Employee Belonging at Workplace: The Ferrero Lesson
Ferrero pays nearly 800 retired employees to walk into its office every day. Here's what real employee belonging at workplace looks like, and how to build it well.
Employee belonging at workplace means employees still feel connected to a company long after they've stopped drawing a salary from it — even after they retire or resign. Nearly 800 retired staff walk into Ferrero's Italy office daily because of exactly this. With India's L&D market crossing Rs 1.5 trillion, culture like this isn't a nice-to-have anymore.
TL;DR- Ferrero pays for nearly 800 retired employees to show up at its Alba office every day — decades after they joined.
- Founder Michele Ferrero built a foundation in 1983 purely to keep long-serving and retired staff feeling like family.
- Real employee belonging at workplace survives the day someone resigns or retires — most companies get this wrong.
- Respect has to flow both ways: employers who genuinely cared, and employees who speak well of where they worked.
- Building a belonging culture starts small — alumni groups, anniversary calls, and treating exits with dignity.
What Does "Employee Belonging" Actually Mean?
When people ask me what makes a workplace worth staying at, I don't start with salary. I start with a question: does this company treat you like family, or like a headcount? Employee belonging at workplace means an organisation cares about you as much after you leave as while you're on payroll. It's not a perk you add in Q4. It's a culture decision leadership makes early, and either lives by or quietly abandons the day someone hands in their resignation letter.
The Ferrero Story: Why 800 Retired Employees Still Show Up
I want to tell you about a company where nearly 800 retired employees walk into the office every single day — not to work, but because they still belong there. This is Ferrero, the Italian company behind Nutella, Kinder Joy, Tic Tac and Ferrero Rocher. In 1983, founder Michele Ferrero set up a foundation purely for employees who had given the company 25 years or more. The building's rent, the housekeeping staff, even the doctors for retirees' physical and mental health — Ferrero pays for all of it.
| What the Employer Owes | What the Employee Owes |
|---|---|
| Acknowledge real, sustained contribution — not just a farewell card | Speak well of the company after leaving, even if the exit wasn't perfect |
| Keep former employees connected — alumni groups, invites, calls on work anniversaries | Carry the company's name and reputation forward with dignity |
| Support long-serving staff beyond their working years (Ferrero: 25+ years) | Give honest effort and loyalty while actually on the team |
| Avoid shutting every door the day someone resigns or retires | Avoid burning bridges out of frustration on the way out |
What Is a "Belongingness Contract"?
Every June, Ferrero holds an annual gathering and calls people on stage who completed 25, 30, 35, even 40 years with the company. Their children get scholarships the same day. I call this the Belongingness Contract — a mutual, ongoing respect between employer and employee that doesn't expire the day someone's ID card stops working. As I said in the video: "दोनों पार्टीज ने एक दूसरे का म्यूचुअल रिस्पेक्ट रखना बहुत जरूरी है" — both sides owing each other mutual respect, long after the job ends.
Why Most Indian Companies Get This Wrong
Compare that to what I see in most Indian offices. Someone works two years, three years, even ten — and the day they resign or get let go, every door shuts. WhatsApp groups, access cards, even goodwill: gone overnight. I'm not talking about six-month interns here; I mean people who gave real years to the company. If you read TRUMPF's approach to flexible working hours, you'll see the same pattern — companies that trust employees long-term build loyalty that no salary hike can buy.
How to Build Employee Belonging in Your Organisation
So how do you actually build this into your organisation instead of just talking about it in a town hall? Start small: an alumni WhatsApp group that stays open, a call on work anniversaries, letting former employees walk back in for a coffee. If you want this designed properly — not as a one-off event but as a culture system your managers can run — that's exactly what I work on with companies through our leadership training programs, tailored to how your teams actually function day to day.
What Employees Owe Their Employers (And Vice Versa)
Belonging isn't a one-way street either. I tell audiences this often — if you've worked somewhere and you're leaving, speak well of it. Don't burn the bridge on your way out just because you're upset. Respect flows both directions: the employer takes care of people who contributed meaningfully, and the employee carries the company's name forward with dignity, even after they've moved on. That's the real test of whether a workplace culture actually worked.
A Simple Checklist for HR and Leadership Teams
If your leadership team is serious about fixing retention and not just measuring attrition numbers every quarter, this is worth a proper conversation. I run culture and leadership workshops for corporate teams across India built exactly around ideas like this — get in touch to bring one to your organisation, and we'll design it around your actual team, not a generic deck.
Book Avinash Chate for Your Next Event
TEDx speaker. 11+ yrs training Army, BRO, RBI, BARC, JSW. Available for keynotes, leadership training, team building & manager development at your office or event venue.
✅ Thanks! Avinash team will reach out within 24 hours.'}).catch(function(e){f.outerHTML='Something went wrong. WhatsApp +91 8793630001
'});return false;">Select ServiceKeynote / Motivational SpeakingLeadership Development TrainingTeam Building WorkshopManager DevelopmentEmployee TrainingOutbound TrainingBook Avinash Now →Or WhatsApp directly: +91 87936 30001
Related Articles by Avinash Chate
- Givers, Matchers, Takers: Which Workplace Mindset Do You Have?
- Dashrath Manjhi – the Mountain Man
- Ankit, Priyanka & Brijesh
Work with Avinash Chate
- Signature Corporate Training Programs →
- Team Building Trainer in Pune →
- Best Motivational Speaker in Pune →
Avinash Chate TEDx Speaker · Founder, The Future Corporate · 11+ yrs experience Avinash has trained Indian Army, BRO, RBI, BARC, JSW Steel and 1000+ corporate leaders across India. His work focuses on leadership development, communication skills, and behavioural training rooted in Indian values and modern business needs. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "employee belonging at workplace" actually mean?
It means employees feel like they're part of the company beyond just their paycheck and job title — a connection that doesn't disappear the moment they resign, retire, or move on. Companies that get this right, like Ferrero, keep former employees walking through their doors decades later.
Why does employee belonging matter for retention?
People don't leave companies only for salary — they leave when they feel replaceable. When employees see that an organisation genuinely cares about them, not just their output, they stay longer, refer better talent, and speak well of the company even after they've left.
What is the "Belongingness Contract" Avinash Chate talks about?
It's the idea that respect between an employer and employee should be mutual and ongoing — the company acknowledges real, sustained contribution, and the employee carries the company's name forward with dignity, even after the working relationship ends.
How can a company start building a culture of belonging?
Start small and consistent: keep an alumni network open, acknowledge work anniversaries, and don't treat an exit as a door slamming shut. For a structured, org-wide approach, many companies bring in dedicated culture and leadership workshops built around these principles.
Avinash Chate services
Corporate Trainer in Maharashtra · Top Corporate Trainers in Maharashtra · Leadership Trainer in Maharashtra · Top Leadership Trainers in Maharashtra · Team Building Trainer in Maharashtra · Top Team Building Trainers in Maharashtra · Motivational Speaker in Maharashtra · Top Motivational Speakers in Maharashtra · All service locations
← Back to all articles · Book Avinash Chate
By Avinash Chate — Maharashtra’s #1 Corporate Trainer & Motivational Speaker. .