As many as 10 CSR initiatives of Citi Handlowy were cited by the Forum of Responsible Business in the 11th edition of its report "Responsible Business in Poland: Good Practices". In comparison to other 9 banks mentioned in the report, Citi Handlowy has proved to be the best with the highest number of practices included in the document.
The"Responsible Business in Poland: Good Practices" has been published annually since 2002 and is the only study of its kind, summarizing the most important issues connected with business activities in the CSR context. This year's report, featuring 262 practices reported by 106 companies, includes Citi Handlowy initiatives such as: Senior Volunteers, Financial Independence for Women, the online game "First Million", Recovery of Art Works, My Finances, From Penny to Pound, the Employee Volunteering Program at Citi Handlowy, Savings Week - World Savings Day, Implementation of the Environmental Management System (EMS), More Trees Thanks to You.
I'm delighted that so many of our practices have been included in the report. This is a great honor for us, especially given that we've been active in the CSR field for over 15 years, says Krzysztof Kaczmar, President of The Citi Handlowy Leopold Kronenberg Foundation, which coordinates the Employee Volunteering Program and various other programs. At the same time, it is a signal for us that our activities are being noticed and bringing tangible results, he adds.
Among the programs cited in the report on practices, the Citi Handlowy Employee Volunteering Program is especially noteworthy. Launched in June 2005, it has developed into the largest program of its kind in Poland and has also achieved the top ranking in its field. The figures linked to the program speak for themselves: in the years 2005-2012 volunteers got involved in doing work for others over 12,000 times, carrying out 1061 projects, clocking up a total of over 76,000 hours.
Also significant is the attitude of Citi Handlowy volunteers towards participation in activities aimed at helping others. Surveys of participants show that for the majority of them the prime motivation is the desire to help out, while for half of them volunteering is a source of satisfaction. A remarkable 62% of the respondents regularly do volunteer work, taking part in charitable activities 3.41 times a year on average. Record holders engage in volunteer work around 15 times a year. Such statistics are all the more impressive given that as many as 73% of those surveyed had not taken part in any community activities before joining the Employee Volunteering Program at Citi Handlowy.
"Responsible Business in Poland: Good Practices" is a prestigious publication, the only one of its kind in Poland. It provides an overview of company activities in the CSR field and also summarizes the most important questions related to responsible business in Poland. The reports gathers CSR good practices divided into seven areas in accordance with ISO norm 26000L: organizational governance, human rights, labor practices, natural environment, honest market practices, consumer issues and involvement in local community development.
