2020 Annual Financial Report

On these five points, the Groupe asks its suppliers to comply with these standards, which are part of the CSR for Business Guidelines and are appended to the contracts signed between the Groupe and its suppliers.

Pro bono campaigns, like volunteering (see Section 4.3.1) in support of organizations or general interest causes promoting human rights (of women, men and children) and opposing all forms of exclusion and discrimination, demonstrate the long-term commitment of the Groupe, as well as its agencies and employees, to defending human rights.

Action plan and key indicators

The main elements of the action plan are presented in Section 4.3.3:

• specific team training in ethical principles on human rights and fundamental freedoms;
• training of teams on data protection and IT system security;
• pro bono campaigns and volunteering initiatives, in numbers;
• suppliers assessed on their commitments and actions in favor of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

4.4.2.5  Personal health and safety

Publicis Groupe is a people business: the Company’s women and men are our main asset. Almost all the Groupe’s operations require employees to work in front of screens and, as with all service activities led by client satisfaction, projects may sometimes be carried out under strict time constraints. The policies applied, and the action plans implemented during the year are overseen and monitored by local human resources managers and Talent Officers. The Groupe is particularly concerned about the following issues:

• stress prevention and mental health: the agencies are responsible for taking measures to prevent psychosocial risks (RPS) whether relating to work organization or team management. The Groupe acknowledges that it is necessary to compensate for times when the workload is very heavy. The agencies put ad hoc support systems in place to support employees who feel that they are experiencing difficulties, whether using internal medical services, where these exist, or with the help of external healthcare partners. With the pandemic, several systems have been strengthened and made accessible to all employees (100%) such as telemedicine, physical and psychological support – with dedicated applications, psychological hotlines, sports sessions adapted to the constraints of lockdowns;
• prevention of MSDs (Musculoskeletal Disorders): employees are encouraged to make their requirements known when it comes to work equipment, so that they can be supplied with the right tools for their job. Agencies must put activities in place to combat sedentary behavior and encourage good posture. Specialist interventions (ergonomists, occupational therapists, etc.) in the workplace and for employees are organized on a regular basis; these sessions were supplemented in 2020 by sports sessions at home, by regular virtual advice to prevent a sedentary lifestyle;
• safety at work: all employees are trained, on an annual basis, in office evacuation via simulations and are informed of what to do in the event of extraordinary events (earthquakes in at-risk locations). Volunteer employees are trained in first aid. With the easing of certain local health measures, when employees were able to return to their workplace, the same protocols were implemented everywhere in terms of barrier gestures – mandatory wearing of masks, hydroalcoholic gel available everywhere, physical distance between workstations, reductions of 50% in the number of staff present on site, increased cleaning of premises.

The Groupe has introduced a very strict travel policy, under which countries are classified into three risk categories. Some high-risk countries are simply banned while other countries are only permitted after assessment and verification of travel conditions and, when appropriate, the implementation of additional security measures. All travelers are provided with advance information and advice on the situation in the country to which they are traveling. With the Covid-19 pandemic, most business travel has been limited or drastically reduced, including in areas or countries that allow travel. All measures have been taken since the end of January 2020 enabling employees to quickly switch to working from home with the appropriate equipment (computers equipped with VPN, mobile phones, etc.), and the organization of work has been adapted to ensure continuity of service for Groupe clients in all countries.

A crisis plan has been put in place by the Groupe to ensure that in the event of a major crisis (health, climate or political), all employees, whether at home or abroad, can be traced and assisted where required. The roll-out of LionAlert within the Groupe makes it possible to contact employees and ensure their safety. Lastly, employees work in offices where security personnel is present at entries and exits.

Publicis Groupe expects its suppliers to provide the same level of care as it provides to its own employees. These three topics are part of the CSR for Business Guidelines appended to contracts signed by the Groupe with its suppliers.

Action plan and key indicators

The main elements of the action plan are presented in Section 4.1.4.

The key axises are:

• absenteeism rate;
• workplace accident rate;
• social protection and access to prevention activities;
• suppliers assessed on their commitments and actions in favor of the health and safety of people.