Social responsibility

Berlin Hyp’s view of social responsibility involves several different aspects. For example, we believe that offering our employees an environment in which they can develop their knowledge and skills is just as important as addressing issues that have an impact beyond our own business operations.

Employees: Diversity as an opportunity, equality as a principle, development as dynamic potential

Our employees benefit from an environment that offers them creative freedom and great potential for personal and professional development. Employees at Berlin Hyp are given interesting tasks and assignments in secure jobs that also offer pleasant, safe and healthy working conditions.

Commitment to diversity

Berlin Hyp treats all of its employees equally and fairly, regardless of their age, gender, ethnic origin, world view or sexual orientation. We are committed to diversity, which we view as an opportunity.

Our Human Rights, Diversity and Inclusion policy provides managers, employees and all business partners with a clear guide for their daily actions in this regard. The Bank has publicly underscored its commitment here by signing the Diversity Charter.

Berlin Hyp seeks to achieve a fair balance between men and women in management positions and has therefore defined target figures for female managers.

We seek to increase the number of women in management positions, whereby this objective is taken into account when we identify and select potential managerial candidates and when we design our employee and management development programmes. In addition, our guidelines for managers expressly define the development and advancement of female employees as a fundamental principle.

Remuneration: Transparent and fair

Berlin Hyp’s remuneration systems are structured in accordance with relevant legal provisions and industry standards. It goes without saying that we are absolutely committed to the principle of equal pay for men and women who do the same work.

Remuneration for Board of Management members consists of fixed and variable components, with the latter linked to the sustained success of the company. The remuneration systems for the Board of Management and Supervisory Board meet all legal requirements.

Further information on remuneration at Berlin Hyp can be found in the remuneration reports in our annual reports.

Training and continuing education: An investment in the future

The demands placed on employees in the real estate financing sector are changing dramatically. General trends relating to digitalisation, new regulations and sector-specific developments, such as the incorporation of ESG criteria into loan structures and risk management systems, make it necessary to ensure that employees can continuously further develop their skills and expertise. Berlin Hyp offers support here with a broad range of internal and external continuing education and qualification programmes that cover both specialised topics and aspects such as agile working. We also offer our employees mentoring programmes and opportunities to pursue a course of study even as they continue to work.

Career paths: Many ways to advance

Taking on managerial responsibility is one of the traditional ways to advance professionally – but it’s not the only way. For this reason, Berlin Hyp has introduced an” Expert Career” programme as an alternative but nevertheless equivalent development opportunity. Berlin Hyp Experts stand out through high-quality knowledge and expertise that they apply in a manner that creates value. The Bank offers these Experts optimal support in the form of targeted measures that are aligned with their specific needs.

Further information on career and development paths at Berlin Hyp can be found here.

Work-life balance

One of things that make people feel comfortable in their jobs is knowing that they can manage a career without placing too much of a strain on their private lives. Berlin Hyp has established conditions for a healthy work-life balance by implementing various measures that include trust-based working hours, mobile working arrangements and special services such as childcare programmes.

Staying healthy and in shape throughout one’s career

Stress, constantly staring at a computer screen and sitting for long periods of time are just some of the factors that can have a negative effect on employee health. Berlin Hyp’s health management system seeks to avoid the associated risks by offering advice, special seminars and preventive health care programmes. In addition, special health days that are organised on a regular basis make employees more aware of just how important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle and pay attention to potential health risks at work. Berlin Hyp also has a company sports club that gives employees the opportunity to get some healthy exercise – and also spend time with colleagues, and meet new ones, outside the workplace.

Corporate citizenship

It’s clear that a bank that has “Berlin” in its name and operates throughout Germany and beyond also takes on responsibility in areas other than those directly related to its business operations.

Support for children and people in difficult circumstances

Berlin Hyp’s charitable and corporate citizenship activities focus on supporting socially disadvantaged children and young people, as well as providing support for recreational sports. We work with Kinderhaus Berlin-Mark Brandenburg e.V., for example, and we also support voluntary work by our employees within the framework of Social Day events and the SeitenWechsel programme.

Our cooperation with Kinderhaus Berlin-Mark Brandenburg e.V., which is an association that houses children and teenagers, and in some cases their families as well, is marked by mutual respect and trust. We have been working with the association for more than ten years now. For example, Berlin Hyp employees sponsor school cones and support young people who are moving out of the children's home and setting up their first household of their own.

In addition, Berlin Hyp managers help people in difficult circumstances via the SeitenWechsel programme conducted by the non-profit Patriotische Gesellschaft von 1765 (Patriotic Society of 1765). Within the framework of this programme, the managers also work in a social organisation for a week. These assignments teach the managers new ways to communicate with and help people, making the managers more aware of the importance of social responsibility.

Kinderhaus Berlin-Mark Brandenburg e.V.

We have supported Kinderhaus Berlin since 2005. The projects of this children’s home include the day care group, mobile care, transition to independent living groups, joint housing groups, standard groups, residential nursery groups, crisis facilities (child crisis), family integration groups, a mother and child centre, children’s farm, small groups with special behavioural or emotional needs, nurseries and educational establishments. The aim of the Kinderhaus projects is to provide professional support for the children and young people – and their families – through specialist cooperation.

Learn more

The objective of the Kinderhaus projects is to provide professional support for the children and young people – and their families – through specialist cooperation.

The Kinderhaus project has set itself the task of supporting children and young people in boosting their self-esteem, solving any conflicts which may exist in the family environment together with them and turning problems into a way of fostering the development of relationships and character. Berlin Hyp supports the association both financially and through numerous joint activities, such as, for example, at Christmas or when starting school.

Positions: Supporting contemporary art

Among other things, contemporary art can lead people to expand their horizons and adopt new points of view. Since 2012, Berlin Hyp and the POSITIONS BERLIN Art Fair have been presenting an award that supports talented artists. Each year, POSITIONS BERLIN participates in BERLIN ART WEEK, where it showcases a selection of international galleries and projects that present their most talented and exciting newcomers. Among other things, this special forum gives graduates of art colleges the opportunity to present their works to a large group of art lovers and gain initial experience with the art market as they begin to pursue a career as a professional artist.

Modern art in Hangar 5 & 6 at Tempelhof Airport in Berlin: ACADEMY POSITIONS goes into the next round

The POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair, which takes place from 9 to 12 September 2021, presents recent contemporary works of art by graduates of German and foreign art colleges in the curated special exhibition ACADEMY POSITONS, with the support of Berlin Hyp. The goal is to enable artists to acquire initial experience and facilitate their entry into the art market. The POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair gives graduates and students a chance to connect with galleries, curators and collectors. The special exhibition offers visitors a selective overview of the themes and creative work of the next generation of artists. Since 2017, up to 30 artists have been included and promoted in this exhibition each year.

A bank jury composed of members from various departments selects two newcomers each year from ACADEMY POSITIONS who are then featured in solo presentations the following year at the POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair. This year, ACADEMY POSITIONS presented 15 young graduates and students from German art colleges in Berlin, Dresden, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Kiel, Leipzig, Mainz and Saarland.

This year’s winner

Jaeyun Moon - (*1978)

Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar

Maria Seitz (*1989)

Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar

The award ceremony was held on Saturday, 11 September 2021 at 2.100 pm at POSITIONS Berlin.

The previous prizewinners

2020: Elisa Manig and Till Galunke
2019: Jieun Kim and Arthur Metz
2018: Martin Voigt and Lukas Glinkowski
2017: Carolin Gasse, Marion Eichmann
2016: Peter Ruehle
2015: Franziska Stünkel, Tessa Wolkersdorfer, Nina Hannah Kornatz and Wolfgang Ganter
2014: Angelika Arendt and Olrik Kohlhoff
2013: Karolin Back, Jessica Schäfer and Johan Schäfer
2012: Andrej Pirrwitz and Sara Möbius

City trees for Berlin: Contribution to a healthy climate

City trees are truly skilled at survival – and they also help ensure a healthy climate in urban areas. As part of the “150 years of Berlin Hyp” anniversary celebrations a few years ago, the Bank became a sponsor for 150 young trees in Berlin. This initial support turned into an ongoing commitment, as the Bank has since donated additional Berlin city trees in connection with the proportion of green financing in its loans portfolio in each case.

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