Workforce & Inclusive Culture

Overview

RYAM is committed to maintaining a workplace where employees are treated with respect and dignity and where all employment decisions are based on merit and business needs.

Our approach to workforce practices is grounded in:

ethical conduct
equal opportunity
employee well-being
compliance with applicable employment laws

These principles are supported through internal policies, governance structures, and workforce-related programs.

Workplace Standards & Equal Opportunity

RYAM maintains policies designed to promote a work environment that is:

Free from discrimination

Respectful and inclusive

Aligned with applicable legal requirements

Employment decisions—including recruiting, hiring, promotion, compensation, and training—are made based on qualifications and business considerations.

Equal employment opportunity is provided without regard to protected characteristics such as race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, veteran status, or disability
These principles apply to all aspects of the employment relationship and extend to employees, applicants, and contractors

Respectful Workplace & Anti-Harassment

RYAM prohibits harassment or intimidation of any kind in the workplace.

This includes:

verbal, physical, or visual conduct that creates a hostile work environment
behavior based on protected characteristics
unwelcome conduct that interferes with an individual’s work performance

All employees and leaders are expected to:

maintain respectful working relationships
prevent and address inappropriate conduct
work with Human Resources to resolve any issues

Employees are encouraged to report concerns and are protected from retaliation when doing so in good faith.

Employee Voice & Reporting

RYAM provides multiple channels for employees and contractors to raise concerns or report potential violations of policies or laws. These include:

Human Resources
the Law Department
Internal Audit
an independent Ombudsman reporting channel

Reports may be made confidentially or anonymously and are investigated thoroughly.

RYAM maintains a strict non-retaliation approach for individuals who raise concerns
The Ombudsman is supported by an independent third-party intake process to ensure confidentiality and integrity of reporting

Governance & Accountability

Workforce-related policies and practices are overseen through established governance structures.

The Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Committee oversees ethics and compliance programs
The ERM Committee reports to the Audit Committee of the Board
The Vice President, Human Resources is responsible for implementing workforce policies and practices

These structures support accountability, consistency, and alignment with company values and regulatory requirements.

Workforce Practices & Employee Development

RYAM supports employee development through learning programs, performance and development planning, and access to professional development resources. These efforts are intended to strengthen employee capabilities, support business priorities, and prepare employees for evolving responsibilities. Workforce practices include:

Role-based competency frameworks that help define the knowledge, skills, and proficiency levels associated with different job families.
Annual development planning processes through which employees and managers identify development priorities and appropriate learning activities.
Leadership development programs for future, frontline, and mid-level leaders.
Instructor-led and self-directed learning opportunities focused on leadership, communication, technical capabilities, artificial intelligence, compliance, and other business needs.
Access to digital learning resources and internally developed training.
Development activities that may include formal training, coaching, stretch assignments, and on-the-job experience.

Learning is tracked through learning management systems and communicated through dashboards and weekly reports.

Training & Awareness

RYAM supports employee awareness of workplace expectations through training and communication initiatives.

RYAM requires all employees to complete Code of Conduct training as part of the onboarding process, which is administered through Employee Services and tracked in Workday. In addition, salaried employees complete annual Code of Conduct training through LRN, the company’s compliance learning management system, where completion is centrally tracked. The Code of Conduct training also serves as the company’s primary ethics and compliance training. Workplace behavior and harassment prevention training is generally provided on an ad hoc basis and is primarily managed by Human Resources.

Inclusive Workplace Approach

RYAM continues to support a respectful and inclusive workplace through its policies and workforce practices.

Inclusion-related topics are shared across HR and leadership, with HR providing guidance, policies and support while leaders are responsible for reinforcing expectations and fostering an inclusive workplace within their teams. Operationally, the approach is decentralized across sites, allowing local HR teams and site leadership to address inclusion-related needs and activities based on their workforce, location and operational priorities, while remaining aligned with broader company policies, values and expectations.

RYAM’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) provide opportunities for employees to connect, engage and grow across the organization. Active ERGs include RYAM in the Community, Professional Development and Veterans amongst others. Through shared interests, experiences and areas of focus, these employee-led groups help build relationships, support professional and personal development, and strengthen connections within the communities where RYAM operates. Together, our ERGs contribute to a stronger workplace culture by fostering employee engagement, connection and a greater sense of community across RYAM.

Workforce Metrics

RYAM monitors key workforce indicators to help us understand organizational needs, strengthen employee development and support a safe, engaged and capable workforce.

Our workforce management practices include monitoring staffing trends, employee development and training, engagement and workplace safety. These insights help inform workforce planning, identify opportunities for improvement and guide programs that support our employees and business objectives.

We also use employee feedback, learning and compliance systems, and safety performance information to evaluate the effectiveness of our programs and identify areas where additional focus may be needed.