During the recent "Diversity in Finance Awards 2021”, UniCredit Bank Austria received an important recognition from Financial Adviser magazine, part of the Financial Times Group, once again underlining the continued efforts across our Group towards greater diversity, equity and inclusion.

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UniCredit Bank Austria has won the main prize for the "Diversity and Inclusion Initiative of the Year" awarded by Financial Adviser magazine, part of the Financial Times Group, at their "Diversity in Finance Awards 2021". The main factors contributing to Bank Austria’s success were the bank's outstanding disability management and barrier-free financial services, which are truly unique in Europe.

 

In addition, the support to customers and employees through accessible online services and remote workplaces during the COVID pandemic were also highlighted by the judges.

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This award serves as an important international recognition of our Group’s efforts towards greater diversity, equity and inclusion across all our markets. Bank Austria has for years been a pioneer when it comes to disability inclusion and we are proud of their achievements, which can provide inspiration and support our DE&I progress in all markets, helping us address each unique need with specific support structures and targeted initiatives.

UniCredit is committed to DE&I both internally and externally. Some of our core initiatives on disability inclusion include:

 

INCLUSIVE CULTURE: Talks, webinars, brochures, and training and development programmes launched to increase awareness of inclusive behaviours.

 

REMOTE WORK: We offer the possibility of remote work across the Group, and as an example, the number of colleagues living with disabilities and working remotely has grown from 12% to 95% during the pandemic. Other measures, such as paid leave and dedicated workspaces, have also been implemented to prioritise health, safety and work flexibility also beyond COVID-19.

 

PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT: We aim to address all needs with tailored solutions, including providing support through dedicated Disability Managers, psychological assistance, and accessible on-line courses and webinars.

 

DAILY LIFE SUPPORT: We continue to provide support to people with disabilities through dedicated channels, specific work equipment and tailored initiatives. We have a number of dedicated Disability Managers in the Group with a direct line with other managers across company functions to identify real solutions.

 

DIGITAL INCLUSION: Our goal is to become a fully accessible company. The UniCredit Intranet and App are fully accessible platforms, and our new corporate website includes a range of accessible features. We continue to work on digital accessibility with focus groups set up to share suggestions based on real needs. To ensure a Design for ALL approach, our colleagues living with disabilities are often involved in the design phase of many internal and external products and services.