Absenteeism
Employer of choice
Specific attention was paid to career opportunities for professionals working in the
organisation, with consideration being given to horizontal as well as vertical career paths.
In addition, local Rabobanks and departments at Rabobank Nederland and Rabo International
developed their own initiatives, such as Connect4You and Rotation Development Committees.
In 2012, two well-attended employability fairs for employees and managers were held at
Rabobank Nederland.
The challenge for Rabobank's HR department in the next few years will focus primarily on
guiding training efforts to bring about the transformation of the organisation as envisaged
in the updated Strategic Framework. External developments will continue to have a major
impact in this regard. The Dutch Ministry of Finance, for instance, is working on a legislative
proposal that will lead to a significant amendment to the Financial Supervision Act pertaining
to the expertise of advisers. This will of course mean more training for our employees.
Rabobank's FIR department makes the most of developments in the area of virtual learning.
Alongside learning in the workplace, more and more learning is taking place through social
media, communities, webinars and e-coaching. Rabobank intends to provide further support
for these forms of learning in 2013.
In the area of talent development, a management development policy and a long-term
agenda have been established. These are designed to give Rabobank better insight into the
talent pipeline and support succession management.
Six departments at Rabobank Nederland and eleven local Rabobanks have developed
initiatives to provide work for one or more young people in receipt of disability benefits.
In 2012, Rabobank Nederland launched a project to provide opportunities to more people
with occupational disabilities by offering them a job at Rabobank.
In addition to employability, vitality is an important focus area at Rabobank. The guiding
principle here is that healthy employees are more productive. Vitality also helps employees
remain employable in the long term. In 2012, 65% of employees of local Rabobanks and
Rabobank Nederland stated that they felt healthy, the same percentage as in 2011, and 69%
stated that they were full of enthusiasm. The average score on the employability scale was 66,
while the average score for energy at work was 67. A relatively large number of employees
were at risk of having to take sick leave owing to the pressure of work and/or work-related
stress in 2012. Increased pressure of work was experienced by 31% of employees, while 16%
suffered from work-related stress. The percentage of employees at an increased risk of
absenteeism due to MSDs (musculoskeletal disorders) stood at 14%. During the year under
review, 43% of employees did not report sick at all (2011: 39%), and 82% of those who did
report sick recovered within one week.
The rate of absenteeism at Rabobank Group fell markedly in 2012, from 3.9% in 2011 to 3.6%
in 2012. This meant that the absenteeism rate was below the standard of 3.8% set in the
Occupational Health Safety Policy Framework. The most common reasons for absenteeism
among employees of local Rabobanks and Rabobank Nederland were mental health
problems, which accounted for 45% (50%) of absenteeism, and complaints related to the
locomotor system, which accounted for 16% (17%). 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 2012, 66% of confidential contact persons were
approached, representing an increase against 2011 (65%). On average, 2.2 (2.6) reports were
submitted per confidential contact person.
Rabobank has a good image in the Dutch labour market. It is frequently declared the employer
of choice, and in 2012 it was awarded this title by Intermediair magazine, Incompany 200
magazine, Linkedln professionals and Management Team magazine. In times when talent is
thin on the ground in the ageing labour market, the influx of new, young employees is vital to
ensure that the bank remains dynamic. Rabobank aims for top-of-mind awareness among
promising students, which it seeks to achieve by using social media and visiting campuses,
among other things.
80 Annual Report 2012 Rabobank Group
