Prevention is better than cure
In 2011, the employee surveys were updated to include new aspects such as enterprise and
employability. In this way, the surveys focused more on the personal attitudes of employees
than in previous years. In addition to pressure of work and/or work-related stress, starting in
2011 factors that re-energise employees, such as inspiration, are also covered. Since 2010,
branches and departments have been awarded a vitality score that is linked to the employee
survey. Vitality is said to exist if physical, mental, social, emotional and inspirational aspects are
in balance. The guiding principle is that employees who are full of vitality are more productive.
Rabobank Nederland and local Rabobanks achieved a vitality score of 64.6% in 2011. In 2011,
a start was made on ensuring that Rabobank Nederland's buildings are a smoke-free zone, and
smoking is to be banned from all buildings by 1 January 2013. In addition, many employees of
Rabobank Nederland have adopted the 'Unplugged' style of working. The Occupational Health
Safety Service offers training courses and tools to promote behaviour at work that is healthy
from both a physical and mental perspective. Every year, the Rabobank Group Occupational
Health Safety Service evaluates the activities of confidential contact persons. This provides
insight into the number of reports submitted to the confidential contact persons and the nature
of these reports. In 2011,65% of the confidential contact persons were approached, which is
the same percentage as in 2010. On average, 2.6 reports were submitted per confidential
contact person. At Robeco, five employees contacted the confidential contact person in 2011
Disputes and malpractices
The aim of the advisers of the Employment Disputes Committee (EDC) is to help managers
and employees work together, at their own place of work, to resolve their disputes wherever
possible. In 2011, there was a sharp increase in the number of cases handled by the EDC.
A total of 335 cases were handled, up by nearly 100 compared with 2010. It appears that this
increase is partly down to the fact that the existence of the committee and the possibilities it
offers has been communicated more widely. Many cases concerned future prospects (40%) and
performance (20%). The other cases related to terms of employment (17%), reorganisations (12%)
or working relationships (11 The most common way in which disputes were handled was by
providing advice (82%). A total of 15% of disputes involved mediation (5% over the telephone,
and 10% in face-to-face meetings). Very little use was made of the possibility of a binding
decision from the EDC. Only 9 disputes (3%) involved such requests, and in the end only three
actually resulted in a hearing and a decision.Two disputes were reported and dealt with at
Robeco, and there were no disputes reported at De Lage Landen at all in 2011
Rabobank Nederland and the local Rabobanks have a Regulation on the Internal Reporting of
Malpractice (whistleblower regulation). Under this regulation, an external confidential contact
person has been appointed to whom employees can report malpractices. Employees at a
number of Rabobank Nederland subsidiaries can also make use of this regulation, while Robeco,
Rabo Real Estate Group and De Lage Landen have their own whistleblower regulations.
Employees of foreign branches can use local whistleblower regulations or the Trusted Persons
Network (TPN) offered by KPMG.
In 2011the confidential contact person received ten reports or questions from employees.
Of these cases, three were passed on to the Whistleblower Regulation Confidential Committee.
In five cases, the conversation with the external confidential contact person provided the
person reporting the case with a better understanding of the situation or led him or her to
decide that the matter did not need to be dealt with. The external confidential contact person
decided that two cases did not come under the whistleblower regulation, and the persons
who reported them were referred to another regulation. In 2011the confidential contact
person received reports through the TPN for the first time. Four cases were reported, all of
which were submitted to the Whistleblower Regulation Confidential Committee.
Group Remuneration Policy
Rabobank believes it continued to pursue a prudent, restrained remuneration policy in 2011
This remuneration policy is reflected in the Group Remuneration Policy (GRP) as adopted by
the Executive Board and approved by the Supervisory Board.The GRP elaborates on the
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Employees
