Mindful that employee commitment is key to the Group’s success, Rubis ensures that individuals have the opportunity for professional development, with the aim of attracting, developing and retaining its talents. To do so, Rubis focuses its efforts on promoting diversity and equal opportunities (section 4.4.1), employee skills development (section 4.4.2), health, safety and well-being at work (section 4.4.3) and involving employees in the Group’s value creation (section 4.4.4).

Group risk mapping has identified the main human resources risks related to the Group’s activities. These risks mainly concern the health and safety of employees and external service providers working at Group sites. Apart from these risks, a key challenge relating to human resource management was identified by the relevant Management in each division: attracting, developing and retaining talent while the Group grows and where human resources must be adapted to Rubis’ development strategy. This challenge is dealt with in this chapter.

In line with its corporate culture and in order to make the most of its human capital and better address the specificities involved in the Group’s activities, the deployment of Rubis’ human resources policy has been decentralised. Rubis Énergie and its subsidiaries, Rubis Renouvelables and its subsidiary Rubis Photosol, as well as the Rubis Terminal JV, manage their human resources autonomously in line with Rubis’ values and implement local actions adapted to their needs and challenges.

In addition, in order to support skills development and foster internal mobility, a project relating to establishing a process for identifying and supporting Talents was launched in Rubis Énergie at the end of 2021. Interviews with the Group’s key players were carried out and a Steering Committee was created bringing together Group employees from various functions, activities and business lines. These steps made it possible to define a notion of “Potential” and “Talent” that can be applied in all the Group’s territories and activities, as well as to validate common detection and identification criteria. Following a validation phase of these processes at the end of 2022 via the “pilot” subsidiaries, the rollout of this system across all Rubis Énergie entities began in the first quarter of 2023 and will then be renewed annually.

Employee status and fluctuations in numbers

As of 31 December 2022, the Group had 4,498 employees, including 573 at the Rubis Terminal JV. Within Rubis Énergie, headcount increased in the Europe zone in particular (+4%). The 112 employees of Rubis Photosol, acquired in April 2022, are included in the Group’s headcount and in all social data for 2022 (excluding training data).

The Group’s shipping activity requires the use of crews who are hired through interim agencies or under a limited term employment agreement. As of 31 December 2022, the headcount of crew members who had signed an employment contract with a Group entity (under international temporary contracts) or with an interim agency, stood at 225. These non-permanent employees are not taken into account in the published social metrics. However, Rubis is particularly careful to ensure that the working conditions of these crews comply with the ILO (International Labour Organization) conventions applicable to them (see section 4.5.1.1). In 2022, no non-compliance was reported during the external audits carried out on compliance with the Maritime Labour Convention.

CHANGE IN PERMANENT EMPLOYEES BY DIVISION AND BY REGION

Diversity and inclusion are part of the Group’s DNA. They are an asset to the Company and key to the effectiveness of its teams.The Group is committed to ensuring that there is no discrimination based on origin, religion, gender or sexual orientation, health status and/or disability, political views, religious beliefs or family status. These values are clearly stated in the Group’s Code of Ethics. To ensure that each individual is protected against discrimination, a whistleblowing system (Rubis Integrity Line) has been rolled out across the entire Group so that any situation undermining the Group’s values and those of its subsidiaries can be reported. The Integrity Line allows all Group employees as well as external and temporary workers to securely report any alerts via a website (see section 4.5.1.1).

Since combatting discrimination is a major issue in the area of employment, the Group has set itself the target of there being zero proven reports of discrimination, notably through the application of its ethics hotline.

4.4.1.1       Gender equality

RISKS

The Group mainly carries out its activities in an industrial environment in which men have historically been the majority. In line with its principles of non-discrimination and convinced that the lack of diversity is detrimental to the creation of value, the Group has taken initiatives to help talent to flourish without any gender distinction.

GENDER BREAKDOWN WITHIN THE GROUP AS OF 31/12/2022

MEASURES TAKEN TO IMPROVE GENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Measures to improve professional equality between men and women are progressively being implemented within Group entities. For example, Rubis Énergie’s Jamaican subsidiary (Rubis Energy Jamaica) is one of the first companies in the English-speaking Caribbean to have committed, in March 2019, to the gender equality certification process devised by the United Nations Development Programme (Gender Equality Seal). This certification includes the following objectives:

•   eliminating gender-based pay gaps;

•   increasing the role of women in decision-making;

•   improving work/life balance;

•   improving women’s access to traditionally male jobs;

•   eradicating sexual harassment in the workplace;

•   communicating in a more inclusive, non-sexist, way.

Company agreements promoting the inclusion of women and gender equality in the workplace have also been entered into in some of the Group’s subsidiaries and complement existing measures in the area of fighting against discrimination in hiring, the promotion of equal pay, career development, etc.

For instance, Vitogaz France entered into a company agreement aimed at facilitating women’s access to positions of responsibility, neutralising the impact maternity/adoption leave periods have on professional evaluation and career development and, lastly, balancing work and family obligations.

In 2021, SRPP (Réunion Island) renewed its company agreement with four objectives (which are monitored by defined quantitative indicators) aimed at promoting professional equality between men and women:

•   achieving an equal percentage of review of individual situations by gender over the term of the agreement;

•   ensuring equal access to training for both men and women;

•   when recruiting for permanent, fixed-term or temporary contracts, presenting at least one female candidate in predominantly male sectors (at gas filling plants for example); likewise, presenting at least one male candidate in predominantly female sectors (administrative and accounting services for instance);

•   100% of employees will have an interview with their Manager upon return from maternity or parental leave and 100% of requests for paternity leave will be granted on first request and on the dates selected by the employee.

Communication campaigns were also launched to highlight women’s involvement in the Company and to help combat gender stereotyping in the workplace. For example, the Rubis subsidiary operating in the eastern Caribbean (Rubis Caribbean) is actively involved in the international Women’s History Month campaign, which consists of putting the spotlight on women’s contributions to historical events and contemporary society by publicly recognising the work done by its female employees.

In 2019, SARA launched the “NO to Sexism” campaign at all its sites. Since then, a series of actions regularly remind Group employees and employees of outside companies that sexism in any form whatsoever will not be tolerated. Through real-life scenes, a team of actors first helped each participant to understand what sexist behaviour is and how serious it is. Articles are regularly published on the subject. To go further, a leaflet has been distributed to remind everyone of the law on the subject and the penalties incurred.

On 8 March 2022, many subsidiaries mobilised to celebrate International Women’s Day with the theme “Equality today for a sustainable future”. For example, Galana (Madagascar) organised a reception followed by a film and relaxation session for all its female employees. At Rubis Énergie Djibouti, a fun time was organised and General Management personally thanked its female employees for the quality of their work, their reliability and their daily dedication. Dinasa (Haiti) organised a discussion-debate on the theme “Women’s leadership, a driver of development, towards responsible gender equality”, a moment of discussion that enabled Management to congratulate its employees and commit to continuing to work towards the gender equality objective by promoting the hiring of women. In South Africa, the World LPG Association organized an event attended by many young women from different companies in the sector. An employee of the Easigas subsidiary was rewarded for her professional success. She explained, through an inspiring speech, her rise from graduation, working as a receptionist in her youth, to the position as Bulk Transport Manager she currently holds within the Group.

The Group’s subsidiaries encourage the hiring of women in our male-dominated professions and fight against all forms of discrimination and sexism, in particular by ensuring that their recruitment processes, compensation policies and career management provide everyone with the same opportunities.

A company agreement was renewed within the Rubis Terminal JV in 2017. The agreement focuses on hiring, training and career development through the use of monitoring indicators. A report is presented to the central Economic and Social Council every year. The situation is positive, particularly in terms of training. The Rubis Terminal JV has set itself the target of achieving 40% women on the Group’s Executive Committee by 2030.

RESULTS

The number of women employed by the Group was up 5.5% in the financial year (1,167 female employees as of 31 December 2022, compared to 1,106 as of 31 December 2021). Women employees account for 25.9% of the total headcount.

At Rubis SCA (the parent company), the majority of management positions (senior executives) are held by women.

At the Group level, 35.5% of all management positions (senior executives and managerial personnel) are held by women, i.e., a higher proportion than their percentage of total workforce. The percentage of women holding managerial or senior executive posts (30.9%) is also markedly higher than the percentage of men with equivalent responsibilities (19.6%).

NB: Data incudes the Rubis Terminal JV. Figures excluding the Rubis Terminal JV are presented in the table at the end of this section 4.4.

At the level of the governing bodies:

•   50% of the members of the Group Management Committee, which has six members, are women;

•   women sitting on the Management Committees within Rubis Énergie and its subsidiaries represented 28.6% of those Committees’ membership on average as of 31 December 2022 (compared to 27.4% in 2021 and 24.6% in 2020), including two female General Managers of subsidiaries in Rwanda and Cameroon. A woman is also Managing Director of the Gabon subsidiary, which is not included in the above-cited rate given the size of the entity, which does not have a Management Committee;

•   the Rubis Photosol Management Committee was composed of 20% women as of 31 December 2022.

GENDER EQUALITY INDEX FOR FRENCH COMPANIES

To compare pay gaps between men and women in France, a professional equality index has been phased in for French companies with more than 50 employees by French law no. 2018-771 of 5 September 2018 on the freedom to choose one’s professional future.

This index, which is scored out of 100, is calculated on the basis of four or five criteria, depending on the size of the Company’s workforce:

•   pay gap between men and women (40 points);

•   difference in the rate of individual pay rises between men and women (35 points for companies with fewer than 250 employees; 20 points for companies with more than 250 employees);

•   difference in the male/female promotion rate (15 points, only for companies with more than 250 employees);

•   share of female workers receiving a pay raise following maternity leave (15 points);

•   number of women represented in the top 10 compensation packages (10 points).

The headcount at the Group holding company, Rubis SCA (which includes those of Rubis Patrimoine for the purposes of monitoring social indicators), does not allow the index to be calculated on a voluntary basis (headcount below the required thresholds).

Rubis Énergie: the gender equality indices of the four French companies concerned were published in 2023, two of which increased significantly between 2021 and 2022:

•   SRPP (Réunion Island): 94/100 in 2022 (identical to 2021) (learn more at www.srpp.re/INDEX%20EGAPRO%20SRPP%202023.pdf);

•   SARA (French Antilles): 92/100 in 2022 (vs 81/100 in 2021) (learn more at www.sara-antilles-guyane.com/notre-demarche-rse/);

•   Vitogaz France: 86/100 in 2022 (identical to 2021) (learn more at www.Vitogaz.com/Vitogazvous/rse/index-egalite-professionnelle-femme-homme);

•   Rubis Antilles Guyane: 96/100 in 2022 (vs 81/100 in 2021) (learn more at www.rubis-ag.fr/egalite-pro ).

For the Rubis Terminal JV, its French subsidiary reported a score of 88/100 in 2021. It reached 99/100 in 2022 (learn more at https://www.rubis-terminal.com/).

In addition, in 2022, Maritec Tanker Management Pvt Ltd (MTM PL), a subsidiary of Rubis Énergie, integrated two women sailors into its workforce for the first time. They joined the Morbihan vessel, recently acquired by the Group.

4.4.1.2 Geographical diversity

Operating in over 40 countries and with more than 68 nationalities in its workforce, Rubis is keen to capitalise on the rich cultural diversity of its employees and make an impact in the regions in which it operates. Employees are split equally between Africa, the Caribbean and Europe in terms of activities. In order for this cultural diversity to be reflected in corporate culture and management, when acquiring foreign subsidiaries, the Group tries to retain and/or hire local employees for their experience and knowledge of the country: more than 98% of Group employees are hired locally. Thus, only two positions are generally occupied by expatriates in subsidiaries, those of General Managers and Chief Financial Officer. The percentage of expatriates on the subsidiaries’ various Management Committees was 18.6% in 2022 (20.7% excluding the Rubis Terminal JV).

GEOGRAPHICAL BREAKDOWN OF EMPLOYEES

NB: Data incudes the Rubis Terminal JV. Figures excluding the Rubis Terminal JV are presented in the table at the end of this section 4.4.

4.4.1.3 Intergenerational diversity

The Group’s age pyramid shows that the Group has broad intergenerational diversity in its headcount, which greatly enhances the experience of its teams and the transfer of knowledge. Each age group is represented in a relatively equal way, without any significant variations between business lines and regions. The Group has set up an active training policy in order to anticipate the retirement of senior employees. Furthermore, the Group contributes to the integration of young people into the job market by recruiting interns, students under apprenticeship or professionalisation contracts and recent graduates.

BREAKDOWN OF EMPLOYEES BY AGE GROUP

To retain this intergenerational dynamic and maintain proximity between younger and older employees, Rubis Énergie and the Rubis Terminal JV have introduced practices favouring seniors in France.

Since intergenerational diversity is key to social cohesion between all generations, Rubis Énergie prioritises:

•   anticipating career development;

•   developing skills and qualifications;

•   transmitting knowledge and developing mentoring.

As of 31 December 2022, 34 people on work-study contracts (alternant) and 120 interns worked at Rubis Énergie, as well as three people on work-study contracts and 13 interns at Rubis Photosol.

The Rubis Terminal JV has committed to:

•   keeping employees aged 55 and over in the workforce;

•   training in ergonomics;

•   paying part of the cost of qualifications that certify skills learned through experience.

Regarding young employees, the Group encourages combined work-study programmes, which it views as a very suitable tool for bringing young people into the professional world.

4.4.1.4 Disability

The Group has adopted a policy of openness favouring disabilities, which includes funding associations and institutions working in healthcare as part of its social engagement activities (see section 4.5.2.3).

Within Rubis Énergie, several subsidiaries use supply, subcontracting or service contracts with establishments and services assisting disabled people through work (Établissements et Services d’Aide par le Travail, ESAT) or a company employing a minimum number of disabled employees (Entreprise Adaptée, EA). At the same time, recruitment firms are asked to ensure that each job opening is accessible to people with disabilities.

For example, at Rubis Antilles Guyane, hiring for various leave replacements is conducted through Cap Emploi, which works with individuals with disabilities, allowing integration into the Company and which can lead to permanent employment, if needed.

In South Africa, the law (Employment Equity Act) requires companies to ensure that people with a disability make up at least 2% of their workforce. Individuals with disabilities account for over 4% of Easigas’s workforce.

From 14 to 20 November 2022, SARA observed the European week for the employment of people with disabilities, at all its sites. The Quality of Life at Work Department organised an awareness-raising event on the issue of lifelong, temporary and sudden disabilities. Employees were able to attend visually-impaired lunches, a play called “Conte-moi le handicap” with the El Lobo Bueno association, DuoDays and information workshops. The aim was to change the way people see each other in order to value employees who have disabilities. Employees greatly appreciated the week’s programme, and the various events were very well attended.

At SRPP (Réunion Island), a day to raise awareness of disability was organised on 26 October 2022. Some 30 employees were able to try out various fun activities offered by around 20 specialists in the field of motor, visual, auditory and mental disabilities: tasting and visually-impaired tour, introduction to sign language, creation of paintings, and practising a sport in a wheelchair. These workshops were led by testimonials from people with disabilities who came to share their professional experience in order to convey a strong positive message. The primary objective of this awareness-raising action was to highlight different types of disabilities, but also to communicate and discuss the adaptations necessary to integrate people with disabilities.

In addition, Vitogaz France sought to strengthen its commitments with respect to integrating and maintaining employment for people with disabilities. As part of its desire to promote diversity and equal opportunity, the company has committed to implementing an employment policy for people with disabilities, based on five pillars;

•   facilitating the recruitment and integration of people with disabilities;

•   maintaining employment of people with disabilities;

•   developing training initiatives that will make it possible to achieve or facilitate the integration of disabled workers;

•   integrating ESATs into the company’s purchasing policy as far as possible;

•   raising individual awareness through dynamic communication about how disabilities are perceived.

To carry out these actions, a disability correspondent was appointed in 2021.

The Rubis Terminal JV has also signed partnership agreements with ESATs and sheltered workshops.

For instance, for more than 20 years, the Rubis Terminal JV Company headquarters has been sourcing office supplies and maintenance products from establishments that employ disabled workers under the auspices of the Commission for Rights and Autonomy of People with a Disability (CDAPH).

In order to promote the integration of people with disabilities, by 2023, 100% of the General Management bodies and Human Resources Departments will receive training on the fight against preconceptions about people with disabilities, and by 2025, 100% of our employees will receive awareness-raising on this issue.

RISKS

The Group is convinced of the importance of developing its employees, whether through knowledge enhancement or diversification of experiences. The ongoing improvement of individual skills helps motivate teams, encourages coming up with innovative ideas, and boosts employee efficiency and employability. It also makes Group service quality durable and increases safety at facilities.

In addition, in line with internationally defined development priorities, Rubis is attentive to the consequences of energy transition on the workforce and the creation of decent work and high-quality jobs. The principles of a just transition for workers consist of attractiveness and development of talent, including workers in the just transition process, and supporting and training workers.

To do so, Rubis committed in its CSR Roadmap, Think Tomorrow 2022-2025, to training 10% of employees each year on changes in our businesses (energy transition,CSR, etc.) by 2025.

MEASURES TAKEN

The enhancement of employee skills contributes to the Group’s performance and employee development. It is with this in mind that training objectives have been defined.

An e-learning platform was developed in 2021 and put online in March 2022. The first module is dedicated to preventing corruption. The platform will be supplemented with other training modules as necessary.

Training as a means of moving forward

In accordance with the wishes expressed by employees, the Group invests in general training to upgrade and enhance employees’ skills throughout their careers.

Rubis Énergie and the Rubis Terminal JV have set up a wide range of training courses that are adapted to their own specific challenges:

•   language training;

•   management training;

•   functional training: training in law, customs, pay systems, etc.;

•   training on changes in our business lines (energy transition, CSR, etc.).

Training as a means of preventing risk

Concerned about protecting the physical integrity of its employees while performing their duties, the Group is investing in:

•   health, through providing training in ergonomics for jobs that carry risks to employee health, as well as safety training for different “at risk” jobs aimed at staff and external workers, product training (welding, chemical product handling), workplace first aid and rescue, etc.;

•   industrial safety, with the assistance of professional bodies such as the GESIP (Groupe d’Étude de Sécurité et Chimiques – Group for Safety Research in the Petroleum and Chemical Industries). These training courses are designed to continually improve the safety of people and facilities at industrial sites in an environmentally friendly manner;

•   road safety, to reduce the risk of road accidents in regions with poor quality road infrastructure and/or generally inadequate driver training (defensive driving) (see section 4.2.3.2.1);

•   the environment and quality (incorporation of ISO standards);

•   verifying systems designed to protect facilities (tank maintenance, training in operating fire-fighting systems, etc.);

•   partnerships with providers, such as the Association for Prevention in the Transport of Petroleum Products (Association pour la prévention dans le transport d’hydrocarbures – APTH), which provides training and assistance to safety advisors, the Association of Training in Fuel Trading (Association de formation dans le négoce des combustibles – Asfoneco), the Red Cross, etc.

RESULTS

This year, the number of training hours increased sharply: 81,151 training hours (+32.7% compared to 2021 and +57.3% compared to 2020) were delivered within the Group in 2022, some of which remotely. The number of employees who received training increased by 9.8% compared to 2021 and by 36.2% compared to 2020. The proportion of employees receiving training was 90.1% at Rubis Énergie (Retail & Marketing and Support & Services activities) and 82.6% within the Rubis Terminal JV.

Notably, these training needs were able to be identified during annual reviews. In 2022, 91.3% of employees had a review meeting with their line Manager. In 2022, the number of training hours per employee trained increased by approximately 21% (20.8 hours/employee trained in 2022 vs 17.2 hours/employee trained in 2021).

NUMBER OF TRAINING SESSIONS DELIVERED AND EMPLOYEE BENEFICIARIES

In general, risk prevention efforts continued, with 68% of employees trained in health and safety (54% in 2021 and 40% in 2020).

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES TRAINED IN HEALTH AND SAFETY

PERCENTAGE OF EMPLOYEES TRAINED IN CHANGES IN OUR BUSINESS LINES (ENERGY TRANSITION, CSR, ETC.) (RUBIS ÉNERGIE SCOPE)

4.4.3.1 Health and safety

The Group puts personal health and safety at the very heart of its social policy. These risks affect both employees and staff from outside companies, as well as customers and local residents living near sites operated by Group entities. This subject is addressed in section 4.2.3.2.

4.4.3.2 Quality of life at work

RISKS

The Group is conscious of the importance of offering its employees working conditions that allow them to reach their full potential. This is an essential condition for the motivation, cohesion and stability of the teams. It is a performance lever that helps foster long-term employee commitment.

Moreover, employee commitment is very much dependent on the ability of Senior Managers to help new employees settle in, make their teams understand what the Company expects of them, how their work contributes to the Group’s success, to be respectful and attentive to the needs of each individual and to develop the collective intelligence and mutual listening skills required for any relationship built on trust.

Lastly, social protection cover for employees aims to protect them from the potentially significant financial impacts of illness or accidents.

MEASURES TAKEN

Labour relations

Rubis’ relations with all its employees are based on listening, dialogue and mutual respect. Every subsidiary has open and constructive relations with employee representative bodies where they exist (mainly in companies operating in France). Collective agreements notably cover wages and salaries, the company savings plan, incentives, profit-sharing, gender equality and training (see section 4.4.4).

Collective agreements are entered into with the aim of achieving positive outcomes, including with respect to employees’ working conditions and the Company’s economic performance. High-quality labour relations have a direct effect on the success of developments to be made within the Company in order to adapt to an evolving environment.

In France, all Rubis Énergie and Rubis Terminal JV employees are covered by a collective agreement. The employees of Rubis SCA, the parent company, are not covered by a collective agreement due to the small number of employees and the Company’s status as a holding company.

Moreover, numerous measures are unilaterally taken on health and safety issues in accordance with rules established by the Group and after consultation with employee representative bodies.

Rubis Énergie has set the following targets with the aim of maintaining a working environment that is conducive to the well-being of its employees and employee retention:

•   stabilise headcount and jobs at constant scope;

•   keep its absenteeism rate for non-occupational illnesses at under 2%.

Monitoring psychosocial risks

The Group specifically targets the prevention of psychosocial risks, knowing that doing so improves quality of life at work. During the lockdown periods related to the Covid-19 pandemic, which led many Group employees to work remotely, sometimes for long periods in 2020, increased vigilance was paid to employee well-being. Measures, such as regular newsletters, were put in place, as well as training on working in confined spaces or training on preventive measures against the Covid-19 pandemic.

A psychosocial risk assessment is conducted in certain subsidiaries and is updated on a regular basis in order to better prevent against these situations. In addition, to encourage the detection of potential risks, Group employees and external and temporary employees can securely report any harassment via the whistleblowing line that is being rolled out in the Group’s subsidiaries (Rubis Integrity Line) as well as through traditional reporting channels (line management, HR, employee representatives) (see section 4.5.1.1).

Work commitment

The Group encourages initiatives that promote dialogue and team spirit. These include:

•   the organisation of team-building events to foster employees’ team spirit. For example, within Rubis Énergie, many subsidiaries organise end-of-year meals with all employees, sometimes with their families. Sports activities, seminars, after work events, galettes des rois parties and workshops are also organised:

•   at Galana (Madagascar), in December 2022, an HSSE team-building was organised involving around 20 employees from different departments, in particular the first aid team members. The participants were put to the test through fun and cultural activities related to HSSE aspects,

•   Rubis Energia Portugal organised a day of activities for its staff on 27 May 2022. The Rubis Padel Day event consisted of a padel tournament and other sports activities such as pilates, bootcamp, zumba, etc. This event promoted team spirit and celebrated the opportunity to be together after these long periods of lockdown. Employees also had the opportunity to experience Rubis’ values through a flash mob on the Rubis Gas song,

•   on Réunion Island, SRPP organised its traditional convention, after a two-year break due to Covid. Following lunch at a restaurant, the afternoon was punctuated by an escape game on the Saint-Gilles beach, led by a team of actors;

•   the launch of a digital collaborative platform, Rubis Team, to facilitate interaction among Rubis SCA and Rubis Énergie employees working on different continents. This tool streamlined exchanges and encouraged a sense of belonging to the Group, and really proved its effectiveness during the pandemic, which led to long periods of working from home for a large number of employees;

•   the implementation of artistic projects for employees, helping to establish a culture of well-being, stimulate employees’ creativity and improve their working environment;

•   employee involvement in the artistic projects carried out by Rubis Mécénat, the Group’s endowment fund, on or in connection with the Group’s industrial sites (see section 4.5.2.3);

•   involving employees in the realisation of sustainable sociocultural projects. For example, Rubis Mécénat has involved employees in projects such as “Of Soul and Joy” in South Africa (photography programme aimed at young people in townships), the “InPulse” art project in Jamaica (creative visual arts platform), and “Ndao Hanavao” in Madagascar (social design innovation lab) (see section 4.5.2.3);

•   seeking employees’ assistance with community projects. These types of initiatives are conducted locally in most subsidiaries (sponsorship or fund-raising, support for charitable associations and the organisation of local community events, etc.) (see section 4.5.2.3);

•   highlighting employees’ work (celebrating successes at internal events, etc.).

Social protection cover for employees outside France

Mindful of the role that social protection cover can play in combating inequality and the importance of protecting its employees’ health, the Group strives to offer coverage for employees working in countries where coverage is not mandatory.

As of 31 December 2022, 98.3% of the Group’s employees had health coverage, whether mandatory or not. In countries that do not mandate health insurance cover, the subsidiaries have voluntarily set up plans to cover healthcare costs. In addition, 90% of employees benefit from provident insurance thanks to 214 social security or provident insurance agreements in force.

At Rubis Énergie, contributions to private social protection insurance (provident, healthcare) are made at the employer’s initiative for employees working outside France, except in foreign subsidiaries that had implemented such arrangements prior to being acquired by the Group.

Within the Rubis Terminal JV, employer contributions are made to provident and private health insurance funds for employees working outside France.

Organisation of working hours

Not all of the Group’s activities allow for flexible working hours. As activities are varied, the majority of employees working on our industrial sites hold “shift” jobs, thus carrying out a continuous activity with shifts between teams to ensure production (3x8). Managers, on the other hand, who carry out a more traditional office activity, benefit from more flexible working hours.

In addition, the pandemic that affected us in 2020 has created a profound change in the way we approach work and schedules. In France in particular, agreements on teleworking have been signed for categories of employees with suitable jobs.

Percentage of employees covered by company agreements

Sixty-three collective agreements, company agreements or unilateral decisions were signed at Rubis Énergie in 2022, covering more than 1,200 employees. At the Rubis Terminal JV, 50 collective agreements, company agreements or unilateral employer decisions were signed in 2022, covering 305 employees.

RESULTS

Indicators regarding employee turnover and absenteeism are used to assess changes in the labour relations context and the motivation of employees in subsidiaries.

The monitoring of employee turnover shows that the Group maintained a dynamic recruitment policy in 2022. Net job creations (number of new hires less all departures) totalled 147 (including 22 within the Rubis Terminal JV).

EMPLOYEE TURNOVER IN 2022

The rate of absenteeism due to non-occupational illness and the rate of unjustified absences remain relatively stable at a very low level, with the exception of the Rubis Terminal JV, where a large number of employees are on leave for long-term illnesses.

ABSENTEEISM NOT RELATED TO AN OCCUPATIONAL ACCIDENT OR ILLNESS*

* Days lost as a percentage of total working days per year.

RISKS

Failure to involve employees in the Group’s value creation could impact their commitment to work and hence the Group’s performance. For this reason, Rubis seeks to compensate the active contribution by employees to the Group’s economic and financial performance so that they benefit from this value creation, through its compensation policy and/or capital increases reserved for employees.

MEASURES TAKEN AND RESULTS

Wage increases

Employees receive a basic salary and additional compensation based on individual performance (variable salary, bonuses). Basic salaries and wages are regularly reviewed in light of individual performance and changes in the cost of living. For the most part, decisions on pay are decentralised and are made by each operating subsidiary.

In 2022, 64.2% of employees received a pay rise. Regardless of the category (non-executives, executives or senior executives), the rate of employees receiving a salary increase was uniform overall, with a higher proportion for non-managers (66.2%).

PERCENTAGE OF EMPLOYEES RECEIVING A PAY RISE

NB: Data incudes the Rubis Terminal JV. Figures excluding the Rubis Terminal JV are presented in the table at the end of this section 4.4.

M = Men.

W = Women.

Profit-sharing and incentive agreements

In accordance with French law, Rubis Énergie and the Rubis Terminal JV have introduced incentive and profit-sharing arrangements. Rubis SCA only has an incentive arrangement. In 2022, employees were able to benefit from these schemes.

Employee savings and shareholding plans

Employee shareholding is one of the pillars of the Group’s compensation policy. It strengthens employees’ sense of belonging to the Group and enables employees to be awarded in line with its performance.

The Group’s French subsidiaries have company savings plans. Rubis SCA has also set up a mutual fund (Rubis Avenir) that invests in Rubis shares, through which employees of the Group’s French companies that are at least 50% owned by the Group (including eligible employees of the Rubis Terminal JV) can subscribe for annual capital increases. As of 31 December 2022, Rubis Avenir held 1.66% of Rubis’ share capital.

In 2022, 48.5% of eligible employees took part in this issue (66.3% in 2021).

Incentive plans

The award of long-term incentivising compensation (performance shares, stock options) aims to acknowledge the positive contributions made by certain high-potential Group executives and Senior Managers around the world to implementing the Group’s strategy and to the Group’s growth. This sort of compensation is a human resources tool that allows Rubis to attract and retain talents. The plans involve only a small portion of the capital and are subject to demanding performance conditions. It is important to note that Rubis SCA’s Managing Partners do not benefit from this type of compensation.

The characteristics of these plans and their performance conditions are described in detail in chapter 6, section 6.5.