Given the considerable size of PGE CG and the number and diversity of its organisational units (Corporate Centre, business segments, individual companies, and company branches), most of which constitute separate employers, as well as the large number of employee representative bodies (trade unions and works councils), the approach to employee cooperation is multidimensional and adapted to the organisational context.
Employee engagement in individual companies is the responsibility of their Management Boards and the designated organisational units – primarily HR – in accordance with organisational regulations and the scope of granted authorisations.
Consultation and cooperation processes with employees at PGE CG are divided into three categories:
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This approach enables the inclusion of employees in decision-making processes. These activities are intended to manage actual and potential material impacts in areas that directly concern them.
At PGE CG, cooperation with employees is also carried out through social dialogue. This occurs when a workplace is covered by the activities of a trade union organisation or when a works council, elected by the workforce, begins operating at a given employer. This process is multifaceted, reflecting the holding structure of PGE CG, and is coordinated at the level of the PGE S.A. Corporate Centre by the Department for Social Dialogue and Relations. Social dialogue covers both matters arising from generally applicable legal provisions (e.g. working conditions, remuneration rules, social issues) and issues raised on an ongoing basis by either party.
Cooperation processes based on generally applicable legal provisions and collective agreements
Polish legislation contains a number of legal provisions that impose an obligation on employers to cooperate with workers’ representatives (such as trade unions, works councils or staff representatives), particularly in matters relating to organisational changes or terms of employment and remuneration. This is reflected in the regulations in force.
The Group has not concluded a single, global agreement applicable to all employers; however, individual companies or workplaces have their own agreements that ensure employee involvement in decision-making processes and enable employers to take employee perspectives into account. These acts are collected in a central database managed by the Department for Social Dialogue and Relations (DSDR).
At PGE S.A., such agreements include, for instance, the Company Collective Bargaining Agreement and the Cooperation Agreement concluded on 10 October 2024 between PGE S.A. and the current Works Council, which regulates cooperation and consultation obligations regarding the transfer of information (including documents and materials) concerning, among other things, the employer’s operations and financial situation, significant events and contracts related to the company’s activities, the state and structure of employment, anticipated changes in employment, and measures likely to affect employment levels. The agreement also guarantees the Works Council the right to present opinions and conduct consultations. This includes all organisational changes that may affect the structure of the organisational regulations.
The frequency and form of meetings with employee representatives depend on the characteristics of the given employer and the size of the workforce. In companies where this is possible, such as PGE Asekuracja S.A. or PGE Ventures sp. z o.o., weekly meetings are held with all employees to discuss current tasks and consult on various matters. At PGE Nowy Rybnik sp. z o.o., such meetings also take place every week. Other companies organise meetings at different intervals or use cascading methods of information sharing—for example, at PGE Dom Maklerski S.A. or ELMEN sp. z o.o., weekly meetings are held with management and the board. Similar meetings in the form of town hall meetings are held at PGE Systemy S.A. and PGE Baltica sp. z o.o., allowing employees to learn about ongoing processes, projects, and future plans, and to share their perspectives.
Additional forms of cooperation implemented by individual Group companies include:
- consultations and negotiations regarding specific solutions;
- meetings with line managers and directors (with varying regularity depending on the company);
- meetings held during celebrations of important events (e.g. accident-free days, Energy Sector Workers’ Day);
- meetings between the employer and supra-company trade union organisations (with varying regularity, such as monthly meetings in the case of PGE Energetyka Kolejowa S.A.).
Corporate cooperation processes with the Group’s own workforce are carried out through responsibilities assigned to various areas, depending on the business context and intended objective.
A key corporate process enabling the identification of employee needs and viewpoints (not limited solely to formally recognised representatives) is the Employee Opinion Survey (EOS), conducted annually in those PGE CG companies that have joined the initiative. These include:
- PGE S.A.,
- PGE Systemy S.A.,
- PGE Baltica sp. z o.o.,
- PGE Energia Ciepła S.A. and its subsidiaries,
- PGE Obrót S.A.,
- PGE Ekoserwis S.A.
The Employee Opinion Survey focuses on areas related to the employee experience within the company. It explores, among others, perceptions of engagement, collaboration, leadership, remuneration, occupational health and safety (OHS), and attitudes towards ongoing change. In addition to numerous closed-ended questions, which enable the measurement of key indicators, the survey also contains open-ended questions that provide deeper insight into employee sentiments.
After the survey is completed and the results are processed by an independent research company, the outcomes are communicated within the organisation. Individual employers and managers of relevant areas then develop action plans aimed at organisational improvement.
The effectiveness of the EOS is measured, among other things, by the success of implementing the proposed actions. In 2024, these actions resulted in the following changes:
- increased autonomy for line managers and their involvement in personnel decisions alongside senior management, access to salary information for line managers, and implementation of recognition schemes at PGE Systemy S.A.;
- increased reimbursement for the cost of corrective glasses for employees using display screen equipment and inclusion of soft skills training (e.g. stress management, work organisation) in the 2025 training plan at PGE Energia Ciepła S.A.;
- installation of quiet work booths in the building at Mysia 2 street and organisation of a Kindness Day at PGE S.A.
At PGE S.A., PGE Systemy S.A., and PGE Baltica sp. z o.o., the Leader Profile Survey is also carried out, allowing employees to assess their direct and next-level (n+1) managers. The results are communicated to Management Boards, directors and the assessed individuals, and are subsequently discussed in meetings between managers and their teams. This process supports the development of managerial skills and enables employees to express preferences regarding leadership styles. In both corporate and ad hoc processes, employees participate either individually or through their representatives. Access to opportunities for providing feedback is not limited by employee group – individuals particularly exposed to impacts have the same access to express their views, and PGE gathers their insights through the same mechanisms.
Consultations with employees on OHS matters are conducted by individual employers, primarily through established OHS Committees. These committees are intended to be composed equally of employee and employer representatives, along with an occupational physician. Committee meetings are held at least quarterly. The task of the OHS Committee is to consult on occupational health and safety issues, in particular: reviewing working conditions, periodic assessment of the state of occupational health and safety, issuing opinions on measures taken by the employer to prevent workplace accidents and occupational diseases, formulating conclusions on the improvement of working conditions and cooperating with the employer in performing their obligations in the area of occupational health and safety. Where such committees have not been established (mainly by employers with fewer than 250 employees), cooperation with employees is conducted using alternative accepted methods. The PGE CG Occupational Health and Safety Internal Regulations require companies to establish an OHS Committee or, if that is objectively not possible, to set up another body dedicated to consulting employees on OHS matters.
PGE CG companies provide their own workforce with various channels for communicating OHS-related issues, including: through line managers, OHS services, workplace social labour inspectors, physical suggestion boxes, dedicated e-mail inboxes, OHS Committees, IT applications, etc. Moreover, top management representatives of PGE CG companies are expected to regularly visit workplaces where staff under their supervision carry out their duties. To this end, a dedicated handbook for conducting such management site visits has been developed, and the number of visits is monitored. In several PGE CG companies, employee opinion surveys also cover OHS topics. OHS issues are discussed at meetings with employees and their representatives, and employee feedback is taken into consideration when planning actions in this area.
In the District Heating Segment, PGE CG conducts an annual OHS survey consisting of 56 questions relating to the safety culture. Additionally, an IT tool is in place to report OHS observations—both those confirming compliance with safety standards and those identifying the need for corrective action. In 2024, a total of 15,722 individual OHS observations were submitted via this system.
The Occupational Health and Safety Internal Regulations at PGE CG require companies to ensure active involvement of employees or their representatives in the continuous improvement of OHS conditions, including through the consultation of planned OHS activities.
From time to time, an organisation may face changes or challenges that impact its workforce. Involving employees in decision-making groups in such cases can increase the likelihood of selecting solutions that are best suited to the needs of specific groups (taking into account the business context). In such circumstances, employers may decide to carry out appropriate consultations—either through trusted representatives or directly with the entire workforce. The most commonly used tool in such cases is the online survey.