Equal opportunity and gender equality policies in business are a key pillar in building a fair, inclusive and sustainable working environment.
The Certification System and its function
The Gender Equality Certification System is an intervention present within the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRP), desired by the Equal Opportunity Department of the Prime Minister’s Office.
It is a set of initiatives aimed at promoting and supporting companies in adopting equal opportunity policies and reducing the gender gap.
The goal is to promote the inclusion of women in the labor market and ensure the principle of gender equality, elements that are increasingly present in business settings geared toward social and economic progress.
The National Recovery and Resilience Plan, together with the National Gender Equality Strategy 2021/2025, outlines a state willingness to incentivize companies to obtain Gender Equality Certification and to reduce the gender gap.
In fact, the Plan includes financial support measures for SMEs that adopt inclusive business policies.
Specifically, the NRP has allocated 10 million for the costs of technical assistance and issuance of Gender Equality Certification.
While not mandatory, Gender Equality Certification represents a company’s willingness to undertake strategic and value-driven choices geared toward the inclusion and practical application of ESG factors within its management models; equal opportunity is fully part of the Environmental, Social and Governance factors that guide companies’ sustainable choices.
Gender Equality Certification and Benchmark KPIs.
The practice and guidelines on the basis of which the process for obtaining Gender Equality Certification is structured have been outlined by UNI, the Italian standards body, within the UNI/PdR 125:2022 policy document.
This document summarizes the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), which are the performance indicators against which to monitor six focus areas:
- Culture and Strategy;
- Governance;
- HR processes;
- Opportunities for growth and inclusion of women in business;
- Pay equity by gender;
- Parenting protection and work-life balance.
Monitoring the above areas and ensuring that their employees have an organizational model that respects the values of Corporate Social Responsibility as much as possible enables companies to achieve numerous benefits, including overcoming management biases (errors or distortions in the management model) present within the organization.
Identifying a management bias or gap within one’s organizational and governance process is not an easy process, and this is with reference to both small and large companies.
For this reason, anintegrated analysis of business processes from a sustainable and equal opportunityperspective should be conducted.
2024 SME Grants and Equal Opportunity Certification
From Dec. 6, 2023, and until March 28, 2024, it is possible to access Unioncamere incentives for companies and SMEs that adopt the process of obtaining Equal Opportunity Certification.
There are two types of grants for which you can apply:
- Grants for services to assist SMEs in the process toward Certification;
- Grants for Gender Equality Certification issuance services, based on the requirements set forth in UNI/PdR 125:2022.
For the first type of services, i.e., support services, there are:
- Up to 1,639.34 euros, for up to 4 days of assistance in analyzing business processes, monitoring target areas, and everything that falls under gender equality consulting;
- Up to 409.84 euros for one day of assistance in verifying the compliance of the Management System adopted by the company with UNI/PdR 125:2022 requirements.
For the second category of services, related to the issuance of Certification, the company is required to request a quote from the Certification Body about the cost of issuance, and then apply for and receive the fee directly from the chosen Body.
Companies intending to apply for Equal Opportunity Certification incentives are required to conduct a pre-screening on the Unioncamere portal, which will have a self-assessment value.
Promoting equal opportunities and attracting talent to the company
Promoting equal opportunity in business is a key factor in building a healthy, meritocratic and progress-oriented work climate.
From an Employee Branding point of view, companies holding a Gender Equality Certification deliver to potential candidates a corporate image that is reliable and concretely committed to ESG criteria; an element, this, that generates benefits on brand reputation for potential candidates and young talents.
Equal opportunity policies, possession of Gender Equality Certification and the way these values are communicated externally create a positive business climate; factors that increase the level of employee engagement and well-being.
Gender equality counseling: it’s easier with Tecno
Obtaining gender equality counseling represents a commitment that companies concretely choose to make to the pursuit of corporate sustainability goals, with a view to ESG and social and economic progress.
At Tecno, we support companies in implementing a business paradigm in which gender equality principles are integrated into business objectives, structuring customized and transparent sustainability pathways.
The Gender Equality Certification pathway with Tecno enables the reduction of the gender gap within business processes through the practical adoption of a policy to support inclusiveness.
Take advantage of our expert consultants to obtain Gender Equality Certification and compete for important business benefits.
