Equal opportunity and diversity

We ensure equal opportunities for all current and future employees. In fact, MOL goes beyond national regulations: equal treatment for all is guaranteed through collective agreements, our Code of Ethics, Trade Union agreements, Group-wide guidelines and internal regulations.

Our policy is to avoid potential discrimination, particularly regarding conditions of employment, career moves, compensation and rewards and program implementation. MOL Group does not tolerate any type of discrimination, especially that related to gender, marital status, age, ethnic origin, colour, organisational membership, political conviction, disability, religion, or sexual orientation. In Hungary legal regulations do not make it possible to keep records on employee’ ethnic/minority group status; data regarding ethnicity /minority group status is derived from the results of the voluntary (anonymous) survey.

We are committed to offering a fair remuneration policy. Our decisions are based on merit, performance and qualifications and other work-related criteria. Selection or nomination of candidates for any position is justified only by their experience and professional skills.

As an international company, one of our core values is diversity regarding the origins of our employees. When possible we hire using local labour markets, but in strategic positions or where knowledge transfer to local employees is necessary we fill positions using expatriates (an expatriate is somebody employed abroad for a previously-defined longer period of time for the benefit of MOL Group in a strategic position which requires special knowledge). This type of employment lasts for a maximum of 3 years. Such positions should only be filled by local employees after knowledge transfer is completed.

Activities according to target group

In accordance with our previous plans and the results of the equal opportunities survey, MOL managers and employee representative bodies signed the Equal Opportunity Plan (EOP) of MOL Plc which is valid for the period 2010-2012. The plan covers all the employees of MOL Plc., and pays special attention to the rights of women, single parents, parents with two or more children under ten years of age, those persons with any kind of disability and employees who are over 50 years of age or those who belong to a national or ethnic minority. The main purpose of the plan is to improve the situation of the above-mentioned groups.

Activities MOL undertakes to improve the situation of disabled employees and employees with reduced working capacity deserve special attention. In 2011 a survey was carried out regarding the employment of these employee groups at the larger MOL Group companies. Based on the survey we found that, although in the European Union legislation clearly supports equal opportunities and employment of the above mentioned groups, this matter needs to be handled differently by different companies according to their own country-specific regulations. Thus EU legislation-based central Group guidelines should be considered by MOL’s subsidiaries but they need to be coupled with understanding of local conditions and opportunities in order to achieve the most effective results.

At the larger Mol Group companies (to varying degrees) we employ disabled people and people with reduced working capacity. Besides this, we pay attention to the special situation of these employee groups. According to their health status they are provided with safe equipment, a safe work environment and working conditions. Thanks to the favourable conditions ensured by local regulations at Slovnaft we purchase products (such as clothes) from companies which employ disabled people, thus improving the conditions of employment of this target group. It is recorded in the collective agreement of MOL Plc. and Petrolszolg Ltd. that once a year MOL’s employees with reduced working capacity receive a health insurance assistance contribution that equals the prevailing national monthly minimum wage. With this financial assistance we contribute to higher medical costs and ensuring the health of these employees. Besides this, rehabilitation committees operate at MOL Plc., TVK Plc. and Petrolszolg Ltd. in order to rehabilitate employees whose work capacity has been reduced during their period of employment meaning that they have become unable to perform their jobs. It is the Committee’s task to investigate where, how and with what conditions would further employment be possible.

Further steps have been made to improve the situation of pregnant women and new mothers. Our aim is to keep them connected to the company and ensure they consciously prepare to return to work after maternity leave. In order to promote this goal we launched a newsletter for new mothers. In this monthly electronic publication we let them know about the latest news (personnel, organisational changes, operations related information, information regarding employees, internal job advertisements and the STEP health preservation corporate programmes) from the Group. Besides this, new mothers are invited to bigger corporate events (the MOL summer party, family days, the annual Christmas concert), where activities are also organised for families with small children. Depending on the job, the needs and interests of new mothers and the specific company we offer reduced working hours and make telework available for those who return to work.

In 2011 we continued to support the ‘Romaster’ talent program launched by the Hungarian Business Leaders Forum (HBLF) in 2007. The aim of the program is to provide help for talented Roma high school students to obtain college/university degrees and later enter the labour market. In 2011 Mol Plc. supported 3 young Roma people. One of the people supported in previous years was hired at TVK Plc. as a fresh graduate in 2011.

In 2010 an Equal Opportunity Board was also established and an equal opportunity officer was nominated. According to the Equal Opportunity Plan employees can submit complaints if the employment-related principles of equal treatment are violated.

Our aim is to extend the Equal Opportunity Plan to all of our Hungarian subsidiaries. For this reason we compiled a handbook to promote the preparation and implementation of our own equal opportunity plan. The preparation of TVK Plc.’s Equal Opportunity Plan started in 2011 and is expected to be approved in 2012.
Mol Plc. is a founding member of the first Hungarian professional and advocacy organisation of employers who promote equal opportunities. The forum was founded at the initiative of Salva Vita Foundation with the participation of 10 Hungarian and multinational companies (MOL, Budapest Bank, Chinoin, dm, Magyar Posta, a Magyar Telekom, Manpower, MARS and Tesco).

In 2011 Mol Plc. signed up to the ‘HBLF for diversity’ code founded by HBLF. We believe that an open business environment that promotes equal opportunities can bring out the best in our employees and for this reason the development and maintenance of this environment is a prerequisite for the success of our companies and for society.

Women in MOL Group (data from BI)

* Major changes between 2008 and 2009 data are due to the higher number of reporting companies

Rate of average base salary of women to average base salary of men in each employment category (%) (data from BI):