Human Rights Policy

“I particularly want to emphasize the great satisfaction with S&P Global's highlighting of the actions taken by the Group for the protection of human rights, the development of women and men in Poste Italiane, the attraction of talent and the financial inclusion of disadvantaged groups.”
- Giuseppe Lasco, General Manager -
 

Poste Italiane is committed to progressively intensifying its responsibility for the protection of Human Rights, in the interests of those who work with the Company and the people belonging to the community in which it carries out its activities.
The Group's Corporate Policy concerning the safeguard and protection of Human Rights reiterates the rules of conduct to be observed in relations with all stakeholders with whom the Company interacts, as already set out in the Code of Ethics. Poste Italiane pays particular attention to safeguarding the rights of all subjects included within the Group's value chain, belonging to specific categories such as: its own workers, women, children, indigenous people, migrants, external workers, local communities, suppliers and partners, customers, people with disabilities, people who are victims of any form of discrimination and violence. Through this Policy, the Group affirms its commitment to conforming company processes to the main international standards and best practices, and to promoting these principles and periodically reporting the progress of the performances achieved, in terms of management and monitoring methods, identified risks and management and mitigation actions. Furthermore, the Policy regulates various aspects concerning the prevention, condemnation and no-tolerance of any form of harassment (sexual and non-sexual), discrimination or violence, including forced labour, child labour and human trafficking, also promoting freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining and to fair remuneration, in order to support the well-being of people.

Among the key objectives of Poste Italiane, particular importance is given to the encouragement and development at all levels of the organisation of a business culture based on the respect and valorisation of diversity in all its forms and manifestations. The conscious management of diversity in an inclusive way contributes not only to creating shared social value, but also represents a competitive advantage for the entire Group, strengthening people's engagement and commitment towards company objectives.
The projects and initiatives promoted by Poste Italiane in order to guarantee social inclusion and enhance diversity are an integral part of a broader strategic framework, aimed at developing balanced organisational models to encourage communication and highlight personal characteristics, while protecting individual vulnerability. These initiatives also include the organization of training sessions aimed at the entire corporate population on issues such as, among others, the phenomenon of discrimination and harassment in the workplace, in order to raise awareness and increase awareness of issues that are extremely topical and on which the Poste Italiane Group pays particular attention. The path undertaken by the Group aims to evolve from an approach focused exclusively on the protection and integration of diversity, towards a more proactive strategy that aims to overcome barriers and resolve the factors that hinder the inclusion of individuals in the workplace. The Group's diversity and inclusion strategy testifies to the Company's commitment to creating a collaborative, supportive and open working environment, while at the same time maximising the opportunities it provides, contributing to the well-being of its people on the one hand and to its competitive advantage in business on the other. In addition, the Poste Italiane Group, in order to bring to light anomalous cases or alleged episodes of discrimination and/or harassment, makes available systems suitable for receiving reports from staff and third parties that protect the reporter in line with current regulations, and has defined a specific escalation system in order to ensure a constant assessment of the relevance of the reports received. The escalation system could lead to the application of specific disciplinary measures if the employee incurs actions that do not comply with the provisions of the Code of Ethics, Group Policies (e.g., Company Policy on the Protection and Safeguarding of Human Rights, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, etc.) and, in general, the entire Group Regulatory Corpus, thus following the occurrence of violations of any kind including those in the areas of human rights, discrimination and harassment (sexual and non-sexual).

Guiding principles and values on diversity and inclusion have been defined by the Group through the development and formalization by the Board of Directors of a Diversity & Inclusion Policy, through which the administrative body defines measurable and multi-year objectives. In particula, the Diversity & Inclusion Policy is based on four pillars: Gender, Generations, Disability/Vulnerability and Interculturality/Inclusive Culture and was developed through a bottom-up process that involved listening to the ideas and needs of the company population. This process has led to the definition of numerous projects related to such topics as development and opportunities, open communication, inclusion and care, participation and dialogue, culture and awareness. The Policy, available online on the company website, is communicated to all employees through specific training sessions in accordance with their respective roles and responsibilities. With regard to updating, the Policy is periodically evaluated at least once a year, based on evidence from assessments and monitoring of national and international trends.