Increasing resilience
Resilience is defined as the capacity to deal with difficulties, setbacks and changes. It is
particularly important that employees are aware of their own skills and talents and know how
to use them effectively. Indeed, it will be as important as ever in 2015 for employees to increase
their resilience and vitality. Vital, resilient employees have faith in their own strength and act
accordingly - they form the basis of Rabobank's resilience.
Identifying problems
In 2014, we raised awareness in the organisation of Herken de druppel ('Recognise the Signs'), a
national campaign launched by the Netherlands Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment,
which focuses on how employees can identify workload pressure and work-related stress.
High workload pressure is both an individual issue and an organisational issue. For example,
how do regulations affect how our employees perform their work? Recognising and
acknowledging these effects are essential steps in tackling the issue at the organisational level.
The challenge is to implement regulations such that employees feel that they are allowed
sufficient scope to serve customers effectively, the workload remains manageable and they
continue to enjoy their jobs. This requires a shift in behaviour from supervision to guidance; a
change in attitude and behaviour. As well as working to improve workload pressure and work-
related stress, these measures will increase employee engagement: the employee survey
revealed that management based on trust (that is, management as opposed to supervision) is
the number one factor when it comes to employee engagement.
Industrial Relations Disputes Procedure
In a large and dynamic organisation such as Rabobank, tensions are bound to arise at some
point or other, just like in any environment in which people work closely together.
The counsellors and mediators of the Industrial Relations Disputes Procedure (GRA) last year
again supported managers and employees in finding appropriate solutions to various conflicts.
The GRA was requested to intervene in a variety of issues, ranging from complex, impending
disputes to conflicts which had already escalated by the time they were reported.
The GRA took on a total of 243 cases in 2014 (2013: 265). The majority of these disputes are
resolved through counselling (2014:179). Counselling services (by phone) were provided in 16
cases, while mediation services were provided in 35 cases. In addition, the Industrial Relations
Disputes Committee also delivered a binding ruling in four disputes. A total of thirteen cases
were handled altogether; the bulk of these related to employees'future prospects combined
with their performance or with organisational changes, often as related to the employee's
possible termination of employment. The remainder of the disputes concerned the employee's
performance itself, reorganisation, terms of employment or industrial relations.
38 Annual Report 2014 Rabobank Group
