Best Practice De Pleats – Local Inclusion in Friesland, The Netherlands

De Pleats is a family restaurant that has been in business for 27 years. It offers a range of services through a multifunctional space providing coffee, food, and catering services for meetings, weddings, and parties. The restaurant is described as the ‘house room of the local community,’ indicating its central role in the town’s social life. The organisation employs 50 people, equivalent to 25 full-time positions and the rest of the staff working part-time.

Context

De Pleats actively recruits and supports autistic employees and other people with neurodivergent conditions. This practice has been in place since the organisation started, with a formal approach to social responsibility since 1999. The initiative was inspired by the owner’s commitment to inclusivity and a family tradition of supporting individuals with additional needs. The owner has an autistic child and a background in entrepreneurship and advocacy for autism.

Implementation

De Pleats engages in customising jobs to create roles suited to the abilities of employees. They have made special accommodations in the workplace, such as sound and noise cancelling floors and ceilings as well as providing tailored tasks for people with mental conditions. The organisation also uses tools like colour codes and pictures for employees who cannot read or have other specific needs. De Pleats avoids segregation by integrating neurodivergent employees into the regular workforce and providing discreet support. Clear communication, internal rules (e.g. no cursing, zero tolerance on bullying), an online and offline onboarding programme, on-the-job coaching, learning-by-doing, tasks tailored to the individual’s interest and abilities, and individualised support without singling people out are essential pillars of the hands-on EDI approach at De Pleats. They make use of some principles learned through experience and training courses on giving support to employees or colleagues with special needs. An example of this is the HARRIE training course. This acronym in Dutch stands for Helpful, Alert, Calm, Realistic, Instructive, Honest. Managers and staff learn, amongst other things, how to give clear, unambiguous instructions and compliments to people with specific needs. The 3 sustainability P’s of People, Planet, and Profit have been embedded in the DNA of De Pleats. In 2000, De Pleats won awards for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Netherlands and at the World Young Business Achievers Awards in the USA, when CSR was still a relatively new concept. In 2014, De Pleats became the first restaurant in Northern Netherlands to achieve the Green Key Gold certification. Companies with Green Key certification strive to reduce their environmental impact without compromising guest comfort. In addition, De Pleats is also a Fairtrade restaurant and a partner of MVO Nederland, the largest sustainable business network in the Netherlands.

Enabling Factors

Several factors have enabled the successful implementation of this best practice. Support from governmental organisations, unions, job coaches and confidentiality counsellors has been crucial, as well as a culture of inclusivity and flexibility within the organisation. Practical advice and assistance from local community resources have also played a significant role.

Barriers

There have been constraints, such as balancing the needs of autistic employees’ pace with the overall workflow.

Impact on the Organisation

De Pleats has created a supportive and understanding work environment, enhancing inclusivity for neurodivergent employees. These improvements have been gradual, with positive changes in both employee and customer satisfaction. For example, the organisation has a low turnover rate, indicating high employee satisfaction. The organisation has welcomed back former employees who want to return after trying other jobs. This sense of pride and loyalty among staff members reflects the positive impact of the inclusive practices implemented by De Pleats.

Customers have also responded positively to the inclusive environment at De Pleats. The restaurant’s flexibility and ability to accommodate diverse needs have been appreciated by patrons. For example, they have quiet corners for autistic customers and allow families to phone in their orders in advance to minimise waiting times. This welcoming atmosphere has contributed to a positive customer experience, further validating the effectiveness of the best practices in place. The restaurant is known for its inclusivity, employing people with different, intellectual and physical abilities, cultural backgrounds, citizenship status and sexual orientation. This attracts a diverse clientele despite the rather homogenous small-town setting in which De Pleats is located.

Quotes

‘True hospitality is also being open to people who don’t look like you or who are very different.’
‘The most important thing is [that] they [people with disabilities] don’t want to be separated or treated differently. They want just to be the part of the group.’

 

Lessons Learned

Several lessons have been learned from the implementation of this initiative. True inclusive hospitality should be ingrained in the culture of the organisation. Clear communication and support structures are essential to ensure the success of inclusive practices. Creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all and not making a distinction between employees with and without disabilities is vital, as this helps create a more inclusive environment. Everybody has a task and everybody is equally important.

 

Future Plans

De Pleats plans to continue its current practices with a focus on making inclusivity and sustainability priorities. The goal is to create an environment where inclusivity is a natural part of the organisational culture.

Links with UN Sustainable Development Goals

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