ESG / Sustainability

The Group’s operations would not be possible without the use of natural resources and care for the social environment. For years, the OTL Group has been taking special care of the regions where it operates. The Group strives to be a significant driver of economic growth and employment in local communities.

Employee issues

The employees are the most important resource of the OTL Group. Thanks to their commitment, competence and experience, an organization based on values has been built and successfully carries out its tasks.

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Employment in the Group

The Group offers benefits in the form of a medical package and life insurance. These benefits are available to all full-time employees. Moreover, the OTL Group has an in-house Social Benefits Fund. The amount of benefits granted from the Fund depends on the life, family and financial situation of a given person.

The OTL Group has in place clear and transparent remuneration systems in accordance with the Remuneration Regulations applicable in the companies. Great importance is attached to the proper shaping of remuneration, taking into account the type, nature and specificity of the work performed.

According to the Work Regulations, the working time of employees may not exceed 40 hours in a working week. In some companies, an IT system has been implemented to support the planning and monitoring of working time, taking into account – already at the stage of schedule planning – the staffing needs in the billing system and ensuring compliance with the applicable laws and internal regulations of the OTL Group.

The remuneration, benefits and development policies functioning in the OTL Group take into account the needs of various groups of employees. We are obliged to do so by the Policy of Equal Treatment in the Workplace. In 2017, we prepared and implemented the Policy of Counteracting Discrimination, Harassment and Mobbing in the Workplace. The Group does not accept discrimination on grounds of gender, age, religion, marital status, race, membership in political organizations or sexual orientation.

The OTL Group makes efforts to ensure that the working environment is free from mobbing and other forms of psychological violence. It is the duty of each Employee to make every effort to prevent such phenomena. Employees who feel that they have become victims of unlawful discrimination, abuse or harassment should inform about it the Manager of the Management Board Office and HR or the Management Board in accordance with the Procedure in the event of mobbing.

The safety and health of people associated with the OTL Group are our priority. Technical and process solutions are implemented in the Group companies to ensure the optimal level of occupational health and safety. Good practices and procedures have been developed for years. They are also extended beyond the company – we share them as part of cooperation with industry associations and business partners.

In the companies of the OTL Group, accidents at work are investigated in accordance with applicable regulations.The method of reporting and recording accidents is described in the internal procedures of the subsidiaries developed on the basis of applicable legal requirements and hitherto practices in the relevant companies. There have been no cases of occupational diseases in the Group. Employees of the OTL Group are also not exposed to specific occupational diseases. In our organization, there are no workplaces with exceeded NDN (maximum permissible intensities) and NDS (maximum permissible concentrations). There are also no jobs with an unacceptable level of occupational risk.

Environment

The OTL Group is not indifferent to global challenges regarding the protection of the natural environment and its resources. Due to ongoing optimization processes within the Group, compliance with relevant standards and regulations throughout the Group is monitored through informal regulations. We do not yet have a common environmental policy for all Group companies, but we make every effort to limit and eliminate factors that are unfavourable to the environment, both as part of current operations and in ongoing long-term projects. We strive to reduce electricity consumption and to ensure rational management of raw materials. The amount of waste is also reduced. We pay a lot of attention to educating our employees in this area. Despite the lack of internal procedures in the area of the environment, selected environmental indicators are monitored in the OTL Group companies on an ongoing basis.

In view of the non-manufacturing nature of the activity, there is no processing of materials and raw materials on a larger scale. Electronic workflow has been consistently implemented for several years and we encourage our clients to use this type of solutions. In 2022, electronic invoices issued to our contractors were the standard. In addition to limiting printouts to the absolute minimum as a result of the standard functioning of the electronic workflow, our offices have introduced a modern and ecological solution, i.e. the follow-up printing function, which allows a significant reduction in paper consumption and a real change in printing habits.

The electricity we use comes entirely from external suppliers. We are aware not only of the negative impact of energy wasting on the natural environment, but also of the financial benefits that can be achieved thanks to an economical energy policy. That is why, as a Group, we do not underestimate seemingly minor activities, such as the standby mode of computers or replacing light bulbs with energy-saving ones, which translates into a real reduction of environmental impact given the scale of the entire organization and the number of its employees. Additionally, as part of our activities, we strive to obtain energy from renewable sources. An example of this is the installation of a photovoltaic system in Gdynia and the launch of similar initiatives in OT Port Świnoujście. We also conduct energy audits to optimize our electricity consumption and reduce excessive electricity consumption.

In its operations in the transport, forwarding and logistics industry, in inland shipping, rail freight forwarding and reloading at sea and inland ports, as well as in the rental of space in the resources of subsidiaries, the Group applies procedures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing electricity and heat consumption by improving energy efficiency, gradually modernizing the lighting and introducing thermal modernization of subsequent properties owned by the companies – which is the result of an energy audit carried out in the companies in accordance with the PNEN 16247 standard.

In the field of waste management, companies from the OTL Group conclude individual contracts for activities such as the collection and purchase of waste considered hazardous. These include mineral engine oils, lubricants, gear oils, packaging containing residues of hazardous substances, sorbents, filter materials, fabrics, protective clothing, car tyres and batteries, wood, glass and plastic waste containing or contaminated with hazardous substances and others. Moreover, the companies conclude standard service contracts with utilities companies.

We strive to prevent the generation of waste and minimize its amount by purchasing raw materials and other materials in returnable packaging. We take care of waste segregation thanks to the use of equipment optimized in this respect. We store and transport waste in such a way that its contact with the environment and impact on human health are as small as possible. There is also a constant segregation of waste depending on its type and fraction.

The Group is constantly trying to raise the awareness of employees in the field of proper waste management, because they have the greatest impact on the amount of waste.

The method of using water resources and the method of sewage disposal are also subject to control. The companies have contracts with local water and sewage companies and – in the case of real estate rental or lease – contracts with direct recipients, settled on the basis of indications of measuring devices.

We have implemented the Code of Ethics for Group Employees and the Code of Ethics for Business Conduct. Organizational regulations are based on the best practices and standards. The strategic objective of the Compliance and Ethics Programme is to ensure fair and honest conduct towards employees and business partners. These activities have not only an ethical dimension, but also an economic one – they have been designed to reduce the risk of material and image losses. Members of the Group’s top management, members of the management boards of subsidiaries and all employees of the OTL Group are required to report cases of potential violations of these codes. Reports may be anonymous – there is no recording of conversations and no identification of the telephone number of the informing person. The compliance policy of the OTL Group emphasizes the full readiness to cooperate with the relevant state authorities in the event of obtaining information about a breach of legal norms that has a criminal nature.