Joe and Luis Roman

Having exported mangos for more than 16 years, our working relationship with our employees has come to be more like the relationship between family members.
The employee who has worked for us the longest is the technician responsible for cultivation. He has been with us for ten years, but the most important detail is the following. He used to work full-time for us, but five years ago it was decided that he should limit his technical visits to our plantation to twice a week. In that way, he would be able to find some additional source of income and would not feel tied to his job. This opened the door for him to develop other activities, which he eventually did. He now earns more than before.

I don’t like the idea of employees staying with us for their entire lives. In a way that keeps them from growing.  I believe that it should be the intention for them to go and try to take advantage of some other opportunity in their lives. On the other hand, as employers we end up being like a mother and father for all our workers. We are the ones they turn to when they need something, whatever that may be. We are the ones who are always fulfilling their needs and providing support. I feel that this is our obligation.
Agriculture is a very hard line of work, and our workers are the ones who bear its physical demands on a daily basis. They give their all to do a good job for their boss. And this effort is something we recognize every day.

There is no bureaucracy on our plantation. We run a family business, and that is also how it feels for our workers.  It is not difficult to discuss something with the owner. It’s a simple matter of asking for a few minutes to talk, and that’s it.

All of our permanent employees are men and benefit from enrolment in social security. That’s the law, and they enjoy all the benefits that this law provides for. Our temporary workers are women. They are the ones in charge of doing all the post-harvest work and the packaging, since they have that special feminine touch needed for handling the fruit with care.
There is a separate safety and health manual for permanent and temporary employees. Any emergency that arises is handled according the manual, and we find a solution.

For 18 years, our business has constituted the largest creator of employment in the region. We have also been the best place to work. Our activity as a large-scale plantation is unique in the region where we are located. Other economic activity in the region consists of short-cycle activities and farms with only one or two hectares. Once they are enrolled in social security, permanent employees enjoy guaranteed access to all their rights. So, if they get sick they take sick leave and receive treatment at Ecuadorian state hospitals. Permanent employees are entitled by law to 15 days of paid holidays.