HR policy

Strategy

Goals	KPIs	Results for 2025
Attracting young talent and experienced professionals, including to Russia’s Far North	A Top‑3 employer in Russia’s metals and mining sector according to leading rankings	4.9 thousand young specialists (under 35) were permanently employed Nornickel at the top of prestigious employer rankings: first place – Changellenge (among miners) first place – FutureToday (among miners) first place – HeadHunter (in the Industrial Production category) Nornickel’s awards: HR Brand 2025 InterComm 2025 EMBRAS 2025 CIPR Digital 2025
Facilitating employee retention, professional growth, and development		12.4% – employee turnover
Improving the onboarding system to support new hires and increase engagement among seasoned employees		64% – employee engagement rate

Business ethics

Nornickel remains firmly committed to maintaining an impeccable reputation and upholding the highest standards of business ethics. The Company’s priorities are workplace safety, safeguarding the life and health of its employees, and sustainable development across all aspects of its activities.

The Company’s Business Ethics Code was approved by the Board of Directors and is regularly updated, most recently in 2025. In 2025, Nornickel also updated the tools used to communicate to employees the corporate values and principles enshrined in the refreshed Business Ethics Code. All training resources were revised to reflect the document’s new provisions. The Code applies to all employees and is essential for ensuring compliance with professional standards and alignment with Nornickel’s core values.

The Business Ethics Code is more than just a document – it is a living tool that:

• reinforces a culture of ethical conduct
• enhances transparency in engagement with stakeholders, and
• supports Nornickel’s reputation as an industry leader.

Our corporate values

Efficiency

Safety

Care for people

Nornickel’s ethical standards:

• Protection of the Company’s resources
• A responsible attitude towards the Company’s information and reputation
• Integrity
• Fostering a healthy team environment
• Maintaining high ethical standards

To address potential breaches of the Code, employees can report such cases safely and confidentially through the  Corporate Trust Line . All reports are subject to investigation. The Company guarantees that no disciplinary action or sanctions, including dismissal, demotion, or bonus forfeiture, will be applied to employees who report breaches of the Code.

Working conditions

The Company has adopted internal labour regulations, which are approved in consultation with the trade union organisation and establish employees’ working hours. The Company has a standard working week of 40 hours, in line with applicable Russian labour laws and regulations. Employees involved in hazardous or dangerous work enjoy a reduced working week of not more than 36 hours. For women employed in the Far North and equivalent territories, the working week is also limited to 36 hours. The Company ensures accurate tracking of each employee’s working hours.

Weekend work and overtime are compensated separately, in accordance with the Labour Code of the Russian Federation. Employees are granted paid annual basic leave, along with additional paid leave for those working in the Far North.

Employees with irregular working hours are entitled to three additional calendar days of paid annual leave.

The Company offers the option of entering into a remote (home‑based) work agreement.

Respect for human rights

Strategic KPIs

The Company respects the rights and freedoms of its employees as well as those of its stakeholders – partners, investors, contractors, local communities, customers, and consumers. The Company is committed to fostering a tolerant work environment free from any form of discrimination.

Nornickel complies with all applicable legal requirements regarding the employment of people with disabilities.

Nornickel upholds the principles of international frameworks, such as: the UN Global Compact, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. The Company complies with the laws of the countries in which it operates and continues to enhance its human rights due diligence (HRDD) system.

With respect to its employees, the Company strictly adheres to the following principles:

• Zero tolerance for the use of child labour, forced or slave labour
• Zero tolerance for the employment of persons aged under 18 for hazardous and dangerous work
• Zero tolerance for violence or discrimination
• The Company does not engage female employees in extreme or dangerous working conditions
• The Company ensures its employees’ right to safe working conditions
• The Company provides all employees with equal opportunities for unlocking their potential Employee performance is evaluated on a fair and impartial basis, with hiring and promotion based solely on professional abilities, knowledge, and skills
• The Company respects the right to form trade unions and does not prevent employees from joining them
• The Company supports the rights to social security, education, protection of the family, housing, freedom of creative expression, and participation in cultural life.

Human rights‑related issues are resolved through labour dispute commissions as well as social programmes, compensations, and benefits commissions (which include employee representatives) and ethics commissions.

Social partnership

The Company maintains a social partnership framework designed to align the interests of employees and the employer in regulating labour relations and implementing social policy.

The interests of employees are represented by trade unions and social and labour councils. The interests of the employer are represented by the organisation’s management and/or authorised representatives, and employer associations.

The Company has 57 trade unions, which are affiliated with regional trade unions. At the local level, the interests of employees are also represented by social and labour councils. The trade unions and social and labour councils can raise matters relating to health resort treatment, recreation, and leisure programmes for employees, disease prevention, provision of personal protective equipment, workplace and catering arrangements, and more. Trade unions also regularly take part in inspections of canteen food quality and assessments of employee working conditions, monitor occupational health and safety performance, and participate in workplace safety reviews at production facilities. In certain cases, and in accordance with applicable legal requirements, the employer adopts internal regulations with due regard to the opinion of the relevant trade union.

Within the Company, social and labour relations between employees and the employer are governed by collective bargaining agreements at the local level and by an interregional cross‑industry agreement at the interregional level.

In 2025, 22 collective bargaining agreements were in effect, 10 of which were extended for three years.

Employee communications

Multiple communication and feedback channels are available to our employees, including:

• the Corporate Trust Line speak‑up programme
• regular information meetings
• the corporate intranet portal
• a mobile app
• suggestion boxes
• the Company’s official social media accounts
• central office for operational, social, and labour‑related matters located in the Norilsk Industrial District.

Due to the nature of their jobs, the majority (up to 75%) of Nornickel employees do not use personal computers at work. The Company continues to expand the range of digital services available through the Supernika corporate mobile app. The key new services introduced in 2025 were: Personal Protective Equipment, HR Documents Online, and Rapid Hazard Identification.

Employee opinion survey

Nornickel conducts regular targeted surveys to assess employee engagement and satisfaction with working conditions. The 2025 survey had a broad reach, covering more than 60 thousand employees, up by 2.7 thousand, or 4%, on the previous year. The engagement rate stood at 64%, in line with the average for Russia’s metals industry. At the same time, the key indicators across the main drivers remained stable year on year.

Based on the findings, the Company implemented more than 700 initiatives. The main areas of focus were engagement with senior leadership and line manager involvement, which made up 14% of all initiatives, as well as process improvements and the provision of resources and technology solutions, which accounted for 17%.

In 2025, the Company applied two complementary approaches to engagement management. The first, a systematic approach, was based on regular analysis of survey and focus group results, workshops, the identification of priority areas, and targeted engagement with units requiring particular attention. This made it possible to apply a uniform methodology across the Company, improve coordination among experts, and support the sharing of best practices.

In parallel, the Company implemented an HR business partnering approach focused on the needs of managers and internal business customers. This included consistently strengthening and sustaining management buy‑in and involvement through tailored solutions, follow‑up meetings to review implementation status and results, broader involvement of relevant stakeholders in decision making on specific issues, a focus on topics resonating with employees, and other activities.

Looking ahead to 2026, the Company will continue its systematic efforts to improve working conditions and enhance internal communications. Priority areas will include refining tools for assessing the effectiveness of initiatives, scaling up best practices, deepening engagement with managers at all levels, and integrating HR solutions into business processes.

These measures are aimed at maintaining high levels of employee engagement and supporting the Company’s sustainable development in a rapidly changing business environment.

Staff composition

In 2025, the Group’s average headcount was 76.5 thousand, with 99.5% employed by its Russian entities. The Company’s turnover rate stood at 12.4%. Nornickel is among the largest employers in the Norilsk Industrial District and on the Kola Peninsula, employing 71% and 15% of the regional workforce, respectively.

When expanding production and creating new jobs, Nornickel prioritises local hiring, with 99.8% of the workforce at its enterprises recruited from the local population.

The Company applies an employment quota for people with disabilities, set at 2% to 4% of average headcount, depending on the region. In 2025, the Company’s workforce included around 600 persons with disabilities. Nornickel provides these employees with suitable working conditions, including appropriate work and rest schedules and annual leave entitlements. Employees with disabilities can also apply for additional paid leave (three calendar days per year) and receive annual financial assistance from the Company of up to RUB 10 thousand.

The average headcount decrease in 2025 was driven by the Company’s investment strategy, Efficiency Improvement Programme, as well as organisational and technical changes.

Location	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Russia	73,061	77,980	80,166	78,308	76,058
Africa	151	38	47	44	20
Europe	317	331	322	323	328
Asia	15	15	22	63	68
USA	10	10	5	0	0
Australia	3	0	0	0	0
Total	73,557	78,374	80,562	78,738	76,474

Indicators	2023			2024			2025
Age group	M	F	Total	M	F	Total	M	F	Total
<30 years	11	4	15	10	4	14	10	4	14
30–50 years	46	20	66	45	20	65	45	19	64
>50 years	13	6	19	14	7	21	15	7	22
Employee categories	M	F	Total	M	F	Total	M	F	Total
Managers	12	4	16	11	3	14	12	4	16
White‑collar employees	11	12	23	12	14	26	12	12	24
Blue‑collar employees	48	13	61	47	13	60	48	12	60

Education level	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Higher education	39	39	40	40	40
Secondary vocational education	21	22	23	24	24
General secondary education	23	23	23	22	22
Other	17	16	15	14	14

Gender equality

The Company is committed to providing equal opportunities for professional and career growth to all employees, regardless of gender. Due to the predominantly production‑based nature of Nornickel’s operations, its workforce is primarily male. Nevertheless, the Company promotes gender diversity across both its production and administrative units, taking into account the particular requirements of its business profile.

Nornickel provides the following social benefits to its female employees:

• They are not engaged in heavy labour
• They are entitled to childcare leave until the child reaches the age of three
• Pregnant employees are not subject to business travel, overtime, night shifts, or work on weekends and public holidays (exceptions are allowed only with the employee’s written consent and in the absence of medical contraindications)
• Termination of employment at the employer’s initiative is prohibited in respect of pregnant women, except in cases of the employer’s liquidation, and, subject to certain limited exceptions, in respect of women with children under the age of three, as well as single mothers raising a child with a disability under the age of 18 or a child under the age of 16 Their job is protected during childcare leave, and a reintegration programme is in place to support their return to work
• Voluntary health insurance (VHI) coverage continues during childcare leave, with the option to enrol family members (including children) in the corporate VHI plan
• Support programmes for expectant and current mothers are available under the Mother at Work project, which offers a convenient service bringing together all information on support measures for families with children

In 2021, Nornickel, together with a number of partner companies, established the Women in Modern Industries association, which brings together more than 8 thousand unique participants. The association actively fosters a professional community for women through a wide‑ranging programme of activities: it has held more than 85 webinars and online sessions and conducted more than 55 interviews as part of its Faces of WIM project. Particular emphasis is placed on the WIMenti mentoring programme and on supporting participants through the WIM Industries Ambassadors programme. Since its launch, the annual Talented Woman in Modern Industry Award has attracted more than 1.7 thousand participants. In 2025 alone, 750 applications were submitted, 38 participants reached the final, and 25 were named winners across various categories. The association provides comprehensive support to participants, including professional development, visibility in the media, and business networking opportunities.

Recruitment

The Company employs a comprehensive approach to recruitment, aiming to provide equal hiring opportunities for all candidates while attracting talent from across Russia and training them to match its production needs. In 2025, new hires accounted for 17.3% of the total workforce. The Company operates an internal corporate university, offering a wide range of programmes focused on professional development and the acquisition of new skills. Internal candidates have a priority when filling vacant positions.

All vacancies in the Company are posted on public resources and on the intranet portal. Applicants can submit their CVs by e‑mail, contact the 24/7 call centre, or visit HR support centres located in Norilsk, Ufa, Orsk, and Irkutsk. Every applicant receives feedback following the review of their submission.

The Company also continues to run a rehire programme for former employees. In 2025, the programme included outreach calls to former staff members, which resulted in 180 of them being rehired. Overall, around 900 former employees rejoined the Company during 2025.

Some units at the Norilsk site operate on a rotational shift basis. In 2025, around 2 thousand employees worked under this system, mainly maintenance fitters, miners, drivers, development miners, electricians, and welders.

Outplacement following an asset closure

When an asset is closed, the Company puts in place a comprehensive support programme for employees affected by redundancy, covering both those who choose to leave and those who decide to transfer to other Company units. The former receive support payments, while the latter benefit from a comprehensive package of measures that includes assistance in finding internal vacancies, training for new roles with salary retention, and reimbursement for relocation and housing rental costs if the new position is in a different city. This programme was developed in coordination with the social and labour council and primary trade union organisations.

Training and career advancement

The Company places a strong emphasis on employee upskilling as well as professional growth and development, guided by the principles of accessibility, innovation, and relevance. In 2025, the Company continued to foster a culture of continuous learning and expand an accelerated training ecosystem to boost professional excellence and enhance and build managerial, corporate, and critical competencies.

In 2025, the total number of employees trained increased by 12% to over 81 thousand. Of the total number of trainees, 52% were focused on building critical skills, while 44% focused on professional competencies.

Indicators	2022	2023	2024	2025
Employee training costs, RUB mln	1,447	1,277	1,270	1,142
Training costs per employee, RUB thousand	21.1	16.8	16.3	14.0
Total number of employees trained, people	68,500	75,971	77,820	81,729
Percentage of employees trained	87.4	94.3	98.8	107.0The 100% excess is due to the peculiarities of the indicator’s accounting: all employees who have completed training (whether they have been dismissed or transferred to other Group companies) are taken into account in the calculation. However, the average number of employees does not include those who have been dismissed, those on maternity leave, vacationers, or those on business trips.
Hours of training per year per employee	85	88	126	82
Employees promoted, people	N/A	4,156	3,791	4,204
Percentage of employees with upgraded qualifications	N/A	65	64	91

The Company’s primary training platform, the Corporate University, provides a combined digital and physical environment to facilitate continuous employee development. It is fully equipped with the necessary infrastructure to meet its purpose.

In Norilsk, employee training takes place both in classrooms and at an underground training facility located within operational workings of the Anhydrite shaft at Kayerkansky Mine, as well as at a training and production facility featuring a simulator complex. This facility is used for instructing employees in safe work practices at heights and in confined spaces. Employees at the Kola site receive their training at the Corporate University’s branch in Monchegorsk.

Training is offered in almost 300 blue‑collar jobs, supplemented by approximately 100 continuing professional education programmes and 50 additional training activities. In 2025, over 70 thousand Company employees received training at the Corporate University.

Talent pool

The Company actively supports the development of a talent pool for managerial roles at all levels. In 2025, the total talent pool comprised more than 4 thousand employees, including more than 3 thousand in the pool for line management positions.

The pool for middle and senior management roles is formed through HR committees and, in 2025, comprised over 1 thousand individuals. As much as 87% of senior management positions are filled through internal promotions.

When building the talent pool for operational line management roles, the Company actively uses the Self‑Nomination to the Talent Pool service, through which employees wishing to join can submit applications. In 2025, self‑nomination applications increased by 20% y‑o‑y, reflecting higher employee engagement, strong career aspirations, and a commitment to professional development within the Company.

The Company builds its external talent pool through academic partnerships and programmes aimed at attracting and retaining young people.

360‑Degree Management

The 360‑Degree Management Programme is a practical development tool that has been successfully used by the Company for several years. Its primary purpose is to translate the results of the annual 360‑degree feedback process into actionable development steps, ensuring that new skills are embedded in the day‑to‑day work of managers and specialists.

In 2025, 36 companies of the Group carried out an automated assessment of competencies using the 360‑degree method, 11 thousand employees at all levels completed the assessment. Based on the results of the assessment, employees receive feedback from their managers and form an individual development plan (IDP) for the year.

A key development in 2025 was the launch of the Development Navigator digital service. This chatbot, integrated into the Supernika corporate application, serves as a personal assistant, enabling employees at any time to review their 360‑degree feedback reports, receive tailored development recommendations and build their IDPs. In 2025, the service was used by more than 1 thousand employees.

In 2025, the program offered participants a flexible format: a choice of face‑to‑face and online trainings, as well as master classes from market experts and internal trainers of the Norilsk Nickel Corporate University. In 2025, the programme delivered 102 training sessions (+36% y‑o‑y), with approximately 2.3 thousand employees participating (+26% y‑o‑y), while online master classes attracted more than 9.7 thousand views.

Overall, the 360‑Degree Management Programme equips all employees with tools to take ownership of their professional development, thereby strengthening the Company’s talent base.

Management development programmes

The development of managers at all levels is a strategic priority and a key element of the Company’s investment in human capital. In 2025, the Company continued to enhance its holistic learning system, offering targeted programmes tailored for each management category.

In 2025, the focus of the middle management School of Leadership programme shifted towards developing leaders newly appointed to middle management roles. The programme’s format is designed to drive a fundamental shift in approaches to management, teamwork, and decision making. Cumulative coverage in the target audience over 2023–2025 reached 76%, helping to ensure a consistent and high standard of management capability at this leadership level.

For the largest management cohort, comprising more than 6.1 thousand leaders, the Company runs a comprehensive School of Leadership for Line Managers programme and the School of Foremen, aimed at building core management competencies. Since 2024, this programme has been supported by an AI‑enabled chatbot within the Supernika corporate application. It provides flexible and accessible learning regardless of employees’ location, while also helping to develop their digital literacy. In 2025, in‑person intensive workshops were held on key topics. These were delivered by current middle managers to 1.6 thousand participants. Total programme coverage over 2024–2025 reached 72%.

Mentoring

In 2025, the Company focused on fostering a culture of internal mentoring and knowledge transfer under the unified People Teach People philosophy. This initiative spans all levels of the organisation, from senior management to production sites, and is aimed at unlocking employee potential, organisational cohesion, and retaining unique expertise. A central event in 2025 was a three‑day online event dedicated to the value of personal knowledge transfer, which attracted more than 2 thousand participants.

Senior executives holding internationally recognised ICF CCE certification acted as mentors to high‑potential employees. This format supports strategic talent development and the direct transfer of management experience, helping to build the talent pool and strengthen succession for key positions.

Middle managers who completed the Power of Words programme became leadership coaches. In 2025, they delivered more than 120 workshops on day‑to‑day management, attended by over 1.6 thousand line managers and supervisors. This helped scale up best practices and ensure uniform management standards across all levels of the organisation.

At production sites, the Company continued its on‑the‑job mentor training programmes aimed at the effective transfer of professional skills and the promotion of occupational safety. At the same time, mentoring programmes were advanced to support the onboarding of new employees, as well as buddy programmes for young talent.

North Calling

Since the Company’s production sites are located in remote areas, Nornickel actively sources staff from other regions of Russia. To help employees adapt to new conditions, in 2025, the Company launched the North Calling corporate programme, replacing the previous Assistance programme. The new programme offers an enhanced benefits package. In addition to the benefits provided under the previous programme, including reimbursement of travel and baggage expenses incurred in relocating to a new place of residence, a one‑off settling‑in allowance, and monthly rental compensation during the first three years of employment, participants may also receive reimbursement of family members’ travel expenses, compensation for short‑term hotel accommodation during the first month of employment, and additional paid settling‑in leave of three days during the first year of employment.

Participation in the programme within one region is set at three years, with the option to extend it to up to six years.

Relocation programme

The employee relocation programme has been in place since early 2022. It offers support to all employees relocating to another region, whether they remain with their current employer or are transferred to other units within the Group. In addition to standard reimbursements for travel, baggage transport, accommodation, subsistence expenses, and additional leave for settling in, employees receive a supplementary relocation allowance of up to 40% of their salary, depending on the destination.

Relocating to a new place of work unlocks opportunities for employees’ personal and professional growth, while enabling the Company to fill vacancies in cases where there are no sufficiently qualified candidates available in the internal talent pool or the regional labour market. In the reporting period, 72 Nornickel employees participated in the programme.

In Good Company

The programme aims to bring together Nornickel employees aged under 35 into a single community, fostering their professional and creative growth and helping them realise their potential across a range of fields. The programme’s additional objectives are to identify talented students and young talents, attract them to join Nornickel, and make their onboarding as fast and successful as possible.

As part of the programme, the In Good Company mobile app was developed as a key online engagement tool for young people. As at December 2025, more than 10 thousand programme participants were registered in the app.

Onboarding of young talent

At the Norilsk site, the Company runs the Young Specialist programme, geared towards new employees under the age of 35 who hold a higher education degree. The number of participants in 2025 was 144. In 2025, programme participants became eligible for reimbursement of the cost of fitness memberships in Norilsk.

In 2025, a new gamified onboarding course for new hires was developed on the platform of the In Good Company youth community, enabling participants to learn more about Nornickel, its production sites, corporate culture, and the Company’s host cities.

Attracting students and graduates

The Company places strong emphasis on career guidance for school students and young people, both in the cities where it operates and throughout Russia.

For school students, the Company has developed a unique platform, Nornickel’s City of Occupations encyclopaedia, an interactive map featuring game elements, descriptions of 147 professions and a career guidance test.

The Career Start‑Up programme is a paid internship for students at leading engineering educational institutions. In 2025, 620 students completed the programme, including 371 under targeted training contracts.

The Company also offers internships for students from local educational institutions to help them gain exposure to their future profession, either on an unpaid basis or with financial support. In 2025, 753 students completed internships with the Company.

To provide financial support and strengthen students’ motivation to study, since 2024, the Company has awarded scholarships to certain categories of students at local educational institutions, as well as to students at institutions in other regions who have entered into targeted training contracts with the Company. In 2025, 645 students received scholarships.

The Conquerors of the North course gives students an opportunity to learn more about the Company, complete development‑focused training, and gain an understanding of engineering career paths. More than 1.4 thousand students completed the course in the reporting year.

In 2025, an agreement was signed to establish in Norilsk in 2026 the northernmost Metallurgy educational cluster under the federal Professionalitet project. The cluster will combine the educational capabilities of three secondary vocational education institutions with commitments from Nornickel’s industrial partners.

Remuneration and incentive system

Key performance indicators

Nornickel’s remuneration system is based on the achievement of key performance indicators (KPIs), which include metrics related to financial performance, social responsibility, occupational safety, environmental safety, and operational efficiency, while also addressing cross‑functional stakeholder interests. 100% of Group employees are covered by a performance assessment system based on transparent KPIs or individual contribution coefficients, with performance against these metrics taken into account in bonus awards. In 2025, more than 18 thousand Group employees were covered by KPI‑based performance assessment. For the remaining Group employees, bonuses are tied to business performance.

The KPI framework ensures a uniform approach to employee performance evaluation, helps prioritise annual targets for managers and staff in line with the Company’s strategy, and links remuneration directly to individual results.

Under the annual bonus programme, both team‑based and individual KPIs are set for the calendar year. These KPIs are documented in a KPI scorecard, which reflects performance at both the Group and enterprise levels. The ratio of team to individual KPIs is determined by an employee’s grade and role. As a result, the Company’s overall performance has a direct impact on the actual bonuses earned by employees.

Under the long‑term incentive programme, key executives are assigned a standard set of KPIs over a three‑year cycle.

In addition, a project‑based incentive scheme is in place to motivate and retain key personnel involved in capital investment projects. Bonuses are awarded based on the achievement of key project milestones, with payouts aligned to successful project delivery.

Remuneration

Remuneration is governed by the Company’s compensation policy and comprises both a basic salary and a benefits package. In its turn, the basic salary includes fixed and variable components. The variable component is linked to the Company’s overall performance and KPI achievement as well as progress of investment projects. It includes one‑off bonuses awarded for the successful completion of one‑off tasks that deliver an economic benefit.

Item	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Total, RUB bn	10	11	12	11	12
Per employee, RUB thousand	143	135	144	146	155

Nornickel has implemented a grading system, which serves as a vital tool for the development and rollout of various HR programmes. Positions are evaluated using a point‑factor method, which considers the required knowledge and skills, the complexity of responsibilities, and the level of accountability associated with each role. A job’s grade level determines the size of the fixed salary and annual bonus, the VHI package category, and other elements of the overall compensation package.

Indicators	2023			2024			2025
	M	F	Total	M	F	Total	M	F	Total
Average monthly pay per employee	196,666	145,854	184,139	221,163	171,675	206,968	230,883	180,793	216,618
Average monthly pay for managers	376,054	328,216	392,510	463,055	421,055	454,091	428,541	392,711	420,173
Average monthly pay for blue‑collar employees	145,851	92,772	134,713	160,797	100,072	148,243	179,306	113,031	165,807

Annual pay review cycle

The Company regularly monitors labour market conditions and assesses the competitiveness and purchasing power of its employees’ remuneration. Each year, based on the results of this analysis, a decision is taken on pay review, taking into account both cost of living increases and individual employee performance. In 2025, the review was conducted once, with average salary increases ranging from 7% to 10% depending on employee category. In addition, a dedicated fund was allocated to support the retention and attraction of employees in high‑demand and hard‑to‑fill roles, as well as positions requiring extensive training and a high level of qualification. Employees in these categories received additional pay increases of up to 4%, depending on their category.

Employee salaries at the Company are consistently above the minimum wage rate (MWR) in all regions where it operates.

Regions of operation	Established minimum wage rate	Average monthly pay at Nornickel
Norilsk Industrial District (NID)	58,344	222,591
Murmansk Region	51,612	154,916
Krasnoyarsk Territory (excluding NID)	35,904	137,749
Trans‑Baikal Territory	33,660	191,494
Moscow and other regions of Russia	22,400	339,548

Incentive programmes

Nornickel has a comprehensive employee incentive system in place, aimed at improving operational efficiency and labour productivity, driving strong performance outcomes, and retaining highly skilled talent.

Digital Investor

Since 2023, the Company has operated the Digital Investor incentive programme for employees, fully funding employees’ purchases of digital financial assets (DFAs). The issuance and circulation of DFAs are carried out on dedicated platforms under the supervision of the Bank of Russia. Nornickel’s DFAs are called minetokens.

Under the programme, minetoken holders may sell their tokens via a dedicated platform one year after receipt. After five years, the DFAs will be automatically redeemed, and their holders will receive a cash payment equivalent to the market value of the corresponding number of Nornickel shares at the time of redemption. Until the DFAs are redeemed, minetoken holders are entitled to periodic payments equivalent to the dividends declared on Nornickel shares.

This means that the remuneration of Nornickel DFA holders is directly tied to the Company’s market capitalisation, thereby providing additional motivation for strong individual and team performance.

Key benefits of the programme include:

• participation without any personal financial contribution;
• the number of DFAs granted depends on length of service: the longer an employee’s service, the more tokens they can receive;
• the minetoken is linked to the share price 1 minetoken = 100 Nornickel shares;
• periodic payments aligned with dividends on the shares;
• income from sale after one year of ownership or automatic redemption of the holding after five years.

In 2025, Nornickel launched a new module under the programme to mark the Company’s 90th anniversary. The Anniversary module enabled existing participants in the Digital Investor programme to increase their holdings, while also allowing new employees to join. The distinguishing feature of the new Anniversary module is that, in the anniversary year, all employees are eligible to receive DFAs, including new hires whose length of service has not yet reached one year. In 2025, more than 69.5 thousand Company employees became digital investors by receiving Anniversary minetokens.

In connection with the launch of the new module, the Company rolled out an updated awareness campaign explaining all aspects of the instrument, including a hotline, official website, and quick‑reference guides. In parallel, Nornickel continued to run a series of webinars hosted by leading financial experts, focusing on financial literacy and investment skills, while also maintaining a dedicated training programme for HR specialists and an online learning module available to employees. Over the two years since the programme’s launch, more than 250 HR professionals have been trained to serve as programme ambassadors and experts across all Nornickel enterprises. Additionally, 45.6 thousand employees have completed the Tsifronikel and Nornickel Academy training courses.

According to a survey of over 6,5 thousand employees, 82.4% of respondents agreed that participation in the programme helps them better understand how their individual performance aligns with the Company’s goals.

Employee recognition

To enhance motivation and acknowledge employee achievements, Nornickel has established a multitiered reward and recognition system encompassing government, ministerial, and agency awards, regional and municipal honours, as well as corporate and internal, enterprise‑level recognitions.

Nornickel’s Award Policy is closely linked to its values and strategic priorities. Employees are recognised for exceptional performance, the introduction of innovations that promote Company growth and generate additional economic value, as well as for contributions that significantly improve operational efficiency at a specific Group enterprise or go beyond formal contractual obligations in a way that benefits the business in general.

In total, more than 5 thousand Company employees received awards in 2025. These included the title of Hero of Labour, conferred on one employee by Executive Order of the Russian President, and the Medal of the Order For Merit to the Fatherland, 4th degree, awarded to two employees. 40 employees received the Company’s Badges of Honour. More than 40 thousand employees with over 10 years of service in the Group received commemorative medals marking the Company’s 90th anniversary.

Social programmes for employees

Indicators	2022	2023	2024	2025
Health resort treatment Health resort treatment expenses include partial reimbursement for the cost of vouchers for employees and their family members as well as travel expenses to children’s health camps. The cost of vouchers for trips abroad also covers round‑trip transportation from a Russian border crossing point to the vacation destination.	2,481	2,499	2,495	2,487
Travel expenses	3,386	3,691	3,643	3,856
VHI	2,189	2,577	2,211	2,110
Pension plans	1,188	1,238	1,446	1,543
Housing programmes	1,065	813	1,117	1,519
Benefits and guarantees	978	1,377	1,314	1,893
Assistance for former employees	421	403	446	494
Other	3,546	3,845	3,806	4,085
Total	15,254	16,443	16,478	17,988

Health improvement programmes

Health resort treatment and health improvement programmes for employees and their families are among the most sought‑after components of Nornickel’s social policy in the Far North regions. The Company provides annual reimbursements (above the current statutory minimum) for round‑trip holiday travel and baggage fees for employees and their family members residing in the Far North and equivalent territories.

In 2025, more than 19 thousand employees and their family members received treatment at the Zapolyarye corporate health resort in Sochi as part of the Company’s health improvement programmes, while over 6.6 thousand employees visited other health resorts, including around 1.6 thousand children who stayed in children’s health camps. The Company reimburses, on average, 87% of the voucher cost for employees.

Sports programmes

Another important social support programme run by Nornickel is the promotion of corporate sports and healthy lifestyles. The programme is aimed at improving quality of life, enhancing the Company’s employer brand, and making sports more accessible to employees and local communities in its regions of operation.

Nornickel regularly holds sports events and corporate competitions, including annual spartakiad competitions, in the regions where it operates.

The large‑scale Nornickel: Hooked on Sport project is a dedicated mobile application designed to help each employee stay physically active, eat healthy, effectively cope with stress, and feel satisfied with life and work. In 2025, the total number of users exceeded 7.6 thousand.

During the year, sports and wellness events reached 36 thousand employees, while live broadcasts of corporate competitions attracted more than 46 thousand views.

Insurance programmes

VHI

The Company has a VHI programme in place covering all Group employees. In addition, employees can take out a policy at the corporate rate for one close relative.

Employees residing in the Far North are entitled to medical assistance under a VHI policy in these regions and beyond. All insurance programmes offer the same range of services, with only the level of clinics and covered regions differing depending on the employee category.

Under the VHI programme, the Company offers employees a unique opportunity to undergo testing under a human genome sequencing programme, which provides the most comprehensive personalised information on individual health characteristics and helps identify the risks of serious diseases. Using this information, employees can take steps to minimise the likelihood of health problems. By the end of 2025, 23.6 thousand employees had already taken part in the programme.

Personal accident insurance

Accident insurance is a personal insurance programme available across Russia that provides insured employees with monetary compensation in the event of harm to their life, health, or ability to work.

International travel insurance

Company employees may also take out international travel insurance policy, which covers insured persons’ medical expenses within a predefined limit and is provided free of charge to all participants in the Company’s corporate VHI programme.

Corporate healthcare

The Corporate Healthcare project supports the development of private healthcare as a complement to the public healthcare system in the Company’s key regions of operation – the Norilsk Industrial District and the Kola Peninsula. The project was launched in 2019. Its primary goal is to provide high‑quality, affordable medical care to employees and their families. The project’s total budget exceeds RUB 10 billion. As part of the project, the Company is modernising and upgrading corporate healthcare facilities and medical examination rooms located at Company sites, while also establishing new medical centres in the cities where it operates.

Nornickel’s first corporate medical centre opened in Norilsk in 2021, serving patients under the VHI programme. Today, the centre offers 237 types of medical services across 14 primary care specialties. The average wait time for appointments ranges from seven days to one month, demonstrating the high local demand for quality medical care.

In 2024, the Company continued to expand its healthcare footprint at the Norilsk and Kola industrial sites. Shop‑level medical units were launched to support disease prevention and deliver high‑quality medical care to employees directly on‑site.

Since 2019, four medical centres and 35 medical facilities have been commissioned. A medical centre in Kayerkan is due to open next.

The Company also rolled out its Digital Healthcare programme to deploy innovative IT solutions in medical technology. The programme was introduced at the Zapolyarye corporate health resort in 2021 and in Norilsk in 2022. A mobile app was developed and launched, enabling employees to access their medical records, book doctor appointments, and receive all necessary information about clinic services. Nornickel completed the digitisation of key medical records and rolled out a disease risk assessment system.

Pension plans

Nornickel offers its employees private pension plans. Under the Co‑Funded Pension Plans, pension savings are co‑funded by the employee and the Company on a parity (equal) basis. This allows the Company to support pre‑retirement employees in adjusting to life after leaving employment.

The Company also has a Complementary Corporate Pension Plan in place, which provides a lump‑sum payment from the Company’s funds to employees aged 55 to 65, with at least 20 years of service, upon resignation and relocation outside the Norilsk region. This plan aims to retain employees in the region for a set period and to reward long‑serving employees with notable contributions to the Company as they approach retirement.

The Lifetime Monthly Corporate Pension Plan is also available to Company employees awarded the Badge of Honour, with 242 Group employees granted eligibility since the programme’s launch and 205 of them receiving payments as at the end of 2025.

Indicators	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Co‑Funded Pension Plan
Number of participants	10,776	10,406	10,380	9,954	9,422
Expenses, RUB mln	542	682	755	843	916
Complementary Corporate Pension Plan
Number of participants	455	421	445	494	499
Expenses, RUB mln	411	442	482	543	567

Housing programmes

In the reporting year, Nornickel continued its housing programmes, Our Home / My Home and Your Home, which enabled Company employees with rare qualifications and highly skilled specialists to purchase ready‑to‑move‑in apartments on preferential terms across Russia.

Nornickel purchases housing at its own expense and transfers it to employees under co‑financing agreements: the employer covers up to 50% of the cost, but not more than RUB 3 million, while the employee pays the remaining amount over a specified period of employment with the Company (from 5 to 10 years). The cost of housing remains unchanged throughout the employee’s participation in the programmes.

The Our Home / My Home programme entitles an employee to use the housing from the moment they receive it, but the property title is transferred to them only upon completion of their participation in the programme. Under the Your Home programme, the property title is registered in the employee’s name immediately, but with a mortgage encumbrance; the encumbrance is lifted once the employee fully repays the debt to the seller.

Between 2014 and 2025, apartments for employees were purchased in the Moscow and Tver Regions, the Krasnodar Territory, and Yaroslavl. To support the creation of additional infrastructure, ensure a comfortable living environment, and facilitate maintenance by the property management company, Nornickel purchased closely located residential properties for its employees. A total of 6,497 apartments have been provided to employees. In 2024, the DFAs in Construction project was piloted. The project was launched for employees of the Norilsk site to assist them in purchasing housing using DFAs. Project participants purchased a block of DFAs priced in line with the discounted cost per square metre at the housing construction stage. In 2025, upon redemption of these DFAs, the funds received were used by employees as an initial instalment for buying residential property. Five apartments were allocated for the project.

In addition, the Company offers a subsidised loan programme under which employees receive interest‑free loans to cover initial mortgage instalments and are also reimbursed for part of the mortgage interest paid to the bank. About 2.2 thousand employees have already benefitted from these preferential loans.

Support to former employees

As part of Nornickel’s corporate social policy, the Veterans programme, aimed at supporting former employees, focuses on unemployed pensioners who permanently reside in Norilsk. The main eligibility criterion for participation is the employee’s length of service with the Company.

The Pensioner Financial Aid Fund supports former employees who left the Company before 10 July 2001, had a minimum of 25 years of service, and permanently reside outside the Norilsk Industrial District. The fund is financed through voluntary monthly contributions from employees and charitable donations from the Company.

The Company also provides targeted support to former employees and their families facing difficult life circumstances, covering costs related to health improvement, medication, and funeral services.