Energia Group employs approximately 800 employees in the RoI and Northern Ireland combined.
HEALTH & SAFETY
We take health and safety seriously at Energia Group and not just on paper. Facts and figures are all very well, but real people come first and their wellbeing and safety is a non negotiable commitment for us. To create a truly safe workplace we rely on everyone working together for the protection of all.We promote a positive health and safety culture to our employees, contractors, customers and the wider public with thorough standards supported by the latest safety principles, rules, policies and procedures. We believe a safe working culture has to be founded upon clear principles that everyone understands.
The group health, safety and environmental management system is certified to internationally recognised standards which set out the requirements for occupational health and safety management best practice. In June 2018 the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) certified Energia Group to ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Standard. We regularly engage with key organisations including the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland as well as the Health and Safety Authority in the RoI.
Our approach to employment-related performance, such as safety and sickness absence, is to set targets in line with best practice. The Group employs a dedicated internal health and safety professional and retains the services of an external health and safety consultant who both provide advice and recommendations to management on a range of health and safety matters. An external audit is carried out on every part of the organisation at least once a year.
ZERO TOLERANCE FOR UNSAFE BEHAVIOURS
We also have a zero tolerance policy for unsafe behaviours leading to accidents at work. Safety is at the heart of our business and we believe there is no such thing as a tolerable level of accidents. Excluding third party contractors there were no reportable incidents or lost time incidents during the past year. Including third party contractors there were three reportable incidents or lost time incidents during the past year. Formal processes for incident investigation and analysis are in place. Huntstown 1 and 2 continue to be accredited to OHSAS 18001:2007 for their occupational health and safety management systems.
EMPLOYMENT
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
For us, equality in the workplace is about respecting human rights in everything we do. We are committed to creating a working environment in which personal and employment rights are upheld; which ensures equality of opportunity for all employees and job applicants; and which enables employees to realise their maximum potential and to be appropriately challenged and fully engaged in the business, with opportunities for personal development.
We believe that business can only thrive in an environment in which human rights are respected. We are pro-active in implementing human resource policies and procedures to ensure compliance with fair employment, sex discrimination, equal pay, disability discrimination, race discrimination, sexual orientation and age discrimination legislation. The Group’s equal opportunities policy commits us to providing equality of opportunity for all employees and job applicants. We regularly monitor our actions to promote compliance with legislation and to ensure that we provide equality of opportunity in all of our employment practices. Equal opportunity measures and statistics in respect of the relevant employing entities are reported formally to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
DISABILITY
It is our policy to provide people with disabilities equal opportunities for employment, training and career development, having regard to aptitude and ability. Any member of staff who becomes disabled during employment is given assistance and re-training where possible.
DIGNITY AT WORK
The Dignity at Work policy and procedures underline our commitment to equality and dignity at work for all, and ensure an environment free from bullying and harassment.
REMUNERATION
We operate fair and visible remuneration policies which are externally benchmarked to ensure that employees are paid an appropriate salary for the work they undertake. Various reward schemes are in place including bonus schemes, excellence awards, reward and recognition bonuses and skills progression arrangements. Total reward statements, detailing an individual’s full remuneration package, are issued to staff annually.
LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT
Our Human Resources policies are aligned with key business drivers, which include performance improvement; cost reduction; business growth and innovation; and excellence in customer service. These policies are supported by clearly defined values and behaviours, a robust talent and performance management process, a strong commitment to employee and management development and organisational competence built upon appropriate capabilities and skills.Our People Strategy ensures continuity with its strategic aims. The four key strategic areas are: talent management and learning and development, employee engagement, organisational effectiveness and recognition and reward.
Our Talent Management strategy aims to establish an integrated talent management process by ensuring an effective pipeline of leadership and scarce skills to ensure robust succession planning and protect business continuity, increase awareness of leadership and career development opportunities and accelerated development of high potential and scarce skill resources.
The Talent Management process includes a Competency Framework which identifies the key values and competencies, including behavioural indicators, and how they are expected to be demonstrated by employees at various levels within the business.This Competency Framework underpins the annual Performance and Development Review (PDR) process, which evaluates the performance of each individual against defined and agreed targets and objectives. It also enables individuals to discuss the competencies where they show real strength and those areas that could be further developed.
Learning and development needs are also identified through the PDR process to ensure that employees have a development plan in place which is aligned to their development needs. We have developed a methodology to ensure greater focus on development and career discussions.
The Talent Management process also includes annual Talent Forums for each business within the Group and key functional areas across the business, to ensure that key skills and potential are identified in areas such as leadership, management, scarce skills, areas of specialism, etc. and that appropriate succession and development plans are in place. This also provides a consistent and transparent approach, offering a mechanism to develop employees to meet their full potential and to plan and manage their careers effectively.
As part of our commitment to develop talent, Energia Group has embedded several development programmes including LEAP (Future Leaders’ Programme), Aspire (High Potential Programme), Evolve (First Line Manager Programme) and Ignite (Student Placement Programme). We have also launched a new Leadership and Management Development Programme (Elevate) aimed at senior managers and managers of teams and individuals.
These programmes are complemented by our Learning and Development Calendar, which is available to all employees.
POLICIES
When it comes to policies, Energia Group has a number of formal policies in place including Employee Complaint and Grievance procedures, Code of Conduct and Disciplinary policies. We also offer a wide range of family-friendly working arrangements including enhanced maternity and paternity provisions, adoption, parental leave, shared parental leave and dependant leave, all of which are regularly reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis.
We have recently updated our Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Policies to reflect changes in Data Protection Legislation and The Corporate Criminal Offences of the Failure to Prevent the Facilitation of Tax Evasion.
Policies are available to employees via the Energia Group intranet.
WELLBEING
The wellbeing of our employees is of critical importance and during the past year our Wellbeing Programme included the provision of flu vaccines, employee health checks, walk a mile lunchtime challenge, personal resilience challenge and lunch & learns on various topics (including Finance 101, Mental Health and Acclimatizing to Shift Work). The Group operates a Cycle to Work Scheme and offers Private Medical Insurance to eligible employees and has a Health Cash Plan for those employees not eligible for Private Medical Insurance. The Health Cash Plan enables employees to claim money back for everyday healthcare including dental, optical and physiotherapy treatments and allows fast access to private consultations and scans.
Third Party occupational health and counselling services are also available for employees if required.
SICKNESS ABSENCE
The Group believes that the pro-active management of illness and absenteeism is to the mutual benefit of the Group and its employees.
EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION AND EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT
We are committed to communicating with our employees regularly and transparently. Employee communications occur through team briefings, communication and involvement groups (Connect Employee Engagement Forums), project groups, electronic communications and through interaction, consultation and negotiation with trade unions. Employee relations in all businesses are positive and constructive. There is a well-established arrangement for consultation and involvement throughout the Group and for negotiation with the relevant trade unions in Power NI.We aim to complete Employee Engagement Surveys every two years with pulse surveys to be completed annually.
We also engage with relevant external organisations including the Confederation of British Industry Employment Affairs Committee, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, the Labour Relations Agency, Business in the Community, The Prince’s Trust, and the Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation. A close link with the education sector is nurtured on an ongoing basis with student placements offered across a range of functions and departments.
Group staff are actively involved in energy policy and representative bodies in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Europe. In Ireland, staff play a very active role in the Electricity Association of Ireland (EAI) through positions on the board and by chairing a number of Working Groups. Through the EAI’s membership of Eurelectric, this involvement extends to representing the EAI in Brussels on various Eurelectric Committees and Working Groups. Staff also sit on the Board of the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) and participate fully in their Committee and Working Group structure, including as the chair of their Corporate PPA Working Group. As a member of Ibec, Ireland’s largest business advocacy group, members of staff play an active role in relevant activities in both Ireland and Brussels and chair their Energy Providers Working Group.
We are currently working in partnership with Business in the Community to further develop our CSR strategy across Energia and Power NI.Staff are actively encouraged to participate in the area of innovation Idea Drop, an idea management software programme. Power NI is also a platinum member of Catalyst Inc which supports innovation and entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland and runs a number of programmes.In PPB a member of staff was selected for the prestigious British Council’s Future Leaders Connect programme, alongside 49 other emerging policy leaders from across the world. The programme consisted of intensive leadership and policy training at Cambridge University, culminating in extensive engagement with members of UK Parliament. Learnings will contribute to delivering the policy required for 100% renewable electricity systems.
DIVERSITY
Energia Group recognises the value of a diverse workforce and looks to offer equal opportunities to everyone. The Group has an excellent gender balance with currently 46% of its employees, senior management and directors being female and 54% being male.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Protecting human rights a priority in our day to day dealings. Energia Group believes in the dignity and individual rights of every human being. We protect the rights of our employees by adopting suitable employment practices such as those described above. We also aim to act ethically in all of our business dealings with a zero tolerance approach to modern slavery.
