Mrs. Iva Todorova, AmCham Board Member and Government and Regulatory Affairs Executive, IBM Bulgaria

Klimentina Rasheva, Managing Partner, Denkstatt Bulgaria, who delivered a presentation with topic “The potential for a holistic approach in workplace well-being”
Irena Macheva, Director of Development, American University in Bulgaria (AUBG), who delivered a presentation with topic “Rising Impactors: The Bulgarian Social Impact Scholarship Empowering the Future Leaders”

June 2019

On June 13^th, 2019, the AmCham Human Resources and Education Committee held a meeting for best practice sharing with guest speakers:

Metodi Georgiev, Executive Director of Cargill in Bulgaria and Head of Cargill Business Services in Sofia, who delivered a presentation with topic “Empowering the young” and presented an initiative of Sofia University powered by Cargill
Mariya Yaneva, Team Leader/Permanent Placement, Adecco Bulgaria, who delivered a presentation with topic “Carrier Transition”.

On June 4^th, 2019, the AmCham Human Resources and Education Committee and the AmCham Quality Management Working Group held a joint meeting with topic “Change Management” with guest speakers:

Dr. Vanya Babanin, Global Director Marketing & Communications, Monbat Group
Ahinora Kolarova, Quality Manager, ISG Technology

May 2019

On May 23^rd, 2019, The AmCham Human Resources and Education Committee held a meeting with topic ¨Employee Engagement¨ with guest speakers:

Anna Gabrovska, Country HR Manager, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bulgaria

Iva Petrova, Fundraising and CSR Expert, BCause Foundation
Rumiana Boseva, CEO, ARS Bulgaria

Svetlozar Petrov, Managing Director, JobTiger

Toufic Hawly, Co-founder and Director of Business Development, Easy Exhibit

April 2019

On April 23^rd, 2019, The AmCham Human Resources and Education Committee held a meeting with topic ¨Employer Branding¨ with guest speakers:

Anna Gabrovska, Country HR Manager, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bulgaria
Nikoleta Sveshtarska, Organizational Development Manager and HRBP, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bulgaria
Maria Atanasova, Director, Human Capital EMEA, Progress
Svetlozar Petrov, Managing Director, JobTiger
Katya Dimitrova, CEO, InterImage

At the meeting, Committee Co-chairs Iva Todorova, IBM Bulgaria, and Zlatina Kushkieva, AVON Cosmetics Bulgaria, presented the recommendations of the AmCham White Paper 2017 in the area of labor policy and discussed with the Deputy Ministers the specific measures taken by the Ministry, as well as possible future collaboration in other areas of common interest.

For more information about the meeting and discussed topics see enclosed:
Minutes of Meeting
Ministry of Labor and Social Policy Presentation
Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU Presentation
Statement of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy on Posting of Workers

September 2017
On September 27^th, 2017, AmCham organized a business breakfast with topic “Vocational education and training for better skills, growth and jobs”. The event was a joint initiative of the AmCham HR, Education and CSR Committee, the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Advantage Austria and the Bulgarian-Swiss Chamber of Commerce. You may read more information about the event and discussed topics here.

June 2017
On June 5th, 2017, AmCham participated in a round table with topic “Development of public policies in the field of professional education for the provision of middle specialists for the construction sector”. The forum was organized by Directorate Professional Education and Training, Ministry of Education and Science, and provided a platform for discussion between the main stakeholders (governmental institutions, professional high schools and vocational centers, employers’ organizations, research organizations, branch organizations and commercial chambers) on the improvement of the synergy between the system for professional education and training and the needs of the business.

Attached below are press release and presentations in Bulgarian:

Press Release
Ministry of Education and Science – Presentation
National Agency for Vocational Education and Training – Presentation
Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria – Presentation
Industry Watch Bulgaria – Presentation
Bulgarian Construction Chamber – Survey and Analysis
American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria – Presentation

May 2017
On May 30^th, 2017, the AmCham HR, Education and CSR Committee held a meeting were Ms. Meglena Velinova, Senior Expert Training and Development, CEZ Bulgaria, presented good practices in the sphere of dual education, Mr. Svetlozar Petrov, Managing Director, JobTiger, presented the
the Industrial map as a tool for tightening the relationship education-business in the industrial sector, and Yavor Dojdevski, Direct Custody and Clearing Head, Citibank Europe Plc, Bulgaria Branch, spoke about the educational initiative of the Council for Development of the Capital Market in Bulgaria for introducing capital markets as subject in schools and universities. More information about the discussed topics is available in the Minutes of Meeting.

April 2017
On April 26^th, 2017, the AmCham HR, Education and CSR Committee held a meeting to discuss focus areas and priorities laid out in the Human Capital Development section of the AmCham White Paper, as well as Committee’s agenda, activities and events in 2017 in support of these priorities. You may read more about the discussion in the Minutes of Meeting.

CSR Subcommittee Meeting

Presentation: Survey: Attitude to payroll giving in TOP 100 companies in terms of total revenue
Speaker: Stoyan Mihaylov, Junction Bulgaria

Presentation: Annual Awards for Workplace Giving Donation
Speaker: Penka Tzvetkova, BCAF

Presentation: The More – The Better
Speaker: Elitsa Barakova, BCAF

January 21, 2016

AmCham Tax and Human Resources Joint Committee Meeting

Supply of Staff Arrangements in Companies Part of International Groups – Tax, Accounting and Legal Aspects

Speakers:
Evelina Evtimova, Corporate Tax
Valentina Lukova, Global Employer Services/Tax Services
Alexandrina Alexandrova, Accounting and Payroll
Zvezdelina Filova, Attorney-at-law
Deloitte Bulgaria EOOD and Deloitte Legal Law Firm

Topic: Employment of non-EU nationals in Bulgaria (presentation attached in folder HR Committee – Activities in 2015)

Speaker: Nikola Seymenov, Senior Consultant, Deloitte Bulgaria EOOD

September 16, 2015

Topic: Latest Amendments to the Labor Code (as of July 2015) (presentation attached in folder HR Committee – Activities in 2015)

Speaker: Tanya Stivasareva, Manager | Attorney-at-law, Ernst & Young Law Partnership

Topic: In preparation for 2015: Presentation of Compensation practices and policies 2014

Presentations:

Mercer Compensation survey results (presentation attached in folder HR Committee – Activities in 2014)

Speaker: Mr. Kamen Atanasov, Country Manager at Grain Bulgaria – a Mercer affiliate

OD&M Compensation Survey – CoRe 2014 (presentation attached in folder HR Committee – Activities in 2014). Bulgaria Labor Market – trends and forecasts

Speaker: Ms. Stela Dimitrova, Product Manager Information Services

AIMS Compensation survey

Speaker: Ms. Maria Shishkova, Managing Partner of AIMS Human Capital Bulgaria and Dale Carnegie Training Bulgaria

July 1, 2014

Topic:  Importance and Satisfaction of the Employees with the Working Environment Factors (presentation attached in folder HR Committee – Activities in 2014)

Speaker: Elena Andonova, Marketing Manager, Sofia Airport Center

April 28, 2014

Topic: “Reducing the administrative burden of Employers by using technology-based HR processes”

Speaker: Aneliya Stavreva, Managers Rewards and Administration, VIVACOM

January, 2014

On December 4th, 2013, AmCham submitted a letter-request for a meeting with the Minister of Labor and Social Policy Hasan Ademov in order to discuss proposals for improvement and modernization of the labor legislation in Bulgaria. Among the proposed discussion topics were: easing of restrictions on the use of fixed-term contracts, changes related to the regulations on overtime employment, adaptation of the regulations on temporary employment, as well as regulation of traineeships.

You may read the full text of the letter of invitation here (letter to Hasan Ademov) (in Bulgarian).

Furthermore, following instructions by Minister Ademov, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy submitted an official statement on the proposed topics related to amendments of the Labor Code.

You may read the official statement of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy here (letter from Hasan Ademov) (in Bulgarian).

Topic: Sharing of Company Practices in Employee Engagement

Presentation: “How to Engage Employees During Transformation”
Speaker: Blagovesta Karemova, HR Manager, Danone Bulgaria

Presentation: “Engagement to the People…”
Speaker: Lyubomir Terziev, HR and Administrative Director, Electrostart AD

Presentation: “Career & Develop Process”
Speaker: Katerina Shopova, HR Director, British American Tobacco Bulgaria

Presentation: “Engagement on Focus in Harsh Times”
Speaker: Natalia Georgieva, HR Manager, Blizoo Media and Broadband EAD

Presentation: “Driving Employee Engagement – Globally and Locally”
Speaker: Gergana Gancheva, Project Leader “Best Employers Study”, AON Bulgaria

March 15, 2013

Topic: Recent case law in the area of labor and employment law, presented by the labor law team of Ernst & Young Law Partnership. The presentation covers important cases of the Supreme Court in the area of termination of employment, disciplinary dismissal, selection procedure, equal treatment and equal pay, overtime payment, non-compete clause and other related matters.
Speaker: Tanya Stivasareva, Manager, Ernst & Young Law Partnership

November 25th, HR Committee Meeting with the Deputy Minister of Labor, Krassimir Popov and Mrs Rossitsa Stelianova, Executive Director, Employment Agency.
Topics of discussion:
• Operational Program Human Resources Development and Grand scheme 2010
• Working Permits and Labor visas for Non-EU nationals
Developments of the labor market and unemployment

 1. on October 13 (Saturday) – the Traditional Volunteer Day
We encourage our members to contribute time and skills to the community participating in different projects

3М
American College of Sofia
Anglo-American School of Sofia
Balkan Star Automotive EOOD
Citibank N.A. – Sofia Branch
ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 AD
Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov, & Velichkov
Hewlett-Packard Bulgaria Ltd.
IBS Bulgaria Ltd.
Interallis Chemicals SA
Kempinski Hotel Zografski Sofia
Quadrant Beverages JSC
Mars Incorporated Bulgaria
Park Inn Hotel
Sensata Technologies
VAPTECH Ltd.
VIVACOM

2. the week October 15 – October 29 – the new initiative “Professionals at Schools”
This time, we have chosen education as our main topic and we would like to encourage our members to share their knowledge and experience with children and young people in Bulgarian schools.

Abbott Products EOOD
AIMS Human Capital
American University in Bulgaria (AUBG)
Amgen Bulgaria EOOD
Atos IT Solutions and Services EOOD
Citibank N.A. – Sofia Branch
Eurobank EFG Bulgaria (under the brandname of Postbank)
IBM Bulgaria
Johnson Controls Electronics Bulgaria
MBL | Part of the CB Richard Ellis Network
Radisson Blu Grand Hotel
Stanton Chase International Bulgaria
Sopharma AD
Titan Zlatna Panega Cement
VUZF University Higher School of Insurance and Finance

Media partners:

 May 19, 2012 – AmCham Magazine Coverage

Volunteer Days 2011

AmCham Magazine dedicated on Members’ Volunteer Projects, issue May 2011

October 15, 2011 – Event Media Coverage

May 28, 2011 – Event Media Coverage
AmCham Magazine Coverage

Volunteer Days 2010

May 15, 2010  Event Media Coverage
October 23, 2010  Event Media Coverage

Volunteer Days 2009

May 16, 2009  Event Media Coverage
October 24, 2009  Event Media Coverage

AmCham Corporate Social Responsibility Committee is glad to invite
you to be part of the new initiative AmCham GREEN PROJECT 2009.

The aim of the AmCham GREEN PROJECT 2009:
• to support AmCham members in their environmental activities;
• to spread targeted information;
• to share achievements;
• to enlarge individual projects and/or start new ones.

GREEN PROJECT TOPICS & MEETINGS 2009:

January/February Topic 1
Feb. 4th. 2009 :   Energy & Climate Change
Top 3 actions to reduce your carbon footprint at work:
Don’t go! – Telecommuting that is, working from home through an Internet connection to the office, can drastically reduce the average workers carbon footprint. The average European car, releases 169 grams/km CO2. Traveling a convenient 30 km round trip over the work year produces more than 1.4 tons of CO2 emissions – equal to the weight of your car.
Don’t keep running! – Did you know that in Bulgaria over the course of a work year, the average computer being put in sleep mode, as opposed to being left running produces 97 kg less CO2 emissions? To save 25% more, don’t just sleep – hibernate!
Be warm and stay cool! Buildings account for 40% of the energy used in the European Union and the vast amount of this is related to heating and air conditioning. Keep the summer temperature in your offi ce ≥ 25°C and ≤ 22°C in winter. To reduce more expenses and CO2 emissions, limit use of the heating and cooling system during non-working hours.
1) A Carbon Footprint refers to the quantity of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, measure in units of CO2, produced by human activities during the life-cycle of a specifi c service or product.

denkstatt presentation  

March/April Topic 2:  Resource Management

Top 3 actions actions to reduce your environmental impact at work:
Hear all about it… by reading newspapers online. Environmentally responsible publishers in Bulgaria have begun promoting free online access to their publications. Save some cash and fi nd your favorite articles – online today!
Bottle this bottle that… reduce the amount of waste arising from bottling beverages by buying larger quantities rather than individual servings. Better yet, drink from the tap!
Waste or resource? Urban mining is the hottest new green term! It refers to using old electronics as a source for precious and other useful metals, rather than traditional mining. Separate the items you no longer use and recycle them.

To get started on topic, please check on the links below for more information on resource management:
Solutions for the world’s water woes
Taking care of the trash

Resource Management_Presentation
DEVIN PET lightweight bottle project
Utilities Magazine article

May/June Topic 3:                     Green Procurement

In a democracy, one must use the power of the ballot to elect the candidate with the best attributes. So too is the case in capitalism! Every Leva, Euro, or Dollar you spend is a vote for the approval of the products and services you buy.
Recognizing the scale of contemporary environmental challenges and the complexity of purchasing decisions, civil society, government, and business have come together to make purchasing decisions easier. The following labels are among the most popular “eco-labels” in Europe. Certifi cation criteria promote businesses to operate with a lower impact on the environment, thus facilitating the
transition to a more sustainable society.

July/August Topic 4:                 Nature Conservation
Biodiversity is diminishing at an alarming rate. The premier organization monitoring threatened species, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, recently announced 25%-36% of mammals are currently at risk of extinction due to habitat loss. The study also revealed that the efforts to recuperate some of these species have been successful.
No one can save everything – we have one planet and one chance to get it right, which means we must all cooperate. What can your business do? Among the options why not give just 1% to the planet?
Check out: www.onepercentfortheplanet.org

WHY GO GREEN? AMCHAM HIKING TOUR

As part of the AmCham Green Project and its July-August topic “Nature Conservation”, the CSR Committee organized on July 25th a one-day journey to one of Bulgaria’s most magnificent and inspiring mountain areas – The Seven Lakes region of the Rila Mountains, part of one of the largest National Parks in Europe.

 September/October Topic 5:    Green Communications

 Want bragging rights? Civil society has increasingly high demands for business to report their operational performance. Leading companies around the world, together with NGOs have started a number of programs to publicize companies
committing to report their environmental performance.
With increased publicity comes increased responsibility. Irresponsibly communicating the environmental performance of your products and services is called “greenwashing”. To learn more about the “best practice” in communicating sustainable operations take a look at: www.globalreporting.org

Green_Communications Presentation

November/December Topic 6:  Going Green At Home
Top 3 actions to reduce your environmental footprint at home:
Dress your home, not just your honey! Insuring your loved ones wear a sweater in the winter rather than turning up the thermostat is a great fi rst step. However, dressing your home with proper insulation is the most economically effective way to reduce energy bills and increase the comfort of your home.
Penny wise and pound foolish. Do you regularly use convectional or radiation heat at home? While these electric sources are inexpensive to purchase, their operating and environmental costs far outweigh those of air conditioner heat
pumps, which use up to fi ve times less energy!
A,B,Cs of DIY (do it yourself) – When purchasing appliances for your home be sure to look for the European Union Energy Certifi cate. Manufactures are obliged to include a label specifying the effi ciency of their products as a part of the packaging materials.

Green_Life_Presentation

READ MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT ACTIVITIES

GREEN News & Linkks

On July 16, 2008 the European Commission presented its Sustainable Consumption and Production Package (SCP), which is a series of proposals with the objective of improving the environmental performance of products and increasing the demand for more sustainable goods and production technologies. AmCham welcomes the SCP package and believes that its impact on business may be positive and negative at the same time. Below are AmCham EU position papers on several policies from the policy package: Proposal for the extension of the Eco-design Directive; Proposal for the revision of Eco-label Regulation; Proposal for the revision of the Eco Management and Audit Scheme Regulation; Proposal for a Regulation for an Environmental Technology Verification Scheme; and Proposal for a Retailer Forum establishment.
ENV_SCP_ACTION_PLAN
ENV_SCP_ECO-LABEL_REGULATION
ENV_SCP_EMAS_REGULATION
ENV_SCP_EVTS.sflb ENV_SCP_RETAILER_FORUM

Every year AmCham Bulgaria joins the American spirit of charity and generosity organizing its Thanksgiving Community Dinner in November. Following the tradition the event is dedicated to charity fundraising.