UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group has joined the Charter on Financial Inclusion and Reintegration of Veterans
UKRSIBBANK has joined the Charter on Financial Inclusion and Reintegration of Veterans, the creation of which was initiated by the National Bank and one of the bank’s shareholders, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, within the framework of a joint Memorandum of Understanding.
The Memorandum between the NBU and the EBRD envisages the cooperation of institutions to ensure the financial sector cohesion in standards implementation of inclusive activities and services, support and resocialization of war veterans in Ukraine.
The standards in the Charter were designed to make banks more accessible to hundreds of thousands of veterans, both customers and employees.
The Charter is an effective tool that will unite banks around the issue of helping veterans and their families. A sign of equality must stand between the capabilities of civilians and veterans. I believe that together with the EBRD and the entire banking system, we will be able to promote effectively accessibility and barrier-free financial services for all citizens.
By joining the Charter, UKRSIBBANK has demonstrated its desire to adopt an inclusive policy, reintegrate war veterans and transform the business into one that provides equal access to financial services for all clients without exception.
The war has led to a loss of skilled labour in Ukraine: several million people live outside the country or are internally displaced persons in Ukraine, and hundreds of thousands more serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. A key element in planning for the country’s continued economic sustainability is strengthening its human capital by encouraging more people to return and work.
In particular, to implement the Charter, UKRSIBBANK will implement initiatives aimed at:
- make financial services more accessible and inclusive for veterans to access and use on an equal basis;
- remove obstacles that may impede veterans’ ability to return to work through the introduction of inclusive HR policies and practices in the financial sector,
- and ensure safe, i.e. trigger-free and risk-free, workplaces for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder;
- improve accessibility of the workplaces and premises to support veteran clients and employees through the use of modified equipment or devices;
- support clients, who may employ or serve veterans, in becoming more inclusive.
The signing of the Charter is an important step in supporting veterans returning to civilian life after service. We believe that this initiative and the joint efforts of the signatories will help veterans and provide them with access to work, entrepreneurship and financial opportunities. As part of the international financial group BNP Paribas, where inclusion and respect for people is part of the culture, we do everything we can to ensure support and inclusion for our employees, clients and partners. At the same time, we are also developing our veteran reintegration program «We’re Proud» — active support for their further successful life and professional development. We have almost 100 mobilized employees and colleagues who have returned to civilian life in the bank, and we are also open to new candidates. We believe that together we are building a society where every person has a chance for a decent future.
The «We’re Proud» veterans’ reintegration program aims to create comfortable working conditions for military personnel: bank employees and potential employee candidates who will join our team. The program includes four main components: onboarding, inclusive culture and environment, financial care and mental health support. The bank supports a culture of respect for veterans and their experiences.
A significant component of the program is financial support: health insurance and life insurance, additional financial assistance in case of disability, additional leave for combatants under the law, an expanded recovery and welfare program: rehabilitation programs, compensation payments to mobilized workers, psychological support programs, the possibility of sanatorium treatment for soldiers and family members.
UKRSIBBANK also opens new inclusive branches and adapts existing ones to the needs of people with disabilities. In particular, it is the installation of lifting platforms, arrangement of ramps, stickers of a specific colour and furniture: lowered tables and cash register windows.