Universal Registration Document 2021

2021 exceptional results

During the presentation of the annual results to the press and financial analysts on February 3, 2022, the Chairman of the Management Board, Arthur Sadoun, announced his desire to reward all Groupe employees for everyone’s exceptional efforts across the globe. It was decided to pay a bonus to the 35,000 employees who have been with the Groupe for more than two years, and who have no variable compensation. They will receive an additional week's salary.

Gender pay equality: country by country “Job Grading” is applied in the new Human Resources Information System (HRIS) Groupe tool, allowing for uniform understanding of positions and functions. This project is led by the Secretary General, with support from the teams in charge of compensation (Compensation & Benefits) and the CTOs of countries. The Groupe is very vigilant about gender equality issues. The local management of the agencies is responsible for resolving pay gaps:

• in the United Kingdom, due to the pandemic, the British authorities have exempted companies from public declarations on this matter. However, the five entities with more than 250 employees maintained their close monitoring of the comparative situation of the Gender Pay Gap Reporting (measuring the pay gap between men and women, not equal pay). Despite the efforts made in three subsidiaries, the data must continue to improve. The issue is monitored by the UK Executive Committee;
• in France, in accordance with legal obligations, 12 Publicis Groupe companies with more than 50 employees published their gender equality index on March 1, 2021. The objective remains to achieve 95/100 for all entities. The Executive Committee in France monitors this index on a monthly basis;
• in Australia, where the law also requires companies to report annually on gender equality, Groupe agencies have circulated reports on the actions put in place to improve the conditions for women in these organizations

Employee profit-sharing: despite the optional nature of this system, in France, via the employee profit-sharing agreement (in force for three years), the Groupe has continued its economic performance-related employee profit-sharing policy, which is dependent on the Groupe’s annual organic growth in France. This is part of the Groupe’s long-standing commitments for its French employees in terms of employee savings, with many advantages for them in terms of availability of the sums deposited and in terms of tax.

Employee savings plan: in France, in addition to the Company Savings Plans (PEE) implemented in the majority of its companies in France, the Groupe rolled out a Groupe Collective Retirement Savings Plan (PERECO) in 2021, thanks to a quality social dialog with all trade union coordinators. The system is optional and applies to all employees in France. It allows the vesting throughout the employee professional career, of either lifetime annuity rights or the payment of a lump sum no earlier than the legal retirement age, except in the event of early release. This system is funded by one-off or scheduled voluntary payments as well as payments in connection with incentive and/or profit-sharing plans. The PERECO system set up at Groupe level in France benefits from an annual contribution of up to 200% of the voluntary payment made by the employee (contribution capped at euro 450).

Publicis Groupe did not use State aid aimed at supporting companies during the pandemic.