Being digital and caring employer

As from mid-March 2020, 80% of Orange Polska’s own and outsourced employees switched to remote work. At lightning speed, we moved our office and call centre staff to work at home and trained our outlet staff in telesales. It was a huge logistics operation, which involved providing the necessary equipment, access and protections, and a great organisational challenge, which required the development of new tools and systems for work, meetings and communications.

These actions were very well received by our employees: 92% of the respondents assessed our remote work model as good or very good, and 95% declared that the functioning of their team under remote work conditions was good or very good. Moreover, 68% of our employees would definitely like to continue remote work in the future (survey conducted in April 2020).

We also changed our communications in order to provide our employees with the best possible support and access to information at this difficult time. We introduced regular webinars with Management Board Members, which became an important platform for sharing key information and building the sense of security. 93% of our employees positively assessed our corporate communications and perceived it as open and honest.

Initially, hybrid work was to be a short-term response to the pandemic, but it came to be a trend which will survive and transform the way we manage our organisation.

For Orange Polska, the hybrid system became one of the pillars of the new work model that we called SMILE (Safe, Mobile, Integrated, Leading, Efficient). It will be fully introduced once staying in the office will no longer involve strict sanitary regime.

The model was tested, with safety precautions, between July and September 2020, during a decrease in intensity of the pandemic. We assumed the principles: three days at home, two days in the office. Ultimately, teams will be working in the office on the same days and from home also on the same days. The office/home rhythm may change depending on the tasks performed by the team.

A major limitation was that some teams, mostly at call centres, lacked mobile tools. As an investment in improving the work environment, 2,500 desktop computers were replaced with laptops or virtual desktops in 2020.

These changes were supported by an educational module for all employees. First, we provided training and other development activities related to remote work and digital skills, as well as tools supporting regular contact and team work. Our employees were also invited to webinars on remote work organisation, mental and physical condition, healthy lifestyle and management of one’s family relations or emotions during a period of isolation.

Second, in response to requests by our employees who complained about continuous on-line meetings, we introduced a rule that meetings could not exceed an hour and suggested a common ‘meeting-free hour’ during a day.

The pandemic brought a considerable mental burden on us. Therefore, we established a dedicated community on our internal portal Orange Plazza for sharing experiences and problems and providing mutual support. We also offered assistance from our internal coaches and, if required, dedicated psychological support. It has been an important element of our Policy of Investing in Health Quality and Well-being of Employees.

Our buildings remain open, but they are used mostly be people who cannot effectively perform their tasks from home. Sales outlets and technical personnel also work on the ground. Hence, it is important to ensure safety of our field technicians, salespeople and other persons who cannot perform their duties at home. We have responded to this need by investing in personal protective equipment and safety measures, organising shift work organisation and regularly disinfecting premises.

Apart from meeting the sanitary requirements, we have implemented additional solutions, such as remote mist generators for disinfecting sales outlets. The Company has also allocated funds for additional equipment for technicians and salespeople as well as awards for employees to acknowledge their work and commitment in the difficult pandemic era.

Our employees are consulted about the SMILE solutions, and the ones already introduced have been very well received, as confirmed by surveys.

We are building our organisational culture in open dialogue with our employees. The process of culture change, which was initiated in 2017, is based on organisational health surveys (according to McKinsey & Company’s methodology). Three editions have been held so far. The results have enabled us to determine the key priorities in changing our organisational culture, which include: open communication and feedback culture, co-operation, simplification, learning from errors, building motivation through appreciation, and employee development. Thanks to this, we have been able to create an organisational culture which supports the implementation of our strategy, as it is customer-centric, while ensuring the involvement of our employees.

Our initiatives:

• Building a feedback culture through: Feedback 360° for all employees (every two years), summarising meetings and monthly Pulsometer;
• Development of employees and managers:
  • Leader in Action – 10 rules which constitute the basis for leader assessment and development;
  • Me in Action – 10 rules or specific behaviours which constitute the basis for employee development, feedback and recruitment.
• Open and two-way communication to engage employees using new communication formats:
  o #bezcukru [No sugar] – regular meetings of Board Members with employees (every week or two), more than 2,000 employees on average (with online video streaming to more than 150 Orange Polska locations).
•  Co-operation
  • Monthly Pulsometer – a team feedback survey focused on co-operation and achieving goals;
  • Leader in Action community – a common platform for all managers for sharing best management practices and knowledge, and building common understanding of the Company’s objectives.
• Motivation:
  • Modification of the incentive system – quarterly bonuses are now included in the base salary, a new two-tier system of financial awards;
  • Building a culture of appreciation through transparent communications and joint celebration of the successes of the Company and individual employees (e.g. annual head of function award galas and CEO award gala);
  • O!klaski [Applause!] application enabling employees to express their appreciation, thank for co-operation and recognise daily successes.
• Simplification, learning from errors, innovation:
  • Simplification of processes company-wise – improvement of the processes carried out by employees on the 1st line (advisers, sellers, technicians, couriers) affecting ergonomics and job satisfaction. So far, 25 initiatives have been implemented, affecting 8,000 people. employees by improving their day-to-day experiences.
  • ‘Listen and Respond’ clubs – a project encouraging employees to propose and implement improvements within the Company; 160 such clubs with almost 700 employees involved were established in 2020;
  • Oz – an initiative to support innovation and collaboration among employees.

In 2020, we once again received the Top Employer Polska, Top Employer Europe and Top Employer Global – as well as HR Best Quality – certificates. They reflect our commitment to better working conditions and our focus on employee development, as well as implementation and constant enhancement of good human capital practices.

Orange Polska has adopted the Diversity Management Policy, which was determined in the Decision no. 36/16 of the President of the Management Board dated 19 September 2016.

Our Diversity Management Policy aims to bolster the pursuit of our business objectives and support compliance with the values enshrined in the Code of Ethics, CSR goals and the obligations under the Diversity Charter, of which Orange Polska is a signatory. In addition, the Policy refers to the Global Diversity Management and Inclusion Policy in Orange.

The key diversity dimensions in the Group are as follows: gender, age, competence / expertise / experience / way of thinking, psychophysical skills, (dis)abilities, and parental status. Other diagnosed dimensions include: religion / beliefs, workplace location (headquarters vs. region), type of employment, and nationality / ethnic origin.

Diversity Management Policy covers the following areas:

• Creating a working environment open to diverse mindsets;
• Building a corporate culture which derives from diversity;
• Providing adequate conditions for employee development;
• Supporting involvement of all employees;
• Increasing the quality of human capital management in the organisation.

The implementation of our Diversity Management Policy is supported by the Committee for Gender Equality and Diversity in the Workplace. The quality of our diversity management has been confirmed by the Gender Equality European and International Standard (GEEIS) certificate.

With respect to administering, managing and supervising bodies, the rules specified in the Policy include proper selection of employees and leadership.

In the recruitment process, we follow transparent rules and criteria of candidate selection. Decisions to recruit particular employees are based on their qualifications and professional experience. We ensure that candidates represent diverse communities.

In terms of leadership, the diversity requirements include care for the diversity of decision-making bodies within the Company.

In complementary action plans to the Policy, we have assumed a requirement for analysis of management and supervisory bodies in terms of diversity with respect to such aspects as age, gender, education or professional experience.

The duties and responsibilities, as well as the requirements related to qualifications, expertise and competence of the Supervisory Board Members are specified in the Company’s Articles of Association. In addition, Orange Polska applies the provisions of the Best Practice for GPW Listed Companies.

The Supervisory Board currently consists of 14 members, including five independent members. They are appointed by the General Meeting (or, in exceptional cases, by the Supervisory Board). The term of office for the member of the Supervisory Board is three years. There are four women on the Supervisory Board.

The Management Board currently consists of eight members, including the President. They are appointed by the Supervisory Board. The term of office for a member of the Management Board is three years. There are two women on the Management Board.

The Diversity Management Policy aims to bolster the pursuit of our business objectives, address changes in the labour market and respond to the expectations of our employees. The policy also supports compliance with the values enshrined in the Code of Ethics, CSR goals and the obligations under the Diversity Charter, of which we are a signatory.

The Diversity Charter is an international initiative implemented in 24 European countries The Charter is a written declaration, signed by organisations, companies and institutions that undertake to prohibit discrimination in the workplace and take measures to create and promote diversity, and express readiness to involve all employees and business and social partners in these activities. Organisations which decide to implement this tool work for cohesion and social equality.

Responding to the need to provide greater support for women in their development and access to management positions, but also combining their professional and family commitments, we have launched the Razem.One [Together.One] programme.

Razem.One is a programme which fits into the culture change, addressed to all Orange Polska’s employees. It aims to show how important for our business it is to use the potential of each of us by creating sustainable teams, consisting of both women and men.

It encompasses four areas:

• Power – To empower women by increasing their courage to take new challenges, building their self-confidence and supporting them in their return to a professional development and carrier path after childbirth, as well as helping them to combine their professional and private commitments;
• Awareness – To develop and strengthen broad awareness of the business role of women in raising efficiency, building organisational culture and pursuing business objectives;
• Ambition – To ensure opportunities for career development and promotion by increasing the number of women at managerial positions and the number of female candidates during recruitment to managerial positions, as well as reducing wage gaps at equivalent positions;
• Presence – To increase the presence of women in decision-making roles and technical functions.

In 2020, we launched some new initiatives in the Razem.One programme.

In the Razem.Lokalnie [Together locally] project, through a community of local ambassadors we encourage women to pursue managerial positions, work in the IT area and join initiatives for local communities. This project provides an opportunity for both female and male employees from different locations to participate in inspirational meetings and development activities, such as mentoring, coaching or shadowing. Currently, there are 30 diversity ambassadors and 12 local teams within the Company.

Włącz.One [Turn on.One] is another practice in this domain. Through an educational and informational campaign we encourage women to pursue a career in the field of technology. We want our teams to be built on the basis of diversity of competence and experience, because then we can be more innovative and we can better respond to the needs of our customers, the market and the changing environment. This is the idea behind the Włącz.One campaign, which aims to change the perception of the technology field among women and get them interested in pursuing careers in companies like ours. We strive to strengthen the image of female professionals in technology. We hope to attract more job applications from talented female graduates and women which already have experience in the IT area. The Włącz.One project is based on the willingness to share knowledge and experience by female ambassadors who are employed and successful in Orange Polska. By showing their profiles and history we inspire and motivate people outside and inside the organisation to work in the field of technology.

Furthermore, Orange Polska is a partner of the Women in Tech Summit Prospects conference, the biggest event for women in science and technology in Europe. We are an active participant of the Women’s IT Career Day, an event organised by Future Collars in the #WomanUpdate campaign. Orange Polska was also included in the Strong Leaders Creator in IT 2020 report, which aims to present best corporate practices in supporting women development in the IT area.

Orange Polska, as a technology company, focuses on employee development adapted to the challenges of the modern world. Our employees can develop their competencies through the Orange Learning platform, following development paths for key competencies based on the ‘Know–Practice–Deepen’ framework. The platform offers various forms of development, from short knowledge pills and videos (Know) and e-learning courses, business simulations, virtual classes and webinars (Practice) to educational communities, coaching, mentoring, peer mentoring and action learning (Deepen). These resources are supplemented by the international Orange Campus programme. In addition, Orange Polska supports the emergence of employee expert communities. In the Knowledge Highway programme, selected internal experts conduct training, sharing their expertise in the particular area with other employees.

The right choice of development activities is supported by the feedback culture we build in the organisation and the relevant tools: 360 Feedback and Pulse Meter, i.e. a quick monthly opinion poll on achievement of objectives and atmosphere within teams.

Development of managers is based on the leadership model which comprises 10 Leader-in-Action rules. We offer dedicated development paths based on these rules to our managers. We will also support the emergence of leaders community.

In 2020, the pandemic necessitated quick adaptation to the new needs and implementation of development initiatives supporting remote work and the hybrid work model. Consequently, we have created new training modules in a short, digital form, which work towards developing competencies, such as individual and team efficiency, co-operation and communication, digital mindset, work tools, and the management of stress and well-being.

We also train outsourced staff in knowledge specific to Orange Polska and necessary to perform their duties.

We ensure safe and friendly working conditions for our employees, promoting integration and making them feel better in their workplace. We have implemented a competitive package of initiatives to support health and well-being of our employees, creating conditions for development, increased creativeness and commitment to the assigned tasks. This in turn enables building a valuable offer which supports employee recruitment and retention.

The goals set in the Policy for Investing in Health Quality and Well-being of Orange Polska’s Employees are pursued through a comprehensive approach to:

• Physical well-being – we provide comprehensive health care to our employees, support their physical activity, including operation of sports clubs, promote a healthy lifestyle, and create safe and friendly work environment, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic;
• Mental well-being – we educate employees in stress reduction techniques, take initiatives to support balance between professional and personal life, strive for healthy workplace relations, implement culture of feedback and appreciation, and provide psychological support in difficult situations;
• Social well-being – we build culture of co-operation in which all employees feel respected and can freely pursue their professional goals and life passions, and we support their involvement in social initiatives in the corporate volunteering programme.

Orange Polska’s employees are eligible for the following benefits:

• Comprehensive medical services at clinics of LUXMED Group (to the end of May) or PZU Zdrowie (from June), as well as partner medical facilities nationwide;
• Employee Retirement Plan;
• Company Social Benefits Fund, as a means of social welfare addressed to employees and retired employees in need;
• Central Housing Fund and Central Welfare Fund;
• Discounts by the Group’s partners and for Orange products and services in the ‘Offer for You’ programme;
• Sports, tourist and cultural events, as well as FitProfit cards;
• Tele- or remote work;
• Healthy lifestyle promotional initiatives: webinars, challenges and expert consultations;
• Psychological support by an internal team of psychologists and external specialists.

Both full-time and part-time employees are eligible for all the aforementioned benefits. Employees working under a fixed-term employment contract are eligible for health care and promotional offers, but are not eligible for benefits that require long-term commitments, such as the Central Welfare Fund or the Employee Retirement Plan.

100 %  of employees eligible for health care
84.1 % of employees covered by the Employee Retirement Plan

The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Policy regulates activities aimed to ensure work safety, health protection and constant improvement in working conditions to all employees. We aim to incorporate OHS elements into all activities of Orange Polska and on all management levels in order to ensure safe working conditions, so that all our employees can actively perform their day-to-day duties in a friendly working environment.

In 2020, our efforts in the occupational health and safety area focused primarily on ensuring safety at work to all employees and protecting their health during the pandemic. We developed and implemented workplace safety rules for our outlets, call centers and offices, and provided disinfectants and personal protective equipment. We also prepared special operating procedures in case of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection.

We respect the employees’ right to associate and we run continuous dialogue with our Social Partners. As part of this dialogue, we negotiate settlements, agreements or other documents with trade unions in Orange Polska S.A. There is also the Employee Council in the Company, which pursuant to mandatory regulations is consulted on matters related to the level, structure and intended changes of workforce, actions aimed at maintaining the workforce level, as well as any significant changes in work organisation or employment terms.

The Intragroup Collective Labour Agreement has been concluded with Social Partners in Orange Polska, which regulates, inter alia, the rules for concluding and terminating employment contracts, working hours, holiday entitlement, rules of remuneration and obtaining extra benefits connected with work, occupational safety and health issues, training, social care and health care.

Furthermore, the Management Board of Orange Polska S.A. concludes Social Agreements with its Social Partners. The current Social Agreement was concluded in December 2019 and remains in force for two years. In particular, it sets the number of voluntary departures, determines a financial package for employees leaving the Company under the voluntary departure scheme, provides for potential basic salary rises and additional compensation for employees reaching retirement age within the next four years, while specifying the position and role of internal mobility in supporting an allocation programme and offering participation in an outplacement programme. In addition, the Social Agreement for 2020–2021 provides for the follow-up of the ‘Friendly Work Environment’ programme and continuation of medical coverage.

In addition, the Settlement for 2020 was concluded in December 2019, determining the detailed procedures for the implementation of the Social Agreement for 2020–2021 in 2020. The Settlement set the number of employees to leave Orange Polska S.A. in 2020 at 1,250 and determined the terms of voluntary departures in 2020 as well as the amount of severance pay and additional compensation for employees departing in 2020. The Settlement also specified the principles and criteria to be applied by the employer in the process of selecting employees whose employment was to be terminated through no fault of the employee. In June 2020, the Management Board of Orange Polska S.A. and the Signatories to the Intragroup Collective Labour Agreement signed the Additional Protocol regarding the system of jubilee awards for long service.

In June 2020, the Management Board of Orange Polska S.A. signed a Settlement with its Social Partners on amending the Social Agreement for the years 2020–2021 to partially mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s business performance. Under the negotiated Settlement, the rate of basic salary increases in 2020 was reduced and the procedure of awarding them was changed, while PLN 8 million from the Central Fund was reallocated for additional financing of the ‘Orange Vitality Academy’, particularly the ‘Friendly Work Environment’ project. The employer also undertook to minimise the number of dismissals in the process of collective redundancies until the end of 2020; as a result, the quota of departures in 2020 was not to fully utilized.

In December 2020, a Settlement was concluded with the Social Partners, which determines the detailed procedures for the implementation of the Social Agreement for 2020–2021 in 2021. The Settlement determines the terms of voluntary departures in Orange Polska S.A. and sets the limit of dismissals at 920 in 2021.

In addition, there is a Collective Labour Agreement at TP Teltech sp. z o.o.

Our headquarters, Miasteczko Orange (Orange Town) in Warsaw has been designed and constructed to minimise its environmental footprint. It is an A+ class office complex and has been awarded a BREEAM certificate with the Excellent rating. The certificate confirms that our office complies with the strictest environmental standards and top European construction standards.

So far, we have opened new eco-friendly offices in several other locations in Poland, namely in Gdańsk, Łódź, Radom, Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Wrocław and Katowice. And other cities are waiting down the line: in 2021 we will provide our employees with new offices in Olsztyn, Opole and Zielona Góra. While choosing new office buildings, we consider their BREEAM or LEAD certificates, resource management efficiency (especially with respect to water and energy, as new buildings can help to reduce their consumption by several dozen percent), green areas, municipal waste management system, access to public transport and biking infrastructure.

In our facilities, we reduce energy consumption, segregate waste and digitise internal processes to reduce paper consumption. By eliminating bottled water for office use in all our sites, we save about 500,000 plastic bottles annually. It not only eliminates several tonnes of plastic but also reduces CO2 emissions by avoiding water transport. In our locations we create communities composed of representatives of different functions, ‘Town Councils’, which are to initiate eco-friendly campaigns in urban space in co-operation with local municipalities.

We put much attention to the environmental education of our employees. We educate them in eco-driving and organise campaigns to develop zero-waste habits or collect phones for recycling, environmental topical campaigns regarding biodiversity or waste segregation, and webinars and training on climate change and ICT impact on the climate. We introduce electric and hybrid cars to our fleet. In 2021, electric cars will become available in our car rental for employees in the Orange Town.

In 2021, we will also launch a city bike rental station by the Orange Town. We are talking with other municipalities to introduce a similar solution in other cities.

We have launched the Eco-Fridays series on Orange Polska’s corporate blog, in which we discuss the impact of technology on the environment and climate. We have also created a community of employees committed to protection of the natural environment.

We have constructed an apiary in the Orange Town in Warsaw, thus supporting the idea of urban beekeeping and simultaneously highlighting the impact of climate change on biodiversity. Apiaries will also appear in our other office sites. Furthermore, we ensure proper management of green areas in our locations.

Orange Polska has the biggest employee volunteering programme in Poland, which has been running for 16 years. Our employees share their knowledge, skills and experience, teaching children and seniors how to use the Internet safely and wisely and carrying out their own projects for local communities with the support of the Orange Foundation. In 2020, the scope and nature of volunteering activities had to change and quickly adapt to the new needs due to the pandemic. Our volunteers focused on mitigating the pandemic impact by sewing of masks, 3D printing of visors, delivering personal protection equipment and meals to hospitals or doing shopping for senior citizens. During the pandemic, 400 Orange volunteers helped 15,000 people in need by implementing 82 projects.

Key corporate volunteering indicators

1,148
Volunteers in 2020
(3,497 in 2019)

8,400
Volunteers’ working hours in 2020
(25,590 in 2019)

Orange Polska joined the Responsible Leadership Council. The Council is an initiative of the Responsible Business Forum. It is to be a co-operation forum comprised of male and female CEOs and board members of Responsible Business Forum’s partner companies. The goal of the Council is to introduce to the public debate in Poland the voices of CEOs who are convinced of the benefits of running business in an ethical way. The representative of Orange Polska in the Council is Bożena Leśniewska, Vice President of the Management Board for Business Market.

Orange Polska is a partner of the Pro Bono Coalition (previously the CEOs-Volunteers Coalition). The goal of the Coalition is to discuss social involvement among business leaders, and to promote pro-social attitudes and behaviours by showing positive examples of top managers who share their time, experience, knowledge and skills as part of voluntary campaigns. Orange Polska‘s representative in the Coalition is Jacek Kowalski, Board Member in charge of Human Capital.