The impact at Partenamut: interview with David Fraiture, Deputy CEO of Partenamut.
What is Partenamut's position in the face of many current environmental and social challenges?
Because of our corporate name, we have always been mindful of our social impact. We do not have any shareholders to remunerate, which allows us to systematically reinvest each gain made (efficiency, growth, digitalization,...) in what we call the virtuous triangle in which we find the members, employees and the sustainability of Partenamut.
The first point of this triangle is, of course, our members. We study their needs in depth and adapt our services to best meet them.
The second point of the triangle is our people. We firmly believe that each and every one of them is an essential component of our success. That's why we reinvest our earnings in a way that makes them feel like they're in an engaged environment that allows them to thrive and give the best of themselves every day.
And finally, the last tip of the triangle is to ensure the sustainability of our organization, investment in infrastructure in the broadest sense. For Partenamut, it's mainly buildings and IT systems. But today, we're broadening our vision of investments for the future. It's no longer just about investing in our facilities, it's about living up to our social responsibility and environmental commitment. A portion of our profits are reinvested in initiatives to significantly reduce our carbon footprint . This is how we see value creation at Partenamut.
Social impact seems to be a priority for Partenamut. What about members?
Social commitment is indeed our priority mission. Supporting people on a daily basis in taking charge of their health is our core business. To this end, we are developing a number of programs to support our members, especially when they are vulnerable.
For example, we were the first health insurance fund in Belgium to offer a specific status and support for family carers in order to support them and ease their daily lives.
We also launched, among other things, two new services:
• The C.A.P. (Proactive Support Unit)
A team of about ten people who, during the lockdown, proactively called members we had identified as being at risk, either because of previous health concerns, isolation or financial precariousness. The aim is to target the aid to be provided to them. Following the positive feedback from our members, we have made the decision to continue, even after the end of the lockdown. Today, this allows us to quickly help members who are most in need and prevent them from isolating permanently.
• The Health Relay
For the moment, this system is only present in one branch. It is a team of 2 to 3 people mobilized to welcome members who are in very complicated health situations. The aim is to direct them to networks of partners who can support them in these challenges. When the person leaves the agency, our goal is for them to feel that they have been listened to and leave with concrete courses of action.
All these initiatives have been made possible thanks to our approach to digital which consists of "digitizing to humanize". We use digitalization to free up means and resources to maximize our time of support with the members who need it most. Rather than parting ways with employees, we rethink everyone's work and innovate to have an even more personalized service and thus increase our social impact.
And on the environmental front, what's changing?
3 years ago, several of our employees alerted us to our environmental commitment, which was, according to them, still insufficient. We therefore called on a specialized company to draw up the carbon footprint of our organization.
Since then, we have decided to react in several ways, including by launching the program called "Planet'Up". Our ambition is to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030, in line with European targets.
It is based on 3 pillars :
• Building renovation
Our head office in Brussels has led the way. It has been equipped with new heat pumps and a rainwater harvesting system. The building in Mons has undergone the same transformations and will soon be inaugurated, the one in Liège should be started by 2024/2025, following the same principles.
• A more sustainable catering offer
Partenamut has changed suppliers for its company restaurant in order to be more in line with its environmental will and concerns. We launched a tender with much stricter criteria in terms of sustainability. Today, we are therefore more consistent in what we offer our employees: we have put an end to single-use cutlery and favoured vegetarian dishes, as well as local, seasonal and organic products. We have also chosen to get rid of the candy and crisp vending machines to make way for fairer products.
• Awareness-raising actions among employees
Partenamut has chosen to make its employees aware of the environmental impact they can have on a daily basis. Various initiatives have been put in place, such as the creation of a shared vegetable garden and chicken coop around which a team of volunteers gathers to cultivate biodiversity. We have also organised workshops such as the " Climate Fresco" in which each of our 1300 employees was able to take part. Finally, certain events regularly punctuate the life of the company, such as this year a film-debate session on ecology.
In the long term, our ability to communicate and have a significant influence compared to other actors in Belgium (1.3 million members) could be used to change everyone's behaviour around environmental, climate and health issues, which are, as we know, totally linked.
You've talked several times about your employees and how important you are to their feelings. What steps have you taken to maximize their well-being at Partenamut?
We were awarded the " Top Employer" label in 2023 and we are the first mutual insurance company in Belgium to do so. This label guarantees that we have good HR practices but also good team management, talent, good development programs, etc. It is therefore a recognition of Partenamut's desire to put people at the centre of its concerns. But we don't intend to rest on our laurels. These audits allow for continuous improvement and to maintain a particular attention to the feedback of our employees.
Our " annual company barometer" survey is also a great initiative. This is the time for employees to share the positives and those that need to be improved. This is followed by a period of discussion to set new objectives, and an assessment is made the following year to see how things have changed. For example, if a department encounters difficulties (results, workload, stress, etc.), we bring the team together and discuss with the internal referent of the "Internal Service for Prevention and Protection at Work" (SIPPT). The goal is to design a plan that we follow regularly to ensure that Partenamut meets the team's challenges.
Q&A sessions with senior management are also held several times a year. These are completely transparent and open, accessible to all, with the aim of allowing everyone to better understand the organization's strategy in order to move forward together in the same direction.
We also pay attention to the mental load of our employees thanks to a teleworking policy of 3 days a week and 2 days in person, which promotes work/life balance. We have also reduced the length of meetings (55 minutes) while introducing a mandatory break between each session.
Partenamut also seeks to create strong links between its teams. That's why we organise roadshows, greenhouses, team events, ping-pong and pétanque team tournaments... At the same time, several initiatives have been put in place to enable teams to organise sports sessions, after-work events, outings, etc. It's an opportunity to spend time together but also to learn more about each other and challenge each other in a different way.
Why did you want to join the Meet My Job community?
At Partenamut, we have big ambitions. Our greatest goal is to become THE reference mutuality for cultivating the health of its members. To do this, we need people who are motivated, who are driven by the project.
The goal, through Meet My Job, is to find talent that is attracted only by the social and environmental advances we are trying to put in place. If you want to give real meaning to your career, this is where you have to start!
Ready to make a difference? If you are passionate about contributing to social and environmental advancements, and would like to be a centerpiece of the Partenamut project, explore exciting job opportunities today!