Intesa Sanpaolo’s Clouds of Solidarity (by Patrizia Ordasso)

The Intesa Sanpaolo Group is a very large and articulated reality in which more than 75,000 people work, in Italy alone. People are a fundamental component for the Group and one of the enabling factors for the achievement of results:

each person has expectations, expresses needs and is the bearer of their own uniqueness, which characterises them and makes them different from all others.

Intesa Sanpaolo has a constant and continuous commitment to the enhancement of people and their characteristics.

(⁸) A.D^AVIS, J.O.C^RAWFORD, E.G^IAGLOGLOU, M.W^HITMORE, Analysis of case studies on working with chronic musculoskeletal disorders. Report, EU-OSHA, 2020.

Within the Group, the commitment to inclusion is constant and in continuous development, and aims to promote a culture of respect and enhancement of all types of diversity, whether it be gender, emotional orientation, age, culture and origin, physical and mental conditions or any other element that contributes to defining each person.

The creation of an inclusive environment, in which everyone feels valued and is able to express their full potential, is for the Group both an ethical duty and an important requirement for business sustainability: if everyone is included and has the opportunity to express their identity, teams and companies operate better.

Over the years in Intesa Sanpaolo, also thanks to the joint work with the Trade Unions, the introduction of new technologies and the dissemination of innova-tive tools/solutions have always confirmed the objecinnova-tive of non-discrimination and equal opportunities for work and professional development in the company.

In August 2018, with the renewal of the second-level collective agreement, Intesa Sanpaolo and the Group Trade Unions signed an agreement dedicated to inclu-sion and, in particular, to the world of disability and illness: important and deli-cate issues that can be part of the personal and professional lives of colleagues.

The responses that an organisation has to give to this type of need must be timely, effective and ‘customised’, i.e., modulated on the basis of different re-quests each time.

This led to the creation of the Disability Management Working Group, a refer-ence point within the company for all issues related to the world of disability and chronic illnesses. Coordinated by the Welfare department, it now counts the ac-tive participation of about 70 colleagues, including those with disabilities, repre-senting several corporate structures: HR Management, Diversity & Inclusion, Corporate Protection, Regulations, Industrial Relations, Real Estate, Training, just to name a few. The aim is to bring together the different skills and profes-sionalism in a team effort, to support and enhance the contribution of all em-ployees and promote as much as possible a condition of well-being and support in carrying out their work in the company, also enriching the welfare tools to support them.

The group periodically meets with the trade unions in the Welfare, Safety and Sustainable Development Committee, a bilateral body made up of company and trade union representatives, to identify priorities and define initiatives to be un-dertaken.

The members of the working group, together with the representatives of all the trade unions, initially took part in the Advanced Training Course Disability Man-ager e mondo del lavoro (Disability ManMan-ager and the world of work) organised by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan. The course created the basis for a common working language and methodologies useful to carry on the work together. In addition, all participants passed the final exam and received the Dis-ability Manager certification from the Region of Lombardy.

The Working Group operates mainly on two fronts: on one hand it carries out macro-projects focusing on issues of accessibility, dissemination of disability cul-ture in the company and training, and follows inter-company tables and initia-tives at all levels for the sharing of best practices, while on the other hand it promptly responds to the needs expressed by individual colleagues, following a disability that may already be present or arise during the course of working life, even if only temporarily.

A concrete example of innovative projects carried out in recent years is Nuvole di Solidarietà (Solidarity Clouds): networking to make us all stronger.

The initiative was created to make the everyday working life of some colleagues with disabilities easier. A project designed ad hoc, where the ‘pivot’ is the Welfare office, which involves in the game is teamwork the various functions involved in different capacities to remove the architectural, bureaucratic and legal obstacles that are often present and voluntary colleagues who have created chains of soli-darity in the company.

Let’s find out through the words of those involved in one of the Nuvole di Soli-darietà what it is and how they work…

Every day to reach my workstation I need to get out of my car and get into my wheelchair, and then go up to the first floor of the building where my office is located. In order to do so, I need an automatic lift which has to be operated by two people. Hence the idea of involving colleagues on a voluntary basis and the birth of my ‘Cloud’. I have come to appreciate very much the willingness and seriousness with which these friends main-tain their commitment to help me when I come in and out of my room.

Meeting the volunteers was certainly a useful experience for overcoming my difficulties in moving around, but above all it was very valuable, be-cause it gave me the opportunity to build new relationships with people I would not have had the chance to meet elsewhere. A relaxed atmosphere was immediately established among us, by sharing common interests and anecdotes about our personal lives. Through these slices of life, I broaden my view of the world. The help of the group has helped to make my par-ticipation in working life less tiring, making me experience everyday life in a more positive and purposeful way. I consider myself lucky to be able to enjoy the precious company of the group: given that travelling within the company is difficult for me and the moments of sharing are increasingly mediated by telematic devices, this opportunity has allowed me to get closer to people in a more real and authentic way. Mario

Below there are some considerations from volunteers on the deeper meaning of this way of networking.

This is my first time in volunteering. I always told myself that I wanted to do something to help others, but then laziness always won. When I was

given the opportunity to test myself in the workplace and for the benefit of a colleague, I didn’t think twice: experiences of this kind are enriching from a human point of view and give back much more than you give in terms of time and availability. Giovanni

I have been working for 25 years now with a non-profit organisation that works in the treatment of leukaemia for children and I notice a big differ-ence, which reinforces the value of working together with colleagues: in the company the relationship which was created is more direct and ‘per-sonal’, while outside you act for the ‘general good’, without knowing peo-ple directly. Marina

I’m very happy, because I’m surrounded by friends and colleagues who collaborate with dedication, readiness and enthusiasm: the team is close-knit and always available, even if one of us is suddenly unable to work.

We’ve built up a good network of friends and I think this experience has improved our way of living in the company and of relating not only to Mario and the group, but also to everyone else. Federico

In situations like these I think that it is fundamental not to set limits: this is not only about carrying out a task to help a person in difficulty. From what we are experiencing, I can say that this is already the attitude of all the people involved in this context. The small organisational mishaps have always been overcome thanks to this spirit of collaboration and the aware-ness that each of us is receiving a great deal from Roberto’s closeaware-ness. Sara It all started with a request printed on leaflets placed at the entrance turn-stiles, even an almost whispered invitation. If you happen to see them too, don’t hesitate… join the Nuvole di Solidarietà, a corporate volunteering pro-ject. Lorenzo

In short, these are effective actions, examples that represent a real network of support and social relations, creating widespread wellbeing and putting people at the centre.

What has been created around Mario is one of the first Nuvole di Solidarietà born in Intesa Sanpaolo that continue to grow: many pieces that become the ‘seeds’

of a new corporate culture. A new, richer and different model for experiencing the bank and the relationship between people.

2.3. Disability Management in UniCredit (by Emanuele Recchia and Francesca