Human Resources

1. Statement of commitment to respect human rights in accordance with internationally accepted standards

Piraeus Bank, since 2004, has adopted the principles of the UN Global Compact and the Declaration of Human Rights. The Bank applies equal opportunity principles to all actions and opposes to any form of discrimination, inequality or human rights violation while, at the same time, recognizes and respects diversity. All of the Bank’s policies, procedures and human resource management practices are governed by respect for human rights.

Piraeus Group is committed to the homogeneous adherence of the principles that govern Human Resources management in consistency with the Group’s value system. This gives priority to humans and society, regulates and supports the progress and development of the Group.

The Human Rights Policy applies to Piraeus Group including the entities in which the Bank holds a majority interest.

Basic Principles of the Piraeus Bank for Human Rights

• Collective Representation
• Equal Opportunities
• Abstention of child labour
• Elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour
• Reassurance of Human Rights within Piraeus Bank Group through the implementation of policies and procedures.
• Elimination of harassment and psychological violence in the workplace
• Communication with the employees and active commitment to clarity at dealing with all Stakeholders
• Confidentiality and Secrecy Principle
• Monitoring and management systems for ensuring Human Rights
• Environmental Responsibility
• Preservation from Corruption
• Evaluation and Optimization of Human Rights Policy

2. Commitment with respect to human resources management

In addition, all of the Bank’s policies, procedures and human resource management practices are governed by respect for human rights.

The Piraeus Group is opposed to:

• any form of discrimination
• any form of unequal treatment
• any form of harassment or threatening behavior
• any form of violation of human rights

3. Actions and procedures undertaken to meet commitment

Piraeus Group, in order to monitor and safeguard the respect for human rights as well as strengthen communication with all employees on human rights issues:

• Has developed a human rights policy & procedure for complaints regarding the safeguarding of human rights, which is regularly reviewed according to the developments in the legal framework. This procedure effectively manages and settles staff complaints in accordance to the labor relations framework.
• Has implemented different communication channels including the Intranet, through which employees can raise issues of concern to them regarding human rights in the workplace and receive guidance by specialized partners.
• Provides the “Human Rights” e-learning training program, which is available to all Group employees and executives in Greece and abroad.

4. Expectations of Piraeus Bank partners and suppliers

The Bank is committed to working with and encouraging its stakeholders to uphold the principles of Human Rights Policy and to adopt similar policies within their businesses.

With the aim of actively contributing to protection of the principles of human rights, specific evaluation criteria have been designed for the Bank’s partners and suppliers, including equal opportunities, non-acceptance of child or forced labor, compliance with business ethics principles and environmental protection.

The Bank has developed a revised Code of Conduct for Suppliers through its Corporate Responsibility Committee, which includes the prerequisites for selection and partnership with suppliers who respect human rights and environmental protection. The revised Code of Conduct is expected to be gradually implemented.

Driven by the Group’s vision and values and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN Global Compact, Piraeus Bank actively develops and supports initiatives with emphasis on Society, Culture and the Environment. In this context, in 2019, Group employees and their families participated in 130 volunteer events, benefiting 34,333 people and 386 organizations.

In the framework of Piraeus Group’s Corporate Responsibility, we pursue sustainable growth by investing systematically in Society, Culture and Environment.

In particular, acknowledging the importance of sustainable development for Society, we aim to create added value for our customers, employees, shareholders, local communities and the environment, by promoting the values of volunteerism with the participation of employees as well as the members of their families.

Acting with responsibility and aiming to contribute to material issues and needs of Society, we support the work of specialized NGOs with reference to the axes of vulnerable groups’ support, promotion of youth entrepreneurship, environmental protection and cultural awareness, by utilizing the voluntary contribution of our employees.

Furthermore, the voluntary actions carried out by the Group are related to the needs of local communities (through the network presence and action of the Group) and the interests of the volunteers themselves (through interests’ surveys).

Through dialogue with stakeholders and access to open information regarding voluntary activities, volunteers choose to contribute to substantial projects related to specific needs and have a significant impact on the lives of our fellow human beings.

In the context of transparency, Sustainability Report communicates on a yearly basis, both the purpose and the effect of the voluntary actions on Society.

Piraeus Bank has incorporated the design and the implementation of voluntary actions in the practices of the Group Human Resources, in collaboration with the Corporate Development & ESG Unit and the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation.

"I care, I participate, I act voluntarily in initiatives that make a difference for Society, Culture and Environment" is the message that permeates volunteerism in Piraeus Bank Group.