Labour rights
No forced and child labour
We operate in countries with a mature legal framework. By observing applicable Russian laws, we automatically comply with most of the core ILO conventions on human rights ratified by our government. In particular, we do not tolerate any form of forced or child labour.
In 2022, internal audits reported no incidents of child or forced labour. We also conduct relevant checks of suppliers.
For more details, please see the Requirements for Suppliers to Respect Human Rights as Part of Supply Chain Responsibility Commitments section.
Employment, headcount by location and gender
Nornickel is among the principal employers in Russia, especially in the Norilsk Industrial District and Kola Peninsula. As a mainstay of local economies, the Company is pursuing a responsible policy which takes into account its impact on local labour markets.
In 2022, the Group’s average headcount was 78,374 employees, of which 99% were employed at its Russian companies. A 6.5% y-o-y growth in the average headcount in 2022 was driven by the investment programme, organisational and technical changes (an expanded scope of works and services and the resulting personnel recruitment).
In 2022, unemployment was low across our geographical footprint – at 0.2–1.4%, which is also much lower than Russia's average unemployment rate of 3.9% Source: Federal State Statistics Service. .
The majority of the Group’s personnel is concentrated in the Norilsk Industrial District (67.0%) where most of the Group’s production assets are located.
Blue-collar employees account for the largest part of the workforce (over 60%) due to the nature of the Group’s operations. Men make up more than 70% of the headcount due to the harsh working conditions in the climate of the Far North and the specifics of operations. Female workers prevail in the category of white-collar employees (more than 50%).
In line with the Labour Code of the Russian Federation and relevant by-laws MMC Norilsk Nickel’s Human Rights Policy is available on the Company’s website. , the Company prohibits any form of discrimination of women from any person, organisation or enterprise, including by applying sanctions in case of dismissal or discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy or family status. We undertake to provide equal opportunities to men and women as required by the Russian labour laws. We are committed to ensuring respect for women rights at our sites to minimise their health risks.
Favourable working conditions
We seek to ensure the most favourable, fair and attractive working conditions for our people.
Made with Care comfort programme
Nornickel views comfortable workplace conditions and amenities as a key factor in reducing labour tensions and injuries, strengthening corporate culture and engagement, and enhancing employee health. To improve social and working conditions at production sites, we are running the Made with Care employee comfort programme, which was updated in 2022. The programme focuses on improving working conditions and creating a comfortable environment for each employee through a consistent dialogue and care.
In 2022, we overhauled 171 social facilities, investing a total of RUB 3.2 bn.
Benefits
Nornickel offers its employees a social security package, including various payments and benefits in excess of requirements in the Labour Code of the Russian Federation.
On top of that, we implement social projects to support employees, strengthen their health and improve welfare. For example, we put in place the I Understand corporate welfare platform which employees can use on a voluntary and confidential basis to get online advice from psychologists, lawyers, personal finance experts and healthy lifestyle coaches in a variety of user-friendly formats.
Our top management seeks to collect employee feedback and assessment of on-site conditions. To identify areas for improvement at each site, we run an annual survey called “Let Everyone Be Heard. What Do You Think?" The survey brought about numerous positive changes in the Company's activities, including open dialogues, communication training sessions, engagement workshops and hands-on courses in corporate culture.
Fair remuneration and working hours CHRB D.3.1, ICMM PE 3.5
Fair remuneration is an integral part of our HR policy. The average salary paid to Nornickel’s employees is well above the average in the metals industry and across Russia in generalSource: Federal State Statistics Service.
Working hours across all Nornickel’s operations are in compliance with applicable Russian laws and international regulations, which is reflected in the Labour Conditions Policy. Nornickel keeps track of actual working hours of each employee to ensure compliance with the Russian laws.
Equal rights and opportunities ICMM PE 3.9
The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that all human beings are born free and equal in their dignity and rights and everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in the Declaration, without distinction of any kind.
The Company does not tolerate any forms of discrimination leading to the breach of rights and interests of individuals or social groups based on their nationality, race, sex, religion, or other distinction.
Providing equal opportunities to all employee categories, non-discrimination and nurturing an environment propitious for professional development are Nornickel's priorities. To pursue these goals and fulfil our obligations, we combat discrimination in any form and offer educational and career building programmes.
Our ethical principles MMC Norilsk Nickel’s Business Ethics Code is available on the Company’s official website. :
- building respect both inside and outside Nornickel;
- mutual respect at the workplace and teamwork;
- promoting equal opportunities;
- creating a friendly and stable working environment for our employees;
- fair performance evaluation, employment and promotion solely on the basis of professional abilities, knowledge, and skills.
Equal Opportunities Programme
The Equal Opportunities Programme has been running for over five years. It brings together a number of initiatives to offer equal work and employment conditions for all groups of its current and potential employees.
Support programmes for vulnerable population groups
To support selected population groups, the Company gives them hiring preference for vacancies, including:
- individuals with disability caused by an occupational incident or occupational disease during their employment with the Company;
- former employees of the Company who were made redundant;
- family members of employees who died as a result of a fatality or lost their professional capacity as a result of an occupational incident or disease during their employment with the Company; spouses, adult children and parents of such employees are entitled to a job in the Company within one month from the date of a job application, subject to the availability of a suitable position;
- graduates of secondary and vocational schools located in the regions where the Company operates, within the first year after graduation.
Employment programme for people with disabilities
The Company has created workplaces tailored for people with disabilities. According to the employment quotas that vary depending on the region and company size, the share of such employees starts from 2% of the average headcount, excluding employees involved in harsh, hazardous and/or dangerous work.
We provide necessary working conditions, including work and rest schedule, annual and additional paid leaves, and additional financial assistance for this category of employees.
Employee relocation
The Company launched the Employee Relocation programme on 1 January 2022. In addition to reimbursing travel expenses, baggage fees, living costs, and providing a one-time relocation allowance and additional leave for an employee to settle in, the programme provides for a relocation benefit (up to 40% of salary).
Career Start-Up programme
Launched in 2014, the Career Start-Up programme offers university students a unique opportunity to combine classroom knowledge with hands-on professional experience in real production conditions, evaluate their strengths and discover their future profession. The programme that targets final year students learning professions relevant for Nornickel provides for extended field and pre-graduation internships. As part of the programme, the Company and a student sign a fixed-term employment contract. In case of successful completion, students secure employment with the Group companies. In 2022, the programme welcomed 390 students from across Russia, and 57 Norilsk residents.
Every year, Polar Division stages the Conquerors of the North business game for students as part of the Career Start-Up programme. The game seeks to equip students with additional tools to develop competencies and skills needed to advance a career and build a project mindset and teamwork abilities.
The new programme offers a fresh perspective on our youth policy. Time has come to expand its scope, on the one hand, and merge some domains, on the other hand, thus creating the best environment for young employees to build ties through shared interests, develop professional competencies and creativity, and unlock their potential. That said, we certainly took into account the Company's strategic goals and current business requirement when designing the programme.
New staff support programme
Many Nornickel employees come to Norilsk and the Taimyrsky Dolgano-Nenetsky Municipal District from other regions. As part of its support, the Company allocates financial aid and holds onboarding and team-building events for newly employed staff, including young specialists, workers, engineering staff, and managers relocating to the Company's regions of operation.
With 1,470 employees joining the relocation support programme in 2022, it now has a total of 3,224 participants. In 2022, Nornickel spent RUB 978 mln on relocation support to new hires.
Flexible recruitment practices
We are actively introducing remote working practices, local employment offices, and a shift-camp work arrangement offering comfortable camps, good infrastructure and nutrition. Other initiatives include cooperation with universities to attract talent to the Company.
We also seek to improve digital literacy of our people. For example, we developed the Digital Nornickel online platform and mobile app enabling our staff to take short educational courses in technology used by Nornickel.
In Good Company corporate youth programme
In 2022, we kicked off a new In Good Company programme for young employees aged under 35. The programme seeks to create a community of like-minded people where they can share interests and goals and support each other in pursuing them along four different tracks – Professional Practice, Social Practice, Growth and Creativity.
As part of the programme, the Company developed an online app – a social network in which users are free to choose any number of tracks and activities and interact with each other regardless of position, profession or location.
In 2023, the programme will cover students and young professionals taking internship in the Company.
For more details on the programme, please see Nornickel’s 2022 Sustainability Report, Social Policy section.
Flexible recruitment practices
We are actively introducing remote working practices, local employment offices, and a shift-camp work arrangement offering comfortable camps, good infrastructure and nutrition. Other initiatives include cooperation with universities to attract talent to the Company.
We also seek to improve digital literacy of our people. For example, we developed the Digital Nornickel online platform and mobile app enabling our staff to take short educational courses in technology used by Nornickel.
Training and education
At Nornickel, training and development is a continuous process involving all employee categories. We provide extensive professional training and personal growth opportunities to our staff. We run mandatory and open educational programmes covering all units.
One of our priorities in 2022 is to build an accelerated training and development ecosystem for people who can contribute towards the Company's goals. The ecosystem became the centrepiece of Nornickel’s Training Strategy for 2022–2025.
In 2022, we held 216,000 training man-sessions, up 87.8% y-o-y. The average number of training hours per employee (based on average headcount) is 85, per male employee – 95, per female employee – 62. Since 2020, the number of the Company’s employees who completed training programmes has been steadily growing, which led to the rise in expenses on educational initiatives. The growth was mainly driven by online training which attracted more students thanks to increasing popularity and development of Nornickel Academy, lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, and return of a portion of employees to in-person learning.
For more details, please see Nornickel’s 2022 Sustainability Report, HR Management and Social Partnership section.
Support to former employees
Ongoing assistance to former employees is part of the Company’s corporate social policy. To support employees after they retire, Nornickel has put in place the Co-Funded Pension Plan, a corporate private pension programme. The programme envisages two pension plans – Parity and Corporate, which have different financing schemes depending on an employee category.
As at the end of 2022, it covered 10,406 employees across 23 Group companies, with 4,466 retirees already receiving pensions.
Nornickel's Veterans programme has been designed to support unemployed pensioners who permanently reside in Norilsk. The main eligibility criterion is the employee’s length of service at the Company.
On top of that, the Pensioner Financial Aid Fund grants financial aid to former employees who retired prior to 10 July 2001 provided they had been employed by the Company's units for more than 25 years and permanently reside outside of the Norilsk Industrial District.
The Company additionally provides targeted assistance to its former employees and their families to pay for health improvement, medications and funeral services, and help those experiencing hardships.
Social benefits in case of production shutdown
To improve the environment across its regions of operation, Nornickel shuts down its facilities, for example, smelting and metallurgical operations in Nickel in 2020 and in Monchegorsk in 2021.
The social support programme for employees facing redundancies was developed following the decision to shut down the smelting facility in Nickel in 2019. The programme includes comfortable relocation to other sites, retraining, and pension plans. Later, it was extended to employees of the metallurgical shop in Monchegorsk.
In 2019–2022, a total of 995 people were enrolled in the programme, of which 63% signed employment contracts with Group companies and had the same level of pay during the first year, 37% decided to leave the Company or were dismissed with additional payments, and 353 attended training, re-training and upskilling programmes.
In 2020–2022, the Company invested RUB 1,636 mln in social programmes for employees facing redundancies.
