Employees

Employees are a true asset of PGE Group. PGE operates based on their experience, commitment and competencies.

As at December 31, 2020, PGE Group employed 41,629 persons. At present, the most significant challenge in the HR area is to prepare employees for the process of a sustainable transition. This is the key objective of the new human resources management strategy which PGE Group companies were asked to formulate. A working team has been established which, having prepared conclusions resulting from a detailed analysis of the business strategy, will develop solutions responding to the challenges of the individual segments of the Group’s operations.

One of the initiatives is a plan to establish a competence development centre in Bełchatów. In 2020, the concept was developed and presented to the Marshal of the Łódzkie voivodship by the President of the Management Board of PGE SA, Wojciech Dąbrowski. The project was submitted to the “Territorial Just Transition Plan for Łódzkie Voivodship.”

A working team for the Turów complex transition program is developing a coherent and comprehensive concept for the transformation of the Turów lignite mine and power plant branches. Developed at PGE SA in cooperation with other companies, initiatives for the transformation of the Turów complex were sent to the Marshal of the Dolnośląskie province to be included in the “Territorial Just Transition Plan for Dolnośląskie Voivodship”.

Internship programs and sponsored classes have been on-going for several years. PGE cooperates closely with schools to improve the quality and effectiveness of vocational education and to help them to adapt their curricula to future needs. PGE GiEK supports 27 schools with more than 660 pupils in the Zgorzelecki, Bełchatowski and Pajęczański districts. The Company helps to educate, among others, future electricians, mechanics, power engineers, as well as automatics and mechatronics technicians.

PGE Energia Ciepła runs a project entitled “Energetic Career with PGE Energia Ciepła” in cooperation with a group of technical secondary schools. The participating schools are integrated into a single network for the exchange of information and cooperation aimed at the training of personnel in the energy sector. Within the framework of the project, students have the opportunity to acquire appropriate technical and professional skills, while close cooperation between the company and the schools makes it possible for the latter to adapt their curricula to the market needs of the Polish heat generation sector. Currently PGE Energia Ciepła cooperates with 11 schools located in Kraków, Gdańsk, Toruń (two schools), Wrocław, Bydgoszcz, Rzeszów, Zielona Góra, Gorzów Wielkopolski and Lublin. As part of the project, since its inception, over 600 students have taken part in classes at various CHP plants operated by the company, over 120 students have completed apprenticeships and 41 graduates already work as energy sector specialists at various locations within PGE Energia Ciepła.

For several years PGE Dystrybucja has cooperated with 19 vocational and sectoral schools located in its territory of operation. In each of the company’s branches there are schools with which cooperation agreements have been signed. Their pupils visit PGE Dystrybucja’s offices and learn the specificity of the work of energy sector specialists, as well as systematise their knowledge about the Polish energy market, PGE Group and the role of the Distribution System Operator. They also participate in month-long training programs.

PGE Energia Odnawialna entered into its first cooperation agreement with secondary schools in Siedlce. At present, the company provides patronage for six secondary schools (in Wejherowo, Gorlice, Radom, Opole, Zgorzelec and Siedlce), where it supports the teaching process in the following specialist subject: “Technician for renewable energy devices and systems”. The company also financed the purchase of state-of-the-art educational laboratory equipment such as heat pumps, wind and water turbines, portable educational sets with solar pumps, solar collectors and educational sets dedicated to energy storage.

The direction of offshore wind energy development indicated in the business strategy implies the need to educate experts in many fields, not only the technical ones. It opens up new prospects for cooperation between businesses and the world of science in the area of research and educational projects. PGE Group companies are signatories to the “Letter of intent on cooperation in the development of offshore wind power generation in Poland” signed on July 1, 2020. As part of the partnership, working groups were established in selected areas. One of them is defining the desired future competencies for offshore wind energy generation.

One of the key areas subject to continuous improvement is the area of occupational health and safety.

The need to respond to the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic at the beginning of 2020 created a completely new reality for all PGE Group companies, which had to face new challenges. The Corporate Centre monitors the situation on an ongoing basis and continuously communicates the principles, conditions and other relevant issues in this regard across PGE Group.

PGE Group companies developed principles for the functioning of all processes under epidemic conditions. All locations were equipped with means necessary for functioning in such conditions (e.g. disinfectants, protective masks, visors, etc.). The availability and inventories of such equipment throughout the Group were monitored on an ongoing basis by the Corporate Centre. The subsidiaries established local crisis teams based on the so-called Emergency/Crisis Teams, which were prepared in advance for similar circumstances. Their main task was to ensure operational continuity, develop emergency scenarios and principles of remote work, prepare daily reports and communications for employees, coordinate all activities, develop guidelines on sanitary regime principles in areas such as work organisation, shift handover, training, recruitment or delegations. The work of the crisis teams was supervised by the central Crisis Team at the Corporate Centre. It cooperated effectively with its counterparts in PGE Group subsidiaries, the Ministry of State Assets and the Ministry of Climate and Environment. Cooperation was also established with entities of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Authorities to ensure a smooth flow of information. The team regularly discussed the current situation. Employees were kept informed on the current pandemic situation, including changes in the legal environment, guidelines and rules for maintaining safety.

PGE Group employees have adapted work rules in their facilities to the epidemic situation. Where possible, the handover of shifts took place in a contactless manner, with no contact between the outgoing and incoming shift. Contact with outside visitors was kept to a minimum. Some employers organised flu vaccinations for employees. Regulations concerning the principles of remote work were implemented and materials concerning good practices in remote work were developed for PGE Group employees.

Employees of some companies have been able to use a special line offering psychological support for those who may have felt the discomfort of isolation and increased tension due to the pandemic. Willing employees have been able to participate in online training with a psychologist on managing stress and emotions in times of crisis and rapid change.

To support managers, a set of Good Managerial Practices has been developed with examples and advice on how to transfer managerial tools to the online world (remote working for managers, remote communication, emotions and stress). The HR team supported managers in coping with the management of remote working teams by means of cyclical online training courses entitled “The Manager in Hard Times”. They focused on development in two areas: management of oneself and one’s effectiveness while working remotely, and remote team management.

PGE offers comprehensive medical packages in private health care facilities run by Enel-Med and other medical partner across the country to all of its employees. Employees can quickly benefit from professional medical care, i.e. medical consultations with various specialists and diagnostic tests. In the autumn-winter period, each employee can receive a free flu vaccination preceded by a medical consultation.

Given the importance of the Group’s infrastructure for the power system and the progressing digitalisation, PGE regards ICT security issues as a matter of primary importance.

To secure the infrastructure, technical safeguards are in place to protect PGE Group against malware, targeted attacks and denial of service attacks. Computers functioning in the PGE Group network are monitored on a continuous basis. Procedures regulating employees’ rights and obligations with respect to IT security have been implemented in the entire Group. Among other things, it is prohibited to use company IT devices for private purposes, to use social media except when it is necessary (PGE Group profiles), to log into private e-mail accounts and to use unsecured Wi-Fi networks.

It is very important to build IT security awareness among the employees of PGE Group through education and ongoing provision of information on possible and existing threats, as well as the principles of safe use of computers, the Internet and company mobile phones. Articles and information on this topic are published in PGE Group’s internal media.

Access to corporate resources from the Internet is based on encrypted VPN connections. In order to enable PGE Group employees to work remotely, VPN infrastructure as well as group communication and teleconferencing environment have been developed.

PGE Group regards internal communication as an indicator of its responsibility towards its employees. PGE makes every effort to ensure that internal communication reflects the culture of the organisation and the quality of relations between employees and the management staff.

Internal communication during the pandemic proved to be one of the key areas on which PGE Group focused to ensure its employees’ sense of security. Employees were kept informed about the epidemic situation on an ongoing basis via the intranet (corporate intranet portal), newsletter or company magazine entitled “Under the Umbrella”. Regular announcements were sent out, from the levels of both the whole Group and individual companies, which kept employees informed about particularly important issues related to safety during the pandemic.

The tab “Coronavirus – information” was created at the corporate intranet portal; it has more than 1,000 page views per month. In 2020, nearly 100 articles were published there, for example: daily reports on the coronavirus, legal acts, current information on safety rules, information on the functioning of individual PGE Group companies during the pandemic, principles of the employee volunteering program and information related to the #stayathome campaign. During the autumn and winter seasons, a special campaign dedicated to PGE Group employees was conducted. Titled “It doesn’t have to be the flu season”, it was prepared in cooperation with a family medicine doctor.

In addition, an HR newsletter was launched for PGE SA employees in 2020. It is distributed on a monthly basis and contains the most relevant information in the area of human resources, including information related to work safety during the coronavirus pandemic. A similar newsletter is also published in PGE Energia Ciepła.

Managerial communication during the pandemic period moved online. Meetings were held in the form of video or teleconferences. PGE Systemy, which provides ICT services to Group companies, introduced even more effective solutions that supported communication among employees through IT resources. Changes were also made to the formal document circulation, electronic signatures replaced handwritten ones, and many processes previously functioning in the SAP system only were adjusted to the requirements of the new situation.

Internal communication also played a key role in publishing the Company’s new business strategy. At the initiative of the PGE SA Management Board, a series of meetings were held in traditional and on-line formats for employees of the following companies: PGE GiEK, PGE SA, PGE Dystrybucja, PGE Obrót, PGE Energia Odnawialna, PGE Baltica and PGE Energia Ciepła. They were attended by a total of over 3,200 people.

The key principles of the strategy aimed at achieving climate neutrality by 2050 were presented from the perspective of each company. The Management Board also answered questions from employees. In addition, a dedicated box was set up on the company intranet for questions from employees to the management.

In 2020 modern forms of communication such as PGE TV were developed. Apart from current video materials, every quarter the most important events at PGE Group were summarised in a film format. The film had a total of 7000 views. Published for 12 years, the employee magazine “Under the Umbrella” was also moved online. It is supplemented with a newsletter containing abbreviated versions of all articles published in the magazine along with links to their full content.

Internal communication was also an important aspect in maintaining relations among employees. This is because it is based on not only messages sent from the employer to the employee, but also the employee’s involvement, which allows the latter to present their opinions, initiatives and ideas.

There is one Intra-Group Trade Union Organisation in PGE SA. As at December 31, 2020 there were 128 different trade unions functioning throughout PGE Group.

In accordance with the Trade Union Act, the basic level of cooperation among social partners is a branch or a company if it is an independent employer within the meaning of Article 3 of the Labour Code.

Another level of cooperation is the forum of the particular PGE Group companies, where topics common to all employers in a given area are discussed. Social dialogue at this level takes place between management boards and trade union platforms that bring together trade unions operating in given workplaces and having convergent sectoral interests. The principles of cooperation at the level of key companies are usually regulated in a dedicated covenant or cooperation agreement whose parties include employers and companies.

In matters of strategic importance for the entire PGE Group, social dialogue is conducted at the Corporate Centre level between the Management Board of PGE SA and representatives of the social side of PGE Group. In relations with the social partner, the principle of company dialogue prevails and talks are transferred to a higher level in the event that talks at the level of employers or companies do not yield expected results.

PGE SA and certain PGE Group companies are participants in sectoral social dialogue, which includes tripartite teams, among others things.

Model for working with trade unions

In connection with the development of a new business strategy, on May 28, 2020 the Management Board of PGE SA organised a meeting with PGE Group’s social partners at the PGE Narodowy stadium, under full sanitary regime, which was also attended by representatives of the management boards of all Business Lines. The managers presented economic and business conditions and prospects, taking into account the situation in the power generation sector and the need for its restructuring.

Along with the announcement of the new PGE strategy, a decision was made to organise an online meeting with representatives of all trade unions functioning at PGE Group on October 26, 2020. The members of PGE SA’s Management Board presented the principles of strategy implementation and answered questions of the meeting participants. On November 5, 2020, a meeting on this topic was also organised for the Intercompany Organisation No. 2897 of the “Solidarity” Trade Union operating in PGE SA.

In late September and early October 2020, the trade union organisations functioning at PGE Group, represented by the Protest and Strike Committee at PGE Group, submitted disputed demands concerning, among other things, previously concluded contracts and agreements on cooperation between the parties to the thirty employers.

In order to guarantee social peace for PGE Group, PGE SA initiated talks with the Protest and Strike Committee to develop ways to jointly resolve collective disputes in the workplaces. An example of cooperation at the level of employers and individual business segments of PGE Group is the agreement concluded on December 21, 2020 in PGE Energia Odnawialna between the Confederation of Trade Unions of PGE Energia Odnawialna and the Management Board of the company. It allows for the unification of the human resources and payroll policies in the divisions and the conduct of a dialogue supporting investments in renewable energy sources. The agreement ended unresolved collective disputes in the company, and the Confederation of Trade Unions of PGE Energia Odnawialna withdrew from the Protest and Strike Committee at PGE Group. In PGE Systemy, a PGE Group company, an agreement ending a collective dispute was signed on December 30, 2020.

The parties also agreed to refine the principles of social dialogue at PGE Systemy and to conduct future talks between the trade unions and the employer.

PGE encourages dialogue with employers, i.e. in the individual companies and branches of PGE Group. The result of the talks at the Corporate Centre level was an agreement entered into on January 14, 2021 between PGE SA and the Protest and Strike Committee at PGE Group concerning the schedule of cooperation between the employers and the social partner in the scope of agreeing on the level of full-time employment and dealing with the remaining demands of trade unions submitted under the procedure of collective disputes.