Topic 05 / 07

Responsibility towards the community

Social responsibility is one of our highest values and one of the key elements of the Company’s corporate identity. This attitude to professional and social action is recognised in the community; it is built on continuous investment in, and respect for, the needs of the community in which Croatia operates, and on care for employees, on the basic premises of sustainability, stability and profitability.

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A pillar of the community for more than a century

Over more than a century of business, Croatia has become a synonym for reliability, quality and responsibility, and from its beginnings to the present day it has been a symbol of action for the good of the community in which it operates.

Croatia continuously invests in new products and services, with a strong emphasis on digital transformation and the integration of sustainability risks, and supports many social projects that encourage positive social change and help preserve national values and identity.

Through its business and its network of branches and polyclinics, Croatia osiguranje is present in all regions of Croatia. In almost 140 years it has been dedicated to the same mission and goals – the security and wellbeing of local people and the community. Croatia’s sponsorship and donation policy stems from this fundamental mission and respect for the needs of the local community.

In line with our line of business, we have directed our activity primarily towards the goals of safety in the community and raising the level of financial literacy.

A pillar of the community for more than a century

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Safety in the community

One of the key sustainability goals of Croatia osiguranje is to raise the level of safety and reduce risk in the community. We contribute by sharing knowledge and supporting professional events such as the “Dani sigurnosti” (Security Days) organised by the Croatian Association of Security Managers (HUMS) and the conference “Road traffic safety – applying modern technologies to increase driver safety”.

The LaqoPrevent prevention programme, available in the LAQO mobile app, lets drivers monitor various aspects of their driving and contribute to reducing key traffic risks using telematics, and LAQO rewards the most responsible drivers. LAQO also ran the educational social-media campaign “Oči širom zatvorene” (Eyes Wide Shut), warning of the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving.

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Financial literacy

Alongside raising safety in the community, an important goal of Croatia osiguranje is to raise financial literacy and awareness of the benefits of insurance. We contribute significantly to financial education in the community, especially among young people who are managing their finances and life responsibilities for the first time. We supported the industry-wide insurers’ initiative “Sigurnije sutra” (A Safer Tomorrow) organised by the Croatian Insurance Bureau. It has two main goals: to raise citizens’ awareness of the importance of insurance and of taking personal responsibility for life, health and property. A Croatia osiguranje subsidiary continuously supports campaigns that educate young people about the importance of long-term saving for retirement and taking care of personal finances.

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Help in crisis situations

In line with the size and importance of its business, the company helps in crisis situations beyond its annual plans. At the beginning of 2022, because of the consequences of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Croatia osiguranje donated one million kuna to the Croatian Red Cross for refugees and people affected in Ukraine. For all employees who wished to help with their own contribution an account for donations was opened, and the company matched every kuna paid by employees with the same amount.

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In the service of education

Croatia osiguranje pays considerable attention to developing the digital skills of children and young people; one example is the support provided for the STEMI School of the Future project, which connects the IT sector and education. Donations to schools and sponsorship of competitions, such as those of young ecologists and robotics enthusiasts, support projects that raise children’s and young people’s awareness of the importance of protecting the environment.

We cooperate with higher-education institutions, primarily in STEM and economics, by taking part in student–employer meetings and by investing in shared (public) infrastructure. In 2022 the main hall of the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Zagreb was renovated and equipped, greatly improving the standard and conditions for teaching. In the past year we supported the work of more than 20 kindergartens, schools, grammar schools, faculties and associations with donations of money and IT equipment.

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Sport: Croatia with the big and the small

Healthy living, including sport, fair competition and a winning spirit, is important for the development of the community and the individual, and these are values that Croatia osiguranje advocates in its business. In addition to being a partner of the Croatian Football Federation and the national team, we sponsor more than 70 local sports clubs. All of them share persistence, effort, hard work and the desire to reach the top. We stand behind everyone ready to take an extra step and go a step further, because at Croatia we know how important it is to persevere in order to become the best.

We systematically direct considerable funds to football, basketball, handball, volleyball, water polo and other small and large sports clubs, competitions and activities. In 2022 Croatia osiguranje became a sponsor of the Croatian national football team. The sponsorship was accompanied by a high-profile media campaign inspired by Croatia’s long-standing support for small and large sports teams and the belief that great successes often start in small communities.

Sport: Croatia with the big and the small

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Cultural heritage

Through its name and its entire identity, Croatia osiguranje is one of the most recognisable symbols of our country. For almost 140 years it has promoted the values of tradition – of what is local and Croatian – as the foundations of the brand. We support events across Croatia that preserve tradition, local cultural heritage and creativity, such as Vinkovačke jeseni, Samoborski fašnik and Samoborske glazbene večeri. Croatia osiguranje has also supported smaller theatres in Istria and Slavonia and helped many literary, music and stage festivals take place.

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Health

Awareness of prevention and health protection is one of Croatia osiguranje’s more important areas of activity and a logical extension of its health insurance and the services of Croatia Poliklinika across Croatia. We initiate and support many projects for the prevention of and awareness of health risks through media campaigns and through the support and participation of experts, Croatia Poliklinika doctors, at professional events.

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Volunteering and employee contribution

Croatia’s employees gladly join initiatives that give back to the community, which also strengthens employee engagement. To bear witness to the company’s values by their own example, in 2022 Croatia’s volunteers joined the clean-up of Lake Vukovina in Velika Gorica. The action was part of Večernji list’s Rezolucija Zemlja project at more than 30 locations across the country, where more than 5,000 volunteers collected more than 100 tonnes of waste in one day.

In 2023 we held our first CO Dan za više (CO Day for More) – a day when the seemingly small deeds of our employees make a big difference, a day when we give more to the community in which we live and work. The first Day for More was dedicated to voluntary blood donation, organised together with the Croatian Institute of Transfusion Medicine (HZTM) and Croatia Poliklinika. More than 110 of our colleagues in Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Varaždin and Osijek responded, giving more through their personal contribution to the community in which we live and work.