A RESPONSIBLE ORGANISATION
HISPASAT pursues its corporate activity from a leadership perspective which means aspiring to the best possible business performance in all areas. Ethics and social and environmental responsibility is one of these areas.
Ethics, integrity and transparency play a key role in business management at HISPASAT, representing as they do a guarantee that everything in which the organisation is involved is conducted with an eye on the commitments the company has to its stakeholders and society in general.
Commitments that are translated into the economic return that HISPASAT generates for its shareholders and clients, but also into the social value contributed by satellites, into quality employment, into the encouraging of employee talent and into environmental protection in the pursuit of the company’s business activity. HISPASAT strengthens its ability to create value through its Corporate Social Responsibility policy and its associated management plans.
ETHICS, INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY
THE HISPASAT CODE OF ETHICS IS THE CORNERSTONE UNDERPINNING THE RESPONSIBLE PURSUIT OF ITS ACTIVITY. IT IS ADDRESSED TO ALL HISPASAT EMPLOYEES AND CONTAINS GUIDELINES ON CONDUCT, PARTICULARLY IN ETHICALLY COMPROMISING SITUATIONS.
The Code is based on HISPASAT’s vision and six basic company values. Taken together these give rise to a series of basic ethical principles. The Code specifies how to exercise these basic principles within the framework of those affairs that are important to responsible business performance. Accordingly, it distinguishes between internal and external conduct and deals with issues such as diversity and equal opportunities, conflicts of interest, honesty and trust, relations with different company stakeholders or the truthfulness of communications, among a host of other matters.
The aim is for all professionals, regardless of their position or responsibilities, to be aware of the implications, privileges and responsibilities that go with their work and its ethical importance.
In fine, the Code endeavours to pinpoint the importance of the ethical dimension in professional conduct and to serve as a guide to professionals in a global, ever-changing and complex environment.
You can consult the HISPASAT Code of Ethics by clicking
> HERE <
Moreover, Abertis as a member of the HISPASAT Group also signs up to its Code of Ethics.
HISPASAT has an Ethics Committee and Ethics Mailbox both as a support and to ensure compliance with the Code of Ethics.
The Ethics Committee is made up of the Human Resources and Organisation, Legal Services and Internal Audit and Risk managers at HISPASAT and the General Manager of HISPAMAR Satélites. The Committee’s main function is to oversee the Code of Ethics and its interpretation, where appropriate, whenever a report is sent to the Ethics Mailbox. The latter tool is designed to channel all communications related to the Code. Any company employee can report conduct that is either unlawful or fails to comply with the Code by means of the e-form available on the company intranet. No report or claim was made through this channel in 2017.
Moreover, in 2017, in compliance with the CSR Master Plan and with a view to continuing to emphasise the importance of Code of Ethics compliance, not only by employees but by relevant company stakeholders, HISPASAT has added a clause to the latter in this regard with respect to new supplier and client contracts.
CSR POLICY AND STRATEGY
HISPASAT holds Corporate Social Responsibility to be a means to increasing its capacity to create value for its clients, shareholders and all other key company stakeholders.
Accordingly, the HISPASAT CSR is aimed at meeting company commitments to all in a sustainable manner. Sustainability for HISPASAT is the capacity to generate social and environmental well-being wherever it does business, while at the same time creating economic value and maintaining its position as the leading Spanish satellite operator.
The CSR has become, therefore, a source of excellence that inspires the trust of stakeholders in HISPASAT and its possibilities of reaching greater and better levels of competitiveness.
The HISPASAT CSR Policy establishes commitments in three areas: responsible economic management and business ethics, respect for the environment and personal and community development. These are in line with its backing of the UN Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Learn more about the commitments established
in the HISPASAT CSR Policy by clicking
> HERE <
HISPASAT has defined a CSR Master Plan to lend substance to and to develop its CSR Policy.
This plan sets out three strategic objectives that correspond to a series of material topics for the Group CSR. Developing a culture of integrity, ethical traceability and transparency; respecting and proactively contributing to environmental conservation; and encouraging the advancement of people and communities where HISPASAT pursues its business activity are the goals that are guiding HISPASAT actions, with a view to achieving a series of objectives by 2020 that will make it possible to consolidate the responsible management model and make further headway on the company’s road to sustainable excellence.
The measures and actions indicated in this report are in keeping with this task.
TOTAL TAX CONTRIBUTION 2016-2017
Following the methodology of the OECD, based on the cash criterion, the total tax contribution of the Hispasat Group in 2016-2017 has amounted to € 97 Mn.
Breakdown of the
total tax contribution
Detail of the
taxes supported
Detail of the
taxes collected
| COUNTRY | Taxes supported | Taxes collected | Total Taxes |
| SPAIN | 29 | 24 | 53 |
| BRAZIL | 36 | 1 | 37 |
| OTHERS | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| TOTAL | 67 | 30 | 97 |
EMPLOYEES
HISPASAT is committed to providing an environment in which stability, security, flexibility and equal opportunity prevail thus enabling its employees to develop both personally and professionally. The company believes that this is the only way to attract and hold onto top talent, to form highly specialist teams and to continue being a sector leader.
This approach to understanding people management is duly attested to in specific company figures. In 2017, 100% of our jobs were permanent positions, with the majority of employees working full-time. Indeed, our employee turnover stood at 0% (data for HISPASAT and HISPASAT Canarias). Analyses conducted by the company found that there are no gender-based salary differences in any of the professional categories.
As far as labour relations are concerned, practically all employees are covered by the company’s collective bargaining agreement (111 in HISPASAT and 49 in HISPAMAR). There is a Works Committee at HISPASAT, which met twice in the course of 2017 with company representatives to follow up on issues affecting the staff.
Internal communication and the dialogue between management and employees is another important matter in this area. Several channels are available to ensure smooth two-way formal and informal communication. Moreover, both HISPASAT and HISPAMAR have formal mechanisms in place to receive labour-related complaints, such as the suggestion mailbox and the Code of Ethics mailbox.
With a view to measuring employee satisfaction, HISPASAT conducts climate surveys, the last one of which was conducted in 2015, recording high participation and returning positive results.
EMPLOYEES IN THE 2015-2020
CSR MASTER PLAN
OBJECTIVES
- To ensure equal opportunities for all organisation employees, regardless of gender, culture or physical condition and to promote the reconciling of work and home life.
- To respect the right of free association, the right to unionize and to collective negotiation.
- To foster a safe work environment and to provide employees with all the resources necessary to ensure one.
- To aid the professional development of all employees, providing them with specialist training and thus fostering the holding onto and development of talent in the organisation.
- To guarantee respetct for those Human Rights recognised in national and international legislation, rejecting forced, slave and child labour.
STAFF PROFILE
TALENT, TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Investing in talent is the key to be able to provide the best solutions and achieving market recognition. HISPASAT has a training plan that establishes the criteria and content for the training it offers its employees.
HISPATALENT is one of these plan initiatives. It is aims to select and integrate young talent into HISPASAT. On the basis of agreements signed between the company and several Spanish universities, those participating in the programme spend one year combining training at HISPASAT with their university studies by means of a university course designed jointly with the Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio.
Upon termination of this training, those on the HISPATALENT programme can choose to sign a work experience contract with the company geared at integrating young talent into the organisation. In 2017, a total of 5 new students joined the HISPATALENT programme.
Moreover, HISPASAT has a 2017-2019 Training Plan that establishes the priorities to train staff in aspects that are in keeping with the business strategy and in those matters arising from the different company action plans. Leadership and innovation are other central features that the company strives to inculcate in its employees.
All HISPASAT and HISPASAT Canarias employees received training in 2017, which translated into a total investment in training of €125,236.
As far as noteworthy subjects and content is concerned, last year the company opted for training in Compliance, Information Security, Indicator Management, Mindfulness and languages (English and Portuguese). It also provided internal training in Occupational Health and Safety. Moreover, for those employees with high potential for development in the company, training was given in skills such as decision-making and communication.
HISPASAT makes this training available to its employees in different ways, from classroom to on-line through Campus HISPASAT.
Lastly, it should be pointed out that with the aim in mind of developing talent, promoting and encouraging effort and boosting the motivation of its employees, HISPASAT has objective performance assessment systems through which both organisational and individual objectives are evaluated. The company also designs career and customised individual professional plans. All of the foregoing serves to consolidate highly qualified and committed professional teams.
Last year, a total of 188 employees underwent performance assessment.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
The commitments undertaken with respect to clients and other stakeholders mean that Quality, Occupational Health and Safety and Information Security are priority factors for company activity. With a view to dealing with these factors in the best way possible, the organisation has an Integrated Management System that ensures the achieving of the highest standards in these areas.
As part of this framework, both HISPASAT and HISPAMAR have a certified Occupational Health and Management System that makes it possible to plan and manage the introduction of corrective measures, where appropriate, and later evaluate them.
Both companies have a Health and Safety Committee that tackles occupational health and safety matters for management and employees alike. A totally of employees are covered by the Health and Safety Committee at HISPASAT and at HISPAMAR.
In 2017, two meetings of the Committee were held at HISPASAT and 12 at HISPAMAR. Training in health and safety, the requisite safety equipment, safety inspections and disease and accident prevention campaigns were among the matters dealt with.
There were no fatal accidents in the course of 2017.
Corporate wellness: promoting a healthy lifestyle
To improve work efficiency, corporate wellness is one of the company tools that has given the best results in the last few years. This programme has served to boost creativity, concentration and stress resistance.
HISPASAT is committed to inculcating positive preventive habits in its employees. As an approach to this concern, the company has set up different initiatives geared towards promoting and incorporating healthy habits into their lifestyles to improve their well-being by working on six main principles, such as healthy food —having healthy menu options available on a daily basis at both work centres—, physical activity, stress management and well-being.
Consequently, within the framework of this programme, HISPASAT signed different agreements at the end of 2016 to facilitate access to all company employees to sports and health centres at affordable prices in a large number of centres around Spain.
EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY
The dearth of women in the technology sector represents a challenge for HISPASAT, which needs to attract the best talent available to secure its sector leadership position and to balance gender representation on the staff in the medium and long term. At the end of 2017, female representation in company staff stood at 32.1%.
> See Promotion of Technological Talent <
The company is tackling this important challenge in different ways by means of numerous initiatives. Actions are being taken externally to boost female technical vocations. Internally, the company adheres to a strict commitment to equal opportunities among those employed at the Group, as reflected in its CSR Master Plan.
Accordingly, recruitment policy at HISPASAT is focused on permanent employment and is gender neutral. In 2016, HISPASAT eliminated gender bias in the selection of CVs from its web page, showcasing academic background and the experience of the professional in the first phase of the selection process and opting for gender confidentiality.
In keeping with this philosophy, the company signed up in 2017 to the project promoted by the Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality to hire professionals by means of blind CVs, thus further ratifying its commitment to fostering equality in the workplace. The purpose of this initiative was to promote effective equality treatment and equal opportunities between women and men when it comes to job access and permanence, thus progressing towards a more balanced participation in positions of responsibility.
Salary policy is based on wage brackets, which in turn are based on the added value contributed by particular positions in the organisation and not people centred, also taking into account market surveys (TW HighTech). Company training and the promotion policies in place are equal opportunity based, while equality as regards social rights and benefits is also guaranteed. Job positions are defined according to the technical, professional and training skills involved, regardless of gender.
Moreover, in 2017, two disabled persons worked at HISPASAT, to whom the means and resources to do their job under equal conditions were made available, thus ensuring their labour integration. The company also fulfilled the legally established alternative measures, with the amount of donations to training and labour insertion entities for disables people amounting to €17,000 in the course of the year.
SOCIAL BENEFITS AND RECONCILING PRIVATE AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE
Both HISPASAT and HISPAMAR provide social benefits to its employees that go beyond legally enforceable ones. In this way the company seeks to contribute to improving their quality of life and to facilitating the reconciliation of work and home life of all employees, while at the same time, increasing their commitment to the company.
HISPASAT offers various social benefits such as a flexible remuneration system, medical insurance for employees and family members, a life and orphan insurance and a savings insurance for directors and managers. Moreover, on foot of the first Organisational Climate survey conducted in 2015, a start was made on applying different measures to promote flexibility.
2017 was no different as particular initiatives were developed such as the possibility of working outside the office on the so-called smart days, up to two a month. Upon prior notification and internal management employees can work from another location other than their normal work station. HISPASAT also offers employees the possibility of flexible working hours as a means of improving work-home life reconciliation. In 2017, a total of 112 people chose this option, 65.2% of whom were men.
Along the same lines, the company deems it important to reduce commuting between home and the workplace. Accordingly, employees that need to travel for work reasons can, on those days, if they so wish, start their working day outside their work station and thus go directly from their location to the station or airport, without having to pass through their work centre
VOLUNTEERING
The Corporate Volunteer Committee was set up in 2016 and a strategic framework designed to develop volunteer activity at HISPASAT. In keeping with this strategy, the foundation was laid to the company’s Corporate Volunteer Programme.
By means of volunteer initiatives, the fruit of employees’ concerns, talent and commitment, HISPASAT seeks to become an agent of social change and transformation to improve the environment. Moreover, the company appreciates the opportunity that volunteering represents to generate an internal culture of social commitment, to foster pride in belonging to the company and to hold onto team talent.
ENVIRONMENT
The 2015-2020 CSR Master Plan specifies this company commitment in the strategic goal of respecting and proactively contributing to the environment conservation. Reducing resource consumption and atmospheric emissions, as well as environmentally assessing suppliers and including positive social and environmental criteria, are the main lines of action pursued by HISPASAT in this area.
HISPASAT is committed to protecting and conserving the environment as part of its global commitment to sustainability and excellence.
As a response to these objectives, in 2017, HISPASAT drew up a greenhouse gas inventory at company work centres in the Madrid region (Spain). The inventory, drafted in collaboration with the organisation Ecology and Development (ECODES), served to identify and assess the main environmental impact of these prior to defining reduction actions.
The areas in which the main opportunities for improvement were detected and in which the company is still working were: energy efficiency —improvement to electricity and optimisation of business trips— and the consumption of raw materials, particularly paper.
In 2017, the company continued to promote the development of its vehicle fleet —one of the elements that makes the biggest environmental impact— toward hybrid and electric models, encouraging their use in the leasing programme and installing charging stations at the car park in Castellana Street and at the control centre. Moreover, it has acquired an electric vehicle for internal use.
The company has also embarked on several efficient fuel consumption initiatives. Accordingly, to foster minimum paper consumption it has installed recycling containers at the Arganda control centre and photocopiers that enable the limiting of paper consumption.
At the end of the year, the “LET’S MAKE HISPASAT MORE SUSTAINABLE” campaign was launched to promote an environmental culture in which we feel accountable, to contribute to conserving our planet and environmental resources.
Other noteworthy environmental actions were the participation in the Spanish WWF “Earth Hour” campaign, which involves the switching off of the lights at the Madrid head office for an hour on 25 March and the providing of a shuttle service from Madrid to the Satellite Control Service for personnel who work there, thus reducing the use of private vehicles, the fuel consumed and atmospheric emissions.
Space waste management
Two of the HISPASAT’s flagship satellites, the Amazonas 1 and the Hispasat 1C (H1C) ended their service lives in June 2017.
One of the HISPASAT’s commitments in environmental management is to abide by sector initiatives to properly manage and reduce space waste. Accordingly, as established in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee recommendations for properly maintaining the geostationary orbit, both satellites were transferred to the graveyard orbit, which is 36,300 km from the Earth.
The Satellite Operations Engineering team coordinated the entire reorbiting procedure, maintaining permanent communication with each of the manufacturers.
These acts brought an end to the activity of both satellites after having provided communications services throughout their long service lives: 17 in the case of H1C, two more than initially planned; and 13 in the case of Amazonas 1, despite having suffered a fuel leak shortly after its launch which augured a much shorter life span.
Exceeding both of these time provisions attests to the solidity and viability of both spacecraft and their proper operation, managing to stretch their planned service lives to the maximum and to administer fuel more efficiently during the orbit manoeuvres that are required to operate satellites.
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS FOR 2017
| HISPASAT | HISPAMAR | TOTAL | |
| Paper consumption (t) | 1,73 | 1,04 | 2,77 |
| Recycled paper consumption (t) | 0,26 | 0,26 | |
| Electricity consumption (kWh) | 3.183.790,00 | 495.403,00 | 3.679.193,00 |
| Energy consumption from own renewable sources (kWh) | 616.779,00 | 616.779,00 | |
| Liquid fuel consumption (diesel and petrol) (litres) | 80.087,54 | 15.762,83 | 95.850,37 |
| Water consumption (m3) | 5.210,00 | 25.715,80 | 30.925,80 |
| Hazardous waste generated (t) | 4,28 | 0,02 | 4,30 |
| Non-hazardous waste generated (t) | 6,35 | 0,003 | 6,36 |
