At Danske Bank, we strive constantly to improve our employees’ working environment. Our approach is based on the principle that the prevention of adverse effects is more important than remediation.

Collaboration, support and prevention are crucial
For years, Danske Bank has been committed to an effort to maintain a healthy working environment and ensure job satisfaction among employees. We have set clear policies, we measure our progress, we collaborate with external partners, and we give our managers the tools necessary to identify and manage working environment issues before they become serious.

We have a long tradition of planning working environment projects in cooperation with employee organisations. This cooperation is formalised in our Works Council, European Work Council and Working Environment Council. The Group has working environment representatives at all locations.

The responsibility for the working environment lies with the local managers. This creates a stronger connection to day-to-day work and shortens the decision-making process. Moreover, all employees can influence the working environment where they work. The Group wants managers and employees to have an ongoing dialogue about the working environment.

We prepare managers for the task in a mandatory working environment course, and we offer various seminars and courses for managers to improve their leadership skills. At least once a year we conduct an employee engagement survey that includes a workplace assessment in order to gain knowledge about developments in the working environment.

Well-being and job satisfaction
We believe that well-being and job satisfaction are prerequisites for motivated and engaged employees. In our Work Council, European Work Council and Working Environment Council, we undertake initiatives to improve employees´ well-being and job satisfaction. We also involve our working environment representatives in order to prepare them for dialogues on these issues with managers and employees locally. Finally, we offer courses that help managers improve their leadership skills with the aim of increasing employee engagement.

Since 2007, we have had a policy on preventing and managing stress. We have also developed a toolbox that employees and managers can use to address stress-related issues, and we encourage managers and employees to hold dialogues on well-being and job satisfaction. The toolbox is available to all managers and employees electronically. We also have a new, improved hotline in Denmark that offers employees confidential support 24/7.

We have a collaborated with Danica Pension in Denmark on counselling for employees who have been absent from work for a long period because of illness. The objective is to support the employees’ full recovery and encourage them to return to work.

We offer various measures, including a hotline, workplace assessments and guidance on obtaining specialist assistance covered by the health insurance. Further, we collaborate with local authorities to establish special working conditions for employees who return to work.