Garanti BBVA Pension believe that ensuring environmental, economic and social sustainability is like a signature for the future of the society; it aims to create a workplace that fully respects contemporary and human rights and to spread this understanding to all its stakeholders.
In addition to the legal statute that organizes the working life in our country, Garanti BBVA Pension takes great care to realize and adapt to the main principles of especially the United Nations Universal Deceleration of Human Rights and International Labor Organization, United Nations’ specialized institution working to improve human rights, social justice and labor rights, as well as the requirements of the international agreements, which our country is a party on this matter.
In July 2015, Garanti BBVA Pension has voluntarily signed the United Nations Global Compact, an international initiative that companies that commit to internalize the 10 principles that covers all dimensions of sustainability including human rights, for their business cycles and strategies. It has made a commitment to conform to these principles.
In order to take necessary measures to prevent all kinds of acts of ill-treatment, discrimination or harassment at the workplace; Garanti BBVA Pension employees and executives are responsible for notifying the Human Resources department and 'Ethical Communication Line' in case of suspicion. The employees are also required to make their complaints on the matter, to their executives or directly to the Human Resources department. Making such complaints shall not be used against the plaintiff, handled and finalized seriously. Necessary administrative sanctions shall be imposed against the responsibilities at Garanti BBVA Pension for all sorts of ill-treatment, discrimination or harassment as well as actions taken for hiding such behaviors.
Garanti BBVA Pension Code of Conduct and Integrity defines respect for individual’s honor and human rights as a basic rule of behavior. The principles emphasize that there shall not be any discrimination against people based on their gender, race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, incapacity, family origin, language, political ideology, political or syndicate membership or other qualities that are not objectively related to working conditions or prohibited by the relevant legislation to consider.
In September 2015, Garanti BBVA Pension has signed the Women’s Empowerment Principles, a global initiative conducted to ensure that women can take place in all sectors and all positions and the economic life, and according to these principles, it has committed to take steps towards empowering the position of women in society.
According to Garanti BBVA Pension Code of Conduct and Integrity; in order to prevent conflict of interest and discrimination, close relatives of Garanti BBVA Pension employees can't apply for positions that will hierarchically or functionally report to them. Relationship can not excuse non-fulfillment of required criteria for a position. The main criteria for choosing a person for a job, promoting or changing his/her position is that person’s suitability to that position; in accordance with its equal opportunity principle, Garanti BBVA Pension does not discriminate among its employees.
Garanti BBVA Pension respects the constitutional right of unionization and right to collective bargaining. All employees are free for union membership and acts on their free will. In case Garanti BBVA Pension employees use their legal right to join political parties, they conduct that activity on an individual level, without using the company resources, outside working hours, avoiding giving any references to Garanti and without shadowing their professional objectivity and Garanti’s political neutrality principle.
Garanti BBVA Pension puts maximum care in establishing a physically and psychologically healthy working environment for its employees. It takes the necessary measures in accordance with the legal regulations on Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and organizes trainings for its employees. In addition, aside from the special trainings offered to employees and measures, Garanti BBVA Pension has formed its 'Employee Relations' team in 2014 to make individual contact with each Garanti BBVA Pension employee.
As per Garanti BBVA Penion’s Investment Policies; persons and companies that are found to conduct activities that are prohibited and limited by the national legislation and the international agreements, which Turkey is a party; employ child labor and act against human rights, shall be removed from the investment process. In accordance with this policy, if Garanti BBVA Pension finds any other social risks, human rights in particular, with persons and companies; Fund Manager shall monitor the company to remove these persons and companies from the investment process when necessary.
As part of Garanti BBVA Penion’s product and service contracts with third parties, the suppliers are expected to fully adapt to the Company’s governance systems and act according to the Purchasing and Supplier Assessment Procedure. All suppliers are subject to evaluation at least 1 time each year. Garanti BBVA Pension requires conformity of the necessary contracts to the Turkish legislation with Labor Law in particular, and reserves the right to terminate the contract if non-conformance to regulations that ensure protection of workers, is found.
Garanti BBVA Pension is against forced and obligatory labor and it expects its customers to adopt this approach according to its decelerations and various policies on human rights. Garanti BBVA Pension organizes distance trainings for its employees about its Code of Conduct and Integrity that contains its human rights principles, sustainability activities and similar policies and procedures. All employees are responsible for the application of these policies and Company’s respective departments conduct the effective control and inspection of application of the policies. Garanti BBVA Pension supports the activities of the national and international sustainability initiatives, in which it is a member, for spreading these principles.
