BCF as an employer

With its long-term business policy, BCF offers secure jobs in a high-performance company. The bank motivates its employees through careful management and staff development measures at all levels. It encourages employees’ entrepreneurial spirit and action by delegating and involving them as much as possible. Through direct and spontaneous dialogue and an idea box managed by young employees, BCF encourages exchanges within the bank. BCF offers attractive, family-friendly working conditions at all levels of the hierarchy, with the possibility of phase retirement or annualized working hours, and unpaid leave to employees to pursue personal projects or private activities.

BCF protects the integrity of its employees. It fights against prejudice and all forms of discrimination in the work environment and promotes the diversity of people. All mandates and ancillary activities outside the bank must be declared in order to avoid any conflict of interest.

Employee satisfaction is periodically surveyed.

BCF shares its long-term success with its employees and rewards any sustainable action. It also promotes soft mobility for its employees. In 2022, BCF established a mobility plan recognized by the Fribourg conurbation. It provides employees with financial advantages on annual Frimobil tranpsortation passes.

For many years, BCF has been committed to a fair, transparent and consistent salary policy based on functions.

BCF’s salary policy is based on the principle of equal pay for equal work. In the fall of 2020, BCF received the SGS “Fair-ON-Pay+” certificate confirming compliance with equal pay for women and men. The certificate is valid for four years. BCF’s job model is the cornerstone of the implementation of equal pay. All functions are evaluated on a uniform scale and using objective criteria. In July 2022, a maintenance analysis of the “Fair-ON-Pay+” certificate confirmed that equal pay for women and men is guaranteed at BCF.

BCF believes that mixed teams (gender and age) develop more creative, more viable and higher quality solutions. This is why the bank promotes diversity among its staff.

By 2022, women will represent 55% of the bank’s workforce. BCF has set itself the goal of increasing the proportion of women in positions of responsibility.

The bank is firmly committed to equal opportunities and fair employment conditions, and advertises all its positions both internally and externally. Whether part-time or full-time, employees benefit from the same working conditions granted by the employer.

BCF takes into account the needs of its employees by offering them tailor-made solutions: in particular, it encourages part-time work by systematically proposing a choice of occupation rates for the positions it advertises.

BCF encourages the reconciliation of family and professional life.

BCF takes preventive measures to promote health and is committed to minimizing the risk of occupational illness. Ergonomics at the workplace is a priority: height-adjustable desks that allow employees to work standing up have been made available and ergonomic advice has been provided by a specialized company. In order to prevent psychological problems, BCF works with the Clinique du travail, which, if necessary, provides personalized follow-up for people who are at risk of overwork or who are victims of mobbing.

Employees benefit from excellent occupational and non-occupational insurance coverage. Training and e-learning modules are offered to teach them the best ways to ensure their safety and health at work. In 2022, a workshop entitled “Balancing for health” was offered to employees for the first time. It will be held again in 2023.

Employees who are absent for long periods due to illness are monitored individually.

Employees in contact with customers receive regular training on how to deal with any kind of aggression.

Defibrillators are installed on the floors of the headquarters and in the branches to provide first aid in case of emergency. Staff are trained to use them and each floor of the bank’s headquarters has a person in charge.

BCF encourages its staff to practice sports. For example, it offers registration to the Kerzerslauf. In 2022, BCF was also awarded the label “Performance Sport-Friendly Training Company” by Swiss Olympics.

The bank provides 16 weeks of maternity leave and two weeks of paternity leave. In 2022, five employees took maternity leave and four of them returned to work at the end of their leave. Employees have access to BCF-financed places at the University of Fribourg’s daycare center. The possibility of working from home also helps to reconcile family and professional life.

Since 2022, BCF has offered its customer advisors the possibility of job sharing, which allows them to better reconcile their private and professional lives while continuing to hold a responsible position.

In 2022, BCF introduced a new directive on working from home for employees who can, if the bank agrees, work one day a week from home. The directive describes and defines the processes, conditions and organisation of working from home. One of the aims of the new directive is to promote the reconciliation of family and professional life.

When the working conditions allow it, employees can take a long unpaid leave or increase their vacation time by reducing their salary.

Training is the foundation of a dynamic company. BCF places great importance on both the basic and advanced training of its employees. It trains a large number of apprentices and all-round trainees. Many students are given the opportunity to do internships during their studies. Continuing education is offered at all levels of the company, including the Executive Board.

A well-trained workforce is an essential success factor for BCF, as confirmed by its matrix of key themes (see p. 20 of the Sustainability Report).

By focusing on the ongoing training of its employees, the Bank ensures a high level of competence and professionalism that will enable it not only to operate successfully today, but also to plan for a sustainable future.

BCF is a major provider of apprenticeships in the Fribourg economic area. In 2022, it employed 19 apprentices and 5 all-round trainees, i.e. 5% of the total workforce. Most of the apprentices who completed their training in 2022 decided to continue their careers at BCF. This is a real satisfaction for the bank, which relies on this new generation to ensure its future.

The skills of BCF’s client advisors are regularly reviewed to ensure the high quality of advice and services. BCF had 109 SAQ-certified advisors in 2022. The SAQ certificate is a guarantee of quality: it attests that the holder has the necessary skills and is familiar with the rules of conduct defined by the profession. As part of the certification of its advisors, BCF became a member of the Institut supérieur en banque et finance (ISFB) in 2022.

BCF offers its employees various training programs. There are 74 training courses on the key skills related to the bank’s main functions. New employees benefit from a common core of courses and e-learning and, for those who do not come from the sector, from basic banking training. The new heads of organisational units receive the training required to obtain the leadership certificate of the Swiss Association for Leadership Training (SALT).

In 2022, the bank’s employees attended an average of 4 days of training, for a total of 1,400 days. Employees are also required to take e-learning modules every year. More than 50 modules are available, including topics such as cybersecurity and harassment prevention.

All staff have completed the “Sustainable Development” e-learning module created by BCF in 2018. BCF wants to enable employees to systematically integrate the concept of sustainability into their thinking and daily practice.

At the end of 2022, 29 people at the bank were in higher education or postgraduate courses.

BCF’s staff development measures are designed to maintain or improve the employability of its employees. It offers 35 succession plans in the form of programs of measures, job-related and cross-functional training for high-potential individuals under 30 years of age who have completed or are in the process of completing a higher education.

To prepare for retirement, informative and interactive programs are offered to employees aged 55 and over. From the age of 55, they can attend courses on financial planning and inheritance law. From the age of 60, employees are supported in their reflection on their life plans after retirement and are made aware of health issues and the support services available to guide them.

The skills of BCF’s customer advisors are regularly reviewed to ensure the high quality of advice and services.

As part of its social responsibility, BCF offers its employees ongoing training to ensure their employability on the job market. In the event of a change in working conditions, BCF guarantees that the employees concerned will retain their acquired rights for a transitional period. Staff at all levels are involved in the change process.

BCF employees are affiliated to the pension fund of the Banque Cantonale de Fribourg, which has a coverage rate of 105%. BCF’s benefits for its staff are generous, with average contributions of 1.5 times those of the employees. Since 2022, the performance bonus is also subject to the pension fund. BCF’s contribution is twice as high as that of the employees.