Priority No. 3: roll out a robust policy on gender equality in the workplace
Timeline
- 1995 : First commitment to diversity
- 2009 : Diversity Label awarded
- 2013 : Intergenerational action plan created
- 2014 : Seventh agreement on the integration of people with disabilities
- 2015 : Agreement on gender equality extended
A strong Group-wide policy
CNP Assurances is dedicated to integrating young people and people with disabilities into the workplace, supporting people with disabilities and promoting professional equality. It also constantly strives to prevent all forms of discrimination.
CNP Assurances received the Seal of Diversity in 2009 for its clear diversity and anti-discrimination policy, and has managed to keep the distinction since then. The status study conducted in 2015, prior to the audit for the renewal of the Seal of Diversity, revealed an overall performance rate, in respect of the practices of CNP Assurances compared with the requirements set under the label specifications, that was close to exemplary (64%).
This policy is based in particular on three company agreements on gender equality, disabilities and union resources, as well as an action plan on the intergenerational contract initiative.
The results of this policy are illustrated not only by the Seal of Diversity but also by several indicators:
- in 2015, CNP Assurances ranked eighth in the annual list of French companies with the highest proportion of women executives (number one in the insurance sector) published by the Ministry of Social Affairs, Health and Women’s Rights, which highlights the most advanced companies in terms of gender equality;
- on disability, employees with disabilities represented 6.4% of CNP Assurances’ workforce at 31 December 2015, an increase of more than 1 percentage point compared with 2014. In late 2014, it signed its seventh internal agreement on this subject with three union organisations for 2015-2018 – a testimony to its enduring commitment;
- in accordance with the agreement, employee representatives who devote more than half of their working time to these duties receive a salary increase each year at least equal to the average of the individual pay rises of all the employees in their professional category.
A continuous improvement initiative: every year an internal Diversity Steering Committee, put in place in 2010 at CNP Assurances, reviews the actions undertaken in each area of the business to ensure that consistent policies are applied throughout the organisation. Career management and performance review processes uphold the principle of non-discrimination. Conferences in Arcueil and Angers helped managers understand and become aware of stereotypes and how to combat them. Over 300 managers received training, particularly on equal opportunity in hiring. Various mechanisms have been put in place to ensure that application of the diversity policy is regularly monitored and an annual diversity report is presented to employee representatives.
A commitment applied across the Group: the commitment to fighting discrimination is shared across the Group, and features in the Caixa Seguradora group’s code of ethics and conduct, and in CNP Assurances Compañia de Seguros’ code of ethics. CNP Cyprus Insurance Holdings’ code of service addresses the issues of discrimination, privacy, freedom of religion, and respect for each employee. A collective agreement on this subject was also signed by MFPrévoyance in 2011. A working group to promote diversity at UniCredit Vita once again implemented numerous initiatives, including dedicated training, in 2015.
Promoting gender equality in the workplace
| 2015 | 2014 | Year-on-year change | Level of coverage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proportion of female management-grade staff | 50% | 50% | 0% | 99% |
| Proportion of female senior executives | 33% | 33% | 0% | 99% |
| Average male/female income ratio by category | 105% | 109% | -4% | 99% |
CNP Assurances constantly strives to reduce any observed gender gaps in remuneration and promotion. The second agreement on gender equality, signed by all trade unions in 2011, sets measurable goals in terms of gender parity, promotions, training and work-life balance. Particular attention is paid to women returning to work from maternity leave. A new agreement extending it until the end of 2016 was signed in 2015.
At 31 December 2015, 39% of Board members were women (seven directors). The proportion of women on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee has increased steadily in recent years, exceeding 38% at the end of 2014. To advance the cause of women in the workplace, CNP Assurances belongs to Financi’Elles, a network for female management-grade employees in banking, finance and insurance, and Alter Égales, the network for female management-grade employees within the Caisse des Dépôts Group. Continuing the actions taken in the previous year, the Company pursued its active membership of both networks in 2015.
The employment and integration of employees with disabilities
Number of employees with disabilities
| 2015 | 2014 | Year-on-year | Level of coverage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of employees with disabilities | 140 | 130 | +8% | 99% |
CNP Assurances this year celebrated the 20th anniversary of its disability programme. During these years, it has implemented a proactive policy to help people with disabilities enter the workforce. A seventh agreement was signed in 2014, committing the Company to helping people with disabilities enter and stay in the workforce over a period of four years from 2015 to 2018. Including the 124 disabled employees on permanent contracts (up 10% compared with 2014) and the employees of the 170 sheltered workshops used by the Company, the proportion of disabled employees was 6.4% of the workforce at 31 December 2015.
Disabled access audits have been conducted at all CNP Assurances’ facilities, in liaison with the Occupational Health, Safety and Working Conditions Committee. An accessibility audit carried out in 2011 at the two main Paris sites found that they were respectively 77% and 73% accessible to the disabled. In 2014, before CNP Assurances employees moved into a new building in Paris, an accessibility audit was carried out and the recommendations from the audit were implemented.
The Caixa Seguradora group frequently uses organisations that promote employment of people with disabilities to circulate job offers. It develops awareness initiatives to help teams welcome these employees. At CNP UniCredit Vita, employees with disabilities represented 6.13% of the workforce in 2015.
Fighting age discrimination
Hiring young people
CNP Assurances makes every effort to help young people to find employment. In 2015, permanent employees aged under 25 accounted for 3.4% of the workforce. An action plan to implement the French government’s intergenerational contract initiative was drawn up in 2013, describing CNP Assurances’ commitment to helping young people find lasting employment under a permanent contract. In 2015, 12 people aged under 25 were hired on permanent contracts. At 31 December 2015, CNP Assurances had more than 100 young employees on work-study contacts. CNP Assurances also hosted 86 interns in 2015. In addition, MFPrévoyance signed an intergenerational contract with employee representatives in 2013.
Employing seniors
CNP Assurances’ intergenerational plan sets measurable goals for the hiring and retention of seniors. With 30 seniors on fixed-term contracts at the end of 2015, the Company is upholding its commitments. Nineteen seniors with expertise were hired in 2015. Employees aged over 55 accounted for more than 21.2% of the workforce at 31 December 2015, an increase of nearly 4% compared with end-2014.
Promoting diversity through communication
The internal diversity communication plan is reviewed annually. Employees may also report any complaints or problems involving suspected or actual discrimination. The procedure is available on the Intranet. Various articles on the implementation of the diversity policy, as well as external links, are also available on the CNP Intranet site.
Awareness initiatives and training are conducted to fight stereotypes, prejudice, discriminatory language and attitudes, and to convince employees of the advantages of having a diversity policy. To maintain this momentum, which is now well entrenched, the “40 minutes to understand discrimination” self‑training module, originally released in 2011 as part of the incentive campaign, has been updated.