MERLIN Properties Annual Report 2023

MERLIN Properties | 125 To improve employee satisfaction, in 2022, the company communicated the possibility of flexible start and end times for the working day. In addition, a chapter on work- life balance was published in the Employee Handbook to make all employees aware of these measures regarding flexible working hours. In 2023, the provider of the company health insurance, a social benefit that all employees receive, gave a presentation on the cover and new features of the health insurance, with a special focus on prevention and psychological support. In this regard, the mobile application with guides and tips on how to take care of emotional well-being was shown. In addition, the possibility of having 20 sessions of clinical psychology and up to 40 sessions in case of work-related stress was reported. For 2024, the company plans to conduct training on time management and emotional well-being. The corporate Intranet and the Employee Portal In 2023, MERLIN launched its corporate Intranet. Through the Intranet, employees can access internal news, on which they can leave comments and interact. They can also access the corporate directory, information on the company’s corporate social responsibility, information on social benefits and open recruitment processes, training, all group policies, manuals and procedures, and everything related to corporate branding. The Intranet has been equipped with images and videos to make it easy, intuitive and enjoyable to navigate. In 2024, it is planned to further develop the Intranet to enable onboarding processes by uploading videos in which each department briefly describes its role in the company. The Employee Portal is a website and an app to which all employees have access. This is a communication channel used for administrative purposes. Employees can consult their pay slips and download employment documents. Dialogue and participation in CSR activities Through the Intranet, surveys and direct and face-to-face dialogue, MERLIN is able to detect the different interests of employees to undertake actions of social interest such as the 2022-2023 Sports Leagues, visits to company assets or the No School Day. MERLIN encourages dialogue and employee participation in the company’s decision-making process. For example, through the Donations and Sponsorship Protocol, the Company allocates part of the funds earmarked for donations to those foundations that employees are directly involved with, thus taking into consideration the employees’ favourite foundations to collaborate with them. MERLIN opts for in-person work at the office, which is the Company’s main form of work organisation, as it promotes communication, collaboration and a sense of belonging. EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES MERLIN is committed to including and integrating people with disabilities into its workforce. As mentioned throughout the document, MERLIN guarantees ease of accessibility to its assets and backs this commitment up by obtaining AIS certification. In this context, the Company currently has a total of 6 disabled employees on its staff, all of whom have permanent contracts — 4 of them part-time and 2 full-time —, representing 2.3% of MERLIN’s workforce. These staff members are fully integrated and perform necessary and valued functions at the Company. The Company exceeds the requirements under the current law in this area (Spanish General Disability Act (Ley General de la Discapacidad) through direct hiring.