Combining different forms of work, using new functionalities of group work tools and a new way of arranging office space are redefining the work environment.
PZU Group saw as an opportunity to support the desired changes in shaping organizational culture.
In determining the scope of change, attention was focused on the benefits to employees, taking into account their diverse needs, which stem from both professional and personal roles. The change communication was based on the company’s enduring values – emphasizing that they are still relevant, and that the transformation expands the ways in which they can be realized. PZU is focused on developing employee autonomy, strengthening different work styles, as well as shaping conditions conducive to effective cooperation (including inter-area) and caring for employee well-being.
Ambassadors of Change in the New Work Model
To support the company’s transformation and implement changes taking into account the perspective of employees in each unit, the company decided to appoint nearly 300 Ambassadors of Change. Two groups were distinguished: Ambassadors of the New Work Model and Ambassadors of Group Work Tools. Both groups of Ambassadors were prepared for their new role by providing knowledge on effective change management and project assumptions related to the New Work Model.
Corporate Values in the New Work Model
- Combining remote and office work provides balance in life.
- Optimizing work styles, promoting practices that positively impact long-term performance and employee well-being.
- Full responsibility for the organization and quality of its work.
- Applying habits that promote efficiency, including the ability to flexibly select the workplace to suit the type of tasks being performed.
- Responsibility for one’s own development.
- Lack of control over whether and how we work remotely.
- Appreciating autonomy and focusing on the goals and results of one’s own work.
- Building a friendly and engaging work environment together by ensuring that shared spaces are comfortable and resources are optimized.
- The constant search for effective methods of cooperation, the use of modern tools for group work.
- Inter-area cooperation and knowledge sharing.
- Being open to change, seeking new solutions and experimenting.
The tasks of the Ambassadors of the New Work Model were to actively promote the new work model, introduce colleagues to the assumptions of the changes, and collect and forward information and questions from the various business areas to the project group. They were also invited to work in working groups related to, among other things, decisions on space arrangement in the new headquarters building, preparing for the move, developing a cafeteria of hybrid work practices and communicating new ways of working. The company’s employees thus gained the opportunity to co-create a modern work environment and influence the choice of the name of the new office building. Combining the perspectives of people from different business areas allowed more aspects to be taken into account, improved the quality of decisions and their transparency.
Ambassadors of Group Work Tools are a group of new technology enthusiasts whose goal was to help employees learn about and introduce the new tools into their daily work. Their main tasks were to analyze the tangible benefits for specific groups of employees resulting from the functionality of the new tools, conduct numerous educational and promotional activities, provide guidance and pass on best practices to their colleagues.
Best practices of PZU and PZU Życie
Hybrid Work Best Practice Cards
Taking advantage of the functionality of the new tools required teams to switch to new ways of communicating and sharing knowledge. The new office even forced a change in behavior – the arrangement was based on an open plan to foster collaboration between areas, and a natural consequence of the hybrid work model was the introduction of a desk-sharing system. It was recognized that existing education and communication activities need to be reinforced with concrete actions – the implementation of new practices. Employees needed concrete hints on how they could now function, outlining various scenarios for taking advantage of new opportunities.
By analyzing the results gathered from the Ambassadors of Change, key challenges of working in the new environment were identified, which provided guidance for building a catalog of practices. More than 30 people from all areas of the organization participated in the project to develop a catalog of best practices: Ambassadors of Change, representatives of middle and high-level managers, HR and external experts. The ambassadors helped verify the collected practices against responses to real needs and implementation opportunities. They were developed in an attractive card format – a main deck (24 cards) and a deck of leader cards (20 cards) were prepared. The whole is an open catalog of recommendations related to hybrid work, teamwork, use of tools, building well-being.
The cards are used in team workshops, where the leader and the team work out a team contract together. Developing a contract with the team is a mandatory part of the New Work Model implementation path for every manager (managers receive the necessary support: manuals, videos, consultations from an HR advisor and an Ambassador of Change).
The developed cafeteria of Best Practices of Hybrid Work in the form of cards encourages leaders and employees to review their existing routines in daily work, providing many hints on how to ensure individual and team efficiency, but also comfort in the new work environment and hybrid reality.
PZU also shares Hybrid Work Best Practices with other organizations in Poland through campaigns on LinkedIn. PZU’s intention is that the cafeteria of best practices will be developed as the hybrid model matures in the organization.
Best practices of PZU and PZU Życie
„On the Road!” gamification platform
The „On the Road!” gamification platform is a tool that supported the implementation of new habits related to flexible work environments and the building of competencies necessary for effective work in a hybrid model. Thanks to the use of an interesting storyline, engaging tasks and mechanisms familiar from games (going through successive levels of difficulty, participating in additional challenges, appreciating effort and rewarding progress), participants are more likely to read the information provided, remember its content more easily, as well as be more likely to take the desired action.
As part of the New Work Model implementation project, the gamification platform supported mass communication of key changes, as well as aimed at arousing employees’ willingness to change their ways in the new environment. The tasks made it possible to convey the most important information in an interesting and engaging way, and by using well-chosen motivation mechanisms characteristic of games, we consolidated new habits.
The material was divided into one hundred short tasks and spread over four months and six missions. As a result, the employee was introduced into the new work environment in stages. An invitation to travel together on the platform was extended to all PZU Group employees.
In addition, the platform was available before the move date to the new headquarters office for most employees, so employees could prepare for the process.
About 3,000 employees used the platform. Each of them could benefit from 100 tasks on topics such as the new office, MS Office 365 tools, hybrid work best practices, good condition.
The role of managers in shaping organizational culture
In building an organizational culture, PZU pays special attention to the role of managers. The implementation of the New Work Model means new opportunities and the needs of employees, which is why PZU’s leadership role has been redefined in 2022, especially in terms of responsibility for the company’s transformation:
Leadership role:
I am familiar with the assumptions and principles of the New Work Model. I explain the meaning and benefits of working in the new model.
I give employees an appropriate amount of autonomy. I build their accountability and commitment by focusing on monitoring results instead of controlling people.
I promote cooperation and exchange of experience, including between teams. I operate flexibly, giving myself and others space to test new solutions and learn.
I know and act in accordance with Hybrid Work Best Practices. I encourage others to develop ways to improve efficiency and comfort in the work environment. I care about my own well-being and that of the people in the team.
I know and use Group Work Tools in my work. I am an ambassador for digital transformation and a promoter of innovative solutions. I manage information and knowledge in the organization.
I support employees in the transformation process, explain the direction of change. I stay in touch with people, listen to their needs, show empathy and understanding. I make sure that no one feels excluded or ignored.
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Development of managerial competencies
A platform for sharing knowledge, gaining information and acquiring practical skills is the PZU Leader’s Path, implemented in 2022. This is a practical guide, a tool to support managers in the process of implementing the New Work Model and digital transformation of the organization. As part of the Path, managers have access to a package of knowledge, practical tips and to-do tasks on optimizing work styles, best work practices and hybrid collaboration, broken down into a sequence of six steps.
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Wellbeing
Adopted in 2021, the well-being strategy #DobryStan (#wellbeing) reflects PZU’s long-term goals in the area of caring for employees’ well-being. It is a tool and an interactive plan for challenges and expectations identified (and regularly monitored), coming from within the organization and from the company’s external environment. It aims to provide a comprehensive approach based on three main pillars: nurturing life energy, building mental resilience and optimizing work style. It is actively involved (either through direct action or collaboration on other projects or organizational initiatives) in the process of shaping an organizational culture with people at its center. It conducts dialogue and listens to the needs and opinions of employees by analyzing the results of engagement surveys. Based on the conclusions of this analysis, it offers adequate action.
The well-being strategy promotes a healthy lifestyle, an optimal work style, as well as inspires and encourages employees to implement habits that improve efficiency and quality of functioning on a daily basis. Moreover, it suggests how to effectively combine professional and private roles: as an employee, parent, carer. It uses modern technology to support employees in staying physically and mentally fit. In 2022, employees were able to benefit from a range of educational activities and support, as described in the table below.
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Education
The goal is to provide employees with proven and practical knowledge and develop necessary skills in the following areas:
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Support
The goal is to offer systemic, permanent solutions when an employee or his or her loved ones find themselves in a more difficult life and work situation. |
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Support in a difficult geopolitical situation
The goal of the activity is to offer a solution, tailored to the current situation and the problems raised by employees. |
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Other group companies and foreign companies also prioritize concern for employee well-being. In 2022 Lietuvos Draudimas continued “Czuję się dobrze” (“I Feel Good”) program, which includes a number of actions and activities, including the creation of an online personal development website. Mindfulness practices were also implemented in the fall, with employees in collaborative online classes learning to reduce stress and anxiety. The company also carries out many activities to encourage employees to be physically active. LINK4, on the other hand, is implementing the “Harmonia życia” (“Harmony of Life”) program. It gives the company’s employees the opportunity to benefit from a number of initiatives, delivered in the form of webinars, workshops and online sports activities. The overarching goal of the well-being projects implemented by the two companies mentioned above is to keep employees physically and mentally fit.
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Preventing mobbing and discrimination
Preventing undesirable conduct
A major contributing factor to the creation and development of an inclusive organizational culture is the taking of steps to counteract and eradicate all mobbing, intolerance or other forms of discrimination. The prevention of mobbing is supported by company legal acts, including the Work Regulations and the Procedure for Preventing Undesirable Conduct in the Work Environment – Mobbing and Discrimination at PZU SA and PZU Życie SA.
The current Procedure for Preventing Undesirable Conduct in the Work Environment – Mobbing and Discrimination at PZU SA and PZU Życie SA was introduced by an order of the President of the Management Board and applies to all employees regardless of their position.
Employees become familiar with the Procedure at the beginning of their employment. This procedure simply defines the actions to be taken in the event mobbing or discrimination transpires in the organization. When it is amended in 2022, it also includes rules on anti-discrimination. The existing anti-mobbing procedure has not required any change for more than a decade because of its suitability and simplicity, which is an additional guarantee of stability and the consistency of the actions taken by PZU to counteract mobbing.
An Anti-Mobbing and Anti-Discrimination Commission has been appointed to verify unacceptable behaviors. It reviews employee complaints and investigates each signal of actions or behaviors that may have the features of mobbing or discrimination, as well as unequal treatment in employment. Persons with an education in law and psychology sit on the Anti-Mobbing Commission and Anti-Discrimination Commission.
Since December 2020, a new e-learning training has been mandatory for all employees: Preventing mobbing and discrimination in the workplace. In addition to mobbingrelated.
PZU and PZU Życie have a Whistleblowing Procedure in place, under which employees may report behavior that may be considered to be in violation of laws, internal regulations or standards of conduct, including ethical standards adopted by the Company, resulting or likely to result in the Company’s exposure to compliance risks. Responding to irregularities is in the interest of PZU, as it helps to prevent the occurrence of similar incidents in the future, minimizes the extent of losses, and allows the organization to maintain transparency in its operating rules and a high standard of professional relations. Whistleblowers and those affected can count on discretion, protection of personal data and full confidentiality of the information obtained. The “report the incident” procedure also operates in the organization, which enables employees to report information about breaches of rules using an Intranet platform.
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| Number of confirmed violations related to violations of anti-mobbing and anti-discrimination rules | ||
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| 2021 | 2022 | |
| PZU | 0 | 0 |
| PZU Życie | 0 | 0 |
Preventing undesirable conduct – subsidiaries
The Group companies have anti-mobbing policies and internal procedures in place. In the case of companies with a low headcount, no separate regulations pertaining to prevention of mobbing have been implemented. The companies comply with the general document, Best Practices of the PZU Group, which indirectly regulates the conduct in a mobbing situation, and the Human Rights Policy adopted by the PZU Group.
In the Alior Bank Group, the personal dignity issue is taken care of in the Code of Conduct applicable to employees of all its member companies. The Code contains guidelines on applying the principles of professionalism and respect in the workplace as well as the principles of good manners, openness toward diversity and tolerance.
Alior Bank has a policy of creating a working environment free of undesirable behavior. According to its regulations, the principles in force in the Bank pertain, among others, to the following: counteracting mobbing and sexual harassment, offering equal opportunities to all employees regardless of their gender, age, disability, race, religion, nationality, political convictions, trade union membership, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, form of employment for a specified or unspecified term and full-time or part-time employment.
Bank Pekao has adopted the Anti-Mobbing Policy. This document lays down the rules for counteracting any action or conduct indicative of mobbing; additionally, it aims to underpin the execution of labor law regulations with respect to the obligation of combatting mobbing. The Bank applies a zerotolerance policy towards mobbing actions or behaviors in relation to employees (including manifestations of sexual harassment), with proper consequences immediately imposed on perpetrators. In accordance with the provisions of the AntiMobbing Policy, each reported case is examined by the AntiMobbing Committee – a collective body appointed by the employer to investigate mobbing-related complaints.