Well-being at work is a driver for both La Poste Groupe's performance and employee engagement. Improving well-being at work and protecting occupational health and safety for employees is the primary focus of the “La Poste, committed with employees” agreement signed on 4 May 2021.
The group offers a range of measures to develop the well-being at work and the engagement of postal workers, keeping pace with employees' changing expectations. While keeping a watchful eye on the quality of their employee experience, it measures the wellbeing at work of postal workers each year (engagement survey).
This policy is supported by management, human resources managers, occupational health services, prevention specialists and social workers throughout the company, all working closely with employee representatives.
La Poste implements systems adapted to the diversity of its businesses so that it can ensure good working conditions and reduce the causes of accidents, occupational illnesses and absenteeism. Its prevention policies focus on primary prevention, which is the most effective because it aims to reduce risk factors.
The prevention of physical risks covers the ergonomics and safety of equipment and modes of transport, work organisation and the working environment, as well as training in good work practices in order to prevent injury.
As part of the health and well-being safeguarding measures it has put in place for postal workers, La Poste has also introduced a “career and health” medical check-up so as to foresee any health difficulties and find another area of work for the person concerned, if necessary.
To ensure a high-quality work environment, La Poste puts in place strict measures to provide the right equipment and facilities and make sure that the highest health and safety standards are applied.
This overall rigorous framework means that when major changes take place, they do so under the best possible conditions for everyone. Impact studies are also carried out to identify the steps that need to be taken to eliminate or reduce negative impacts on the teams’ working conditions
One of the ways the group helps to prevent psychosocial risks is through the use of its "Well-Being at Work Essentials” system, which was designed in conjunction with France's National Agency for the Improvement of Working Conditions (ANACT) and identifies situations that could cause people to feel tension or stress in their workplace. It is overseen by the group's various Management Committees with input from all line managers, specialist HR staff and postal workers.
Onboarding of new hires and employees changing jobs within the group is key to their engagement and to team performance. The “Welcome to La Poste” approach, including a digital onboarding programme, is available to introduce people to the company and help them find their feet. To empower its people and give them a sense of purpose in their work, the group has set up discussion forums between line managers and their teams to talk about their work.
This initiative – called ParlonZen – gives postal workers the opportunity to discuss issues with their managers and propose solutions to improve their daily working life. The group pays particular attention to the aggressive behaviour that can be encountered by postal workers in contact with customers. It provides training for postal workers and their managers on how to deal with tense situations, offers legal assistance and support, and takes legal action in the event of an assault. Postal workers who are victims of assault receive medical and social support and, where necessary, psychological counselling.
Finding the right balance between professional and personal life is a key component of well-being at work. La Poste has put in place a number of measures to help its people achieve that balance, including:
the right to disconnect for everyone, including managers;
the possibility of remote working for employees whose jobs are compatible with this form of working arrangement;
measures to support parenthood, covering all family situations (parents of disabled children, single-parent families, same-sex families, etc.);
voluntary part-time hours for employees who wish to work part time for personal reasons, even when this is not family-related.
La Poste offers specific welfare services to employees who are encountering particular difficulties in their working lives. For example:
APALA (an acronym of the French for “before, during and after absence”) is a support service offered to postal workers who are off work for a long period of time, which helps them keep up a link with La Poste and makes it easier for them to come back to work;
a psychological support and counselling service for postal workers faced with difficult situations either at or outside work.
La Poste is France's largest employer of people who are also carers, with 5,200 postal workers officially qualifying as carers. Various support measures are available for these employees, including the possibility of obtaining days of paid leave, financed through a carers’ solidarity fund to which La Poste contributes 1,000 days a year, a guide for carers, a special phone helpline to provide personalised support and advice, specific working time arrangements, remote working, mobility to support a loved one at the end of life or three additional days' leave. La Poste has also signed up to the Charter for employees who are carer parents.