VIG has internal guidelines and policies in place to manage the positive identified impacts on its own workforce. Detailed information is provided in sections ESRS 2 MDR‑P “Policies adopted to manage material sustainability matters”, ESRS S1-1 “Policies related to own workforce of the company” and ESRS G1-1 “Corporate culture and business conduct policies”.
Disclosure Requirement S1-1 – Policies related to own workforce
Policies to manage material impacts
Binding documents have been established in VIG to manage the material impacts identified for its own workforce. These include the Group Policy Code of Business Ethics, the Group Policy Fit & Proper and the Group Policy Remuneration. Furthermore, VIG employees form a sphere of impact within the strategic programme, which promotes diversity and equal opportunities, among other things (see ESRS 2 MDR‑P “Policies adopted to manage material sustainability matters”). Policies relating to the protection of whistleblowers are described in ESRS G1-1 “Corporate culture and business conduct policies”. By continuously improving these practices, VIG creates a supportive, inclusive and fair working environment.
Human rights commitment
VIG is committed to upholding high standards of ethical conduct and human rights. As a signatory to the UN Global Compact, VIG is committed to the ten principles associated with it (see chapter ESRS 2 SBM-1 “Strategy, business model and value chain”), which include the protection of human rights, fair labour practices, environmental sustainability and anti-corruption.
In connection with the establishment of good working conditions for VIG’s employees, the following principles of the UN Global Compact are supported:
Human Rights
Principle 1: businesses should support and respect the protection of human rights within their sphere of influence; and
Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
Labour
Principle 3: businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;
Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and
Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
Each year, VIG publishes the consolidated non-financial report on its website as part of its commitment to the UN Global Compact.
Human rights are also enshrined in the Code of Business Ethics, which underpins VIG’s commitment to fair and ethical business practices. In its internal operations, VIG emphasises good working conditions and the recognition of employee rights, thereby promoting a culture of respect and fairness. Potential human rights violations can be reported through the locally established channels and to VIG Holding. Further details on the internal reporting system are described in ESRS G1-1 “Corporate culture and business conduct policies”.
VIG is committed to upholding human rights and states its opposition to forced and child labour and discrimination in its Code of Business Ethics. In addition, VIG respects the rights of employees, such as freedom of association, collective agreement negotiations and the election of representatives. The relevant legal provisions in the respective countries apply as minimum standards for VIG.
Workplace accident prevention policies
The companies of VIG ensure a safe and healthy working environment for their employees. Depending on the local circumstances, the companies have either adopted a workplace accident prevention policy that incorporates the main principles and guidelines for safety or introduced specific accident prevention actions. Both approaches take into account the size, nature and complexity of the respective companies and show that VIG is consistently committed to the well-being of its employees.
Policies aimed at the elimination of discrimination
VIG is committed to a fair working environment, and this is reflected in its internal requirements. These commitments are anchored in the Code of Business Ethics, the Group Policy Fit & Proper and the diversity strategy. For more details, see chapter ESRS 2 MDR‑P “Policies adopted to manage material sustainability matters”.
Diversity is a high priority at VIG. It is one of the values in the VIG mission statement and part of the HR strategy. Further information on the VIG mission statement is provided in chapter ESRS 2 MDR‑P “Policies adopted to manage material sustainability matters”. VIG’s diversity strategy applies to all employees, which ensures that the company will have corresponding diversity in the candidate pool for successor planning in the long term. At Holding level, the diversity strategy focuses on the criteria of gender, generations and internationality.
Gender: ensure equal gender treatment in all areas (career and development options, benefits and income, etc.)
Generations: use mixed-age teams and take into account the various phases of life to develop full potential (generation-appropriate offers and support in the various phases of life, learn from one another, life balance, fair recruitment)
Internationality: Group-wide exchange of know-how (local expertise), collaborative learning, use of the internal Group job market and ensuring an appropriate mix of people from different countries within VIG
The criteria of gender, generations and internationality are also taken into account when new Supervisory Board members are proposed for election at General Meetings. Furthermore, VIG embraces the concept of local entrepreneurship, thereby also strengthening internationality at the Managing Board level of VIG. Companies have flexibility in designing diversity concepts in order to be able to respond to local challenges and needs.
To prevent and address discrimination, the majority of VIG companies have established confidential reporting mechanisms, allowing employees to report concerns related to discrimination or harassment through secure channels. In addition, some companies offer voluntary training on discrimination and harassment. At the company level, HR and/or Compliance departments are responsible for enforcement, ensuring adherence to both internal guidelines and legal requirements.
Disclosure Requirement S1-2 – Processes for engaging with own workforce and workers’ representatives about impacts
Engaging with own workforce and workers’ representatives
It is important to VIG that its employees are actively involved in decisions and activities that impact them. Workers’ representatives are consulted appropriately at companies that have them. Employees can, for example, be involved in the planning, implementation and review of actions. Participation opportunities include (online) events, regular surveys, direct feedback and interviews of employees and focus groups. There are also various feedback mechanisms, such as annual appraisals, idea management systems and exit interviews, which can vary depending on local needs. These mechanisms enable comprehensive and ongoing input from employees at different levels of the organisation.
The responsibility for ensuring that employee engagement takes place lies primarily with the Human Resources department in most VIG companies. In the final instance, responsibility lies with the top management level.
VIG continuously assesses the success of its employee engagement efforts by analysing feedback from employee surveys and interviews. In 2024, around 15,000 employees were surveyed by Great Place to Work©. 27 insurance companies including branch offices, two pension funds and five other companies from the areas of IT, Asset Management and Assistance, among others, participated in the survey. Employees were asked about credibility, respect, pride, team spirit and fairness.
The next survey is scheduled for spring 2026. The results of these assessments inform decision-making processes, leading to the further development of existing policies and the introduction of new initiatives that better address employee needs. VIG companies also use regular surveys, performance and feedback meetings, and the collection of personnel metrics such as employee turnover or retention rates. This ensures that inclusion procedures are effective to drive positive change.
Vulnerable groups and minorities
Some VIG companies work with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), aid organisations and non-profit organisations that promote the rights of vulnerable groups and minorities, such as myAbility (support for persons with disabilities), Pride Biz Austria (association promoting the inclusion of LGBTIQ+ in business and the workplace) and connecting people (mentoring for unaccompanied minors and young adult refugees). These partnerships enable VIG to stay informed about best practices and emerging issues. Training on diversity, equality and integration is also offered. The aim of this training is to promote an integrative workplace culture and enable employees to actively contribute to a fair working environment.
Disclosure Requirement S1-3 – Processes to remediate negative impacts and channels for own workforce to raise concerns
As explained at the beginning in chapter ESRS S1 “Own workforce”, only positive impacts and no negative impacts on the workforce have been identified as material.
Channels for raising concerns
VIG places great emphasis on a culture of open communication, which includes the opportunity for employees to express their questions and concerns via various channels. Complaints about work-related incidents relating to discrimination on grounds of gender, race or ethnic origin, nationality, religion or belief, disability, age, sexual orientation or other relevant forms of discrimination may be raised through local internal channels, external (anonymous) contact points and, where applicable, reported to employee representatives. In addition, employees can report concerns relating to potential violations of regulatory requirements to Compliance (incl. AML) of VIG Holding within the framework of the internal whistleblowing channels set up at VIG Holding level. There are also whistleblowing policies at local level, where provided for by law. For more information on whistleblowing, see ESRS 2 MDR‑P “Policies adopted to manage material sustainability matters” and ESRS G1-1 “Corporate culture and business conduct policies”.
Disclosure Requirement S1-4 – Taking action on material impacts and approaches to managing material risks and pursuing material opportunities related to own workforce, and effectiveness of those actions and approaches
VIG manages its material positive impacts on employees (with the exception of the entity-specific topic stated in ESRS S1 “Own workforce”) through the Group-wide and local programmes listed below, which support the implementation of the HR strategy. This includes actions to improve physical and mental health and to promote an inclusive working environment. Flexible working time models and family-friendly offers support work-life balance. In addition, VIG provides a stable and fair remuneration structure that ensures a reliable income.
VIG offers training, e-learning and international development programmes for the development of skills. Founded in 2025, the VIG Academy provides subject-specific and interdisciplinary training opportunities at Group level. Management programmes promote respectful and diversity-oriented behaviour and strategic work.
These initiatives contribute to the establishment of a learning-oriented, respectful and healthy corporate culture. The effectiveness of the actions is regularly assessed on the basis of metrics such as participation in training and results of satisfaction surveys. Feedback from employees is incorporated into the ongoing development of the programmes and demonstrates VIG’s commitment to offering a responsible and attractive working environment.