Employees

The Bank adjusts its level of employment on an ongoing basis to the current business needs and development plans. The Bank Group’s headcount at the end of 2023 was 25,601 FTEs (including: 1,489 FTEs in Ukrainian companies), up 529 FTEs compared to the end of 2022. The increase in employment is due to the implementation of new initiatives as part of the adopted strategy.

The main form of employment in the Bank as well as in the Bank’s Group is an employment contract. The Bank also utilises civil law agreements for its employees. In 2023, 1,721 persons received payment under a specific work contract, a contract of mandate, or a student internship: 2 specific work contracts, 1,506 contracts of mandate, and 213 student internships. The percentage of persons working on the basis of civil law contracts constitutes 7.4% of employment contracts and civil law contracts combined.

There is a hybrid work model at the Bank that allows for a flexible approach and alignment of its assumptions with the realities and business goals. Decisions about the proportion of work in the office and at home are made by managers. The solution has been introduced in those Bank units whose nature allows for their execution from home and office.

The model introduced takes into account the specificity of tasks and processes in a given unit, the achieved effects, the achievement of objectives, and the available area (within buildings with a determined turnover ratio). Employees can benefit from various forms of support to improve team management and work. Support tools are available, including a home and office work planning application, a system for desk booking in selected locations, as well as instant messaging to facilitate the organisation of online meetings.

Most of the Polish entities of the Bank’s Group are also working in a hybrid model.

The remuneration variation ratio calculated on the basis of the methodology set out in the guidelines to the Best Practices for WSE Listed Companies 2021 totalled 31.7% at the Bank. This ratio is calculated as the percentage difference between the average monthly total salary of all women and men for 2023. It does not take into account employment structure, value levels, families of positions or geographical location, which, irrespective of gender, have an impact on employees’ salaries.

The presented gender pay gap level does not indicate any unfounded inequalities in the amounts of women’s and men’s salaries, and the reasons for the deviations owing to gender are the result of the nature of the organization in which female employees are more numerous.

The Bank’s remuneration policy is gender-neutral. The changes introduced in 2022 to the Remuneration Policy for employees of the Bank and the Bank’s Group were intended to emphasise the importance of gender neutrality in remuneration and the application of this principle.

The process of determining the salaries at the Bank is based on the valuation of positions. Valuation of positions, in accordance with the commonly used market methodology, is based on the determination of an appropriate level of indicators for strictly defined criteria: skills (technical knowledge, managerial skills, interpersonal skills), problem solving (freedom of thinking, challenges, freedom of action) and impact on the result (type of influence, field of operation). The essence of valuation is the fact that it applies to a given position, not a person.

The fixed salary is related to the complexity of the tasks within a given organizational structure, the level of responsibility associated with a given position and the necessary skills. The structure of the system for granting variable remuneration takes into account the specificity of positions, in particular: managerial staff, sales, and support. Variable remuneration of employees is based on the bonus system, in which it is required to achieve specific quantitative and performance targets connected with the Bank’s strategy.

The Bank performs regular salary reviews for different positions, which also analyse the relationship between the salaries of women and men, taking into account internal benchmarks and data provided in remuneration reports and studies in the process of determining and optimizing the remuneration strategy.

In order to ensure that the same positions are comparable and to eliminate the total effect of other elements on the salary level, the Bank also uses the so called “Comparatio” (CR) which compares the salary offered to an employee with an appropriate market benchmark. The internal analyses performed using this ratio show that there are no differences between the remuneration of women and men at the Bank and that both groups receive remuneration at the market level.

A Collective Bargaining Agreement concluded with the company trade union organizations is in force at the Bank. It governs, among other things, salary-related issues. According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Bank’s employees are entitled to the following salary components: (i) the base salary, (ii) allowances for working overtime and at night and in conditions which are particularly onerous and harmful to their health, (iii) bonuses and rewards for special achievements at work.

Base salaries and additional benefits granted to the employees are determined on the basis of the valuation of positions, considering the analysis of market salaries.

The Bank has a bonus system under which the amount of a bonus depends on the achievement of the targets set. The targets set for the employees are related to the Bank’s key management indicators.

In the entities of the Bank’s Group, depending on the level of employment, the principles of remunerating employees are defined in the payroll regulations and in the employment contracts or in the employment contracts only. In the individual entities of the Bank’s Group, there are separate bonus systems for the employees.

There are three company union organisations at the Bank:

• The National Trade Union of PKO BP S.A. Employees,
• “Solidarity” Independent Self-Governing Trade Union of PKO BP S.A. Employees,
• Inter-Company Organisation for Banking and Service Employees No 06-005 OPZZ “Confederation of Labour”

with the first being a representative union within the meaning of the Trade Unions Act (Journal of Laws of 2022, item 854).

As at 31 December 2023, trade union members constituted 12.6% of the total number of employees.

Meetings with trade unions and the Bank Employee Council are organized when necessary, at least a few times a year. The social partners are informed about the planned organizational changes without undue delay.

In 2023, the most frequently discussed issues concerned the employee remuneration and other employment benefits.

The social partners actively seek information they need to conduct their activities. Both the trade unions and the Bank Employee Council have the opportunity to obtain the information they need to conduct their activities. In order to make it easier for the social partners to act, special communication channels have been developed for the trade unions and the Bank Employee Council to provide information about their activities. For this purpose, a special tab – “Dialogue and Employee Representation” – has been added to the INTRA Portal. The Employee Council uses this tool and provides employees with regular messages about which they are additionally informed via the newsletter.

Trade union members are Social Labour Inspectors at the Bank. The Social Labour Inspection is a function performed by employees on a voluntary basis. Its aim is to ensure that the workplace offers safe and healthy working conditions and respects the employee rights specified in the labour law. The Bank provides space for the performance of the tasks of the Social Labour Inspection.

The Bank cooperates with these social partners in accordance with the applicable regulations. In accordance with the generally applicable laws, the Bank provides the social partners with information about:

• the employment-related aspects of the employer’s activities and economic situation and the changes anticipated in this respect,
• the level, structure and anticipated changes in employment and the measures aimed at maintaining the employment level,
• measures that may cause significant changes in the organization of work or the basis of employment.

The employees may report their objections, opinions, suggestions and comments through the trade unions or directly to a dedicated mailbox. This is regulated by a procedure for reporting complaints and irregularities. An employee is entitled to additional support in the process of clarifying a complaint, namely, they may indicate a representative of a trade union organization or an employee representative appointed in accordance with other internal regulations, who will participate in meetings with the employee or submit opinions on the validity of the claim.

The Bank also operates the Bank’s Employee Board elected in elections concluded on 22 August 2022. The principles of cooperation with the Bank Employee Council have been set out in a separate agreement. Under this agreement, the Bank Employee Council has, among other things, the right to receive information from the employer within 7 days of requesting it. The members of the Bank Employee Council may also use the equipment, devices and materials provided by the employer in carrying out the Employee Council’s tasks.

At the entities of the Bank’s Group, a trade union organization is present at KREDOBANK S.A. Trade union organizations do not operate at the other entities of the Bank’s Group.

At the entities of the Bank’s Group, the dialogue with the employees takes place in accordance with the applicable regulations. Its form is adapted to the size of the entity and its specificity. The dialogue with employees is conducted in accordance with legal regulations and forms of communication with employees adopted in the entity: directly, by e-mail and/or through the intranet. The employees have the opportunity to lodge complaints about a breach of employee rights and other irregularities.

No collective disputes were recorded at the entities of the Bank’s Group.

No operations or suppliers characterized by a high risk of restricting the freedom of association and collective agreements were identified at the Bank in 2023.

Development activities are adjusted to the specific nature of the Bank and the individual entities of the Bank’s Group and regulated by internal regulations. It guarantees a flexible approach to the development policy.

The method of organisation and implementation of development activities at PKO Bank Polski S.A.” sets out the goals, directions and activities of the Bank in the area of management of the development of the Bank’s employees or other co-workers. The main assumption of the adopted training policies is:

• supporting the pursuit of the strategic goals of the entities of the Bank’s Group and the business objectives,
• onboarding of new employees,
• ensuring the upgrade of professional qualifications of the employees and adapting their knowledge and skills to the changing requirements of the market in which a given entity operates,
• preparing the employees for the implementation of new solutions and products offered by entities of the Bank’s Group and/or for introducing changes to the existing solutions and/or products offered.

All employees, regardless of their age or gender, may benefit from training activities in the Bank’s Group. Individual entities may apply the criterion of the position held, when referring employees to specific training, such as participation in education at University level (various levels of education at the individual entities of the Bank’s Group) or foreign language courses. The employers finance training activities in whole or in part.

The Bank updates the List of Training Courses every quarter and communicates it on the intranet portal. The list contains a number of development activities for employees and managers. It contains a description of individual activities and an easy to use tool for signing up for individual training sessions. In addition, the Training Catalogue has gained a new form of publicly available video training courses in 2023, expanding soft skills and implementing topics on the most recent development trends. The training offer available in the catalogue was enriched with publicly available courses in hard skills, i.e. Excel, selected software languages, power BI and other – all courses are available on line in the so-called Application Zone. In addition, as part of the new Knowledge in a Nutshell programme, employees can share their experience on a wide range of topics from the business world as well as their passions and interests.

The Bank runs traditional development projects for both hard and soft skills. A team of several dozen internal trainers conducts group training, on-the-job training and internal workshops (also for interns). Group training is provided by external companies on selected projects. The Digital Transformation employees have access to both internal training courses in agile methodology and to certified training courses. The employees also participate in foreign language courses.

The Bank’s employees use the internal e-learning platform very actively, mainly for providing training in product knowledge, the knowledge of processes and the use of IT applications.

As part of their professional development, the employees may apply for a subsidy to the costs of their education in the form of post-graduate studies, Master of Business Administration (MBA) courses, solicitor’s training or language courses. The Bank also conducts adaptation programmes for new employees, which are adjusted to the specific nature of individual business areas. Training courses organized at the Bank are available to all employees regardless of the form of employment (an employment contract and/or a fixed-term contract (interns)).

With initiatives that promote internal mobility, the Bank supports the professional development of its employees, thereby creating opportunities to tap into the potential of employees within the organisation.

These initiatives include reskilling programmes – which allow employees to acquire entirely new skills, internal internships – which facilitate career change, and internal job fairs or individual consultations with recruiters, which further broaden career prospects not only within the Bank but also across the Group.

The #KreatorzyJutra programme was also held in 2023, with the aim of building the so-called 'Digital Mindset’ of employees, strengthening competences that support the achievement of strategic goals, building attitudes that support openness to change and innovation, and showcasing how new technologies affect our reality. All employees of the Bank were able to access the programme. Approximately 2,400 people took part in the programme, 500 of whom completed it with a certificate, i.e. watched all the videos and answered the questionnaires prepared.

The #JakCiSięPracuje survey measures the willingness to recommend an employer to other people (the so-called eNPS index) and examines how employees rate various aspects of the workplace, e.g. satisfaction with collaboration, the immediate supervisor or the working environment.

Four editions of the survey were held in 2023. The eNPS indicator in each of these, i.e. quarter on quarter, continued its upward trend. The Bank ended the year with an average eNPS score of 35. The other indices surveyed also maintained their high scores or even posted increases.

Actions taken by the Bank in order to improve the employees’ experience generated the expected effect. The findings of each survey are used to implement new facilities and solutions tailored to current needs on an on-going basis.

In 2023, the eNPS survey was also conducted for the first time in the key Companies of the Bank’s Group. Its average result was comparable to that of the Bank’s first survey in June 2022.

Promoting diversity is present in many aspects of the activities of the Bank and the entire Bank’s Group. It assumes, among other things, respect for others, equal treatment and using the potential of employees. Diversity means that people are important irrespective of any differences between them, such as their gender, age, health condition, sexual orientation, religion, marital status or country of origin. In building teams, the Bank understands that diversity is their asset both in creating innovations and in smooth operations.

The Bank aims to ensure, promote and popularise diversity. It takes care that diversity, as a value, but also as a practice, is present in the organizational culture, initiatives and measures taken, as well as in the relevant policies, regulations and processes.

The diversity policy is also composed of various initiatives undertaken at the Bank, including strategic projects aimed at creating a friendly work environment and cooperation with external entities to support diversity in the workforce.

The Bank’s „Rules for the protection of persons and property”, adopted by a resolution of the Management Board in 2018, are in place, setting out the obligation to train employees in fire protection and the general rules of conduct in the event of a fire.

There is also a „Procedure for the protection of persons and property” (adopted by a decision of the Director of the President’s Division in 2015), which sets out the rules for: the use of fire protection installations and the division of competences; the development of fire safety instructions for banking facilities; furnishing facilities with fire protection equipment and installations and ensuring their efficiency; and the provision of fire protection training.