Thanks to years of raising awareness, people who have championed the gender equality and pioneering companies that have dared to break the gender gap in the business sector, women are taking their rightful place in the workplace. However, this is an issue that society as a whole must continue to address, so as not to undo all the progress made and to achieve new and more ambitious goals, such as, for example: breaking through the glass ceiling or improving work-life balance, among other measures.
Promoting an equitable and diverse working environment is not only an ethical imperative, but also brings tangible benefits for organisations. That is why, in this post, we want to discuss the »Corporate Equality Award’ as a form of recognition for those companies that are actively committed to promoting gender equality. Let’s find out what it involves!
What is the Equality in the Workplace Award and who is it awarded to?
The Equality in the Workplace Award is a recognition granted in Spain by the Ministry of Equality to organisations that demonstrate a genuine commitment to promoting gender equality in the workplace. To receive this seal, organisations must implement policies and practices that promote equality between men and women in areas such as access to management positions, work-life balance, the prevention of harassment, and equal pay.
What do you need to do to obtain the Equality in the Workplace Award?
For a company to achieve this recognition, it must demonstrate its commitment to equality through concrete actions; for example, some organisations implement the following measures:
Drawing up an equality plan: organisations must draw up and implement an Equality Plan that sets out specific measures to eliminate gender discrimination within the organisation.
Equal pay: Any organisation committed to equality must pay particular attention to ensuring equal pay for men and women performing work of equal value.
Promotion and career progression: to encourage the promotion of women to leadership roles and to provide equal opportunities for professional development.
Work-life balance: Measures should be put in place to help employees balance work and family life, such as flexible working hours or working from home.
Prevention of bullying: organisations shall establish protocols and policies to prevent and address sexual harassment and harassment on the grounds of genre at work.
Training and awareness-raising: Companies will provide training on gender equality to staff and managers in order to foster a culture of equality.
Communication: Internal communication will be promoted to foster gender equality and diversity.
Assessment and monitoring: Finally, organisations must continuously monitor their equality policies and review the Equality Plan on a regular basis.
How long is the ‘Equality in the Workplace’ Accreditation valid for?
The «Equality in the Workplace» label in Spain has a three-year term. This means that, once awarded, the companies that receive it must renew it every three years to ensure they continue to meet the requirements and commitments regarding gender equality, which are currently evolving quite rapidly in order to achieve increasingly fair outcomes for everyone.
During this period, organisations must continue to implement and maintain the policies and measures that enabled them to be awarded the certification in the first place, thereby ensuring that the organisation remains committed to promoting gender equality over time and adapts to the changing needs of its working environment.
When is an equality plan mandatory within a company?
Since 7 March 2020, it has been compulsory for all companies with between 151 and 250 employees to have their own equality plan approved. In fact, this is subject to labour inspections, and any organisation of this nature that does not have an equality plan in place may be fined between 751 and 7,500 euros.
These corporate equality plans could be defined as strategic documents setting out specific measures to promote gender equality in the workplace. They set out specific actions relating to equal pay, women’s access to management positions, work-life balance, the prevention of harassment and equality training, amongst other aspects.
Furthermore, and very importantly, Equality plans set out indicators and deadlines for the implementation of these measures, as well as monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure their effectiveness in promoting an inclusive and equitable working environment.
We hope this post has cleared up any doubts you may have had about the equality accreditation for businesses, what it involves and how to obtain it. If you’d like to find out more about the latest initiatives in workplace equality, personal development, business trends, professional growth and innovation, don’t miss out on anything from Educa.Pro. We look forward to seeing you there!
