planning, fire extinguisher training and much more. |
| 403-6 | Promotion of worker health | Steelcase provides several different avenues to help employees connect to wellbeing resources and improve their quality of life. Some examples include onsite nurses, healthcare carriers, vendor call centers and other government programs that vary globally. In the United States, Steelcase offers numerous well-being programs and services at no cost to employees to help them address specific health risks. Those resources include virtual health, addiction support, weight loss counseling, nutrition coaching, second opinion service, mental health counselling and health coaching. Additionally, all carriers offer disease management built into their programs to help employees better manage their chronic disease. |
| 403-7 | Prevention and mitigation of occupational health and safety impacts directly linked by business relationships | Steelcase has a comprehensive approach to preventing and mitigating occupational health and safety risk factors. On a daily and weekly basis globally, we conduct health assessments of electronic safety observations and discomfort opportunities to improve with owners and setting dates. On a monthly basis we review the any discomforts, near misses and/or injury data. Based on the leading and lagging data we develop corrective action plans to change with any emerging trends. On a quarterly basis we review the leading and lagging indicators of health and safety to ensure we have the proper corrective action and resources to resolve any unfavorable safety conditions or behaviors. On an annual basis we review the leading and lagging indicators of health and safety to ensure we continue to provide a world-class health and safety environment for our employees. |
| 403-9 | Work-related injuries | No high-consequence work-related injuries to report. The leading causes of work-related injuries are lacerations and sprains/strains. We combine our temporary workforce data with our total data provided, as required by OSHA. A risk assessment is conducted and reviewed for each job at Steelcase. The hazards are identified and communicated through a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) posted on the machine. All employees must review job requirements and prove competency before performing the job. The Zone Leader observes and validates training with the employee. Steelcase is continuously reviewing and implementing an engineering, administrative and personal protective equipment hierarchy of controls to ensure a world-class safety environment for all employees. Rates have been calculated using 200,000 hours worked. Steelcase has not excluded any workers or disclosures of work-related incidents. Steelcase uses the OSHA Record Keeping guidelines to compile and report our data globally. |
Training & Development and Talent Retention + Digitization and the Future of Work
| 103-1 | Explanation of the material topic and its boundary | Impact Report 2022, Our People |
| 103-2 | The management approach and its components | Impact Report 2022, Our People |
| 103-3 | Evaluation of the management approach | Impact Report 2022, Our People |
| 401-1 | New employee hires and employee turnover | Approximate total new hires worldwide: 2799
Approximate turnover rates by region Approximate turnover rates by gender Approximate turnover rates by generation |
| 404-1 | Average hours of training per year per employee | SteelcaseU has helped us reach audiences across the globe, promoting content that is valuable for our employees and our dealers. |
| 404-2 | Programs for upgrading employee skills and transition assistance programs | Learning Lab is a program that provides learning content at the tip of your fingers in a digital platform to support our employees with tools and frameworks that would help them reflect on their strengths and opportunity areas. This approach allowed us to make the most out of digital content for self-directed learning, all while having the support of a community. The Learning Guild is a nine-month pilot program that brings deep, strategic learning offerings to teams and individuals who are ready to advance and reimagine their careers. The experience leverages edX courses, Learning Group expertise and a team-based learning community to create a blended-learning experience. |
Responsible Procurement Practices
| 103-1 | Explanation of the material topic and its boundary | Impact Report 2022, Our Culture – Responsible Procurement Practices |
| 103-2 | The management approach and its components | Impact Report 2022, Our Culture – Responsible Procurement Practices |
| 103-3 | Evaluation of the management approach | Impact Report 2022, Our Culture – Responsible Procurement Practices |
| 414-1 | New suppliers that were screened using social criteria | Globally, 94.23% are screened using social criteria. We measure this by % spend under contract. We track and report this monthly. |
Consumer Health + Wellbeing
| 103-1 | Explanation of the material topic and its boundary | Impact Report 2022, Our Planet – Consumer Health + Wellbeing |
| 103-2 | The management approach and its components | Impact Report 2022, Our Planet – Consumer Health + Wellbeing |
| 103-3 | Evaluation of the management approach | Impact Report 2022, Our Planet – Consumer Health + Wellbeing |
| 416-2 | Incidents of non-compliance concerning the health and safety impacts of products and services | Impact Report 2022, Our Planet – Consumer Health + Wellbeing |