Diversity in the workplace

  • ESG:
  • Our approach to Social ResponsibilityS – Social
    Our approach to Social Responsibility

We recognise the enormous value of diversity. We therefore make the utmost effort to support the various dimensions of diversity in our organisation through our actions. Respect for individuality, the promotion of equal treatment and the prevention of discrimination are three very important elements of our corporate culture reflected in numerous internal policies and procedures of the bank, including:

  • ”Respect and Dignity Policy”,

  • ”Human Rights Policy”,

  • ”Sustainability Policy”,

  • ”Santander Bank Polska Group Corporate Culture Policy”.

For more information on the above policies, please see the Responsible Business Report 2019, the Employees chapter.

Santander Bank Polska S.A. is a signatory of the Diversity Charter, an international initiative supported by the European Commission.

The effects of our actions were appreciated in 2021. We received the Diversity in Check distinction awarded to employers most advanced in diversity and inclusiveness management in Poland.

An important aspect of ensuring organisational diversity is our actions aimed at the supervisory and management bodies. The existing ”Policy on Diversity in the Composition of the Management Board of Santander Bank Polska S.A.” and the ”Policy for Assessing the Suitability of Members of the Supervisory Board of Santander Bank Polska S.A.” promote the diversity of the members of these bodies in terms of qualities and competences. The provisions included therein refer directly to our aim which is to achieve a gender balance in the composition of the Management Board and the Supervisory Board and to increase diversity in terms of age, education, experience and geographical origin. In line with these policies, we have set specific objectives to ourselves.

Target for 2025 Status at the end of 2021
Share of women in the Management Board at least 30% 11.11%
Share of women in the Supervisory Board 40-60% 40%
  • GRI:
  • Diversity of supervisory bodies and staff (Composition of supervisory bodies and staff by gender, age, minorities, and other diversity indicators).405-1
    Diversity of supervisory bodies and staff (Composition of supervisory bodies and staff by gender, age, minorities, and other diversity indicators).

Composition of the bank’s Management Board by age and diversity.

Composition of the bank’s Management Board
by gender

Composition of the bank’s Management Board
by age

Age 2021
Female Male
Under 30 years 0.00% 0.00%
30-50 years 0.00% 55.56%
Over 50 years 11.11% 33.33%
Total percentage 11.11% 88.89%
Foreigners 0.00% 22.22%

Composition of the bank’s Supervisory Board by age and diversity.

Composition of the bank’s Supervisory Board by gender

Composition of the bank’s Supervisory Board by age

Age 2021
Female Male
Under 30 years 0.00% 0.00%
30-50 years 20.00% 0.00%
Over 50 years 20.00% 60.00%
Total percentage 40.00% 60.00%
Foreigners 10.00% 50.00%

More data illustrating the employment structure at Santander Bank Polska S.A. can be found in the ESG Performance chapter in the section Social Performance. 

#ThePlaceToBeYourself

Diversity at Santander Bank Polska S.A. has many dimensions. We are committed to ensuring that every employee can feel themselves with us and is treated with respect, kindness and friendliness on a daily basis. Therefore, the Santander Group has launched the #ThePlaceToBeYourself campaign. This is in line with the activities we undertake locally, such as:

  • employee groups, for instance, ”Santander Parents”, ”Ecology” or ”Embrace” – intended for LGBT+ people and their allies;
  • Diversity Month celebrations, during which we organised a series of webinars, workshops, debates or inspirational meetings, showing the power and potential that diversity and inclusion bring to an organisation;
  • a series of workshops ”Precedence for diversity” and a series of meetings entitled ”Let’s talk about diversity” facilitated by our leaders (attended altogether by 500 people);
  • celebration of the International Day against Transphobia, Biphobia and Homophobia.

Actions to support women

Gender diversity is an important dimension of Santander Bank Polska S.A.'s diversity. We encourage women to take up challenges and leadership roles. We pay great attention to ensuring a balance in the number of women and men participating in our development programmes, as well as in the succession and recruitment process.

Share of women at different levels of employment.

 

2021 2020
Percentage of women in top management 28.8% 22.0%
Percentage of women in senior management 44.8% 50.0%
Percentage of women in middle management 55.5% 57.2%
Percentage of women among all persons employed under employment contracts at the Bank 68.3%

In 2021:

  • we have launched a series of Santander Female podcasts. Their topics included diversity and inclusion in large organisations and women’s leadership. The podcasts have been listened to over 2,000 times;

Santander Female podcasts are available on Spotify and You Tube.

  • We initiated the project ”IT Through a Woman’s Eye”, which aims to encourage women to move into TECH professions;
  • We have established cooperation with the Share the Care Foundation, which supports us in the process of implementing the EU directive on extending fathers’ leave;
  • We work with UNGC Network Poland on the Standards of Business Ethics, where one of the priorities is equal opportunities for men and women in business.

For our work on behalf of women, we have been awarded the 2021 'Equal Company’ Certificate by Forbes Women magazine in support of equality and diversity in business. For more information, please visit the section Awards and recognitions.

Actions to support workers with disabilities

We continue to work towards building an inclusive and diverse working environment for persons with disabilities.

At Santander Bank Polska S.A., we create diverse teams:

Santander Disability

World Day of People with Disabilities

Our activities:

  • As part of the Differently Abled Project, we organised regular educational campaigns on disability aimed at employees and managers, e.g. ”Listen to the World of the Deaf”, ”Seeing means… Look at the World Like the Blind”, ”Don’t Hesitate: Learn the Sign Language with Us – a workshop on the basics of sign language”. The aim of these initiatives was to raise awareness of the rights and needs of persons with disabilities and to break down barriers.

  • From 2020, employees with disabilities can apply for a financial allowance to be used for health-related purposes.

  • We are involved in activities aimed at building the image of an employer open to employing people with disabilities, such as discussion panels, podcasts with the participation of persons representing organisations supporting people with disabilities in finding jobs, as well as partnership in events at universities (participation in the ”Letter Writing Night” at the Wrocław University of Technology).

Anti-discrimination

  • GRI:
  • Total number of discrimination cases406-1
    Total number of discrimination cases

We declare zero tolerance for any form of discrimination. As part of shaping an ethical culture and counteracting such phenomena as mobbing, discrimination and harassment, we have made an e-learning training available to our employees. It reminds participants about the rules in force in the organisation and how to seek support in case of their violations. The training was implemented as compulsory in 2018 and is systematically delivered to newly hired employees.

Additionally, on the occasion of the Diversity Month, we organised a webinar for employees on ”How to prevent discrimination – do I, he or she discriminate?”.

In 2021, there were no reported no cases of discrimination at Santander Bank Polska S.A.

93
 
%
The completion rate of the training on countering behaviours incompatible with our ethical culture at the end of 2021.