Fair payment for all employees
Market-driven, results- and performance-oriented compensation
Compensation at Commerzbank AG follows a clear objective: we want to pay our employees fairly for their performance. For this reason, we offer an attractive compensation package consisting of basic salaries in line with the market, variable performance-related payments and extensive additional benefits. In this context, the bank always ensures that both the compensation models, including the compensation parameters, and the components of compensation are sustainable. This means that they are oriented towards the long-term success of the company and are designed to be transparent. Compensation strategy and systems help in particular to avoid false incentives. They would run counter to fair and competent advice and the needs of customers.
In line with the objectives of the compensation strategy, total compensation at Commerzbank consists of several components.
With market-driven, results- and performance-oriented compensation that is primarily geared to the success of the company, the bank aims to take into account the interests of its shareholders and employees alike. Supporting sustainable and positive corporate development is another important objective in this context.
In addition, the bank grants further additional benefits for defined groups of employees, irrespective of discretion.
As a special measure in each case, the bank supported employees with several special payments during the Corona pandemic, the energy crisis and in times of rising consumer prices. These were, for example, a pandemic payment, the energy price lump sum or the inflation compensation payment.
Variable Compensation, Consideration of sustainability targets
The consideration of sustainability criteria is a key component of Commerzbank's compensation policy.
In addition to quantitative targets, qualitative targets are also used to determine the variable compensation volume for pay-scale and non-pay-scale employees. These include maintaining customer satisfaction at a high level, anchoring sustainability in the bank's self-image, upholding integrity and the further development of the strategy.
Role of the ESG Committee and Supervisory Board in the compensation policy
In addition, Commerzbank's ESG Committee supports the Supervisory Board, among other things, in reviewing the extent to which the bank considers criteria of environmental and social sustainability in the bank's overall strategic orientation. Furthermore, the ESG Committee works to ensure that strategic and operational planning includes financial and sustainability-related targets. In this context, the ESG Committee also regularly reviews compensation aspects.
The targets set annually by the Supervisory Board for the variable compensation of the Board of Managing Directors promote the long-term development of Commerzbank. These also include ESG targets, such as specific targets relating to the sustainability strategy, customer and employee satisfaction, demographic change, and risk and reputation management. The Supervisory Board strives to further expand the proportion of ESG targets on an ongoing basis.
Equal pay between women and men
Adequate and equal compensation for equivalent activities regardless of gender is one of the fundamental principles of Commerzbank's compensation policy. For this reason, all compensation structures are designed to be gender neutral. These include salary bands, collective bargaining regulations on variable compensation for employees not covered by collective bargaining agreements, and the function evaluation system. The function evaluation system also ensures that all non-pay-scale activities for women and men are based on identical, gender-neutral requirement criteria and are evaluated independently.
The collective bargaining agreement for the private banking sector applies. Different compensation is thus only granted on the basis of the collective agreement within different job profiles (pay scale groups) and different professional experience (professional year classification) and not on the basis of gender. In addition, under certain conditions, all employees covered by collective agreements may receive a profit-sharing bonus as a variable component of their compensation, depending on their collectively agreed salary.
All compensation structures are thus in line with sections 3 and 4 of the Remuneration Transparency Act. Their internal disclosure ensures transparency for employees.
In addition, in accordance with section 6 (2) of the German Pay Transparency Act, Commerzbank regularly reviews measures to protect employees from discrimination on the basis of gender with regard to pay.
How and to what extent Commerzbank promotes the equal position of women in qualified positions as well as the equal compensation of women and men for the same and equivalent work is set out in the report on equality and equal pay.
German Remuneration Ordinance for Institutions (Institutsvergütungsverordnung), Further information in the Compensation Report
The description of the compensation systems as well as the aggregated disclosure of the compensation data of the employees is made in the form of a separate report. The reason for this is the special significance resulting from extended regulatory requirements (compensation report pursuant to Section 16 of the German Remuneration Ordinance for Institutions in conjunction with Article 450 of the CRR).