Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) - “The PZU Group is socially responsible – we endeavor to contribute as many positive values as possible to relations with our stakeholders and the environment around us. Harmonious activity at all levels of our cooperation is not possible without incorporating the rights and needs of the surrounding environment.”
“Social commitment of PZU is a permanent element of its business model, based on a comprehensive and organized approach to sponsorship, prevention or volunteering. It means that we recognize the importance of these issues not only from the viewpoint of business ethics and the perception of the PZU brand, but also believe that it is key to achieving effective business performance. In view of the pace of social and economic changes, we have decided to incorporate these actions into our new business strategy for 2021-2024. Our ambition is, among others, for our activities in the area of safety and sustainable lifestyle to reach 15 million beneficiaries every year.”
For many years, safety has been the main theme of PZU’s social commitment and contribution into the growth of local communities. The Company is engaged in actions preventing accidents or mitigating their effects; it highlights proper behavior, supports preventive campaigns and rescue services. It analyzes causes of accidents and focuses on the most urgent problems, so that its preventive actions are as effective as possible. However, the changing circumstances and the COVID-19 pandemic has directed the Company’s attention to another key area of social engagement, i.e. promotion of healthy and active lifestyle. In the period of the pandemic, the PZU Group focuses not only on prevention and physical health, but also responds to the challenges of maintaining mental balance and preventing mental health problems.
[GRI 103-2]
The issues of corporate social responsibility are regulated in the PZU Group’s ESG Strategy “Balanced Growth” for 2021-2024, which specifies the strategic areas of the PZU Group’s social commitment, as well as in the PZU Group’s Sustainable Development Policy.
There is no single policy on charitable and sponsorship activity in force at the Group level.
PZU and PZU Życie follow a “Code of Ethics in Advertising”, which addresses the issues of social responsibility in advertising, including, among others, no discriminating messages or contents violating moral and religious norms. In addition, the Code regulates the general rules of sponsorship activities. The other PZU companies have introduced “Best Practices of the PZU Group”, i.e. a collection of values and principles for employees to follow in relationships with customers, business partners and within the Company. The Alior Bank Group and PZU Zdrowie, as well as their subsidiaries, conduct social engagement activities based on the “Code of Ethics in Advertising” and the “Best Practices of the PZU Group”.
Furthermore, PZU Zdrowie has a dedicated sponsorship procedure. LINK4 has adopted a Policy of cooperation with local communities and charitable activities. TUW PZUW operates the Sponsorship Rules as well as the Bylaws of the Sponsorship, Prevention and CRS Committee. Bank Pekao has implemented the “Rules of Donations and Sponsorship by the Bank Polska Kasa Opieki Spółka Akcyjna”. The regulation envisages, among others, the establishment of the Sponsorship and Donations Commission, to support the Bank’s Management Board in making decisions regarding its engagement in sponsorship projects or in respect of potential donations.
Striving to play the role of a responsible community member, the foreign insurance companies contribute to growing prosperity, not only by developing their business and supporting their employees, but also by initiating corporate social responsibility projects and consolidating relations with local communities. The Baltic companies operate the “Charity and Sponsorship Policy”, which outlines the framework of interaction with the local community in the area of sponsorship, donations and other forms of social support, as well as defines objectives that the companies choose to support. The Policy also designates the lead departments, management methods as well as competencies in the area of sponsorship and community support management in each of the companies.
Charitable activities are conducted by the PZU Foundation, which operates pursuant to the Act of 6 April 1984 on Foundations (Journal of Laws of 1991, Number 46, Item 203 as amended) and its Articles of Association. Charitable activities of LINK4 are defined in an internal company document, i.e. the “Policy of Cooperation with Local Communities and Charitable Activities. The community-support priorities include: safety, social inclusiveness – comprising education and support of young people – and the environment. The document also lays down the rules of employee volunteerism.
The prevention fund of PZU, PZU Życie and TUW PZUW operates under the Act of 11 September 2015 on Insurance and Reinsurance Activity.
The PZU Group is an active and responsible actor of community life, following the guidelines of the “Best Practices of WSE Listed Companies 2021” published by the Warsaw Stock Exchange in 2021, including recommendation 1.5 applicable to charitable and sponsorship activities.
The PZU Group’s expenditures on the areas listed in recommendation 1.5 of the Best Practices of WSE Listed Companies 2021 (gross)
| Expenses incurred in 2021 to support: |
PZU | PZU Group* |
| Culture | 2,4 | 5,2 |
| Sport and | 7,5 | 24,1 |
| physical activity | 15,1 | 27,8 |
| Community organizations and foundations | 0 | 0 |
| Charitable institutions | 0,7 | 2,3 |
| Media | 0 | 0,6 |
* Capital Group, including Bank Pekao Group and Alior Bank Group
In 2021, the PZU Group engaged in activities in support of culture, sports, charities, the media, and social organizations.
| Expenses incurred from the prevention fund in 2021 for: | PZU | PZU Życie |
| Anti-crash activity | 24,3 | 0 |
| Healthcare | 0 | 17,1 |
| Safety | 0 | 5,8 |
COVID-19
Area-specific risk: Risk associated with the unavailability of staff due to COVID-19 infections.
Concurrent infection of a large number of employees, suspension of the processes they perform.
Approach to management: Avoiding this risk was one of the reasons for forming the Crisis Management Team.
The wording of the internal regulations was adapted to incorporate the requirements ensuing from the prevailing legal regulations. Personal protection equipment was provided to employees. The Security Department manages the process of mitigating the risk of employee infections, in collaboration with other organizational entities and units.
Key regulations: Procedure of Temporary Remote Work in PZU and PZU Życie, applicable in the time of coronavirus infection risk in the Republic of Poland; Regulation on Employee Safety Rules During the COVID-19 Pandemic
CHALLENGE
On 17 November 2019, the epidemic of COVID-19 contagious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus broke out in Wuhan in the Hubei province of central China. It was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020.
[GRI 103-2] [GRI 103-3]
Crisis Management Team
The activities undertaken by the PZU Group in response to the coronavirus threat are coordinated by the Crisis Management Team comprised, of representatives of the Management Boards of PZU and PZU Życie. In 2021, the Team continued the adopted strategy, adapting it to the changing circumstances of the pandemic.
The Crisis Management Team has decision-making powers in two key aspects: organizational/legal and technical. In the exercise of its powers in the former area, procedures were adopted to enable remote work. Necessary amendments were also made to the business continuity procedures. In parallel, new regulations were devised to manage the risk of infection, based on registers of identified cases and other sources.
The measures undertaken by PZU in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic spanned four areas: employees, customers, business development and social engagement.
Outcomes of measures addressed to employees
- Remote and rotational work
The option to work remotely or in a rotational regime was continued. Similar solutions aimed at enabling staff to work remotely were also applied in the Bank Pekao Group and the Alior Bank Group.
- Online training
The scope of online training was extended, thereby permitting continuation of professional and personal development.
- Access to information
The electronic newsletter “PZU Alert” and information provided on the intranet enabled employees to maintain a high level of awareness about the evolution of the pandemic and the related restrictions.
- Psychological support
The “Employee Support Program #Let’sTalk” (#rozmawiajMY) was launched and a free helpline was set up for employees in need of psychological help. Moreover, employees were encouraged to attend webinars on methods of dealing with the new situation. The workshops addressed to managers: “Supportive Leader – How to Take Care of Your Own and Your Team’s Wellbeing” discussed development of mental resilience, stress management techniques and methods to counteract professional burnout.
- Promotion of the vaccination program among employees
PZU participated in the program “Vaccination in the Workplace”, in which it cooperated with other companies to provide vaccination to employees and members of their families.
PZU Ukraine and PZU Ukraine Life implemented a program to limit the spread of COVID-19 and ensure business continuity of the companies by increasing the number of employees who received a full series of vaccinations. Special announcements are regularly communicated to employees, with the aim of popularizing the vaccination program. They present arguments and comments of experts, as well as answers to frequently asked questions.
Outcomes of measures addressed to customers
- Accessibility of customer service outlets
During the subsequent waves of the pandemic, the accessibility of insurance, banking and medical facilities was maintained, while adhering to all legal limitations and sanitary restrictions associated with the spread of COVID-19. The facilities were provided with surface and hand disinfectants, masks and protective plexiglass screens at direct service workstations. All surfaces in branches were disinfected on a daily basis, with a special focus on most frequently touched items, such as door knobs, railings and desks. Customers were encouraged to use contactless payments. The sales and service processes were adapted to the new requirements to ensure business continuity and, at the same time, safe customer service, by the way of, among others, more frequent use of remote contact channels and the mojePZU app. This included the possibility to conclude contracts remotely, both in property and life insurance.
- Easier claims handling process
As part of the claims handling process, the option of remote inspection of apartments and vehicles via a smartphone was introduced, along with the calculation of damage based on photographs and telephone calls. Moreover, amount limits for property claims handled in a simplified procedure were raised. A Door to Door service has also been launched, whereby the damaged vehicle is collected from the client, and returned to a specified address after the repair, as well as the option of reimbursement by PZU of the disinfection costs of a vehicle repaired in the PZU Repair Network. Contactless payout of the claim was introduced.
- Support for clients and business partners
During the pandemic, assistance was provided to clients in a difficult financial standing; they were offered an option to defer the deadline of premium payment, spread the payments into installments and even have their premium paid by PZU for a specified period.
In respect of business partners and contractors, the policy of payment of amounts due within a maximum of three days was adopted.
- Support for agents
Since 2020 PZU equipped its agencies with protective screens at direct service workstations, and means of personal protection were provided. Agents also obtained support in remote sales through the mojePZU portal.
Outcomes of measures addressing business development
- Extending the scope of remote medical services
In April 2020, PZU Zdrowie opened its own Telemedicine Center. In 2021, the Telemedicine Centers physicians provided 450% consultations more than in 2020. PZU Zdrowie continued the Remote COVID-19 Care Program, addressed to patients who suspected a coronavirus infection or had a confirmed positive COVID-19 test result and were self-isolating at home. PZU Zdrowie was also the operator of two programs of the Ministry of Health: Home Medical Care and First Contact Teleplatform.
In 2021, under the support for the Home Medical Care program, over 130 thousand patients used the gratuitous medical care assistance of PZU Zdrowie, in the form of over 4.8 million pulse oximeter measurements. PZU Zdrowie’s physicians provided over 22 thousand tele-consultations to patients covered by the program. In over 5 thousand cases, an ambulance was required. In the peak of the third pandemic wave, over 2,500 alerts were handled and over 300 tele-consultations were booked daily.
PZU Zdrowie’s consultants also contacted patients who filled out the form on the gov.pl website, and during these conversations would issue a referral for a COVID-19 test. As a result, the number of individuals referred to tests was increased. In the peak of the third pandemic wave, over 5,000 test referrals were issued daily.
The purpose of the Remote COVID-19 Care Program was primarily to ensure that patients had continuous access to reliable information about the disease by having access to specialists during medical care tele-consultations. The program proceeded from December 2020 until June 2021, serving almost 1,400 patients.
The PZU Zdrowie Group also supported the National Vaccination Program, by operating 32 National Vaccination Sites in its medical centers. Furthermore, a drive-thru site at Woronicza street in Warsaw was operated in the period of increased interest in vaccinations, in the second and third quarter of 2021. In 2021, the PZU Zdrowie Group provided about 120 thousand inoculations against COVID-19.
The PZU branch in Ukraine launched the Life Customer Surgery, i.e. a platform making use of documents in the electronic form. This allowed efficient submission of documents by customers, their receipt for analysis, and quick provision of feedback. Moreover, in the time of the pandemic the company made it possible to submit documents for disbursement and introduce amendments to the insurance agreement online, i.e. with the use of the Life Customer Surgery. This innovation sped up customer service even more.
PZU Lithuania Life provided support to volunteers of the social initiative “Vaiku svajones” (Children’s Dreams), in the form of free-of-charge life insurance and financial cover in the case of a COVID-19 infection. The initiative started at the beginning of November 2021 and will be continued next year.
Outcomes of activities addressed to communities
- Direct support
The activities undertaken in 2021 included:
- Over PLN 6.2 million was earmarked to counter the effects of the pandemic. The funds were used to provide medical equipment, means of personal protection as well as disinfection equipment and substances to medical centers, including medical rescuer services.
- Hospitals which reported the need to use bands providing remote monitoring of patients’ vital signs, which they received in 2020, could continue to use them in 2021, too; by the end of 2021, there were 208 bands in use in 8 hospitals, and 12 tablets with the supporting bands' apps.
- Under the continued transport support for medical centers, 73 vehicles were made available for 57 centers across the country.
- The information hotline “In Support of the Senior”, started in 2020, was continued. The purpose of the hotline is to provide assistance to people aged 70+ in diagnosing their needs in the context of the pandemic and directing them to Social Welfare Centers – in 2021, the hotline consultants handled 22.1 thousand calls.
- Furthermore, the support for the Hotline of the National Vaccination Program was continued, with the primary aim of booking patients for vaccination appointments and provision of information about the inoculations; 521 thousand calls were handled.
Impact of the pandemic on the PZU Group’s business in the short and medium term [IIRC]
Relaxation of the restrictions connected with the spread of the pandemic and the vaccination programs stimulated economic revival in 2021 and enabled insurance companies to expect economic growth. However, the newly emerging coronavirus variants continue to create uncertainty.
Restriction of economic activity, coupled with changing of the working model to remote work, and lower mobility of consumers, have undoubtedly changed the operating ways of many businesses. In the insurance sector, the pandemic accelerated the digital transformation and deployment of advanced technologies in products and services. Remote forms of contact during the sales process, inspection and claims handling became popular quite rapidly. Many of these forms of work or communication will become permanent standards of PZU’s corporate culture. The need to self-isolate and maintain social distancing have also accelerated the transfer of clients from traditional channels and made them more inclined to conclude contracts remotely. In this new reality, insurers face the key development of multi-channel service provision, whereby a high-quality service must be supplied by branches, agents and on-line channels. Greater sense of hazard and uncertainty, and growing concerns about one’s health aggravated by the pandemic, also contributed to higher insurance awareness of customers, which can be expected to generate increased demand for life insurance and health insurance.
Digitalization
In the new reality after the pandemic, digitalization is and will continue to be of key significance for the development of the PZU Group. The focal component of this change is the mojePZU platform, which will ultimately integrate all our products around the client. This will require continued digitalization of sales processes and further development of remote methods of communication with customers. This modern self-service solution offers a single point of access to information about the PZU Group’s products and services and helps in the handling of numerous matters without the need to visit a branch or call a hotline. It is accessible from any location and at any time, on personal computers and through the mobile app. At the end of 2021, the mojePZU portal was used by more than 2.5 million users.
New technologies
The new technologies implemented in PZU has enabled the Company to maintain business continuity and the quality of customer service at the time of the pandemic. In the new reality, solutions based on artificial intelligence have been successful. The artificial intelligence algorithms implemented by PZU are able to analyze photos documenting the claim, name a specific part of the vehicle, assess the extent of the damage and classify a part for repair or replacement. The algorithms can detect more irregularities more quickly and accurately, and confirm that all repairs are carried out in compliance with the procedures and standards adopted by PZU. In 2021, artificial intelligence analyzed over 130 thousand claims worth over PLN 1.2 billion.
Promoting a healthy lifestyle
Promotion of healthy and active lifestyle is a particular area of PZU’s social engagement. For many years now, PZU has encouraged Poles to do sports, opt for healthy eating habits, undergo preventive medical testing, and take care of their mental wellbeing. By making a certain number of steps per day, ensuring adequate amount of sleep, taking care of our physical form and good nutrition, we can have a real impact in our lives. The PZU Group, as the national insurer, wants to sponsor, promote and encourage good habits. By its actions, PZU wishes to support its customers in seriously considering their health and assuming responsibility for their lives.
ESG Strategy indicator:
In 2021, 10 million inhabitants of Poland have been covered by activities in the area of health and safety.
As a part of preventive actions, the project The Road to Health with PZU was implemented in 2021.
In the period from 4 June to 29 August, PZU conducted a health prophylactic campaign: The Road to Health With PZU. Mobile “health zones”, deployed in over a dozen centers across the whole country, allowed a few thousands of Poles to perform free-of-charge specialists test and medical consultations. Specially furnished semi-trailer trucks visited 14 cities in Poland. 6,000 medical tests and consultations were carried out in these mobile surgeries, including spirometry, ECG, USG of the lungs, tests of glucose and cholesterol levels, blood pressure measurements, as well as consultations of physicians: dieticians, pulmonologists and internal medicine doctors. In view of the unrelenting COVID-19 pandemic, the associated social disquiet, and concern about one’s own health, the Road to Health with PZU campaign attracted a lot of attention. The fact that the access to the medical tests and consultations was universal and free of charge was also important.
The Road to Health with PZU received recognition in the subsequent edition of the competition organized by Polish Radio under the name “Lubię bo polskie 2021” (I Like it– because it’s Polish). The health prophylactics campaign ranked first in the category: Best Service 2021.
As the next stage, the nationwide disease prevention campaign #drogadozdrowia (#roadtohealth) was launched.
Its purpose was to raise awareness of Poles that they have a huge impact on their health, which is shaped by their everyday habits and choices as regards healthy eating, physical exercise and regular medical checkups. The message of the campaign was: “The road to health is a conscious, although sometimes not easy choice. However, even the smallest step to improve one’s health brings a better quality of life. Each of us can positively influence their health”. A specially designed website www.drogadozdrowiazpzu.pl presents articles and webinars on, among others, the area of nutrition, prevention of civilizational diseases, and physical activity. They are prepared by medical experts, personal trainers and influencers. The campaign also included 30– and 15-second commercial spots broadcast on TV, radio and the Internet. Furthermore, activities were conducted on social media, including a contest in which the participants could share their ideas on their own road to health.
BEST PRACTICE
Marketing campaign “Live a long and happy life” with PZU
The campaign was to convince its audience to health and financial prevention and show how PZU may help them find balance in life and security. It emphasized the comprehensive nature of PZU Życie's offering, which includes, among others, products for families, helping to provide for a child's financial future, offering support in case of critical illness, disability or permanent loss of health due to an accident, as well as products for businesses that allow them to protect life and health of their employees.
The website of the campaign and the social media of the PZU Group contain a wealth of material on health, mental well-being, personal growth, work-life balance, as well as financial security, which is an important component of well-being. It provides webinars and interviews with experts of PZU and opinion leaders. Iga Świątek, who is the Ambassador of PZU, became involved in the campaign. The campaign website contains an e-book “Take Care of Your Life” which can be downloaded for free.
Another wide-scope activity in this area was the publication of a compendium of knowledge on health and financial prevention entitled “You Can Control Your Life” and developed by PZU Życie in cooperation with PZU Zdrowie. The paper was first published on 6 October 2021, during Congress 590. The compendium contains the most interesting conclusions from a survey of Poles’ life and health, carried out in May 2021 on a sample of 1,500 Poles aged between 18 and 65. The survey showed that for 78% of Poles a long life is valuable only when you can remain independent. Admittedly, however, every fifth Pole does not do preventive medical testing, only half of Poland’s population follows a healthy diet, and only every fourth Pole practices more than two hours of sports per week. Fortunately, Poles are prepared to change their poor habits as regards taking care of their health. The compendium published under the patronage of the Ministry of Health provides a lot of tips on how to lead a healthier, better and longer life, and why it does pay back financially. The document can be downloaded at www.pzu.pl/masz-wplyw-na-swoje-zycie.
Using a modern solution based on artificial intelligence and mobile technology, PZU is involved – with financial contributions from the prevention fund – in a pilot project to support the prevention of skin cancer. The solution is based on a mobile app which, when installed on a smartphone, is capable of assessing the risk posed by a skin mark and, if necessary, support further observation or – in urgent cases – refer the user to a dermatologist. The testing procedure is very straightforward. All the user needs to do is download the mobile app, register and take a photo of skin lesions following the instructions provided by the app. Their assessment result is generated immediately. This technological solution was created in cooperation with a team of dermatologists, and in compliance with the applicable clinical testing procedure. Its diagnostic analysis process employs algorithms that are based on machine learning and millions of photographs that have already been analyzed by this innovative solution over a span of several years. Each new photograph taken by a user is scrutinized for similarities with previously analyzed data. Each high-risk case is additionally verified by dermatologists. The pilot program currently in progress covers some 100 thousand people employed in companies cooperating with PZU.
BEST PRACTICE
Promoting health prevention in the media
With the Polish television channel TVP2, PZU runs a prevention show entitled “Start From Your Health”. Since October 2021, the show, screened every Sunday, discusses the most important issues in medicine. In each episode, experts – including specialists from PZU Zdrowie – answer questions about, among others, hypertension, respiratory problems, cancers, diseases of affluence, or mental disorders. The show also provides advice on how to take care of one’s health on an everyday basis, and how to handle stress.
PZU Zdrowie is also the main partner of the podcast “Health in Conversation”, covering new technologies in medicine. The podcast consists of 6 episodes of interviews with medical workers, startups, innovators, patient organizations, representatives of the general public and managers of medical centers on creating and deploying innovative solutions in the Polish health care system, with a particular focus on digital innovations. Its purpose is to popularize the application of innovative solutions among patients and the general public. The first episode of the “Health in Conversation” podcast was broadcast on 18 November.
PZU also responds to challenges related to the protection of mental health and finances a comprehensive educational and assistance Internet platform, operated by the Polish Suicidological Society, addressed to persons in suicidal crisis and their relatives and friends. The platform supports persons in crisis and those who have lost a close one due to suicide. Its objective is to provide wide-ranging education of the society and promote free-of-charge support. It contains a module of specialist on-line help, which is seen as very valuable and enjoys a lot of attention of the platform users. Over 8 months of operation, the on-line help module provided over 700 responses to persons in need. The www.zwjr.pl website itself has had over 72,000 visits, and has a very low bounce rate.
In cooperation with PZU Zdrowie and the Rakiety Oncological Foundation, PZU provides psychological support and professional help to families struck by trauma caused by an accident or cancer. In 2021, over 200 persons used the service. Depending on the individual needs, the crisis interventions could take up to a few meetings. Responding to the changing realities caused by the pandemic, PZU provides psychological and psycho-oncological consultations not only in face-to-face meetings, but also by phone or via other remote channels.
PZU Zdrowie undertakes a range of activities, both nationwide and locally, with the aim of improving Poles’ health, including
- Financing the onkorodzice.pl portal – it is a knowledge base on children’s cancers that may be accessed by both the parents of sick children and representatives of the medical community. It aims to facilitate the exchange of experiences with other parents who have found themselves in a similar situation, and to provide support in many areas related to pediatric oncology.
- PZU Zdrowie centers take an active part in the Prophylactics 40+ program, executed by the Ministry of Health. The purpose of the program is prevention of chronic diseases, whose diagnosis was more difficult due to limited access to medical tests and physician consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- PZU Zdrowie was the main partner of the 5th Patient Empowerment Congress. The Congress participants discussed solutions that will be beneficial for the future of patients, including in terms of patient experience, modern technologies and effective education. One of the Congress’s main sessions was devoted to the use of new technologies in medicine. The event was held on 27-28 April.
PZU Zdrowie medical centers are involved in charitable activities promoting healthy lifestyle and behaviors, conducted in their local communities. Such events include:
- Let’s Talk about Health – an outdoor meeting for women, with PZU Zdrowie acting as a partner of the event, whereas the substantive side was organized by representatives of Kraków’s medical centers. The meeting took place on 6 August.
- Health Town in Radom – employees of PZU Zdrowie centers in Radom organized their own health zone, where residents were invited to check – free-of-charge – their body composition, posture defects or skin marks, as well as measure their blood pressure and glucose levels. The event took place on 19 August.
- In September, Caritas of the Gdańsk Archdiocese organized the 3rd Good Path Run, with PZU Zdrowie acting as a partner of the event.
- Defibrillation Campaign held on 30 October 2021 in Kielce, where representatives of the PZU Zdrowie facility in Kielce created a health zone for workshop participants.
BEST PRACTICE
Introduction of medical care subscription plans and extension of the offering of prophylactic packages for individual customers
As its direct offering, PZU Zdrowie has 4 medical packages to offer to its customers. The agreement is concluded for one year, with one-off payment effected via the mojePZU portal. Over the duration of the agreement, the customer has on-demand access to physicians of many specialties, as well as laboratory and diagnostic tests. The detailed scope of the services depends on the package chosen by the customer: mini, basic, extended and all-inclusive. Furthermore, via the mojePZU portal, customers may purchase 18 prophylactic packages designed to address specific health needs, e.g. “thyroid under control”, “healthy heart”, “healthy woman” – an oncological package.
BEST PRACTICE
Acquisition campaigns designed to address customer needs
As a result of collaboration under Fintech Partnerships, Strategic Partnerships, as well as cooperation with the Daily Banking product team, Alior Bank introduced accounts with telemedicine services, which distributed almost 3,000 vouchers for free-of-charge telephone consultations of a general practitioner.
For many years now, PZU has consistently supported healthy lifestyle and sports activities among its employees. Each of them can practice his or her favorite sport in the various discipline sections of the PZU Sport Team. The PZU Sport sailing section and the PZU Sport skiing section are the most numerous, with over 350 members each.
Continuing its many-year history of activities in healthy lifestyle and regular physical activity promotion, in June 2021 PZU inaugurated the PZU Good Team project, whose aim is to support sports for children and young people, including sports activities for persons with disabilities.
Sports sections in numbers:
Sports sections at PZU:
Safety
As the largest insurer in Poland and at the same time a socially responsible company, PZU pursues large-scale prevention actions aimed at reducing the number of accidents in Poland. PZU regards cooperation with rescue organizations, both professional and volunteer-based, as well as support for local actions serving the improvement of safety and forging of responsible and safe conduct, as a very basis of its social commitment.
Prevention activities addressed to communities
In 2021, under the prevention campaign Helping is Power, PZU co-financed 58 local projects in the area of health protection and better safety. The slogan of the campaign is “Healthy and Safe Family”. Almost 1,400 project applications were received, out of which 816 were qualified after a substantive evaluation. As a result, PZU earmarked over PLN 987 thousand on activities devoted to health protection, increasing safety or promoting a healthy lifestyle. The winning projects included, among others, various activities improving physical fitness and stamina, educational workshops and training in the area of first aid, construction of a sports and rehabilitation zone, a brine graduation tower, as well as creation or provision of new equipment for safe playgrounds, fitness trails for children and a little road traffic town.
Started in December 2017, PZU Foundation’s Safety Academy is a nationwide project with the aim of providing safety education to children. The Academy organizes comprehensive activities, inviting the participation of police officers from the General Police Headquarters as well as units from Voivodship, County or City Police Headquarters, medical rescuers and qualified activity animators. The activities use state-of-the-art machines and equipment, such as road accident simulators. Education for the youngest children takes the form of theater plays performed by professional actors.
In 2021, the 5th edition of the project ran successfully from September to October, with the participation of 13 primary schools from Pogórze, Puck, Jastarnia, Hel, Czarnkowo, Jędrzejewo, Chełst, Lubsk, Lipinki Łużyckie, Czerwona Woda, Zator, Biadoliny Radłowskie and Grudna Górna. In other words, the project reached out to six voivodships and almost 8 thousand pupils.
BEST PRACTICE
Rehabilitation stays for children with post-accident trauma and trauma caused by losing a parent to cancer
Already since 2013, PZU has been running a comprehensive psychological support system for persons injured in accidents whose perpetrators were holders of TPL policies with PZU. To mitigate the consequences of accidents, PZU finances the costs of stays for children with post-accident trauma and their guardians at rehabilitation stays during the winter break and summer vacation. This is a form of residential psychological therapy conducted in the therapeutic centers of the Teddy Bears Rescue Children’s Lives Association in Dźwierzyna and the Siemacha Association in Odparyszów.
Due to the restrictions introduced during the pandemic in 2021, PZU only organized stays over the summer holidays, including one for children who lost a parent to cancer, with their carers. PZU has extended its offering by specially tailored rehabilitation stays for such persons, thus responding to growing number of people who have suffered as a result of an oncological disease in the family. In 2021, 74 persons could use this form of support.
Collaboration with the emergency services
For many years PZU has been collaborating with selected rescue services.
Safety in the mountains
Promotion of safety in the mountains is possible due to the collaboration with the Voluntary Mountain Rescue Service (GOPR). PZU has been supporting GOPR for 15 years now, by, among others, providing equipment for administering rescue operations, financing rescuer training, carrying out joint educational activities. In collaboration with GOPR, PZU has launched an e-learning platform dedicated to safety in the mountains.
In 2020 and 2021, mountain rescuers faced new challenges: increased tourist flows in the mountains; support for medical services in reaching patients, included with COVID-19 infections, living in areas that are not easily accessible; protection of rescuers against the risk of a COVID-19 infection. PZU has used its prevention fund to co-finance the purchase of scooters, quads with alternative drives and other motor vehicles. The equipment will enable rescuers to help injured persons faster and more effectively.
PZU has also got financially involved in avalanche training organized by the Polish Freeskiing Association and TOPR. The participants learn how to engage in proper planning of mountain trips, how to avoid the avalanche hazard and how to behave after an avalanche. Mock rescue operations are also organized with the use of detectors; they learn how to find people buried in an avalanche and how to administer first aid to avalanche victims. All these activities take place in the PZU Avalanche Training Center in Kalatówki.
Educational support was provided by the PZU Foundation, acting as a partner of the nationwide information and education campaign of the Police (the Prevention Department of the General Police Headquarters) entitled “Kręci mnie bezpieczeństwo na stoku” (Turn On Safety On the Piste). The campaign is directly addressed to children, youth and adults. Its primary objective is to develop responsible behavior of skiers and snowboarders, raise the awareness of legal liability for breaches of regulations applicable on skiing slopes, and dissemination of the rules of the Decalogue of the International Skiing Federation (FIS). Course participants received information and educational materials, and over 9,000 safety-symbolizing gadgets, provided, among others, by the PZU Foundation.
Safety by the water
PZU offers financial assistance to rescuer organizations, in particular on the Zegrze Lake and on the Great Masurian Lakes, thus trying to contribute to safety by the water. The Legionowo Voluntary Water Rescue Service earmarked the financial support received from PZU on purchase of a rescue boat with all the necessary equipment as well as a sonar for searching for people who found themselves under the water surface. It is planning to modernize and expand the video surveillance network in the Zegrze Lake area, with particular focus on the spots customarily used for bathing, but so far not covered by video surveillance and guard supervision.
In 2021, PZU resumed its collaboration with the Masurian Voluntary Water Rescue Service (MOPR). The prevention fund financed the necessary rescue equipment for MOPR: neoprene foams, wet and dry suits, portable radiotelephones, signal and sound lamps and GPS devices.
Alike in mountain safety education, the PZU Foundation is a partner of a nationwide information and education campaign of the Police (the Prevention Department of the General Police Headquarters) devoted to safety of persons in the water or by the water, entitled “Kręci mnie bezpieczeństwo nad wodą” (Turn On Safety By/On The Water). The scope of the 2021 edition has been extended to include activities covering safety in the mountains. The campaign was directly addressed to children, youth, adults and seniors, and its indirect addressees included managers of bathing beaches and entities from the water recreation industry (including water sports equipment rental outlets, holiday hotel facilities, and tourism and recreation companies, etc.). During debates, meetings at schools and picnics, the participants received information and educational materials, as well as 19,000 gadgets provided by the PZU Foundation.
AAS Balta is engaged in activities to improve safety by the water in Latvia. One of their priorities is to improve swimming skills of Latvian children – Latvia ranks among the worst in Europe in terms of drowning statistics. “Games by the Water” is a 24-hour basketball tournament of a long tradition, organized every summer and bringing to Riga hundreds of professional and non-professional basketball players and thousands of fans of the sport. AAS BALTA undertook to donate EUR 2 to the non-governmental organization Swim Safe for each point scored by the basketball players. In total, the donation in 2021 amounted to EUR 4,000 and was earmarked on organization of swimming lessons for children.
Prevention activities addressed to corporate clients
PZU Group also conducts prevention activities addressed to corporate clients.
PZU Safe Fleet is a preventive training program of PZU. It gives the participating drivers an opportunity to improve their driving skills, eliminate bad habits behind the wheel and refresh their knowledge of road and traffic safety rules. Drivers can train on a sliding track, take lessons in defensive driving with elements of eco-driving in urban traffic, and in e-mobility. They can also take part in meeting with experts in transport psychology, first aid and traffic regulations.
AUDAX is a technologically innovative prevention program, which enables vehicle fleets to lower claims frequency and value. AUDAX uses, among others, telemetry and tools such as registers of road trips and road events, devices monitoring if driver is not falling asleep during driving, or producing ultrasounds to scare off animals, or else parking sensors or reversing cameras.
The PRO Risk is a prevention program addressed to large enterprises from industries, in which the risk of a loss is high due to the scale of their business and specialized production processes. The solution, based on the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 technologies, monitors the level of security in the company’s operational areas that are of key significance from the risk perspective, such as production, logistics and machinery. The program also supports clients in the conduct of educational activities aimed at raising awareness of their workforce, which is a matter of enormous significance for minimizing the risk of damage.
In 2021, in collaboration with the Latvian Ministry of Transport, AAS BALTA organized for the eighth time the contest “The Safest Fleet”. It is the only award in Latvia for car fleet owners and administrators. Its aim is to improve the overall quality of automobiles and, consequently, safety on Latvian roads. Over 40 companies took part in 4 different categories. The jury evaluated the practice, safety, procedures and general management of vehicle fleets. To highlight the importance of environmental protection, special prizes were awarded for the most modernized and sustainable car fleet. Twenty-nine fleets received awards in the contest, and the Internet discussion of the industry experts, as the culmination of the event, attracted thousands of followers.
ESG strategy indicator
In 2021, 18% of key employees of corporate clients covered by preventive measures having an influence on their safety and health.