Support for parenting

Over the years, Intesa Sanpaolo has developed a comprehensive set of initiatives to support parenthood, complementing the provisions established by legislation and the National Collective Labour Agreement for the banking sector. With the renewal of the collective agreement in December 2025, this commitment was further strengthened through the definition, together with the Trade Unions, of a specific agreement dedicated to parenthood.

The new parental support measures introduced in 2026 are aimed at supporting young families. In particular, the agreement provides for:

• a birth bonus of €1,200 for all newborn children;
• on a trial basis, the possibility for working parents, from the child’s first birthday and after the use of the so-called "breastfeeding leave" (which, during the child’s first year of life, consists of two daily one-hour rest periods upon request), and until the child reaches three years of age, to access additional paid leave of up to 12 hours per week. Alternatively, employees may opt for a so-called “short week” consisting of four working days, with a daily working time of up to 7.5 hours, while maintaining unchanged remuneration.

The Group further strengthens support for parents through paid leave for attendance at prenatal classes, for children’s enrolment in nursery schools or kindergartens, for accompanying children to the Emergency Room (emergencies) and to medical appointments, as well as additional unpaid leave days for the care of minor children and specific leave provisions for single-parent families.

For fathers, specific additional paid leave is available upon the birth of a child, together with a 10% salary top-up in addition to the legally provided paid portion of parental leave, as well as the possibility to take an additional 10 days of parental leave.

For each dependent child up to 24 years of age, the welfare contribution introduced in 2023 has been confirmed. This contribution is paid into the child’s supplementary pension scheme, with the possibility of receiving the amount as reimbursement through the “Social Account” scheme. The same contribution is also granted in cases where a child enters the family through foster care.

Collective bargaining, with a focus on inclusion and equal opportunities, has progressively extended parental protections to civil unions, de facto partnerships and the children of spouses. Since 2022, provisions have included paid extraordinary leave for the birth of a child or the arrival of a child into the family, as well as optional extraordinary leave for the care of the children of a spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner.

These measures are complemented by dedicated training and awareness-raising initiatives, including:

• training programmes designed to support the balance between family and professional life, and to raise awareness of identity-related and work-life changes associated with parenthood;
• return-to-work programmes for Group employees on long-term leave, which have already involved more than 500 people;
• awareness initiatives aimed at challenging gender stereotypes in parenting and promoting a more equal sharing of family responsibilities.

Building on the experience gained during the emergency period and taking into account feedback collected through internal surveys, the banks within the International Banks Division (IBD) have launched new projects and flexible working models in line with local regulations. Common features of these initiatives include the identification of a set number of days for flexible working, the redesign of office spaces to meet new organisational needs, and the extension of flexible working arrangements to a broader employee population.

In 2025, all banks within the International Banks Division continued to implement flexible working models for their headquarters, in some cases extending them to branch networks as well. In particular, following the pilot phase conducted in 2024, VUB expanded its flexible working model to all remaining branches.

To support motherhood and fatherhood, Intesa Sanpaolo provides a high-quality network of company nursery services located in Bergamo, Brescia, Florence, Milan, Moncalieri, Naples, Rome and Turin, which welcomed more than 300 children during 2026.

At Intesa Sanpaolo’s nurseries, some of which are also open to the local community, mothers may visit to breastfeed their children. With regard to breastfeeding, during the child’s first year of life, working parents are entitled, upon request, to two daily one-hour breastfeeding breaks.

Training and awareness-raising initiatives are also promoted to foster recognition of the value of parenthood within the workplace. These include dedicated programmes for new fathers, with a particular focus on addressing gender stereotypes associated with parenting roles.

In addition, Intesa Sanpaolo is one of 9 major Italian companies that established the “Fondazione Cresciamo il Futuro” to promote and develop, on a national scale, an innovative model based on an extensive network of company childcare centres. The initiative aims to expand access to childcare services for employees’ families by improving existing facilities and creating new ones. Supported by the Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Policies and the Department for Family Policies of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers through the signing of two memoranda of understanding, the initiative supports employees and local communities, promotes parenthood and work-life balance, and contributes to addressing Italy’s declining birth rate.

Following the pilot phase launched in spring 2025, during the 2026-2027 educational year, in addition to sharing available places within the national childcare network of the "Fondazione Cresciamo il Futuro", a digital platform was made available to facilitate the enrolment process. Within the International Banks Division, Privredna Banka Zagreb (PBZ) currently operates a company childcare centre. PBZ was among the first banks in Croatia to introduce an employer-sponsored childcare service, launching its own facility in 2022. Since then, the centre has welcomed more than 800 children of employees, helping position the Bank among a select group of companies distinguished by their strong commitment to supporting work-life balance and family well-being.