10 Employees

Madrileña Red de Gas firmly believes that our employees are our greatest asset and the heart of our company, which is why we are fully committed to guaranteeing their professional development, optimal working conditions, relationships based on mutual trust, equal opportunities, as well as respect for differences and non-discrimination.

Each of our employees is dedicated to providing quality service to our customers, while promoting sustainable practices, working together to ensure that our services are reliable, safe and sustainable, and with integrity and responsible behaviour in the performance of their duties, in accordance with our Code of Ethics.

10.1 Our human assets

MRG’s workforce has decreased by 4.8%, although the proportion of men and women has remained stable with respect to previous years.

We also promote the hiring of our professionals through stable contracts. Indeed, 96.7% of the Madrileña Red de Gas workforce has an indefinite contract (74 men and 42 women). In addition, 99.2% of the workforce has a full-time contract; only 0.8% have a part-time contract (one woman).

With regard to the control of people who are not MRG employees, as has been seen for our Supply Chain, our activities depend to a large extent on our suppliers.
As will be seen in the Health and Safety section, at MRG we have an external document management tool for coordinating business activities in occupational risk prevention, which therefore includes control of the people who work for us and enter our installations.

In this tool, the installations, as well as the activity associated with each of these workers, recording all the pertinent documentation required by law for each of them, are controlled in order to carry out adequate coordination. In this sense, at the end of 2022, a total of 731 workers were included in said tool.

10.2 Conciliation, working conditions and well-being

10.2.1 Labour Relations

As part of the commitment we maintain with our employees, respect for their labour rights is fundamental.

As in the previous year, 30% of our workforce (excluding partial retirees) is subject to collective bargaining. The remaining 70% is governed by the Workers’ Statute and are also subject to specific conditions agreed upon with the worker upon joining the company.

There is also complete freedom of association at MRG. There is a Works Council that represents all workers (except the CEO).

Any operational change is usually notified at least two weeks in advance, and in all cases in compliance with any legal requirements.

If they are a result of collective bargaining, these changes are specified in the collective bargaining agreement, including the notification periods established.

10.2.2 Conciliation of personal, work and family life

MRG is fully aware of the advantages of transversal and horizontal communication within the organization, therefore working conditions are negotiated and adapted to the needs of employees.

The objective of reconciling work and family is to allow people to dedicate time and energy to their work and their personal lives without having to sacrifice one or the other area of their lives. To that end, MRG offers its workers the possibility of adapting their schedules, remote work, reduced working hours, as well as paternity and maternity leave, within the established legal framework.

The objective of reconciling work and family is to allow people to dedicate time and energy to their work and their personal lives without having to sacrifice one or the other area of their lives.

Remote working is currently a reconciliation measure that is highly valued by employees and has been implemented since the pandemic. MRG’s commitment to remote working allows us, among other things, greater access to talent resources, to retain qualified personnel, to promote productivity and to reduce office expenses. For the employee, remote working encourages motivation and flexibility.

The step prior to the implementation of remote working at MRG was a diagnosis of the situation, the analysis of which involved all Management areas, which reached similar conclusions regarding remote working as a firm commitment at MRG. It was necessary to identify the positions suitable for remote working, define a model agreement that reflected the possible problems, and implement innovative measures, such as reducing physical office space or creating the new field services unit.

In 2022, seven MRG employees went on parental leave, five of whom were men. All employees who have taken some type of leave have returned to their job with the same conditions once that period has ended, with return to work and retention rates of 100% in recent years.

10.2.3 Work environment

With the aim of promoting continuous improvement that benefits our employees, a new work environment survey was launched in 2022 to measure our employees’ satisfaction with the set of factors, both physical and human, in which their work is carried out and achieving improved results compared to previous surveys (2019 and 2011).

Part of this improvement arises due to MRG’s commitment to training and remote working.

Participation in the work environment survey increased compared to previous surveys (from 58% to 75%), which means an increase in the confidence and reliability of employees regarding the measures adopted after the surveys.

In 2022, the evaluation was higher for each point surveyed compared with the previous survey. The overall score was 4.17 out of 5 (83%).

Compared to previous surveys conducted, we have improved the results percentage compared to 2019. Indeed, the evaluation has increased more than 12% from 2019 to 2022.

In line with these objectives, Madrileña Red de Gas carries out activities aimed at improving the work environment. Every year, during the summer months, the MRG team meets at the Annual Meeting, which is held in a different location each year. In 2022, we travelled to Aranjuez. The objective of these conferences is to improve collaboration, communication and trust among team members, which helps to improve the performance and productivity of the team as a whole, as well as encourage teamwork, conflict resolution and effective leadership.

Another activity that is carried out is the sending of e-mails to the entire workforce with information on the milestones achieved, a tool that strengthens team spirit at MRG and helps motivate employees.

10.2.4 Well-being measures

At Madrileña Red de Gas we continue to offer initiatives to promote the well-being of our employees, adapted to their needs and resources.
The main benefits offered and payments in kind are:

• Life insurance
• Medical insurance
• Savings and retirement plan
• Restaurant vouchers or food reimbursement for workers with a split shift.
• Help for employees’ university studies

In addition to these benefits, some people assigned to the commercial side of the company have a company vehicle included in their salary as a payment in kind

10.3 Talent management

Talent management is a key aspect at MRG. During 2022, our strategy to achieve greater efficiency and productivity on the part of our professionals has focused on two aspects: organisational humanisation, which is based on prioritising the well-being of people, and collective leadership, focused on obtaining results by motivating and ensuring commitment from the team in the face of the challenges set.

10.3.1 New incorporations and staff turnover

Madrileña Red de Gas is aware of the importance of integrating our workers to achieve a work climate conducive to the professional and personal development of each team member. To begin this integration process, new employees are received with the “Welcome Manual”, which has been updated during this year.

Five new employees have been hired in 2022: three men, one aged less than 30 and the other two in the age range 40 to 50 years, and two women, both aged less than 30 years.

It is important at MRG to adequately manage the generational renewal of the workforce and the rejuvenation of its employees, which is why this is carried out progressively, considering the importance of establishing a balance between the experience contributed by veterans and the levels of competitiveness and innovation of younger people.

The average age of the workforce is 45.25 years, without considering partial retirees, and 45.40 considering them. The turnover rate for 2022 is 3.3%. This corresponds to the voluntary turnover of two men, one under 20 years of age and the other under 40; and two women, one under 30 years of age and the other under 50.

10.3.2 Training

During 2022, one of the most outstanding milestones in terms of training, with the aim of strengthening the relationship between departments, and as mentioned previously, was the organization of the CAMINO AL FUTURO debate forum, in which all the company’s departments participated.

Each departmental head, along with several employees, presented the most important points made during the year in each of their areas. The topics discussed made us reflect on the future of natural gas, initiatives concerning hydrogen, market changes and the value of human assets. This debate forum was launched with a talk/speech by the CEO.
The next debate forum, entitled EVOLUCIONA, which will also be presented by the heads of department, is scheduled for 2023.

Another of the most outstanding events training in financial year 2022 has been Mentoring with Heads of Department, which will continue in 2023, and the Cybersecurity course, which was presented in an innovative format and was very well accepted.

On the other hand, any attempt to measure the wealth of an organization must also take into account its intellectual capital. Madrileña Red de Gas is aware of this and that is why we have worked on our “Knowledge Stock”, which was completed in 2022.

Said Stock comprises a database of the set of knowledge identified in our organization, relating it to each activity and corresponding job position. To prepare it, each department has carried out an internal analysis to identify the knowledge of each job position.

A specific tool for the Stock called “Moogle”, developed in Power BI, will be published soon. This tool will allow all the information associated with each knowledge to be found using multiple filters.

In addition to the above, as is the case every year, our 2022 Training Plan was published to respond to all the training needs that arise due to evolution of the company and the growth of our professionals.

Training actions

A total of 4229.7 hours of training have been imparted in 2022, which represents an average of 35.25 hours per employee. Of these 4229.7 hours, 1550 were received by women and 2680 by men.

As mentioned above, in 2022 training in skills has been allocated to work, such as promoting leadership in the future market, of which “A Change to the Future” stands out.

With regard to language training, at MRG we are clear about the importance of our professionals having a good level of English, precisely because today English proficiency is an essential asset in the labour market. As such, the people who participate in this training are provided with different modalities, from telephone to face-to-face, and all kinds of courses, such as intensive masters or blended courses.

In addition to language training, advanced knowledge of office automation and its security in an increasingly technological world has become essential. As such, in 2022 courses on Cybersecurity have been given to the entire workforce. The company has also offered training on Power BI and Personal Data Protection. As regards Occupational Health and Safety, the course on road safety in the workplace should be highlighted.

10.3.3 Performance appraisal

All MRG employees receive a personalized appraisal of their performance via personal interviews with their managers at least once a year.
Likewise, in the case of new incorporations, during the first year, the HR department conducts a personalized follow-up, both with the newly incorporated person and with the direct manager, in which the following aspects are analysed:

• Newly hired person: it is determined whether they have all the resources they require to carry out their work, their relationship with colleagues and with their manager and their adaptation to the company and the unit
• Manager: adaptation of the person incorporated to the position, their relationship with their colleagues, aspects related to punctuality, learning capacity and level of responsibility.

After the trial period for the newly hired person, which varies from 2 to 6 months depending on the profile, the direct manager completes a test to assess whether the candidate has passed said period.

10.4 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

MRG is committed to equal opportunities, respect for differences and non-discrimination, working mainly on gender equality, as well as any element of diversity in the workplace, as established by the Equality Negotiating Commission, the Equality Plan and compliance with the General Law on Disability (LGD).

As such, and as a sign of our sustained commitment to equality and diversity, Madrileña Red de Gas continues to ensure the implementation of advances and measures aimed at the constant enrichment of our work environment. In this sense, 2022 has been a period of significant progress in terms of equality.

As a result of the constitution of the Equality Negotiating Commission in 2021, an enriching negotiation process has been carried out in 2022 that has culminated in the signing of the Madrileña Red de Gas Equality Plan. Said Plan will be valid for 4 years: from 30 June 2022 to 30 June 2026.

The measures to be adopted, the periodicity, the indicator, the person responsible for execution and the internal resources required are defined for each objective. The Plan’s Joint Monitoring Committee will be responsible for ensuring that its objectives are met.

As can be seen from the figures for our workforce mentioned above, our workforce is slightly male-dominated, in line with the sector in which it operates, with the incorporation of a greater proportion of women in the workforce being a reality that has occurred at MRG since its constitution. Although the number of women at the end of 2022 remains similar to that for the two previous years, looking back, their weight is twice that for the period 2010-2020.

One of the reasons why there are fewer women in some areas of MRG is because very few choose these professions due to the technical and field work that this type of position implies and, especially, due to the rotating shifts of morning and afternoon or morning, afternoon and night. For this reason, more women are present in this sector in administrative and managerial positions, instead of operational or technical positions.

It should also be mentioned that, in 2022, as in previous years, there have been no cases of discrimination in Madrileña Red de Gas.

10.4.1 Diversity and work place inclusion

As seen in the Good Governance section, the composition of the governance bodies, in terms of gender and age group, is as shown in the graph on these pages.

The only senior management role at the company is the CEO of MRG.

With regard to our employees, below we indicate the percentages by sex and age group within each labour category (Administration, Business Development, Management and Operations) in year 2022.

Around 5% of our workforce (six workers, no partial retirees) have a nationality other than Spanish. Specifically, we have employees with Italian, Peruvian, Colombian, English and Polish nationality.

At the end of 2022, MRG’s workforce contained two disabled employees, thus complying with the General Disability Act (LGD).

10.4.2 Wages

With regard to the wage policies established by the Company, a special focus is placed on skills- and objectives-based remuneration combined with years of experience and job category.

In order to analyse pay equality between men and women, the remuneration ratio of women compared to men is calculated. This is established taking into account both the fixed salary and the company cost, without considering the complementary remuneration, and the average for 2022 is compared for women and men by employment category.

For those employees working reduced hours or are in partial retirement, their full-time equivalent has been calculated. The Management Committee has not been included in this calculation.

In 2022, the total annual wage of the highest paid person is 1.49-times the median for all other employees.

The percentage increase ratio for the total annual wage of the highest paid person compared to the median for all other employees was 1.1.

Neither the CEO nor the heads of department have been considered when determining the highest paid person. For this calculation, the company cost of each employee has been considered, excluding overtime and mileage, and calculating the full-time equivalent for employees with reduced working hours.

No employee receives their salary based on the rules on minimum wages

10.5 Occupational Health and Safety

Madrileña Red de Gas has implemented an Occupational Health and Safety Management System, certified as per the UNE-EN ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems standard, with a scope that includes all workers, work centres, collaborators and activities of our organization.

In addition, in accordance with Royal Decree 39/1997, which approves the Regulations for Prevention Services, Madrileña Red de Gas has, as an organizational modality for the prevention of occupational hazards, an agreement with an External Prevention Service, when carrying out activities in Annex I of said Royal Decree considered especially dangerous and as it has a workforce of less than 250 workers.

In 2022 we have had to continue the prevention policies implemented due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a disease caused by the SARs-Cov-2 coronavirus, despite the general improvement in the socio-sanitary situation, and because of the legislation that remains in force in the workplace, which for practical purposes has resulted in the establishment of various hygienic measures in the different workplaces.

10.5.1 Actions undertaken in the MRG building

The purchase of safety, hygienic and protective material against COVID-19 has decreased in 2022. The only purchase necessary has been face masks. In addition, we have continued to improve ergonomic conditions for our workforce, purchasing new ergonomic chairs.

Similarly, after completing renovation work in the Pozuelo offices, it was decided to study the capacity conditions in the two enabled areas on the basis of air conditioning criteria. It should be noted that each area should be occupied by a maximum of 15 people to guarantee an outdoor air flow of 12.5 L/s/person. It also includes advice to take into account when all staff return to the installations.

Cleaning of the facilities has continued to be reinforced in cases where there has been some contagion, as well as in the areas where work is carried out on a daily basis.
Finally, it should be noted that a technical review or inspection of the shelves in the parking warehouse was carried out in February. The aim of this inspection was to verify the state of the shelves to minimize risks and ensure safer warehouse operation by detecting possible damage to the structure.

10.5.2 Actions undertaken at the Alcorcón site

After opening a new work centre at C/ Valdemorillo 60 in Alcorcón in the last quarter of 2021, all the necessary procedures to adapt it have continued. These include the steps required to notify opening of the workplace to the Labour Authority, as well as expansion of the coverage of the External Prevention Service. We are currently proceeding with the paperwork to obtain the municipal licence.

10.5.3 Health and Safety objectives

With regard to the three objectives established for 2022, the follow-up status is as follows:

Reduction of accidents. Degree of achievement: 75%. There has been a greater number of accidents with sick leave in the organization (one more than the previous year), although the number of accidents without sick leave has decreased.

Maintenance of the prevention of serious accidents management model. 84% of the established goals have been achieved, reaching all the goals established in relation to the Emergency Plans and regulatory reviews.

Maintenance of the validity of the existing prevention model in accordance with the requirements of current legislation. 75% achieved, in the absence of achieving the goal established with regard to updating content, both in the Risk Prevention Plan and in job evaluations.

10.5.4 Consultation and participation

Madrileña Red de Gas provides timely access to clear, comprehensible and pertinent information on Occupational Health and Safety, through internal collaborative environments for documented information and, where appropriate, via written notifications or periodic reports prepared for that purpose.

In addition, to guarantee the adequate participation of the workforce in the health and safety activities carried out in the company, the presence and participation of Prevention Delegates is encouraged. In this sense, four consultations have been carried out by the Prevention Delegates in relation to the official registration thereof, related to Health and Safety training, as well as improvements in changing rooms and in the air conditioning system.

Moreover, three meetings of the Health and Safety Committee have been held during 2022, during which the following topics, amongst others, were discussed:

• COVID-19 monitoring, campaigns, tests, material purchases
• Activities of the external prevention service Review of the workplace risk assessment and work positions
• Certification audit
• Training.
• PPEs, changing rooms

10.5.5 Dialogue with stakeholders

Accidents are reported to the Labour Authority, as established in current legislation. Likewise, statistical information on workplace accidents is also provided to the sectoral association SEDIGAS.

As a result of the changes made to the SEDIGAS general secretariat in 2022, the Safety Committee has been eliminated and has been integrated into the new Sustainability Committee. During this period, a meeting has been held to finish defining the committee’s focus and list the relevant topics that can be dealt with by it.

10.5.6 Hazard identification and risk assessment

Prevention activities are based on a proactive and constant identification of hazards, as well as an adequate and periodic evaluation of the risks existing in each activity. Occupational risks, taken to be those to which workers are exposed, will be identified and evaluated by the Risk Management Unit, through the External Prevention Service, as per the provisions of current legislation.

During 2022, various interviews were carried out with the different groups in order to review the evaluation of the job roles, as well as with new incorporations. The occupational health and safety survey sent focused on remote working, as indicated in article 5 of RDL 8/2020, since almost the entire MRG workforce is working remotely, with the exception of Network Operations.

Based on the results obtained, it was proposed to provide informative notes, or advice, to avoid many of the deficiencies that workers find in their homes, such as how to avoid reflections, screen placement, order and cleanliness, etc.

10.5.7 Workplace accidents

Our employees

Although the accident rate has decreased, the frequency and seriousness indices have worsened compared to the previous year, as a result of two accidents with sick leave, the severity and duration of which have been greater.

MRG has never experienced a fatal accident. There have also been no cases of occupational diseases associated with performance of duties at the company.

Contractors

None of our contractors’ employees have suffered a fatal accident. In addition, during 2022 the frequency and severity rates have remained at zero, since no accidents with sick leave have taken place.

Industrial and third-party accidents

With regard to industrial and third-party accidents, two events were recorded in 2022. One of these occurred in September, in Carabanchel, where an explosion and fire occurred in a premises, resulting in two people being hospitalized. The other occurred in December, in Alcalá de Henares, where two people were hospitalised due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Accumulated frequency and severity index for Madrileña Red de Gas and contractors

 

Incidents

All incidents that have taken place in 2022 correspond to contractors and include, amongst others, minor injuries, trips and falls, incidents related to road safety, as well as attacks by third parties and animals.

10.5.8 Coordination of business activities

Madrileña Red de Gas carries out regular operational control visits to a wide variety of our significant processes.

By the end of 2022, the tool used to coordinate business activities was monitoring the the documentary control of 106 contractor and subcontractor companies, as well as 731 employee thereof, with close to 6663 documents being under supervision. These values have remained similar throughout the year since there have been no significant changes leading to a greater or lesser need for coordination of activities.

The degree of compliance for contractors was 80.55%, four points higher than the previous year.

These documentary controls are completed via direct supervision in the field that began in previous years, and by way of which the effective application of a large number of preventive measures, and the fact that the documentation provided is correct, is verified.

A total of 197 operational control visits have been carried out during this period, of which 48 were emergency works visited by the Health and Safety Coordinators, the rest of the visits being carried out by the Operational Control Technician for the different field activities carried out by our Network Operations contractors (distribution control centre and maintenance areas) as well as Customer Operations (domestic operations, periodic inspections, readings, etc.). Some of the incidents registered are related to expired fire extinguishers or lack of fire extinguishers in vehicles.

A list of “special” meters has also been complied. Said list contains the location of meters that are difficult to access. Inquiries have been carried out to try to determine the origin of these situations, and in most cases there is insufficient documentation available to allow us to complete this process.

No meeting with the Health and Safety Coordinators has been held during this period due to the high workload.

10.5.9 Health monitoring and promotion

A systematic evaluation of the health status of our workers is carried out annually based on the risks inherent to their position and identified in their risk assessment. This process is carried out by health personnel with technical competence, training and skills accredited by our Prevention Service. In total, 93 medical examinations (periodic and initial) have been carried out, with the results being totally confidential and restricted to the workers themselves, the medical services responsible for their health and to the health authority.

All workers were considered to be suitable for performing their normal work.

In addition, a new influenza vaccination campaign was undertaken in November, with 11 employees being interested.

Finally, Madrileña Red de Gas has had a physiotherapy service, the cost of which is 50% subsidised by the company, for a number of years. This at-home service has continued to be offered in 2022 to those patients requesting it (five in this case).

As in previous years, the Early Colon and Rectal Cancer Detection Program, aimed at the entire population between 50 and 69 years of age, has continued.

With regard to COVID-19, the campaign to identify vulnerable employees has also continued. Although no serological test has been carried out this year, a control has been carried out for all workers who notified us of contagion or close contact with a family member, offering them the appropriate recommendations and managing the cleaning of changing rooms, or the prioritization of solo work, with operations staff.

10.5.10 Health and Safety training

In the first half of 2022, due to an organizational change, the responsibility for Occupational Health and Safety training was transferred from the Human Resources unit to the Risk Management Unit. In this sense, the need to carry out an in-depth review of the recording and status of the training activities carried out to date was detected, thereby helping to plan pending and/or necessary training activities, as well as to plan future activities in the coming years.

10.5.11 Information Campaigns

Occupational health and safety-related information is intended to raise the awareness of workers with regard to all the circumstances surrounding their work environment, specifying the possible risks, their seriousness and the protection and prevention measures adopted.

During 2022, Madrileña Red de Gas has carried out various prevention-related information campaigns aimed at employees, via email.