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INSPIRES

EQUALITY
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Good Practice Guide

Equal Opportunities Company

Warsaw 2007

�is publication has been prepared as part of the Gender Index Project, financed in part by the European Social Fund – EQUAL Community Initiative Programme. �e opinions presented do not necessarily reflect the official position of the United Nations, any countries currently represented as part of the United Nations Development Programme Executive Board or any European Union member states. Copyright © Passages may be quoted provided that the source is acknowledged: �e “Equal Opportunities Company” Good Practice Guide, Gender Index, UNDP, EQUAL, 2007. Any questions or comments concerning this publication should be directed to the publisher: United Nations Development Programme in Poland ul. Langiewicza 31, 02–071 Warszawa, Poland Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone] www.undp.org.pl Coordinators: Paulina Kaczmarek, Elwira Gross-Gołacka Consultants: Beata Balińska, Marcin Budzewski, Magdalena Gryszko, Marta Rawłuszko Reviewers: Monika Kostera, Aleksy Pocztowski Translation: Barbara Przybylska, Joanna Kwiatowska Copy Editor: Ewa Bem Photos: Zbyszek Kość �e cover illustration has been inspired by the UNFPA poster entitled “Equality Empowers,” created in 2005 by Real Design Associates/NY. Layout: rzeczyobrazkowe.pl

Warsaw 2007 ISBN: 978-83-917047-4-5 Electronic version of the guide is available from:

www.genderindex.pl

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Table of Contents

5 6 9 14 27
28 32 40 49 52 62 66

Foreword
Anna Darska

Introduction
Paulina Kaczmarek

Equal employment opportunities and diversity management
Marta Rawłuszko

Gender Equality Step By Step
Georgina Brown

Good Practices
Marcin Budzewski, Elwira Gross-Gołacka, Paulina Kaczmarek Ethical norms Employee recruitment Employee development Compensation policies Work-life balance Counteracting sexual harassment and mobbing Other measures promoting gender equality

70 74 76

Is your company an “equal opportunities company”? – survey
Elwira Gross-Gołacka

Index of companies and good practices Company profiles

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�e guide which you are now holding is something more than simply the first such publication in Poland, presenting the solutions that can be implemented in order to most effectively bring about and guarantee gender equality in the workplace. We hope that you will draw on the ideas presented here in order to develop the human potential of your organization, while also playing a part in bringing about positive social change. Corporate responsibility is what makes positive social change possible and corporate involvement in promoting gender equality is key not only to the development of organizations and companies, but also to development on a world-wide scale. Studies and other undertakings carried out by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) illustrate that gender equality, defined not only in terms of respect for basic human rights, but also as women’s and men’s guaranteed equal access to all social goods and services, is necessary for continuous socioeconomic development and the fostering of peaceful global relations. Respect for the equal rights of women has been included as one of the conditions necessary for the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals, which are quantifiable criteria set forth for the improvement of the quality of life on a global scale by the year 2015, agreed upon in the year 2000 by all the UN member states. In Poland, the UNDP and its local partners have been working towards meeting those goals through the EQUAL Community Initiative, by implementing model solutions designed to help marginalized groups enter the job market. �e Gender Index Project and the resulting publication of the “Equal Opportunities Company” Good Practice Guide have been a part of these efforts. Essential for the creation of this guide were experiences taken from the UN System of Organizations and the Global Compact Initiative, launched by the UN Secretary General. Global Compact is the platform for cooperation between the United Nations and socially-responsible businesses which are voluntarily taking action to better the society. In today’s knowledge-based economy, success is founded on the combined skills of all workers. Denying women equal opportunities in employment means failing to benefit from the potential, experience and ideas of half of the population. In companies which provide equal opportunities, employees have prospects for full career development and they feel appreciated. �eir job satisfaction translates to their high work quality and economic gain for the company. It is my sincere hope that this guide will inspire you to take steps so that equal opportunity companies will not only serve as models, but will become the norm in Poland. My wish for all of us is to soon be able to see the results of our joint efforts. �is publication would not have been possible without the contributions of numerous companies and individuals. I would particularly like to thank the experts who have been working on the Gender Index Project and the business leaders who were willing to share their experiences and good practices concerning gender equality in the workplace. Anna Darska Head of the Office of the United Nations Development Programme in Poland

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Introduction
THE JOB MARKET SITUATION To a greater or lesser extent, the unequal status of women and men on the job market is a fact in all the EU member states. In the years 1992–2005 in Poland, the rate of employment among women was 12 points to 16 points lower than among men. Unemployment among women was 1 to 5 points higher than among men. At the same time, one should note that women were significantly more likely than men to be experiencing long-term unemployment. Inequality is most clearly manifested by the difference in earnings. It is estimated that women’s earnings are nearly 20% below men’s earnings. Women also have relatively limited access to professional training opportunities and promotions.1 About 30% of all management positions are staffed by women, but only 12% of top management positions (e.g. CEO, company president).

of Economics (SGH), PKPP Lewiatan – Polish Confederation of Private Employers, Derm-Service Pologne, the Feminoteka Foundation and the International Forum for Women. �e project is being financed in part by the European Social Fund, within the EQUAL Community Initiative. �e Gender Index Project is the first multifaceted program in Poland designed to encourage employers to be active in the fight against gender discrimination in the workplace. �is is done by promoting the concept of equal opportunities within the business community and letting employers become familiar with procedures used to eliminate barriers faced by women in their professional careers and further gender equality in places of employment. �e project’s main motto, “Equality at work – it pays,” underscores the benefits of taking steps to actively eliminate gender discrimination in employment: greater access to human resources, increased creativity and innovation, positive company image and new marketing opportunities, reduction of costs associated with recruitment and absenteeism.

“Better jobs and equal work opportunities” is the motto of the social and employment policies of the European Union, which has taken numerous steps to ensure that its national �e project has included a community campaign, an “Equal communities become competitive and continuously evolving Opportunities Company” competition for employers, the societies based on knowledge, capable of continuous and sustainable The Gender Index Project is the first multifaceted program in Poland economic growth. As part of the designed to encourage employers to be active in the fight against Lisbon Strategy, the member states gender discrimination in the workplace. are first of all aiming to improve work quality and effectiveness, development of a model training program based on the increase competitiveness and the number of jobs available, concept of diversity management, and the creation of the and ensure equal access to employment. One of the tools index itself – a novel tool used to analyze and monitor a used to carry out these tasks is the EQUAL Community given company’s policy with regard to gender equality. Initiative, financed in part by the European Social Fund. �e Initiative was created with the aim of developing new ways to combat any and all types of discrimination and inequality THE GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE on the job market. �e writing of the “Equal Opportunities Company” Good Practice Guide has been a part of the Gender Index Project. �e guide presents examples of measures, procedures, GENDER INDEX projects and initiatives implemented in Poland by employ�e Gender Index Project has been created by experts ers striving to create equal opportunities for women and working at the United Nations Development Programme men in the workplace. From our experience, we know that (UNDP) in Poland, in response to the unequal status of certain employers are aware of the significance of gender women and men on the Polish labor market. �rough a modequality and have taken measures in this area which can el, the project aims to promote effective business manageserve as good examples. ment strategies which incorporate the principles of gender Article 183a § 1 of the Polish Labor Code states: “Employees equality. �e UNDP has invited leading experts in the areas should receive the same treatment with regard to hiring, of gender equality, labor law and business management to termination of employment, conditions for employment, participate in the project. Partner organizations include: advancement, and professional training aimed to raise Polish Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, Warsaw School
1 I.E. Kotowska, Kobiety na rynku pracy – o korzyściach z równego traktowania kobiet i mężczyzn, Conference materials: Równe szanse – wyższa efektywność, June 5th, 2006.

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their qualifications, regardless of factors such as sex, age, disability, race, religion, nationality, political views, union membership, ethnic background, faith, sexual orientation, whether working on a contract which is limited or indefinite in duration, full-time or part-time.” Even though these regulations have entered into force, Polish employers find them difficult to follow. “What exactly are the guidelines for equal treatment in hiring? How can discrimination be prevented? What specific problems need to be addressed?” they ask. Employers in Western Europe are able to rely on a wide knowledge base (publications, tools and consulting services) dealing with the subject of equal rights in employment. Such resources were not available in Poland previously, so in that respect, the Gender Index Project has been a pioneering effort. We hope that the guide will serve as a practical tool by providing the needed information and ideas on how to apply the concept of equal opportunities to the work environment. �e guide contains a number of introductory chapters, followed by a list of good practices, with descriptions. �e introductory chapters address gender equality in the context of corporate responsibility, and the legal basis for the equal treatment of female and male employees. Furthermore, equal employment opportunity policies and diversity management are compared, the financial advantages of providing equal employment opportunities are outlined, and practical guidelines are given for the building of a corporate culture which is free of discrimination. �e good practices are presented in the context of general human resource management and grouped into the following sections: ethical norms, employee recruitment and employee development, compensation policies, work-life balance, counteracting sexual harassment and mobbing, and other measures promoting gender equality. In the final section, we have included a tool (questionnaire) which can be used to determine whether a given company provides equal opportunities in the workplace. By answering the 36 simple questions, one can learn which areas of the organization need improvement, as well as what measures can be taken in order to eliminate gender discrimination from the organization. �is tool can be particularly valuable for small and medium-sized businesses, since no financial expenditures are needed to implement the proposed measures. �e “Equal Opportunities Company” Good Practice Guide is the first publication in Poland to present a collection of good

practices in the area of gender equality in the workplace. �is is the first time that business owners in Poland have the opportunity to become familiar with practical measures for removing the barriers that women face in employment. �ey can learn what steps have already been taken by other employers, the forerunners in providing equal employment opportunities in Poland. Finally, it needs to be stressed that while good practices can be used for guidance and inspiration, they are not readymade solutions. In order to be effective in bringing about the desired results, the measures described in this book need to be adapted to fit the needs and characteristics of the given organization. We are confident that the good practices we present will inspire you to take action, which will result in the improved situation of women on the job market. Paulina Kaczmarek

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Equal employment opportunities

and diversity management

Marta Rawłuszko

Equal employment opportunities and diversity management

I

n Poland, the concept of equal opportunities in employment is relatively new and little known. Over the course of the last few years however, there has been a marked change. �e business community is beginning to show interest in issues related to gender equality. �is is happening in part because, simply, running a business based on openness and respect for the employee, counteracting discrimination and ensuring that every individual has the chance to develop and realize his or her professional aspirations, is beginning to pay off. �e change is also due to other, more general social factors, which can be identified as follows: – Emigration from Poland to countries of the “old” European Union has lowered the number of potential employees on the domestic job market. �e ability to recruit and – what’s just as important – retain qualified workers has become a real challenge for employers in Poland. Increasingly more employers declare that the lack of suitable employees constitutes a significant impediment to the growth of their business. – �e low total fertility rate in Poland and the gradual aging of the population signifies that the number of young people entering the job market is and will be decreasing every year, which in turn means the shrinking of available human resources. Prospective employees are gaining the upper hand over employers in the hiring process and their expectations concerning employment are also changing. – Most popular methods and systems used hitherto for motivating employees, based predominantly on financial/ material rewards and advancement/development opportunities, have ceased to be effective in fulfilling their basic function. To be able to work with greater effectiveness and dedication, employees need to have the means to make use of their time outside of work just as effectively. Employers are aware of the challenges involved in reconciling family and professional responsibilities. – Since 2004, regulations explicitly charging the employer with the responsibility to prevent discrimination and guarantee gender equality in the workplace have been a part of the Polish Labor Code. Gender equality in employment is one of the basic elements of Polish labor legislation. It applies to all aspects of hiring and management. – Beginning in 2004, there has been an increase in the availability of EU funding for projects focused on promoting gender equality and combating discrimination in employment, as well as creating an open and inclusive job market. Gender equality in general has become a popular social issue, as well as the focus of media attention and nation-wide public campaigns. – Various contests and competitions recognizing companies that offer equal opportunities and are friendly to mothers

and women in general are the latest initiatives addressed to the business community. Public relations opportunities in their own right, they also test the companies’ human resource management policies with respect to gender equality. – Polish women are slowly regaining their position on the job market. On average, they are better-educated than Polish men and more often take advantage of continuing education opportunities. �eir presence in the public sphere has been increasing, as has their interest in the new opportunities that the job market and the market economy provide.

Equal opportunities in employment
Equal employment opportunity policies are human resource management measures taken by companies, aimed at preventing discrimination and promoting equality in the workplace. In business, the main motivating factor behind the implementation of equal employment opportunity solutions is the need to follow existing labor regulations forbidding discrimination in hiring. Also, the company owners often simply want to operate the business in accordance with the rules of corporate responsibility and social fairness. �is implies the company’s actual readiness to guarantee men and women equal hiring, advancement and training opportunities, in addition to equal pay for equal work. In reality, both of the approaches lead to the fashioning of customized and precise tools and the implementation of distinct and specific solutions in the area of human resource management. �ese tools and solutions support women in finding employment and reaching high and influential positions in companies. �ey guarantee equality in pay, protect all employees from sexual harassment and give women and men the ability to manage their personal (family) and professional responsibilities. It is an unspoken rule that equal employment opportunity policies exist mainly to prevent gender-related discrimination. To a lesser extent, they also address issues of discrimination due to age, disability, ethnic background, sexual orientation and other factors that are listed in the Polish Labor Code. �e result of an effective equal employment opportunity policy (understood in the narrow sense) may for instance be an increase in the percentage of women in management positions within the company.

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Equal employment opportunities and diversity management

Diversity management
Diversity management is a human resource management strategy which is not widely known in Poland. �is approach is essentially based on the conviction that diversity within a company is a resource which, given the right conditions, may result in increased financial revenue and other benefits. �e diversity of a workforce is broadly defined and includes all possible, visible and invisible, innate and acquired characteristics with regard to which people can differ (e.g. sex, age, race, ethnic background, disability or lack thereof, sexual orientation, faith, place of residence, language, marital status, education, work experience, lifestyle, etc.). In diversity management, the goal is to create a work environment in which every employee feels valuable and respected, and is able to serve the company through the use of his or her unique abilities. Diversity management is used to reach specific, quantifiable goals. Increasing profits, achieving business objectives and a good market standing are the main ends to which it is used. �is is why “diversity management” can be translated into Polish to mean “management of diversity” or “management through diversity.” �e concept of diversity management is based on the presumption that employees more fully and readily engage in their work if they feel they have influence over what goes on in the company, and this in turn leads to greater company profits. Furthermore, the creation of work teams or groups composed of individuals coming from different backgrounds and possessing different life experiences opens

new avenues for finding solutions attuned to today’s changing market. �is helps the company achieve success and, just as important, focus on further growth and development of expertise. Diversity management involves permanently eliminating occurrences of discrimination, sexual harassment and mobbing (bullying) for whatever reason inside the company, as well as creating an organization which is inclusive and empowering to employees. Social inclusion implies the creation of a setting in which individuals representing particular social groups (e.g. people with disabilities, people aged 45 and over) have an equal and fair chance of becoming employed by the company, to then fully take part in its development, in any of its areas and on all its levels.1 On the part of management, inclusion requires the conscious effort to acknowledge and respect people’s differences and to be flexible in approaching each worker individually. Diversity management is based on the close links between the workforce, the company culture and the degree to which the company’s mission has already been realized. Company culture is the invisible and oftentimes non-formal aspect of the company’s functioning (its values, norms, convictions, customs, established ways of thinking and behavior). In the context of equality, diversity management particularly deals with prejudice and stereotypes, but also with language and non-verbal communication issues. One needs to remember that diversity management is not the same as a system of equal employment opportunity regulations. �e two approaches differ significantly despite their outward similarities (see: Table).

Equal employment opportunities and diversity management – main differences
Equal employment opportunities Goal: counteract discrimination in accordance with the law Diversity management Goal: create work conditions conducive to company development and the achievement of quantifiable business objectives Measures: concern all employees Area of focus: company culture Key actors: all employees and managers

Measures: addressed mainly to women, people with disabilities and ethnic minorities Area of focus: human resource management procedures Key actors: personnel departments and human resource managers

Based on: L. Wirth, Breaking through the Glass Ceiling. Women in Management, International Labour Organization, Geneva 2001.

1

I A. Woźniakowski, Globalizacja – różnorodność – zarządzanie talentami, in: Zarządzanie talentami, Ed.: S. Borkowska, Instytut Pracy i Spraw Socjalnych, Warsaw 2005.
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Equal employment opportunities and diversity management

In 2006, the Harvard Business Review published an article about diversity management, stating that: “[in] companies with the right kind of leadership, a [new] paradigm is showing that beneficial learning takes place and organizations become more effective in fulfilling their missions if employees are encouraged to tap their differences for creative ideas. If all or most of [the] preconditions are in place, the opportunities for growth are almost unlimited.” 2 And what are the preconditions? Here is the suggested list: – All individuals responsible for making decisions within the company must believe that measures meant to promote diversity serve an important function, and they must actively support them. – �e leadership must understand that a diverse workforce will embody different perspectives and approaches to work, and must truly value variety of opinion and insight. – �e leadership must recognize both the learning opportunities and the challenges that the expression of different perspectives presents for an organization. – �e leadership must understand that diversity management does not mean negating the importance of similarities. – �e organizational culture within the company must create an expectation of high standards of performance from everyone, as well as stimulate personal development, make workers feel valued, and encourage openness. – �e organization must have a well-articulated and widely understood mission as well as clearly defined business objectives. – �e company must define for itself how diversity is to be understood within its environment and be able to specify the social context of which it is a part.3

References
Haich M.J., Teoria organizacji, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warsaw 2002. Karton G., Greene A., �e Dynamics of Managing Diversity. A Critical Approach, Oxford 2005. Gender and Economic Opportunities in Poland: Has Transformation Left Women Behind?, World Bank, Warsaw 2004. �omas D.A., Ely R.J., Różnice mają znaczenie. Nowy paradygmat zarządzania różnorodnością, [Polish translation of: Making Differences Matter: A New Paradigm for Managing Diversity], in: Harvard Business Review. Kobiety i biznes, Wydawnictwo Helion, Gliwice 2006. �e Business Case for Diversity. Good practices in the Workplace, European Commission 2005. Valuing and Managing Diversity. Workplace issues, “American Society for Training and Development,” Issue 9305, 1999. Wirth L., Breaking through the Glass Ceiling. Women in Management, International Labour Organization, Geneva 2001. Woźniakowski A., Globalizacja – różnorodność – zarządzanie talentami, in: Zarządzanie talentami, Ed.: S. Borkowska, Instytut Pracy i Spraw Socjalnych, Warsaw 2005.

Różnice mają znaczenie. Nowy paradygmat I D.A. �omas, R.J. Ely,in: Harvard Business Review. Kobiety i biznes,zarządzania różnorodnością, [Polish translation of: Making Differences Matter: A New Paradigm for Managing Diversity], Wydawnictwo Helion, Gliwice 2006, p. 138. 3 I Based on: ibid., pp. 157–159 and Valuing and Managing Diversity. Workplace issues, “American Society for Training and Development,” Issue 9305, 1999. 2

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Gender equality

– step by step

Georgina Brown

Gender equality step by step

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n 1980, a United Nations report stated that: “Women constitute half the world’s population, perform nearly two thirds of its work hours, receive one tenth of the world’s income and own less than one hundredth of the world’s property.” �ese figures are reflected within both the private and public sectors, where women still remain under-represented in senior positions. Where policy is set, decisions are made and a culture is developed, women are lacking, making senior teams mono-dimensional and so impacting upon their ability to create strategies that meet their customers’ needs – especially given that in many sectors women form more than 50% of the buying power (Peters, 2003).

Efforts to tackle gender inequality in business often focus on the formal barriers to women’s progression, such as policies, procedures and practices, as opposed to the less formal processes and relationships that disadvantage women at work, such as communication, ways of thinking, adoption of archetypical gendered roles and leadership techniques. �is step-by-step guide to gender equality in business aims to provide a balanced approach that looks both at the challenges that face both the organisation and the individual and at possible solutions.

The step-by-step guide to gender equality step 1
Setting the context – High-level Commitment, – Corporate Vision – Setting Goals, – Cascading Communications. Research & Analysis Conduct a GIA (Gender Impact Audit) – Internal & Stakeholders – Scorecard Policies & Procedures, – Focus Groups, – 1-to-1 Interviews, – Staff Surveys, – Personal Learning Partners – for CEO’s & Directors. Address macro-inequalities – Policy Development, – Internal Mechanisms, – Consultation & Participation. Address micro-inequalities Stage 1: �e role of human resources – the toolkit – Innovative Recruitment, – Rewards & Recognition, – Childcare, Flexible Working & Work-Life Balance, – Paternity & Maternity Leave, – Women’s Networks, – Men, – Career Development Programmes for Women. Stage 2: Training & raising awareness – Training Programmes, – Mentoring & Role Models, – Individual Coaching – Develop Self-Awareness & Responsibility. Monitoring & Evaluation – Accountability, – Benchmarking Against Competitors, – PR & External Reputation, – Constant Readjustment.

step 2

step 3

step 4

step 5

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Gender equality step by step

Step 1: Setting the context
HIGH-LEVEL COMMITMENT To stand any chance of success, efforts to achieve gender equality must be sponsored and actively supported by the business leaders who acknowledge, and are determined to capture, the value that a higher percentage of women, appropriate gender-conscious policies and gender awareness will bring to their organisations. Gender-balancing steps will never provide much value to their stakeholders if the objective is merely to tick the “political correctness” box. �ey must be seen as an enduring strategic investment in long-term governance and management. VISION – SETTING GOALS �e ideal vision is one of an inclusive culture, where everyone has the opportunity to reach their potential and where difference is valued rather than merely tolerated. In order to achieve such a culture, leaders must not only have good intentions but also commit to them, by setting goals for their business, providing the resources to achieve them,

measuring their progress and making people accountable for them. Above all, they must promote and exemplify the desired behaviours and ensure that everyone, at every level, understands the business benefits of inclusion. CASCADING COMMUNICATION In any change process effective and inclusive communication plays an important role. It is the responsibility of the change agents to ensure that the key messages are communicated effectively throughout the organisation, starting from the top leadership. In this way, managers and staff will see the vision and the goals, and that the top management has taken ownership of the whole agenda. Of equal significance as the communication cascading down is that there is a feedback mechanism whereby the opinions, views and experiences of the staff can be heard by the senior management team. In some organisations the communication strategy takes the form of a “branded” campaign. In other words, the gender equality initiative is given its own identity and communicated and marketed both internally and with external stakeholders.

Example: Setting the Context
Inspiring Leaders – Leading By Example SHELL (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) Industrial sectors such as energy and petrochemicals are traditionally perceived to be not very female-friendly, but Shell is committed to changing its corporate culture and image to one that is more inclusive for both men and women. Female role models are particularly important for other women in the company, and help foster a corporate attitude of supporting and advancing female talent. �ey help to keep the corporate culture open-minded and dynamic, and help Shell to attract more female talent to reinforce the inclusive nature of their culture. Shell senior leaders, both men and women, are fully supportive of the various group initiatives aimed at a more inclusive culture. �ey set clear expectations, engage their management teams’ and workforce’s intervention or reinforcement efforts, and lead by example. Leadership accountability is the key to successfully advancing women’s careers and to creating a culture at Shell which is inclusive for both men and women. How does Shell lead by example? Shell believes that the company benefits from diversity through better relationships with customers, suppliers, partners, employees, government and other stakeholders, which in its turn contributes to a positive impact on the bottom line. Diversity and

inclusiveness were reviewed by Shell’s Committee of Managing Directors and in November 2001 adopted as a Shell-wide Global Group Standard. �e Standard makes clear the expectations of every Shell business. Progress is annually reviewed and publicly reported through the Shell Annual Report. Senior leaders, in particular, need to lead by example, to drive and champion the implementation of diversity policies. �e steps senior leaders have taken include: 1) Approving a “Standard” on Diversity and Inclusiveness at board level, which applies across the whole Shell Group worldwide, together with an internal audit process to ensure it is applied. 2) Building progress on diversity into the Group’s scorecard, against which the performance and remuneration of leaders throughout Shell is based. 3) Ensuring leaders set personal goals each year on Diversity and Inclusiveness, and that each of their businesses has a diversity plan. 4) Providing funds and personal support for women’s networks and career development programmes. 5) Personally championing the advancement of women through speeches and articles. 6) Establishing a Diversity Council of senior leaders, chaired by the Shell Chairman. 7) Setting targets on gender advancement and reporting publicly on progress in the annual Shell report.

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Gender equality step by step

Step 2: Research & Analysis
Conduct a GIA (Gender Impact Audit) – Internal & Stakeholders �e purpose of a GIA is to help ensure that policies, procedures and processes achieve optimum results and do not unwittingly discriminate against particular gender groups. �ere are several different approaches to undertaking a GIA, but basically it involves identifying the different uptakes and/or benefits for women and men of a particular policy or way of working. �is process therefore identifies: a) Direct & Indirect Discrimination – identifies policies, processes and procedures, such as lack of flexible working practices, that can directly and indirectly discriminate against certain groups such as primary carers, b) Direct & Indirect Benefits – identifies policies, processes and procedures, such as informal networks, that may benefit certain groups, c) Neutral Impacts – identifies areas of best practice for everyone, such as internal child care support, d) Groups at Risk – identifies potential future problem areas for certain groups, such as pension rights for transpeople’s partners, e) Missed Opportunities – identifies occasions where individuals have been sidelined or oppressed to the detriment of both the individual and the organisation – lessons to learn from. A GIA gives an overall impression as to whether policies are effective so far as gender issues are concerned. By revealing gaps in both the data and the understanding of particular issues, it also illuminates areas of policy which could be improved. �e GIA asks searching questions about each policy, process and procedure in order to establish its positive and negative impacts and to identify areas for improvement. �e results of these assessments should be used to develop and refine policy, removing areas of weakness and identifying areas for further research. �e starting point is to look at “your people” - their composition, diversity and needs. Once this statistical data has been collated and analysed, the following components of a GIA should be explored so that they hit at least 10% of the organisation’s population as well as external stakeholders, customers and competitors: – Scorecard Policies & Procedures �ere are some general themes around which GIA scorecards can be created. �e scorecard consists of a series of questions and topics for consideration concerning the organisation. While a scorecard can be completed by the individuals concerned, this is not recommended practice, as
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someone outside the organisation will be better equipped to highlight areas of inequality which may be considered “normal” within the organisation or of which the organisation may not even be “conscious.” – Focus Groups Focus groups provide an excellent opportunity for a slice section of the organisation to come together for an hour or so and think about different themes in relation to gender and the impact that they will have on different genders, gender performances and roles. – 1-to-1 Interviews Some individuals may not feel comfortable speaking out in a focus group or completing a questionnaire, therefore one-to-one interviews are always recommended as a means of providing individuals with a safe environment where they can open up about their concerns and points of view regarding the organisation and gender issues. It is, of course, essential that such interviews should be kept completely confidential. – Staff Surveys For a large organisation, on-line or paper surveys can be a convenient way of quickly obtaining a vast amount of information. However, this tool should always be used as a support to the focus groups and interviews when auditing issues which involve the heart and mind. – Personal Learning Partners �e CEO, directors and senior executives can inform themselves in a number of ways in order to acquire a general picture on the subject of gender equality, such as reading relevant articles and books as well as talking to their staff. While a GIA assists in building a specific picture for their organisational needs, an additional effective method is to assign a personal learning partner to the CEO, directors and senior executives. �e basic idea here is that the leader in question meets with one particular woman informally three of four times a year and also turns to her for counsel or guidance should gender issues arise. �e relationship must be strictly confidential so that it can feel “safe” for both the leader and his partner. Such a practice can do a lot to foster mutual understanding between the company’s leadership and the women in the workforce.

Gender equality step by step

Step 3: Address macro-inequalities
POLICY DEVELOPMENT Mainstreaming gender equality in the formulation of policy objectives may be approached in three ways: a) In response to employee and customer needs, b) As key strategic objectives, and/or c) In association with other initiatives, audits and appraisals. Ad a) �e first approach starts with an understanding of employee and customer needs as identified by the GIA. Once the needs of particular groups have been identified, the next step is to consider policy implications. Although many groups within the organisation/stakeholders will have common needs, there may be particular groups (e.g. young mothers, Asian women, fathers) with very specific requirements. In some circumstances it may be appropriate to target policies to meet the needs of these groups. It will in any case always be important to ensure that policy objectives do not disadvantage them. Ad b) �e second approach begins with key policy topics, such as recruitment, finance, operational outputs and so forth. A series of evaluative questions should be asked about the impact of each policy area on men, women and/or other groups. For example: – Who does the issue affect? Does it affect women and men in different ways? – Is there evidence of any existing inequality in this area? – Have there been any complaints that are specifically related to gender issues? – Where and what are the positive and negative impacts of the policy in question? – Will the policy make it worse/better for women/men after implementation? Answers to these questions should be used to shape policy priorities. Absence of data should not be interpreted as confirmation that there isn’t a problem, nor that there is no differential impact on women and men. To undertake such policy evaluation disaggregated data is essential, in order to establish the “before” and “after” situation in terms of monitoring equality impacts. Ad c) �e third approach incorporates gender equality into other appraisal processes – by incorporating a gender-sensitive perspective into the existing appraisal process, discrimination can be eliminated and equality benefits maximised. Many policy areas offer the opportunity for linkages with ethnicity, age and disability policies and gender mainstreaming activities. �is will require a greater depth of data collection at first, but with time the organisation should aim to

build up a database sufficiently robust as to tackle gender, disability, age and race mainstreaming demands. INTERNAL MECHANISMS a) Policies, Procedures & Processes – formal & informal It is important that, as a result of the GIA, a company should look at all its policies, procedures and processes, both formal and informal, and make the commitment to make them universally applicable. Relevant measures need to be hard-wired into the company, from instilling commitment to equality, to creating targets for the recruitment of more women, to redesigning rewards and recognition systems so that they are appropriate for all genders. An environment has to be constructed that is controlled, measured and rewarding, one that encourages employees in such a way as to lead to the achievement of the strategic objectives. b) Develop Mixed Teams Generally, when forming groups or teams, businesses and the individuals within the teams should value difference. It is not enough simply to surround yourself with people who are different – a climate must be created within the team that allows everyone to express all aspects of themselves in their work. Diverse teams must learn to listen and to understand; and if they see others behaving in a way that excludes, stereotypes or oppresses, they should learn to challenge such behaviour. �ere needs to be evidence of women and men’s involvement in all stages of the planning process, both as the “planners” and the “planned.” Mainstreaming often focuses on institutional or organisational frameworks to ensure that women and men are represented at the highest level of policy-making. �e intention to undertake mainstreaming should be fully discussed with stakeholders and appropriate training and full explanations should be given, particularly in the early stages. Successful mainstreaming will often include a cultural change through learning and development and awareness raising. CONSULTATION & PARTICIPATION External & internal Businesses should ensure that they consult on key issues around gender with external organisations that specialise in this area and that may be able to provide an external and more objective perspective, so effecting a positive impact both on the business itself and on potential customers. Key issues can be identified through consultation, and the process itself can be educational for many business leaders.
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Gender equality step by step

Higher priority should be given to long-term capacity and relationship-building rather than “hit and run” exercises. Similarly, the excessive collection of statistical, quantitative research without a balance of qualitative participatory activity may result in key issues being overlooked. An approach which combines the qualitative with the quantitative will enable the organisation to get a clearer picture of its current status on gender issues.

designed specifically to appeal to them and by using female company representatives to tour universities and schools are par for the course when trying to readjust the gender balance within companies. However, such measures on their own are not enough, simply because attracting female applicants is one thing, while choosing the best and persuading them to commit to one particular company rather than to its competitors is quite another. A company’s selection criteria and competencies framework need to be aligned with its recruitment strategy and current marketing conditions. Not only should reviews of the selection process and its criteria be undertaken in order to identify any hidden gender biases, but also both men and women should be trained to avoid such biases by challenging their often unconscious assumptions about gender.

Step 4: Address micro-inequalities
Stage 1: �e role of human resources – the toolkit TOOL 1: INNOVATIVE RECRUITMENT Attracting young talented women by means of advertising

Example: Innovative Recruitment
ACCENTURE Inclusion and Diversity Recruitment Strategy Within Accenture both the Recruitment team and Inclusion and Diversity team work collaboratively to ensure that they optimise their Inclusion and Diversity Recruitment Strategy and ensure that they attract a truly diverse pool of candidates. �ey involve representatives from their networks in shaping their strategy, for example, representatives from their women’s network who bring a different perspective and fresh ideas to their thinking. Accenture review their statistics and undertake root cause analysis where their attraction or conversion rates are not as high as they would like them to be, in order to understand the real issues. �ey take action from lessons learned and constantly review their methods in their desire to “be the best”. �ey have also developed several campaigns that are specifically targeted towards encouraging women to apply to Accenture. In particular, they are working on a schools campaign with the aim of encouraging 16 year old females to consider technology as a career choice - one that has traditionally appealed to males. Targeting Schools and Universities It is important to note that attracting females to work in a largely technical environment is an industry-wide challenge. Accenture are therefore looking at ways to encourage females to consider technology as a viable career option from an early age. �is involves activities at schools - for example they are running technology workshops and presentations at all-girls’ schools. Accenture have developed mentoring relationships with a number of universities which are specifically designed to attract ethnic candidates. On a corporate marketing level Accenture have also borne in mind their female employees/potential recruits. �e Accenture garden at the recent Chelsea Flower Show was themed around “Breaking the Glass Ceiling.”

Graduate Recruitment Activities Accenture graduate recruitment activities are a good example of their commitment to recruiting the best female as well as male talent on a practical level. �ey ensure that women are represented at all of their autumn presentations and campus events. �ey ensure that women are present at interviews, and allocate female “buddies” to those at second round interview. Where appropriate, Accenture advertise in female-targeted career publications and sponsor various women’s sports clubs and societies across the country’s universities. �ey also sponsor night buses on several campuses. Other activities include Women in Business events, women-specific marketing collateral/direct mail activities and female profiles on their website. Recruitment Buddy Accenture support diverse candidates by providing a recruitment buddy for guidance, usually during the second round interview stage of the recruitment procedure. �is helps to ensure that the process is as supportive as possible and that every candidate has the best opportunity to display their true potential. Where Women Want to Be Much work has been carried out by the People Advocates Group for Inclusion and Diversity, the Recruitment and the Recruitment Marketing teams, to ensure that they provide the support, tools and recruiting messages necessary to achieve their Inclusion and Diversity goals. Most importantly, Accenture have worked hard to provide a working environment where women want to be. Accenture have implemented policies and working practices that encourage women to join and remain with Accenture. In terms of actively positioning themselves as an attractive employer, they have carried out extensive research into the aspirations and motivations of the women they wish to recruit.

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Gender equality step by step

TOOL 2: REWARDS & RECOGNITION It is essential that an organisation should be able to stand back and ask itself how fairly it rewards and recognises women for their performance. �e type of reward schemes that could be offered might include: Study Leave: Staff members studying for exams are eligible for a set number of study leave days per exam. Personal Accident Plan: Employees are offered personal cover for themselves and their family. Private Medical Insurance & Life Assurance are offered to all permanent staff and their dependants. Season Ticket Loans: Loans are offered to cover the cost of a season ticket for travel between home and office. Money Purchase Pension Scheme: A non-contributory money purchase pension scheme is offered to all permanent members of staff. Pay for Performance Scheme: �e intention of such a scheme is to reward exceptional performance over a limited period in particularly demanding tasks or situations. Such a scheme could relate to specific tasks carried out exceptionally well, or to distinct criteria set out by an individual’s line manager, who would be responsible for operating the scheme fairly. It must be ensured that all staff in all areas of work are considered, and that there is no gender, ethnic or other bias in the distribution of awards. Fair Recruitment & Promotion Procedures: A competencybased selection process could be used for both promotions and external recruitment, with applicants able to draw on their experiences both at work and in their private lives in order to demonstrate the required competencies. Anyone involved in the selection or promotion process should have completed specific training, including equality & diversity training, in order to be an approved interviewer or assessor.

TOOL 3: CHILDCARE, FLEXIBLE WORKING & WORKLIFE BALANCE In the fight to recruit talent, good childcare and flexible working provisions are essential. If a company fails to make adequate provision, then they cannot hope to attract and become an employer of ambitious and talented women. Companies who regard their lack of women, specifically at senior level, as a serious problem and who develop bold and innovative approaches to solve this, earn for themselves an excellent reputation. In Finland, a company switched its employees from an 8hour working day to a 6-hour working day with a choice of two shifts. Employees continued to be paid their previous 8-hour pay. Result? Increased productivity. Women and men should be made aware of statutory and corporate childcare benefits and provisions and how to access them. Moreover, it is not only childcare issues that need to be recognised but also, given our ageing population, care issues vis-a-vis the elderly. Companies need to consider redesigning the way their work is carried out, in order to support work-life integration for both men and women. For example: – Find better ways of working, speed up, hold meetings that are better organised – use a stop watch! – Reward results and recognise that these are not necessarily linked to working long hours. – Enable employees to work from home and encourage telecommuting – working perhaps one day a week in the office, the rest from home. – Introduce part-time and job-sharing options.

Example: Childcare, Flexible Working & Work-Life Balance
ZURICH Flexible Benefits Zurich Financial Service’s Flexible Benefits scheme gives their employees the opportunity to tailor some benefits to suit their individual needs. So, for example, if an employee is a working mother, they may want to use the childcare payment system and take advantage of beneficial tax rules. Other available benefits include: – holiday (annual leave can vary between 20 and 30 days), – retail vouchers, – car parking,

– – – –

private medical - upgrade to include family members, private dental care - upgrade to include family members, pension, health screen - includes a well woman / well man or full health screen for employee and partner.

In addition, Zurich runs a sick pay scheme covering the employee for short-term absences. It also operates an insurance-based scheme, Income Protection Plan (IPP), protecting an employee’s income for up to 3 years if they’ve been off sick for a continuous period of at least 26 weeks.

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Gender equality step by step

Childcare Vouchers via Flexible benefits - Berni Cosgrove.
“�rough the Company’s Flexible Benefits scheme, I had the option to purchase childcare vouchers to help towards the cost of my daughter’s nursery fees. I decided to take up this option in 2006 due to the fact that I would be saving a significant amount of

money each month by not paying tax and national insurance on the first L55 per week. To me, the decision to opt for childcare vouchers was an obvious one due to the cost saving. ”If your child starts school in the year that you have opted for the childcare vouchers, then you are able to stop the benefit. I can honestly say that for me, there are no downsides to taking up this benefit.”

TOOL 4: PATERNITY & MATERNITY LEAVE If you genuinely acknowledge the commitments and responsibilities of your employees and adopt a family-friendly culture, they will repay you many times over. �is is never more important than when employees become parents. Only 3.5% of women are pregnant at work every year, so the number requiring maternity leave is comparatively low. Half of the women who leave to have children are back in the workplace within 9 months, and the average employer has more problems with people being off sick or leaving for another employer. Companies that have adopted the option of a set 6-month period of parental leave with flexible return-to-work options have reported: an increased retention rate for women, reduced absenteeism, lower staff turnover, reduced recruitment costs and higher productivity. Enhanced family friendly policies could also include: enhanced maternity provision; career breaks; 10-day paternity leave; retainment for women returnees; workplace nurseries and other forms of childcare assistance, such as free childcare vouchers. Companies would be well advised to conduct a family-friendly audit to identify the needs of their employees, as well as to provide role models of senior staff committed to these new ways of working.

TOOL 5: WOMEN’S NETWORKS �e establishment of women’s networks – as a means of bringing women together in the company in a formal or informal manner - can help to remove or offset gender bias. A study by Demos,1 a UK think tank, found that women’s networks could promote diversity by challenging invisible structural obstacles. As well as giving women a voice, supporting their development and providing an autonomous power base for the dissemination of information and the exertion of influence, women’s networks also provide their members with a sphere in which to excel. Women’s networks help individuals to hone their networking skills, make connections within the organisation and expose junior and middle managers to senior female role models. �ey can be seen as training grounds from which future leaders can emerge. �e increased confidence and political adeptness that women’s networks give to their members are invaluable, but women may still be lost to the company if the company fails to anticipate and accommodate their needs. Women need to be listened to and given support, so that they are not isolated from the organisation. Women’s networks can be capitalised on in a number of ways, including gender-specific product development, attracting women clients, and recruiting more women into the company.

Example: Women’s Networks
Networking Opportunities AVIVA Identifying external networks that help women work better OIn addition to internal support networks, Aviva provides support through opportunities to participate in external networks by exploring available opportunities. One of the most recent ones being explored for women at Aviva is a network aimed at providing a platform for female professionals within the banking and finance sector.
2

Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF) is a leading non-profit professional organisation committed to empowering its members in the banking and finance industry to realise their full potential. Founded in 1980, WIBF is solution-oriented, advising corporations and offering individuals the tools with which to fulfil individual potential in and out of the workplace. Fiona Claybrook said, “My role as head of senior management recruitment makes it essential that I understand best practice and the challenges of attracting good candidates from diverse backgrounds to work for Aviva. �is has involved me joining networks such as

Różnice mają znaczenie. Nowy paradygmat I D.A. �omas, R.J. Ely,in: Harvard Business Review. Kobiety i biznes,zarządzania różnorodnością, [Polish translation of: Making Differences Matter: A New Paradigm for Managing Diversity], Wydawnictwo Helion, Gliwice 2006, p. 138. 3 I Based on: ibid., pp. 157–159 and Valuing and Managing Diversity. Workplace issues, “American Society for Training and Development,” Issue 9305, 1999.

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Gender equality step by step

the Women in Banking and Finance, where I get the opportunity to meet women business leaders and understand what they are looking for from an employer and what they consider best practice. I then take this learning back into our organisation to make sure that we continue to improve our employee promise.” Senior women’s networking launched in Paris Around 40 senior women from across Aviva attended the Women’s Networking Conference in Paris in March 2006. �e network is aimed at female directors, with the intention that they establish local networks within their business units to help nurture their female colleagues. “Research shows that staff retention rates are higher in companies that have such networks,” said Jane Willetts, professional services director, Norwich Union Life, who organised the event.

�e conference opened with speeches from Mark Webb, Group Strategy and Development Director - the Diversity Steering Group’s Chairman - and Philip Scott, Executive Director of Aviva’s international and fund management businesses, the network’s Executive sponsor. Philip said: “I fully endorse the network’s goal of supporting, encouraging and inspiring women in their career development and seeing greater numbers of women in the senior management group.” �e event targeted female directors because of their capacity for influence within their business units. �ey came from a wide range of functions across the group, and a wide range of countries, including India, Turkey, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain, the US and Singapore. “Most delegates were very conscious of the need and responsibility they have to influence the next group of female managers coming up; the network is about being inclusive, not exclusive.”

TOOL 6: MEN It is important not to make the assumption that only women will benefit from gender mainstreaming. Men are often responsible for childcare in areas where there is high male unemployment, and so experience most of the same challenges, as well as some specific to their own gender. However, there will inevitably be a certain amount of opposition from men to interventions that seem to favour women, because at first sight they seem discriminatory. Indeed, male middle managers may see such policies and interventions as obstacles to their own career advancement. �erefore, there is a need for openness and good communication around any such interventions, so that they are seen to benefit all and as an essential requirement for the levelling of the playing field – in other words, as positive action rather than positive discrimination. Men should be welcomed at women’s network meetings, to give them the opportunity to realise why such networks are necessary and to help make them aware of the female talent pool. Eventually, they should start to see that the organisation as a whole – and therefore they themselves - benefits from the better performance of their female colleagues.

for women can help to prime this pipeline. �e programme should focus on the following: group work, boosting self-confidence, flexible working hours, and the differences between male and female communication and leadership styles. An all-female work group is important because it will ensure that the “real” issues for women are brought to the forefront and discussed openly. It can also create the seed of gender solidarity from which a women’s network might emerge. �e main objectives of such a programme, however, are to provide women with the skills and confidence to keep going, as well as assistance and mentoring from others, and generally to raise their personal profile within the company.

Stage 2: Training & Raising Awareness TOOL 1: TRAINING PROGRAMMES Training programmes should aim to demystify a sometimes confusing equality agenda and reorganise it into a manageable framework of the values, attitudes and behaviours expected by the organisation from its staff and managers. Naturally we view the world and others through the lenses of our own experiences, backgrounds, cultures, values and belief systems. �us, we create stereotypes. A culture can only become genuinely inclusive when its members look deep within themselves, at their own assumptions and beliefs, and identify, understand, and modify or even abandon the misguided attitudes and stereotypes that are steering their behaviour. �e intention of such an exercise is not to cast blame on individuals, but rather to help people see how attitudes, which at a conscious level they abhor, may still be affecting their behaviour at a sub-conscious level.

TOOL 7: CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES FOR WOMEN Companies need to encourage women to put themselves forward as candidates for internal promotion. However eager an organisation is to promote women into top jobs, their efforts will have little effect if there are no eager/appropriately qualified women lower down in the hierarchy. A career development programme

Men should be welcomed at women’s network meetings, to give them the opportunity to realise why such networks are necessary and to help make them aware of the female talent pool. Eventually, they should start to see that the organisation as a whole – and therefore they themselves - benefits from the better performance of their female colleagues. 21

Gender equality step by step

A training programme needs to be structured around the key knowledge, understanding, skills and behaviours relevant to supporting and achieving the organisation’s gender equality objectives and the provision of high quality services. In the first instance, this can mean gender equality training for managers that enable them to meet the requirements of policies, the constitution, the labour code and any future legislation, and more significantly, equips them with the necessary skills to manage a gender equal workforce in an inclusive manner and meet the needs of a diverse client base. Courses should be transformative, seeking to promote a mind-set change and aiming to stimulate action and change in organisational culture, operations and behaviours at institutional and individual levels. �is will involve exploring personal perspectives, as well as institutional structures, operations and behaviour, and promoting understanding of the implications of diversity, discrimination and inappropriate behaviour. TOOL 2: MENTORING & ROLE MODELS Mentoring is a relatively inexpensive way of providing one-onone support for women within an organisation. It is particularly effective for those who have not yet reached the level where a personal coach would be effective or appropriate.

In mentoring relationships, individuals might meet their mentors only once a quarter, with a focus perhaps on examining their career progression. It is essential that these relationships are built on a foundation of trust and confidentiality. Mentoring can be undertaken by senior staff within the organisation who can act as role models. Mentoring can help both men and women to acclimatise to senior roles much more quickly than otherwise would be the case. TOOL 3: INDIVIDUAL COACHING Coaching is a form of personal, confidential, one-to-one support, and due to the costs involved, is often reserved for senior managers. For reasons of trust, coaching is generally conducted by someone external to the organisation, and is particularly helpful in developing self-awareness and responsibility as it focuses on character traits and behaviours; it also helps an individual to apply their skills and competences more effectively. Coaching involves regular weekly or monthly meetings and in-depth examinations and analyses of how the individual can adapt their talents and personality to their job and their relationships. Coaching therefore focuses on personal, as well as professional and leadership development, helping the individual to realise his or her potential.

Example: Mentoring & Personal Development Plans for Women
CITIGROUP Advancing the professional development of women - Mentoring & Personal Development Plans Citigroup recognises the value of mentoring relationships and through the CitiWomen network has instigated a number of formal mentoring schemes. During 2001 a scheme was set up whereby 5 high potential female employees were mentored by their divisional head. �is scheme included in total 55 women across all divisions in the UK. Many women reported favourably on this scheme and the positive effects on their career as a result. Other mentoring schemes exist in many business areas, which focus on both male and female advancement. All women involved in CitiWomen are encouraged to be mentors to other women. Citigroup holds bi-monthly “Empower Hour” sessions, which are informal training sessions, targeted at women of all levels. �ese sessions encourage women to share experiences, learn new skills, and build their own support networks and mentoring relationships. Further sessions are being introduced entitled “Building a Career at Citigroup”, hosted by senior women in the business. �ese

sessions provide an opportunity to meet other senior women outside the individual’s usual business sphere. �e attendees are encouraged to participate and approach the speakers for advice and guidance for the future. �e hope for these sessions is to provide women with tangible role models, whilst fostering the organic growth of informal mentoring and coaching groups. Career development is taken very seriously at Citigroup and it is acknowledged that a Personal Development Plan can assist an individual to reach her full potential whilst highlighting future development needs. A pilot, launched in 2002, involving 10 women within the Equities Division, was well received by both managers and employees, and provided an excellent model for future use in other divisions. Plans are underway to post the Career Development Toolkit on the new CitiCareers website. All employees will be encouraged to complete the questionnaire and begin to take responsibility for driving their own careers forward. Other schemes being piloted with Citigroup to enable the career development of women include a web-based talent inventory. �e inventory will include the details of all high-potential female employees and will form the basis for internal transfers and promotions. �is scheme is an innovation for the future and is currently in the consultation stage prior to being presented to senior management.

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Step 5: Monitoring & Evaluation
MONITORING AND EVALUATION: EFFECTS AND OUTPUTS It is essential to monitor and evaluate the action plan, continuously adapting it if the desired outcomes are not being attained. As well as monitoring against targets and goals, it is also necessary to carry out risk impact assessments in other areas of the organisation that might be inadvertently effected by the new initiatives and policies. �is will be a continual process.

ACCOUNTABILITY Transparency in the reporting of equality issues is a key component in gaining a positive reputation for an organisation, one that suggests it is taking these issues seriously and is committed to creating gender equality. Internal audits and reports should be available on a company’s intranet or internal website for all to read. Action plans should also be visible, so that the organisation can be held accountable for the actualisation of its intentions. Such a demonstration of real commitment encourages both trust and support.

Example: Accountability
MOTOROLA Motorola sees diversity as a business initiative and believes that, as such, line managers, not the HR department, should be responsible for its implementation. Senior managers are required to keep track of and report on the representation of women and minorities in their units. Key messages �e main points in Motorola’s policy are: – Clearly define targets and goals. Setting a time frame and numbers creates impetus for action. – Ensure that women and minorities not only are identified, but that once identified, they are among those groomed for senior positions. – Implement careful and strategic planning for targeted individuals’ career development. – Ensure there is strong leadership and commitment from senior management. Initial and on-going personal involvement of the Chief Executive is crucial to success. – Integrate succession planning into business and diversity objectives. A clear link between business goals and the desired results of the succession planning will assist in gaining commitment from the organisation and staff. To be successful it must be portrayed as a core issue.

– Make managers accountable for the success of the initiative. As it is a business initiative, business people should be responsible and accountable for its delivery. Motorola: Transparency in reporting Motorola has very good workplace practices, with strong disclosure on diversity, safety, and labour programmes and policies. Like others in the technology industry, the company faces challenges in improving workplace diversity, but progress is being made. Two women (including one minority woman), are on the company’s 13-member Senior Management Team. Motorola has a strong diversity record, with inclusive EEO policies and numerous diversity programmes, including employee affinity groups and mentoring and training programmes. �e company has good reporting on health and safety, and a strong safety record. Several of the company’s sites have earned OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programme Safety through the Accountability and Recognition award, which recognises worksites demonstrating superior safety and health programs. How Motorola continues to be an employer of choice for women In a constant bid to be an employer of choice for women, gender diversity figures in business scorecards are used as a means to highlight gender numbers as a business issue. Motorola has networked with external organisations in an effort to foster learning and the sharing of issues and ideas, and to produce a greater impact on the issues surrounding gender diversity in the telecommunications industry.

BENCHMARKING AGAINST COMPETITORS It can be helpful to see what competitors are doing in the areas of equality and diversity: what incentives they offer, how they manage difference, and how are they promoting themselves to the female market. Competition drives creativity, and watching what competitors are doing and then providing something better is of benefit to all.

PR & EXTERNAL REPUTATION Companies should aim high and be seen to aim high in the area of gender equality – the winning of high-prestige awards in the area can really boost a company’s reputation. National, regional and even in-house awards can help to change culture, as well as focusing attention on good practice, boosting staff morale and providing good role models. Campaigns that promote and encourage women can encourage female customers and clients to support the organisation with their custom.

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Example: PR & External Reputation
HSBC: Supporting Women in Rural Enterprise (WiRE) Women in Rural Enterprise (WiRE) was established in 1996 (see www.wireuk.org) to address the barriers faced by rural women in the UK starting or maintaining a rural enterprise. HSBC, one of WiRE’s sponsors, has developed a special banking package for WiRE members. �e service includes: – access to an approachable dedicated bank manager, – business planning software to help prepare a business plan, – free subscription to an independent business support helpline for the first year (worth L150), – business mentoring workshops - promoting personal development, – standard start-up package, regardless of turnover, – loans of up to £15,000, repayable over five years at base rate - also available for switchers. HSBC’s support to date for WiRE has resulted as follows: – National launch of the HSBC/WiRE partnership in February 2002. – In the year to February 2003, membership has grown from 212 to 350 in the West Midlands and from 76 to 465 in the rest of the UK. – HSBC reports that involvement with the programme has enhanced its reputation as a banker to the rural community.

– HSBC’s support has helped in excess of 50 start-up initiatives and supported growth in diverse businesses in rural locations. – Business credibility for a women’s network and a clear message to both customers and staff that HSBC recognises and understands the need to support the rural economy and that women have a key role to play. – Increased awareness of bank staff of some of the issues and challenges faced by women looking for finance or starting their own business in a predominantly male domain. HSBC: Working hard for women in the workplace HSBC received a Gold Award from the UK’s ‘Opportunity Now’ for championing women’s rights in the workplace: ”It is equally important to be recognised for the ‘caring’ attributes that as an organisation we seek to demonstrate. Other recognition received by HSBC, of which we are very proud, include: – HSBC is quoted in three of the newly created FTSE4 indices of ‘socially responsible companies’, – HSBC has been voted one of the world’s 50 most respected companies in a 2001 global survey by the FT and PricewaterhouseCoopers, – HSBC received 2 awards from `Children in Need’ - one being the Supporter of the Year for the largest amount raised by staff fundraising.”

Example: PR & External Reputation
Tyneside Opportunity 2000 Award Winner �e winning agency had: – Developed workplace nursery and holiday pay schemes and maternity information packs for men and women, – Examined ways to provide interest-free advances on salary for nursery places, – Brought in flexi-time working/part-time working/keeping-intouch working schemes/twilight shifts, – Published an internal report on barriers to self-nomination for promotion, – Introduced IT systems for home working, – Introduced a bursary scheme for girls who stayed at school for ‘A’ Levels,

– Introduced a statement of commitment signed by all Directors, – Produced a new leaflet for all staff on rights and responsibilities including harassment policies, – Required all staff to attend mandatory gender awareness training, – Required managers to justify to the CEO any full-time vacancy, including senior management posts, – Prepared an annual action plan and published quarterly reviews, – Required all managers to prepare 6-monthly reports on progress. Result? �e agency doubled the number of women in senior management. �e number of women at middle management increased from 5.5% to 19%, and staff turnover was reduced to only 1.3% for full-time and 0.8% for part-time staff.

CONSTANT READJUSTMENT If the plan does not seem to be producing the expected outcomes, it should of course be adapted as appropriate. �is will be a continual process and will require continual adjustment, ensuring that the needs of employees, customers and stakeholders are met.

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Good

Practices

Marcin Budzewski, Elwira Gross-Gołacka, Paulina Kaczmarek

Good Practices

T

he following section of the guide presents good practices for creating a work environment that is free from gender discrimination. Practices have been grouped according to the following areas of human resource management: ethical norms, employee recruitment, employee development, compensation policies, life-work balance, counteracting sexual harassment and mobbing, and other measures promoting equal opportunities. �is collection of good practices was based on a study (conducted through personal interviews and/or the analysis of supplied materials) of 34 organizations. �e survey which was prepared consisted of open questions which made it possible to gain an accurate picture of the measures used by companies. Most of the individuals who were interviewed were the directors of human resources departments. Fifty eight good practices have been selected for publication, originating from 27 organizations. Most of the practices are solutions used by companies with foreign, mainly American, capital. Only two Polish companies and one local office of a goverment-funded institution were found among the “equal opportunity leaders.” �ese materials are not scientific or instructional in nature. In accordance with the definition of good practice, they are meant to inspire other companies wanting to introduce equality-promoting measures into their business. �ey are not a closed set of solutions, but a collection of model undertakings, which make it possible to efficiently and cost-effectively apply the rules of equality in the workplace. As is illustrated by the examples, equal oppotunities can be quaranteed to all employeer through the introduction of complex and costly programs, but also through application of simple rules and procedures. Many of the solutions presented may be applied by small and medium-sized businesses with no additional costs being incurred. Introducing transparency into the process of recruitment, or allowing employees to work flexible hours is not costly, but may play a significant part in giving women and men equal opportunities in the workplace.

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Good Practices

Ethical norms
�e code of conduct, which is often a general declaration, specifies the norms and values adopted by the company. It contains ethical guidelines that are to be followed. By formulating this ethical code, the employer makes it possible for employees to learn about their rights and responsibilities as well as the values guiding the company’s organizational culture. �is in turn translates to clear and transparent mutual expectations and rules of day-to-day operation. Below we present ways of incorporating equal opportunities into a company’s code of ethics. As is illustrated by the examples, the concept of equal opportunities is combined with diversity management.

BP Polska
Gender Breakdown in Company

62%

38%

“OUR COMMITMENT TO INTEGRITY” In 2005, BP introduced a code of conduct entitled “Our commitment to integrity,” which applies to BP employees around the world, including in Poland. �e code outlines ethical norms and standards of conduct to be followed inside the organization. �e chapter entitled “Fair treatment and equal employment opportunity” concerns equality in the workplace and states that BP aspires to create a work environment of mutual trust and respect, in which diversity and inclusion are valued, and where everyone who works for BP: – Knows what is expected of them in their job, – Has open, constructive performance conversations, – Is helped to develop their capabilities, – Is recognized and competitively rewarded for their performance based on merit, – Is listened to and is involved in improving team performance, – Is fairly treated, with respect and dignity, without discrimination, – Feels supportesd in the management of their personal priorities. “Is it worth it to be a company that treats its employees equally, with courtesy and respect? �ere can be only one answer. Yes. Our place of work is like our second home. One has to feel comfortable there, in order to want to return there again and again, and so that the work brings satisfaction, is efficient and brings profits to employees and shareholders. Employees’ job satisfaction leads to client satisfaction, a good reputation, and in effect strengthens the market position of our Group,” says the President of BP Polska. Diversity is used to make the goals of the organization into reality. �e code demonstrates to the employees and managers what the benefits of diversity are. For example, the company values the productivity of work teams composed of individuals who differ from each other in various respects. Another visible aspect is the inclusion of employees representing various social groups into the workings of the company so that they may feel they are able to influence the way in which the company is developing.

Gender Breakdown in Management

71%

29%

28

Ethical norms

Good Practices

British American Tobacco Polska
“STATEMENT OF EMPLOYMENT PRINCIPLES” British American Tobacco has introduced a set of policies and procedures described in the “Statement of Employment Principles.” �e document lists the four guiding principles by which the company and its employees must abide. �ey are: – Strength from Diversity, – Open-Minded, – Freedom through Responsibility, – Enterprising Spirit. �e principle of diversity introduced by British American Tobacco is expressed by equal treatment of employees during hiring, promotion and termination of employment. �e company has also adopted the principle of openness and transparency, treating all its employees, and organizations (trade unions) that represent employees, as partners in communication. Decision-making is decentralized in the company, which believes that employees should have the power to make decisions, and also take responsibility for them. �e employees know these rules. In accordance with the principle of equality, those that exhibit talent and motivation and have the best results are rewarded. �e company also ensures that employees are able to meet both their professional and personal responsibilities.
Gender Breakdown in Company

76%

24%

Gender Breakdown in Management

72%

28%

Deloitte
“CODE OF CONDUCT” �e consulting firm Deloitte believes that its biggest strength and investment are people, because it offers its clients the knowledge and experience of its employees. Because the quality and competitiveness of its services is greatly dependent on its employees, Deloitte attaches a lot of importance to providing equal opportunities in hiring and the professional development of its staff. �e company’s core values are: – Outstanding value to markets and clients, – Commitment to each other, – Integrity, – Strength from cultural diversity. �ese values have been included in the Code of Conduct, in which it is stated that “it is [the employee’s] responsibility to work with others to create an environment of mutual trust and respect, […] free from discrimination […] and harassment.” It is also stated that Deloitte: – recognizes that the behavior of individuals impacts the company, other team members and the community, and therefore acts accordingly; – values the diversity, opinions, skills and experiences of its employees; – supports the highest standards of fairness and equal opportunity. �e company aims to promote a culture based on diversity and equal treatment. Such a culture directly contributes to providing employees and clients with the best possible development opportunities. It implies respecting and valuing the diversity of team members, their opinions, skills and experiences. Human resource
Gender Breakdown in Company

44%

56%

Gender Breakdown in Management

62%

38%

Ethical norms

29

Good Practices

management policy is aimed at upholding the highest standards of fairness and equal opportunity in relation to the recruitment, hiring, promotion and training of employees. Deloitte strives to act in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations, as well as the generally accepted standards of promoting diversity and equal treatment in hiring, in addition to prohibiting harassment. Because Deloitte provides equal opportunities in hiring, it recruits, hires, trains, rewards and promotes highly qualified individuals regardless of their race, religion, faith, skin color, ethnic background, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability or other immutable traits protected in accordance with the law. Wanting to create a good work environment, the company takes into consideration the specific needs of the various groups of employees. Within its framework there are teams representing the voices of its workers. One such team is the HR Advisory Group, which works with human resource specialists and has representatives within every department. It is a non-formal body in charge of making recommendations for novel personnel management initiatives. A Management Advisory Group also functions within the company. It is a body which represents the employees and offers the managers feedback. Should they occur, instances of discrimination can also be reported to the Management Advisory Group.

GE Money Bank
“THE SPIRIT & THE LETTER”
Gender Breakdown in Company

35%

65%

�e company’s most important values are contained within the policies and code of conduct identified as “�e Spirit & �e Letter.” One of its rules defines equal opportunities in employment in this way: “Beyond legal compliance, we strive to create an environment considerate of all employees wherever GE business is being conducted.” “�e Spirit & �e Letter” Policies state that one should “make all employment related decisions and actions without regard to a person’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status or other characteristic protected by law.” �ese rules pertain to not discriminating individuals seeking employment and to treating everyone the same way. Hiring decisions are based on the qualifications possessed by the candidates.

Gender Breakdown in Management

51%

49%

Johnson&Johnson Poland
Gender Breakdown in Company

57%

43%

Gender Breakdown in Management

54%

46%

“OUR CREDO” One of the company’s ways to success is to follow the ethical guidelines contained in the document called “Our Credo.” �is set of guidelines defines the company’s responsibilities to customers, employees, the community and stockholders. In it, we read: “We are responsible to our employees, the men and women who work with us throughout the world. Everyone must be considered as an individual. We must respect their dignity and recognize their merit. […] �ere must be equal opportunity for employment, development and advancement for those qualified. We must provide competent management, and their actions must be just and ethical.” �ese rules pertain not only to the employees but also to the leadership of the company, who need to be committed to the crew members in their charge.

30

Ethical norms

Good Practices

Masterfoods Polska
“THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF MARS” �e Mars Corporation, of which Masterfoods is a part, is guided by the following principles: – Quality, – Responsibility, – Mutuality, – Efficiency, – Freedom. �ey are described in the following manner (“�e Five Principles of Mars”): “Because we value and recognize each other’s contributions, we treat all associates fairly and equitably, avoid divisive privileges and disapprove of disrespectful behavior of any kind. �is is the source of the word “associate” and of the egalitarian spirit at Mars, which is our policy and practice regardless of age, gender, race or religious belief. [...] Associates are valued as individuals for their talent and resourcefulness, and are rewarded fairly for their results. Because we recognize that we all have different needs depending on our stage of life, we accept that associates may choose work style or career options that represent their own most appropriate balance of work within life.” Diversity helps the company realize its goals. An important element of this is the involvement and engagement of all employees in its operations. Masterfoods acknowledges the diversity of needs among its employees by offering them development opportunities regardless of sex, without discrimination.
Gender Breakdown in Company

71%

29%

Gender Breakdown in Management

80%

20%

PricewaterhouseCoopers Polska
“CODE OF CONDUCT” At PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Code of Conduct is based on the three company values: – Excellence, – Teamwork, – Leadership. Excellence means delivering what the company promises and adding value beyond what is expected. It is achieved through innovation, learning, and agility. �e best solutions come from teamwork – working together with colleagues and clients. Effective teamwork requires relationships, respect and sharing. Leadership means leading with clients, leading with people and being a leader in the industry. Leadership demands courage, vision and integrity. �e Code of Conduct transforms the company values into concrete actions and is shared by all the PwC companies. Every employee is responsible for knowing the rules it contains and for following them. �e Code is not a substitute for employees’ responsibility and accountability to exercise good judgment and obtain guidance on proper business conduct.

Gender Breakdown in Company

51%

49%

Gender Breakdown in Management

59%

41%

Ethical norms

31

Good Practices

Employee recruitment
At a time when competition is ever-increasing and customers’ expectations are changing constantly, companies are forced to continually redefine the key factors that lead to success. More and more companies recognize that their human resources constitute the most significant factor on which their success is based. Recruitment of new employees constitutes a key element of HR policy for every company. �e outcome of the employee selection procedure determines what human potential the company has to work with, what will be its capacity to develop and increase productivity, and how well its employees will work together. A company’s success largely rests on how well it is able to harness the talent and energy of its employees. �e purpose of the selection process is to ensure that at a particular place and a particular time, the required number of employees, possessing the specified skills, and qualifications, are able to accomplish what the company has set out to do. �is is one of the most significant tasks of human resource management, and it consists of the following components: recruitment, selection and adaptation. Recruitment aims to inform potential internal and external candidates about the new job opening, so that they may apply if interested. Selection means choosing the candidate who is the most suitable for the position. Adaptation is the last stage of the process. �e new employee is introduced to his/her new work environment, so that he/she may adapt to it. From a company’s point of view, how this process is carried out is highly significant. When adaptation is carried out correctly, the new employee is able to familiarize herself/himself with the range of tasks, responsibilities and privileges associated with the position. He or she also has the opportunity to learn about the norms, values and rules that apply within the organization. It needs to be stressed that the selection process is mutual. Not only does the employer choose the candidate; the candidate also chooses the employer. �is understanding is crucial in order for the process to be effective. If the recruitment/ selection process is open and everyone has the same chance to apply for the jobs being offered, there is a higher chance that the company will be able to select the person who is most highly suitable for the job. It has been noted that women encounter various obstacles during recruitment. �e source of these difficulties is most often found in unintentional actions on the part of the employer, which are the result of a biased way of thinking. Often, the gender of the candidate is specified as early as in the first stage of the process, during the writing of the job description and the profile of the ideal candidate. �is happens if, for example, certain traits are excluded, such as the ability to work as part of a group, communicativeness, and the “soft” style of management, all of which are traits often possessed by women. Studies confirm that during an interview, women more often than men are asked questions pertaining to their family, marital status, hourly availability and plans related to procreation. In the face of these disconcerting trends on the job market, numerous companies are taking steps to promote equality and the hiring of women. Among the good practices summarized in this section, particularly deserving of attention are company recruitment procedures based on defining the ideal candidate before announcing that the company is looking for someone to fill a position. Also noteworthy
32

Employee recruitment

Good Practices

are the guidelines used for the recruitment of candidates and the selection of the best candidate, the composition of the selection committee and the set of rules which it follows. �ose practices that are conducive to breaking down stereotypes concerning “feminine” and “masculine” occupations are particularly important. We would also like to call your attention to a program that encourages high school girls to pursue careers in information and computer technology. Interests developed in high school have a significant impact on later career decisions. We stress what many companies confirm – work teams composed of men and women are characterized by greater productivity and enjoy a more positive work atmosphere, when compared with teams composed exclusively of women or exclusively of men. �is is why companies want to hire more women, and concentrate their efforts accordingly starting from the time of recruitment. Good practices in this area contribute to the creation of an organizational culture that promotes equal opportunities in the workplace, while also being sensitive to manifestations of inequality.

BP Polska
COMPETENCY-BASED SELECTION At BP, a job description is based on a competency framework comprising the essential and desired skills possessed by the ideal candidate. Furthermore, it outlines the job tasks, organizational goals and special requirements, such as readiness to travel, knowledge of foreign languages, etc. �e competency framework consisting of several parts is assigned to each position. �e first part comprises elementary skills which support the core, technical, professional and leadership competencies. �e competencies are defined individually for BP operations within each country and should include: individual productivity, computer skills, finance skills, design skills and occupational health and safety. Next are the core competencies, which include: performance bias (ability to work in ways that achieve remarkable performance), business insight, leading people, partnership & teamwork, wise decisions, innovation, as well as technical and professional competencies. �e management/leadership competencies include: creating innovative strategies, caring about the environment, creating a high performance work ethic, motivating employees to work as a team in various disciplines, and awakening passions. �e standard followed during job interviews at BP instructs interviewers not to pose questions pertaining to procreation, family, or the hourly availability of the candidate. A selection process based on qualifications guarantees the diversity of the candidates. �e selection committee responsible for interviewing the candidates always includes the line manager, a human resources specialist and someone from another department who can be impartial. �e procedure based on the competency framework allows the company to make a selection based on objective criteria. It also makes it possible to choose the best candidate based on qualifications, with sex or age having no effect.
Gender Breakdown in Company

62%

38%

Gender Breakdown in Management

71%

29%

Employee recruitment

33

Good Practices

Hewlett-Packard Polska
Gender Breakdown in Company

83%

17%

Gender Breakdown in Management

79%

21%

WOMEN LISTED AS CANDIDATES Hewlett-Packard takes special measures in order to be an equal opportunity employer. During recruitment, the goal is to create a diverse list of candidates for each position. �is is in fact a highly significant element of the process. It is advisable to include qualified women candidates on the list for each position. Qualifications are the vital criteria on which the selection of employees is based. �is practice makes it possible to choose from among a diverse group of candidates and select the one who is best-suited for the position.

ING
Gender Breakdown in Company

27%

73%

MEN AND WOMEN ON THE SELECTION COMMITTEE �e process of recruitment into the Management Program at the ING Group is conducted in accordance with procedures that are similar in each country where such a program is in place. �e candidates are assessed based on traits reflecting the values of the ING Group. �ose traits are: business integrity, initiative, productivity, focus on client needs and teamwork. Starting from the publication of advertisements about the program, care is taken to make the offer attractive to candidates of both genders. It is stressed that both women and men are equally welcome to apply. �e Assessment Center is one of the stages in the recruitment process. �e assessors are women and men HR specialists and managers from various departments. Making sure that the group of assessors is diverse guarantees that the candidates are judged on a wide range of aspects and that, as the result, the best possible choice is made. Additionally, during recruitment into the Management Program, a selection committee is called into being. �e committee members, men and women, include the presidents of the largest companies within the Group and the Head of Graduate Talent Management. �e candidate presents the material which he or she has prepared earlier and answers questions posed by the committee members. Variation, and the existence of stages during this recruitment process, ensures the selection of a diverse group of employees who conform to the values espoused by ING.

Gender Breakdown in Management

50%

50%

Masterfoods Polska
Gender Breakdown in Company

71%

29%

MULTI-STAGE SELECTION PROCESS As a company constantly striving for development and success, Masterfoods is always seeking ambitious associates to fill in new positions in all its departments. �is is the reason why new employees are continuously being recruited and the process is conducted in an open manner. One of the strategies used to attract valuable workers is the “Talent Management Program” which specifies not only the rules for employee recruitment but also for employee development. �e ideas upon which the program is founded serve to minimize the likelihood of discrimination. �e recruitment process is clearly outlined and consists of the following three stages:

Gender Breakdown in Management

80%

20%

34

Employee recruitment

Good Practices

– Candidates send in their job applications consisting of a resume and cover letter. It is important that they identify their areas of interest and show enthusiasm and willingness to take up new challenges. – If the recruiters find an application interesting, the candidate is invited for a 45minute-long interview, during which he or she has the opportunity to present himself/herself from the best angle. – �e Assessment Center is a day-long meeting which takes place in company headquarters. Together with other candidates invited to take part in this stage of the selection process, the prospective employee takes part in group and individual activities, which make it possible to assess his or her presentation, organization and analytical skills. In effect, the employer learns more about the skills and predispositions of the candidates than he or she could learn by merely testing their specific knowledge pertaining to a list of subjects. Once the group and individual exercises are over, the chosen candidate interviews with the manager of the department to which he or she is applying. �anks to the openness, transparency and multi-stage nature of the recruitment process, the principle of non-discrimination is upheld. In effect, every group of candidates is diverse, and this in turn maximizes the likelihood of the best candidate being chosen. �is is the way in which Masterfoods acquires talented people to work for its organization.

Microsoft
UNIFORM SELECTION STANDARDS Companies active on the telecom/IT market find it difficult to maintain equal gender representation in their ranks due to the low percentage of women completing university-level computer science and technology programs.. Aiming to increase the percentage of its female employees, Microsoft uses the same selection criteria for candidates of both genders. Women and men have the same chances of becoming employed. �eir skills and qualifications assessed solely on the basis of criteria pertaining to the given position. �e criteria are the same for all candidates, with no reference made to sex or age. In order to be hired, a new employee is expected to possess the qualifications, skills and specialized experience outlined in the job description. At Microsoft, a great deal of attention is given to the prospective employees’ personality and whether they possess a passion for technology, as well as enthusiasm for the work. Making employment opportunities on the IT market available to women is bringing positive results. Women’s interest in working in this industry is growing, as is evidenced by the constantly growing number of female job candidates and new hires. Among telecom/IT companies, Microsoft is currently in the lead with respect to the number of women employed. Women constitute 30% of all employees and 25% of Microsoft’s managers.
Gender Breakdown in Company

70%

30%

Gender Breakdown in Management

75%

25%

Employee recruitment

35

Good Practices

Motorola
Gender Breakdown in Company

92%

8%

Gender Breakdown in Management

70%

30%

THE DIVERSITY COMPETITION �e IT industry is often perceived as being unwelcoming to women. Not many female high school graduates choose to study information technology at the university level and as a result, there are not many women graduates of university programs in computer science and related areas. In an effort to build its market position on the basis of the diverse experiences of its talented employees, the Motorola Polska Software Center in Kraków has undertaken measures aimed at changing the makeup of its workforce. Currently, women constitute 8% of the company’s employees and there have been ongoing efforts to increase their numbers. Since the year 2000, the Motorola Polska Software Center in Kraków has been organizing the Diversity Competition which aims to encourage high school girls to go on to university programs focused on computer science. �e contest is open to teams of high school students from all over Poland, wanting to design their own web pages. In January 2007, the contest was in its 7th edition. Contest rules state that at least half of the members of each team of students must be female. �e aim of the Diversity Competition is to break down the stereotype of the male software engineer and show that this type of career involves exciting work and development opportunities for both men and women. Motorola points to many advantages stemming from the presence of women in the workforce. �e main supporting arguments are: – Employing more women as software engineers translates to a better work atmosphere. – Women are loyal employees. �ey adapt more quickly but change employers less often than men. �is is particularly important in the IT industry where the selection and training of a new employee is time-consuming and costly. – Women attain excellent results at work and are highly adept at team management. – Motorola customers constitute a diverse group of consumers whose expectations are best met when the makeup of the company reflects customers diversity. �is practice is worthy of attention because it is a proactive measure. In its efforts to recruit employees, Motorola reaches beyond the traditional environment from which IT specialists usually are recruited. �is requires time, money and the effort of current employees, but the result – an increase in the number of women employees – is measurable. Motorola creates diverse work groups, which leads to

36

Employee recruitment

Good Practices

new ideas and ultimately to its stronger position on the market.

PricewaterhouseCoopers Polska

MULTI-STAGE SELECTION PROCESS PricewaterhouseCoopers intentionally approaches the selection of employees with objectivity of judgment and lack of discrimination in all areas. At the recruitment stage, the company respects all male and female candidates. In external communications announcing the job opening, there is no such concept as the “preferred gender of the candidate” for the position. When the profile of the ideal candidate is drawn up, it is clearly stated that gender is not relevant. If, for example, the opening is for an administrative assistant, the ad clearly states that this person need not be female. �e language of the communications is closely controlled so as to avoid stereotyping. In effect, the ratio of women to men at PwC is 50/50. Most of PwC’s recruitment efforts are aimed at university students and graduates. Women as well as men are welcome to apply. During interviews, company representatives strive to invalidate the stereotype that consulting work is not meant for women. A woman and a man may be equally qualified and able to perform the required work. While it is accepted that some skills are generally more widespread among women, and others are more common among men, PwC is concerned with combining these skills. �e 50/50 gender ratio is not achieved thorough artificial means. Rather, it is the result of the conditions that have been created in order to naturally foster the balance between the number of women and the number of men. �e outcome of the selection process is determined on the basis of skills and personal traits in areas such as motivation, teamwork, integrity, responsibility and communicativeness. �e recruitment of employees into the auditing division can serve as an example. �e process is composed of the following steps: – Review of the application, – Analytical skills and English language testing, – Skill-based interview, – �e Assessment Center. Employment application forms are reviewed to ensure that the candidates meet minimum requirements with respect to education, experience and foreign language knowledge. Next, candidates undergo a verbal reasoning test based on reading a passage, and a numerical reasoning test. �e tests have been designed by SHL. �e English language test is used to determine the level of the candidate’s knowledge of English, which is essential for work at the company. �e purpose of the interview is to gauge the extent to which the candidate possesses the skills that are most essential in consulting work. Interpersonal and organizational skills and the ability to work in a group are tested. �e Assessment Center is a three-step method, composed of an individual activity, a group activity and an interview. �e assessors are experienced consultants and managers from the auditing division. �e assessment is based on the same skills as those that were covered during the interview, and the decision to hire the candidate is made by the group of audit managers. Group assessment and group decisions with regard to hiring ensure greater objectivity and independence of judgment. �e solutions used by PwC meet the needs of the employees. �e process of recruitment is open and transparent, with application deadlines posted on the

Gender Breakdown in Company

51%

49%

Gender Breakdown in Management

59%

41%

Employee recruitment

37

Good Practices

public website. PwC’s motto states that the company wants to guarantee everyone equal access to information and this is the pledge it follows during recruitment. An example of PwC’s equal treatment of all its employees is the practice of employing women who are pregnant. One recently-hired consulting manager was chosen for the job on the basis of her qualifications. Having been offered the job, she stated that she is pregnant. �is had no bearing on the employer’s ultimate decision, since the hiring of an employee is seen as a long-term investment.

Gender Breakdown in Company

Procter&Gamble Polska
INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS FOR FEMALE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS One of the main goals of Procter&Gamble is to guarantee equal opportunities to women and men and to employ the same number of women and men. �e company conducts focused educational campaigns on Polish university campuses in order to educate students about the work system and work conditions at Procter&Gamble. �e target audience are female students of economics who may find the idea of a career at P&G particularly interesting due to their educational background. �e meetings with female students are conducted by women employed at Procter&Gamble who talk about their career paths, professional experiences and development opportunities, how they are able to reconcile work and family life, and how the company protects women against discrimination. At such meetings, the students have the opportunity to see how work at P&G looks like and become familiar with rules that serve as the basis for equal opportunity employment within the company. �rough meeting Procter&Gamble’s female employees, they can find out how, thanks to the company’s work organization, it is possible for one to pursue a career at a large, international corporation, while raising children. “When I was a new employee, one of the things that caught my attention right away was the way Procter&Gamble approaches employees who are mothers or are pregnant. �e company is truly flexible. As far as working hours are concerned, women returning from maternity leave have the opportunity to work part-time (75%). �e company also does not pressure women to shorten the maternity leave. Furthermore, Procter&Gamble offers all of its employees inexpensive meals at the cafeteria, in addition to medical care. We also have a fitness club, where besides working out, one can make an appointment with a personal fitness trainer or a massage therapist. Because our company is not easily accessible by public transportation, each day company vans bring employees to and from work,” a financial analyst at Procter&Gamble tells us. P&G’s position on diversity in hiring is that its promotion serves to enrich the pool of talented employees, as well as the company culture. It increases creativity, productivity and employees’ motivation. All this helps to create a positive image of the company, in addition to increasing client satisfaction and reducing the costs of recruitment and retention of qualified employees. �e company also stresses the importance of hiring women due to the nature of the market it serves. “�e consumers of our products are generally women, often mothers. It is therefore highly important that we also have employees who are women and mothers,” says a Procter&Gamble IT systems analyst.

53%

47%

Gender Breakdown in Management

51%

49%

38

Employee recruitment

Good Practices

Real
“RECRUITMENT WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION” WORKSHOP Company representatives responsible for the selection of future employees take part in a training workshop entitled “How to Conduct an Interview,” chiefly focused on ways to avoid discrimination, including gender discrimination. Participation in the workshop is mandatory for those in management positions. It has been shown that recruiters are not always aware that asking certain questions is forbidden by law, and they may not know how to prevent discrimination from happening during recruitment. �ese workshops allow Real to act against discrimination in the recruitment and selection of new employees. At the same time, these measures make it possible for the company to be able to choose new employees from a diverse group of candidates. According to the Polish Labor Code, the person conducting a job interview has no right to ask the candidate whether she plans to have any (more) children and/or expect her to answer any such questions.
Gender Breakdown in Company

32%

68%

Gender Breakdown in Management

47%

53%

Urząd Skarbowy w Środzie Śląskiej
GUIDELINES FOR THE IMPARTIAL AND STANDARDIZED SELECTION OF NEW EMPLOYEES �is initiative has been launched in an effort to establish clear and transparent guidelines for the recruitment and selection of new employees, with the aim of selecting the best-qualified candidates for the given positions. It has resulted in a set of guidelines being produced for the Tax Office to follow during recruitment and selection. Furthermore, the process of training new employees so that they may become familiar with their responsibilities, as well as the basic legal and organizational regulations that pertain at the Tax Office, has been outlined. �e recruitment process is an open competition and proceeds according to the following rules: – Equal treatment (the same procedures and criteria used in relation to all candidates); – Unchangeable requirements and assessment criteria which are specified prior to the beginning of the recruitment/selection process and are not subject to change in the middle of the process; – Impartiality and independence of action on the part of every member of the selection committee; elimination of favoritism and/or discrimination of any kind from the recruitment/selection process; – Professionalism (recruitment and selection of employees is conducted by a specifically trained selection committee); – Controlled subjectivity (selection is made as the result of a group decision, following discussion pertaining to the qualifications presented by each candidate); – Transparency (the selection process is well-documented and allows each candidate to obtain detailed feedback regardless of whether, ultimately, he or she is hired or not). �anks to this initiative, an impartial and thorough method of selecting new employees has been implemented, and leads to the selection of the most highly qualified employees who possess the experience necessary to begin work at the Tax Office.

Gender Breakdown in Company

18%

82%

Gender Breakdown in Management

22%

78%

Employee recruitment

39

Good Practices

Employee development

Employee development is a process that prepares staff members of an organization to work in positions of greater responsibility. �e dynamic and direction of this development is determined by a company’s goals on one hand, and on the other by the needs and aspirations of its workers. �e process of an employee’s professional development in an organization begins at the moment he or she begins working, and its effects significantly impact the quality of his or her work. A company’s success is in large measure the result of maximizing the use of its employees’ energies and talents. For this reason, firms also consciously try to direct development so that it promotes the achievement of a company’s strategic goals. Employee development includes activities such as: planning an employee’s development path, performance appraisal, improving employees’ work, instituting organizational changes in personnel resources, and promoting the social and organizational integration of employees.1 Women and men who begin a new job should have the same opportunities for professional development. However, statistics show that women hold only 1/3 of management positions and rarely fulfill strategic functions in an organization. A phenomenon exists, known as the “glass ceiling.” �e low representation of women in management positions is due to the many barriers they face. Most often, these include: stereotyped opinions about how women function, men’s attitudes in working together with women, attributing traditional roles to women, perceiving motherhood as a barrier to career development, etc. �e attitudes of women in business are also culturally conditioned. Women are less likely to take on challenges which could lead to a promotion or raise. �e good practices presented below show the many ways firms can eliminate barriers to the professional development of women. Of particular note are employee development programs that offer the opportunity for planned career paths, selfassessment of achievements and the provision of constructive feedback. �ese programs enable all employees, regardless of sex, to consciously develop their careers, successively assess progress and take action to achieve higher positions. �e role of coaching and mentoring is also worth emphasizing. Working together with an experienced coach/mentor provides an employee with positive role models, helps counteract stereotypes and, what is most important, serves to build a network of mutual ties and interpersonal contacts. Also, assuming a different position at the same level in an organization’s hierarchy allows employees to test themselves in a new job and prove themselves. A separate set of good practices are the comprehensive programs creating favorable conditions for women’s professional development and helping to overcome barriers. By building informal networks among women in an organization, training, mentoring, meetings with successful women, introducing flexible forms of employment and initiatives to achieve work-life balance, the presence of women in management positions increases.

1

I Zarządzanie kadrami, T. Listwan, ed., 2nd Edition updated and supplemented, Warsaw 2004, pp. 141–142.

40

Employee development

Good Practices

Citibank Handlowy
CITIGROUP WOMEN POLAND In 2003, Citibank Handlowy initiated Citigroup Women as part of the worldwide program CitiDiversity. Diversity is a trademark and philosophy of Citigroup’s corporate culture. �e main idea is to attract the best employees to the organization and provide them with the opportunity for full professional development while respecting their dignity regardless of sex, race, religious beliefs or sexual orientation. �e Citigroup Women initiative aims to determine the situation of women working in the bank and to ensure equal opportunities for professional development and the achievement of their career ambitions in the corporation. �e position of women in higher management positions in Citibank is very good, as they comprise 50% of all personnel working in these jobs. Despite this, the benefits of popularizing this initiative were recognized by the Board as worth propagating in the corporation. �e mission of Citigroup Women is to create favorable conditions for women’s professional development and to assist in overcoming barriers. Its objectives are to inspire through training, mentoring, meetings with successful people, integrative meetings, and also to help women, especially mothers, maintain a balance between their work and private lives. Committees are set up in the program, responsible for specific areas of the club’s activities. �ey include committees for training, mentoring and networking, worklife balance, communication and administration. Citigroup Women members take part in many workshops in the so-called “soft” skills and professional and personal development, such as, for example, leadership, time management, psychological aspects of communication, emotional intelligence, effective negotiating, building self-esteem, anti-stress training, and creative problem solving. Women have a tendency to attribute their success to the work of the team, and not to themselves, and also to become involved in interesting initiatives even if it means resigning from a leadership position, which often slows their career development in relationship to men. �us, these workshops are especially significant in teaching women to communicate their own achievements, emphasize their contributions to the firm’s success, and encourage them to take on challenges and risks. Informal meetings with women from the highest positions in Citibank allow them to learn about the various ways to achieve success, to hear about difficult choices, required attitudes and competencies in an intimate atmosphere suited to more direct communications. Some of these meetings inspired women to change their jobs or decide on the choice of a mentor at the bank. Many of the activities of the work-life balance committee were targeted to help children in care institutions, to collect donations or organize an internal bank auction for them; the funds and gifts are regularly provided to the children. By doing good, Citigroup Women not only supports Citibank Handlowy’s image as a socially responsible corporation, but also provides opportunities for personal involvement in helping those in need, an activity of interest to many women (and men!).
Gender Breakdown in Company

40%

60%

Gender Breakdown in Management

60%

40%

Employee development

41

Good Practices

Deloitte
Gender Breakdown in Company

44%

56%

GLOBAL EXCELLENCE MODEL Deloitte’s challenge is to match the personal development goals of its employees with its business aims. According to Deloitte, only this type of strategy can guarantee the company’s success. Many factors are considered in its system of promoting employees - from employees’ self-assessments of performance, as well as supervisors’ assessments, analyses of employees’ goals and expectations, to comparisons of people’s needs with those of the company. Workers have an actual influence on their career paths. Each employee annually prepares a development plan with his or her supervisor. It has two parts: defined personal development goals and ways to improve effectiveness at work as well as defined directions of development and professional specialization. Progress made in reaching these goals is assessed during the next annual performance review. At Deloitte, each employee has access to his or her personal information through the company’s IT system. �is includes not only personal data, but also the qualification requirements for his or her particular position, for higher positions, as well as summaries of performance assessments and guidance received. �is system ensures employees with the opportunity to plan their own professional development and set objectives during periodic assessments. �e company has a training matrix, that is a set of required and recommended training programs depending on the level and type of position held. All employees have access to training regardless of their sex or age. Additionally, in keeping with the principle that “people develop people,” each employee has his or her own counselor within the company. �ese are not direct supervisors, but most often someone two levels higher in management. �ey help with setting long-term goals and areas requiring improvement, and suggest what an employee may need (coaching, specific training, etc.) For example, an employee’s career in the audit department starts at the level of assistant. After two years, he or she can become a junior specialist, then after two or three additional years, a specialist, next a manager, and a director. Each successive position provides the opportunity for development and promotion, and requires greater independence and responsibility. After achieving the proper level of proficiency, acquiring a broad range of experience in a given field and making significant contributions in the company’s development, an employee can become a partner – a stakeholder with a deciding voice in the direction of the firm’s development and strategic activities. �e performance assessment system at Deloitte is based on defining levels of professional competence that are presented in the gEm – Global Excellence Model. �is is a coherent system linking employee appraisals with prepared training plans and career planning. �e gEm Program is based on five groups of competence assessments: − Technical competence, related to the actual job being done – professional knowledge and skills, knowledge of methodology, and maintenance of established work standards are assessed; − Client relations – skills in identifying clients’ needs and attention given to the quality of client services;

Gender Breakdown in Management

62%

38%

42

Employee development

Good Practices

− Leadership skills – level of ability to work in teams and motivate co-workers, set goals and achieve planned results; − Effective management, understood as decision-making skills, appropriate use of available resources and actual involvement in co-worker development; − Communicating with the external world, related to sales of the company’s services and professional comportment in business contacts. Deloitte’s employee professional development policies, based mainly on professional competencies, enable women and men to have equal access to promotion. As a result of this approach, the company can take advantage of the potential within each employee, and consequently increase management effectiveness. “WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE” Deloitte operates a corporate program called “Women in the Workforce.” Its goal is to keep women in the firm and support their professional development, making it possible for them to achieve a work-life balance and to promote equal access to promotion and wages. Deloitte is expanding this program, as it makes business sense. It is doing so in the belief that: – a low retention rate of the best women specialists results in high costs, so remedial activities are required to avoid such a situation; – the company wants to respond to the business needs of its clients; more and more of Deloitte’s clients are women (on company boards or in high level management positions) who also expect to work with other women professionals; – high staff turnover (especially in middle and high level management positions) results in the loss of client contacts developed thus far and know-how. �e “Women in the Workforce” program is based on communicating its principles well and getting women, as well as men, interested. It includes developmental elements (training, mentoring), appropriately planned activities (achieving satisfaction on one hand, while on the other providing opportunities to gain experience) and enables expectations on ways of working to be considered (flexibility). �e Program allows Deloitte to keep its best women workers in the company. According to Deloitte, the cost of not doing anything about this issue would be too high, while remedial activities can be taken with relatively low outlays and result in significant benefits.

Employee development

43

Good Practices

GE Money Bank
Gender Breakdown in Company

35%

65%

Gender Breakdown in Management

51%

49%

“GE WOMEN’S NETWORK” �e “GE Women’s Network” association has been operating at the Bank since 2003. Its mission is to assist women with their professional development and initiative changes in the organization’s culture. Women’s professional development is supported by various training and mentoring programs. Members of the “GE Women’s Network” can participate in many workshops, such as self-presentation, business savoir-vivre, conflict management or interpersonal communications, among others. In addition to the initiatives supporting women’s professional development through the “GE Women’s Network,” activities related to women’s health prevention are also undertaken. �anks to actions, such as “Blossom with health,” association members can have mammography screening exams, consult with experts in this field and are provided information on other recommended preventive medical tests. Mentoring also plays a significant role at GE in developing a career path. �e Mentoring Program is targeted to the most talented women and has as its goal the exchange of information, skills and provision of advice in career development by more experienced persons.

IBM Polska
Gender Breakdown in Company

76%

24%

Gender Breakdown in Management

“EUROPEAN WOMEN LEADERSHIP COUNCIL” �e “European Women Leadership Council” (EWLC) started in IBM’s European region in 1997. A corporate initiative, it is an internal, informal women’s organization at IBM working on issues related to equalizing women’s influence on corporate activities, among other things. It is also supported by IBM Poland’s Board. Women employees can voluntarily decide to participate in the work of the EWLC. �e main goal of the group is to increase the number of women employed at IBM and to support them in their professional development. It is important to the organization to introduce programs that will help women achieve professional success. By meeting the expectations of women, the company wants to show how work and personal life can be balanced and success achieved in both. Additionally, a special Internet website related to this issue exists to help employees cope with too much work. “WOMAN IN TECHNOLOGY” �e “Woman in Technology” initiative encourages girls to further their education in the fields of science, engineering and new technologies. �e program was designed to respond to the problem of the low number of women seeking jobs in new technology professions, such as computer programming. IBM was confronted with this issue after opening their IBM Programming Laboratory in Kraków, where a decided majority of the employees were men due to the lack of women applying for information technologies (IT)-related jobs. �e initiative is comprised of several programs. In 2007, the K-12 program was introduced in Poland to girls in middle school. IBM Poland employees hold meetings and lessons in the schools, where they describe their work and IT, and talk about why it is worth it to become educated in fields related to exact sciences. Games and contests are held in order to convince the girls that exact sciences (IT)

90%

10%

44

Employee development

Good Practices

can be very interesting, and learning it can be truly enjoyable. �e girls tackle logic and mathematical puzzles and learn how to design portals and websites. EX.I.T.E CAMPS are also organized as part of “Women in Technology,” week-long vacation camps for girls where they can learn more about the world of science, by doing experiments, technical exercises, building robots and visiting IBM’s Programming Laboratory. Currently, IBM is planning its first EX.I.T.E. Camp for girls in Poland.

Johnson&Johnson Poland
“WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE” Johnson&Johnson’s “Women’s Leadership Initiative” has been operating since 1995. �is program conducts activities at various levels of the organization to support women’s development in their professional and private lives. Women working at J&J initiated this program. Its goal is to prepare as many women as possible to fulfill management roles. �e program’s work is conducted in all the company’s departments. Annual conferences are held regionally to summarize the results achieved. Currently, the “Women’s Leadership Initiative” is working on preparing a model of a successful woman and defining women’s needs and barriers that may emerge in career development. Women in specialist and management positions are involved in the project. Based on the model developed, ways of supporting women’s development in the company will be determined, such as, for example, by mentoring. “I’m involved in this project in Poland. �is is something that has not been done in such an open format. �e project consists of many elements to help women’s work in the company. It concentrates on such problems as returning to work from maternity leave, professional development planning and career paths,” stated a Business Manager from Johnson&Johnson Poland. �e results achieved by the Women’s Leadership Initiative” are regularly assessed. �e first effects are already visible, especially in Europe, where the new format of the program began to be implemented in 2005. Such initiatives are especially needed given the current labor market situation, where women with high qualifications are becoming an ever greater proportion of those hired in management positions.
Gender Breakdown in Company

57%

43%

Gender Breakdown in Management

54%

46%

Employee development 45

Good Practices

Nokia Poland
Gender Breakdown in Company

75%

25%

Gender Breakdown in Management

INDIVIDUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN As part of its equal opportunities policy, Nokia is building a corporate culture that benefits women’s development in the company. From the time she is hired, a woman has the opportunity to consciously plan her professional career. During the recruitment process, her competencies are already assessed with a view towards future development. When starting work, each woman employee is included in the individual development program, made up of three elements: setting goals, assessment of competencies and creating a development plan. At the start, a new employee defines her tasks for the first six-months with her supervisor. In order to do them, appropriate skills are required, which the new hire either has or – thanks to appropriate tools – works on developing them. Next, a plan is made to determine the tools required for her personal development. �ese include internal company training on various forms of management and interpersonal development, as well as specialized skills typical for a telecommunications company and appropriate to its strategic objectives. Women employees gain knowledge in such areas as staff management or financial basics. �ey also acquire so-called soft skills – each participates in training on interpersonal communication, presentation skills, time management or assertiveness training. An interesting practice is gaining skills “on the job” (securing knowledge at work by undertaking various tasks for a given position). Both women and men take advantage of this opportunity equally. �is could be participation in short, six-month assignments to work on a project in a different Nokia facility throughout the world or two- to four-year assignments in the company’s facilities abroad.

76%

24%

Gender Breakdown in Company

Novartis Poland
“FEMALE LEADERSHIP FORUM” �e success of Novartis depends to a great degree on people. For this reason, the company makes every effort to be a valued and employee-friendly employer. Novartis ensures its employees the opportunity to achieve success and their professional and private goals. Employees, on the other hand, value the firm for its good working conditions, recognition of creativity and effectiveness, and also for understanding their needs. Equal opportunities and diversity policies are a global initiative at Novartis. Many projects are implemented as part of these policies, and also includes the participation of women employees in Poland. A key initiative is the “Female Leadership Forum.” �e “Female Leadership Forum” is a platform of cooperation among women employees to share professional experiences. Participants from over 35 countries meet at the firm’s Basel headquarters to discuss the role of women in the world of medicine, exchange their experiences and establish professional contacts. �e Forum brings together leading women managers from the entire world where, in an informal atmosphere, they share their opinions and plan projects for the further development of women’s initiatives in the company. Discussions on reconciling a professional career with family responsibilities are an important element of the meeting. In 2006, three women managers from Poland participated in the Forum.

37%

63%

Gender Breakdown in Management

57%

43%

46

Employee development

Good Practices

MENTORING PROGRAM FOR WOMEN �e mentoring program was introduced to support women’s career development. Selected mentors (women at higher levels in Novartis) support their younger, less experienced women colleagues, share their knowledge and experiences, and provide advice about individual professional development planning. �e essence of this year-long program is regular, individual sessions between mentors and new women employees of the company. During such a meeting, the development of a specific employee is analyzed, based on the path taken by the mentor. �e benefit of the program is the ability to look at business issues through the eyes of another person, and thus systematize one’s work and clearly define areas for future development. Additionally, women workers emphasize that the program helps them adapt more quickly to a new environment, more precisely define goals, which can then be consequently realized. Promoting women in managerial positions is a very important issue for Novartis. �e percentage of women in the management of all its departments is about 43%. Women managers themselves are very active in supporting women in the corporation. With this goal, the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association was formed, offering opportunities for education, mentoring, professional development and awards to the best employees.2

Procter&Gamble Polska
MENTORING Mentors play a significant role in the professional development of employees at Procter&Gamble, a program women are especially interested in using. Each employee chooses a personal mentor from a list published on the company’s intranet. �is is an informal process, and also is not monitored. Employees are informed about the role and responsibilities of a mentor, and about the types of assistance he or she can expect. DEVELOPMENT PLAN A formal assessment process and formulation of a development plan for the next year is conducted with each employee annually. �e firm recommends that the employee review his or her development plan at least once per quarter to verify whether the work and development are proceeding accordingly and if any changes are needed. Open communication about an employee’s needs and plans are preferred in employee discussions with supervisors, not only regarding professional issues. Such an approach allows the expectations of the employee and the company to be considered. �ese discussions are especially important for women planning a career break due to future parenthood. Procter&Gamble’s activities described above aim to provide a full and practical implementation of equal opportunities and ensure employees the ability to achieve their individual plans and future prospects.
Gender Breakdown in Company

53%

47%

Gender Breakdown in Management

51%

49%

2

I PCC 032007 COR PRA 0164.
Employee development
47

Good Practices

Volkswagen Motor Polska
Gender Breakdown in Company

94%

6%

THE VW WOMEN’S CLUB In June of 2005, VW started the Women’s Club, comprised of about 40 women employees. �e experiences of Citibank were the inspiration for this action. �e idea of establishing a Women’s Club was discussed at a special meeting of all women employees and presented to the Board, which deemed it a worthwhile idea. �e first Board of the Women’s Club, together with its members, developed the group’s statutes and defined its goals. Member meetings are conducted once per month, with minutes made available to each member. �e main motivation for the Women’s Club activities was not only to develop closer relationships among women employees, who are scattered in different department and not always in contact with one another. It is also to promote the health of women workers and organize assistance for persons in need. �e establishment of the Women’s Club positively influences the organization’s functioning. Good working relationships among women employees not only improves the atmosphere in the company, but also leads to better working conditions, and consequently to improving the efficiency of workers. Because the average age of women employees is low, the needs of young mothers were also recognized, for whom workshops or advice cycles are planned. Organizing assistance for persons in need (outside of the company) builds good relationships with the local community and creates a good public image.

Gender Breakdown in Management

82%

18%

48

Employee development

Good Practices

Compensation policies
Compensation is one of the functions of every organization’s human resource management. With ever increasing costs of work and the ongoing need to increase efficiency, a key question emerges regarding the salary levels required to support a company’s strategies and achieve better results. Salaries are an important tool in effectively securing, stabilizing and motivating workers. Additionally, they can be used to integrate personnel in achieving a company’s strategies and creating its corporate culture. Equity and fairness in salary levels can have a significant effect on employees’ decisions about remaining in a company, as well as the profit to be gained by improving qualifications or assuming a job with more responsibility. �e remuneration system of an organization is comprised of salary and non-salary compensations gained as a result of work. Non-salary benefits respond to individual employees’ needs and support the motivational effect of monetary compensation. A tool in developing a salary system is placing a value on work. �is serves to determine the level of difficulty in performing particular types of tasks in specific positions. Placing a value on work is the basis for establishing qualifications pay scales and the entire hierarchy of positions in a company, with each position having a detailed description of the activities typical for such a job (tasks), required qualifications, scope of responsibilities and ranked categories. Placing values on work not only can help to establish basic salary levels, it can also be treated as one of the stages in equalizing wages in a company, with special attention given to ensuring the same salaries for women and men. A developing innovation in determining salaries is a system based on competence, enabling a company to easily transfer employees to conduct a variety of tasks needed by the organization. �is type of system strongly motivates development. Persons hired are compensated for their potential, and not for the actual work they may be performing at a given moment. �e set of basic competencies, next to knowledge and experience, should also include such abilities as: team work, risk-taking, initiative, results orientation, and good communication. Monitoring salaries undoubtedly plays a significant role in an equal opportunities company. A cyclical analysis of pay levels allows a company to establish a fair system of compensation. Conducting a salary audit does not need to be expensive or complicated. �e simplest audit provides answers to the question of whether an organization is treating its workers fairly, or not. Studies show that women’s earnings are about 80% of men’s in various countries. In 2006 in Poland, women in the private sector earned 22.67% less than men, working in the same positions and fulfilling the same responsibilities as men. �is means that women in the same positions doing the same work as men receive lower pay. �e level of this difference in wages is determined by the ratio of wage discrimination, known as the gender pay gap.3 In an effort to lower the extent of wage discrimination, companies are developing equitable compensation systems. �e practices presented below show the directions of the activities undertaken.

3

I PGP = [1 – (average salary of women/average salary of men)] x 100%.
Compensation policies
49

Good Practices

First, particular attention is paid to the process of placing a value on the work in an organization, which allows for a ranking table to be established of salary levels for specific jobs. Second, the competence model plays a significant role in creating the salary system in a company, established by describing the competencies, naming and precisely defining them. In practice, this means that employees are compensated for the work potential they bring to a company and according to the competencies defined earlier. Attention is also paid to monitoring salaries as a practice serving to counteract discrimination in salaries based on sex. Salary audits enable at least the level of the gender pay gap to be controlled and to answer the question of whether the compensation system in an organization is fair. Considering the importance of compensation in an organization, salary strategies must co-exist with an organization’s culture, understood as a set of norms, values and attitudes shared by its members. It is also noted that companies aiming for success have included wage equity in their codes or instructions on conduct.

Gender Breakdown in Company

BP Polska
SALARY POLICY �e salary policy at BP Poland is consistent throughout the entire company. �e cost of each position is calculated by an independent firm and given a specific rank in its category. �is is mainly influenced by the competencies required by a given position and its scope of responsibilities. �e procedure of granting raises or bonuses depends only and exclusively on the results achieved by a given employee in his or her job, regardless of sex or position. A salaries audit is conducted annually, and is the basis for adjusting wages to current market trends. �ere is generally no noticeable difference between the salaries of women and men. However, if they do occur, they are due to the length of employment, the characteristics of the job, as well as the particular BP division.

62%

38%

Gender Breakdown in Management

71%

29%

50

Compensation policies

Good Practices

Masterfoods Polska
ZONAL SALARY SYSTEM Masterfoods uses a zonal system in its salary policy. A zone is a level of remuneration provided for a given position. �e system is transparent, as employees know exactly how much one can earn in each zone. Masterfoods provides no discretionary bonuses, salaries depend on the zone where a given position is located.

Gender Breakdown in Company

71%

29%

Gender Breakdown in Management

80%

20%

Procter&Gamble Polska
MONITORING SALARIES BY SEX Once a year, Procter&Gamble monitors its salary levels. It analyzes data on the salaries of women and men. Despite having a rigid system of compensation management and clear promotion procedures, this analysis allows Procter&Gamble to obtain a realistic picture of women’s situation in the company and to undertake eventual remedial action to ensure equitable salaries. �e company also monitors data on the number of women and men who achieved the best results. Additionally, it studies how many persons of each sex were hired in a year to work at Procter&Gamble.
Gender Breakdown in Company

53%

47%

Gender Breakdown in Management

51%

49%

Compensation policies

51

Good Practices

Work-Life Balance
In recruiting talent from the labor market, companies must provide more than competitive salaries and a stimulating work environment. Solutions offered by firms to help employees reconcile professional and family responsibilities are an important component. In order to retain employees and create a working environment achieving the best development and results, companies offer and promote special work-life balance programs. Both women and men working professionally find it difficult to achieve a balance between life and work. �is balance is attained when work does not take over an employee’s personal life and vice-versa – when personal life does not impinge on work. �e point of balance between work and personal life is not the same for every employee, and varies depending on age, sex, educational level or family situation. Not having such a balance usually results in negative consequences of a social and economic character for employees, their families and society. �e group most at risk for having difficulties in achieving work-life balance is women, mainly due to their extensive responsibilities in the family. �e challenges of achieving work-life balance must be considered within the context of the labor market environment. It has become the basis to promote and support activities and solutions enabling employees, especially women raising small children and caring for dependent adults, both to work professionally and meet the responsibilities of their private lives. Regardless of the type of business or its size, companies are developing projects to enable employees to achieve their career plans, as well as those in their private lives. �e good practices presented here show examples of what employers are doing on issues related to work-life balance. Programs developed for pregnant women and young mothers are especially noteworthy. �eir aims are to: support women who decide to become mothers, increase the number of women returning to work after childbirth, and enable women on maternity and child care leave to maintain contact with their professional environment and improve their qualifications. �ese programs reduce the hours worked by women during pregnancy, provide future mothers with staff support for their work responsibilities, provide obstetrical and gynecological care and inform future mothers of labor code regulations on safeguards for pregnant women, among other things. Additionally, women are ensured opportunities to participate in e-learning workshops or to continue to use their work-related tools (notebook, office telephone) at home. �ese solutions allow women to improve their professional qualifications during maternity leave, allowing them to be continually informed on the most recent developments in their field and easing their return to work. �e remaining good practice examples relate to employees and their families. Employers conduct educational activities, introduce flexible forms of employment, ensure care for children and older adults, offer discounts for the medical care of dependents, and contribute to the cost of summer holiday activities for their employees’ children. Of particular note are flexible forms of employment, enabling employees to work at home, part-time or on a variable schedule (flextime). Flexible forms of employment provide many families with the chance to achieve work-life balance. Supporting pregnant women, young mothers, making it possible to work from home and caring about workers’ children gives employees a sense that companies are not leaving them alone to cope with their problems, and that employers perceive their workers not only as employees, but also as people with personal lives.

52

Work-Life Balance

Good Practices

Employers emphasize that maintaining an appropriate balance between work and personal life, as well as actually implementing goals in both these spheres results in more effective and motivated employees. Additionally, these programs allow firms to attract the most valuable women and men to their firms and stabilize employment turnover. �ey become known as “family-friendly” to their employees’ families. Employees of companies careful to maintain work-life balance are satisfied, less stressed, more loyal, and as a result, more productive. It is worth noting that some of the firms presented here have developed written policies on work-life balance for their employees. Others strive to maintain an appropriate equilibrium between work and personal life through their organizational culture, expressed values and beliefs.

Avon
CAREER BREAKS Career breaks are a valued and used practice in this company. Avon recognizes that personal situations may arise in one’s life requiring a break from a career, such as wanting to spend more time with family, to take time for travel or to study fulltime. In order to keep its most valuable employees in the company and recognizing the need to reconcile work with personal responsibilities, Avon makes it possible to take a career break. All workers, regardless of their position, are eligible to request a break – lasting from one to three years – under the condition that they have worked at least one full, uninterrupted year before making the request.

Gender Breakdown in Company

29%

71%

Gender Breakdown in Management

31%

69%

BP Polska
ACCESS TO WORK TOOLS DURING MATERNITY LEAVE BP Poland introduced initiatives supporting employees in reconciling work and family roles. Women who are pregnant, as well as other employees, can participate in internal recruitment if they are interested in an announced job post. Women on maternity leave may continue to use their company mobile telephones, computers and cars. �e firm also provides additional benefits, such as medical care, recreational activities, courses and training, and discounts on gasoline, which are also offered to women on maternity leave. Generally, substitute personnel are employed in positions held by women on maternity leave, which guarantees continuity of the position and the ability of the person originally hired to return to the same job.
Gender Breakdown in Company

62%

38%

Gender Breakdown in Management

71%

29%

Work-Life Balance

53

Good Practices

Gender Breakdown in Company

Deloitte
WORK-LIFE BALANCE POLICIES Research conducted among Deloitte’s employees showed that the lack of worklife balance was a significant problem for their workers. At the same time, the level of women being hired in management positions was significantly lower than for men. Based on recommendations of an internal company working group, Deloitte introduced policies on flexible forms of employment. �e aim is to attract and keep the most talented persons in the company, resulting in significant savings for Deloitte. �e policies were developed with those employees in mind who achieved the best results and were returning from maternity or child care leave. �anks to the introduction of this program, employees are able to take advantage of flexible forms of work, such as: – flexible working schedules, – part-time work, – working from home. For each of these forms, the company developed guidelines on the time and organization of work, categories of positions eligible for these options, the impact of the chosen form on salaries and other benefits, as well as on promotions. �is is especially important in the context of future career planning. Deloitte also allows persons to take career breaks in order to study, care for dependants, travel, etc. �e break may last up to six months (in the case of MBA studies – up to 12 months). Included in the work-life balance policies are issues related to maternity and child care leaves. When an employee applies for maternity or child care leave, plans for and timing of the return to work are made. While on maternity leave, women, if they so choose, can maintain contact with the company, use company mobile telephones and e-mail accounts. �e firm enables women, who declare that they want to return to work, participation in the most important training programs. In effect, a woman employee who decides to take a break from her work will not be prevented from developing her career. Upon her return, she may, for example: – make her time at work more flexible, by deciding to work part-time, – do part of her work at home, – take advantage of a flexible work schedule (for example, by working from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 – 8:00 p.m.).

44%

56%

Gender Breakdown in Management

62%

38%

Gender Breakdown in Company

Dr. Irena Eris
CORPORATE CULTURE SUPPORTS THE FAMILY LIVES OF EMPLOYEES In the Dr. Irena Eris Company, many persons are employed in the system of project-based work. �e work time of remaining employees is as flexible as possible. Employees in departments such as marketing or sales are able to independently determine the time they begin and end work. An interesting option also used in the company is balanced work time, based on extending the number of hours worked in one day to a maximum of 12 hours, and shortening the hours worked on another day of the week, or taking a day off at another time. A shortened

38%

62%

Gender Breakdown in Management

33%

67%

54

Work-Life Balance

Good Practices

work day or day off from work in the middle of the week is especially helpful for women in reconciling their professional and personal lives. A positive attitude towards employees, a system of flexible work schedules and a healthy approach to work tasks are factors influencing the atmosphere in the company, and consequently, the results achieved by the firm. Employees are pleased, take on new challenges with satisfaction and are also loyal to the company. Employees’ free time is respected. �e positive atmosphere in the firm is cultivated by Christmas Eve gatherings, where everyone is invited, including persons on maternity or child care leave, retired workers, those on disability pension and employees working on-line from home. Employees are able to take advantage of the company’s hotels and spas together with their spouses and school-aged children. �e Dr. Irena Eris Company provides all its employees with full medical care, access to medical specialists and lab tests in a medical center. Additionally, there is a medical facility at the company’s site, staffed twice per week by a physician and nurse, when various lab tests can be done. �e social fund of the company finances the vacations of families and their children for employees with low incomes, up to 1,000 zlotys per child. Employees attach great value to the ability of their children to attend summer camp or other vacation activities as a result of this opportunity. Applications for such funding can be made each year regardless of the number of children in a family. CARE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN �e topic of employees’ parenthood plans is not taboo in the company. Mutual discussions about plans to have children promote a feeling of stability among the women in the organization. On the other hand, it enables the firm to plan staff changes several months in advance. When a woman employee becomes pregnant, she often signs a substitution contract with a temporary employee. �is provides her with the confidence that upon her return, she will continue to work at the same position. �e person hired as the substitute starts working three months before the baby is due to be born. �is arrangement allows for a smooth transition to occur and benefits the company. When women return from maternity leave, they determine their working arrangements with their immediate supervisor. Management does not force any particular arrangements to be made, each situation is treated individually. For one person, it may be better to work during normal working hours, for others, project-based work may more suitable to meet her personal child rearing needs. Each woman on maternity leave can remain in constant contact with the firm. She can also take advantage of all company benefits, such as discounts on cosmetics, medical care or subsidized vacations. As a fully entitled employee, a woman on leave can also apply for internally recruited job openings.

Work-Life Balance 55

Good Practices

Gender Breakdown in Company

Hewlett-Packard Polska
“MATERNITY LEAVE POLICY” �e company wants to keep competent employees, therefore, a special program was initiated on working conditions for women who are pregnant and those with small children. �is program aims to support women in reconciling work and family responsibilities. When an employee goes on maternity leave, her tasks at work are divided between her colleagues, and often a person is hired as a substitute during her absence. �is is done so that the woman will have no problem returning to work after her child is born, and her job continuity is ensured. “It’s possible to extend paid maternity leave for up to six months for employees with a one-year tenure. At Hewlett-Packard, persons on leave can return to work gradually by working part-time, but this must be negotiated with the specific person, as it depends on the responsibilities and skills required for the job,” said the HR director. Hewlett-Packard also tries to make it easier for young mothers to fulfill their responsibilities. Using flexible forms of employment is part of the company’s policy. If such a need exists, a working mother can set up a suitable schedule with her superior, or change from full-time to part-time. New technologies make it possible to work from home, which is valued by mothers.

83%

17%

Gender Breakdown in Management

79%

21%

IBM Polska
Gender Breakdown in Company

76%

24%

Gender Breakdown in Management

90%

10%

SUPPORTING EMPLOYEES IN ACHIEVING WORK-LIFE BALANCE IBM believes that work and personal life are complementary priorities which should be arranged in such a way as to enable employees to realize their life plans in both spheres. �e way these areas are balanced is based on defining the values and priorities important to both the company, as well as to employees, and by identifying and supporting all the roles that are fulfilled at work and in private life. By rationally taking advantage of work time, tasks get done punctually and absenteeism is reduced. �e ability to reconcile family and work issues frees employees from many daily worries, promotes their ability to concentrate at work, and at the same time increases creativity and ingenuity in implementing projects. In 2004, IBM Poland together with an independent American consulting firm, WFD, analyzed the needs of their employees. �e results showed that most problems were generated by the lack of balance between work and personal life, especially for managers. To address these problems, IBM: – ensured medical care for employees‘ parents, – set up a portal with useful information for parents, – organized vacation camps and day camps during holiday times, – ensured free day care placements in selected preschools for their employees’ children, financed by the company. Working from home is possible as a form of flexible employment. �e company provides the necessary equipment, including installation of a broadband internet connection in an employees’ home. About 20% of employees take advantage of this form of work. As a result, the time it took to get projects done improved, absenteeism was reduced and work effectiveness increased.

56

Work-Life Balance

Good Practices

“LET’S STAY IN TOUCH” PROGRAM “Let’s stay in touch” is a program for young mothers on maternity and child care leave. Its aim is to support the reintegration of young mothers into the company upon their return from leave by providing tools enabling them to stay in contact with the company, supervisors and colleagues. Each woman going on maternity leave or child care leave up to 12 months, receives a laptop with broadband installation and a mobile telephone to enable her to maintain contact with the company. During this time, she also has access to e-mail, intranet and can participate in departmental meetings via teleconferencing, for example. While on leave, employees can also improve their qualifications by participating in e-learning training offered by IBM. In addition to the standard training programs offered to all employees, special modules have been developed for young mothers, such as “A guide for young working mothers,” or “Help me before I go crazy – working mothers learn to stay calm,” which addresses issues on coping with stress and time management. Upon returning to work after leave, young mothers can also take advantage of the ability to work from home through the company’s “homeworking” program.

Johnson&Johnson Poland
“WORKING MOM” PROGRAM Johnson&Johnson has been offering the “Working Mom” Program for a few years now, helping young mothers with career development in the company and cope better with their child care responsibilities. �e company is open to women’s individual self-development needs, also through motherhood. �e ability to modify one’s scope of work responsibilities, flexible forms of work, temporarily shortening work time, working at home, providing medical care for family members, and giving presents on special occasions are just some examples of how Johnson&Johnson shows its appreciation for the important role women play in the company. “I was one of the first mothers who participated in this program, and I am very satisfied with it. It was much easier for me to decide to return to work and leave my daughters at home when I knew I could work in the office 3 days per week and at home for the remaining 2 days until my youngest turned one. At the same time, I was able to use the company car and computer during my maternity leave.” – Associate Equity & Category Manager, Adult Skin Care, Johnson&Johnson Poland. �anks to this program, mothers – depending on their position in the company – can work partly at home or also receive additional assistance with their jobs before and after maternity leave. �ey are also able to work temporarily in another position as part of their career development. About 40% of women work in J&J’s cosmetics sector. Some departments, such as marketing or customer services, can be said to be strongly feminized (in cosmetics, women comprise 88% of marketing personnel, and currently 100% of customer service personnel). Women and men have equal opportunities for development and promotion, and the proportion of women employed in the firm is equal to the proportion of women managers to men managers.

Gender Breakdown in Company

57%

43%

Gender Breakdown in Management

54%

46%

Work-Life Balance

57

Good Practices

Masterfoods Polska
Gender Breakdown in Company

71%

29%

FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULES Masterfoods introduced flexible work schedules for young mothers, enabling them to reconcile work and their role as mothers when returning from maternity and child care leaves. Required hours at work in Masterfoods are between 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Morning and afternoon hours can be scheduled by mothers as they choose. What is important is to work a total of 40 hours in a week. Most women come to work in the early morning hours to finish work earlier in the afternoon. �ey can also work one day per week at home on-line if their job responsibilities allow. Mothers greatly appreciate these options.

Gender Breakdown in Management

80%

20%

Microsoft
Gender Breakdown in Company

70%

30%

Gender Breakdown in Management

75%

25%

FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULES FOR YOUNG MOTHERS Despite the fact that Microsoft does not have a formal program of support for pregnant women and young mothers, these women can count on being able to make arrangements to ease their situations. For women returning to work after giving birth, the company provides the option to work part-time or set up a flexible work schedule. Women on maternity leave can continue to use their company car, mobile telephone and laptop until they return to work. After returning to work, they are free to bring their children with them in case of emergencies. Currently, the company is also considering the development of procedures which would allow women raising small children to work from home. �e available options presented make the atmosphere at work friendlier and enable a smooth transition back to work after maternity leave to the same position held earlier.

Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa
Gender Breakdown in Company

61%

39%

Gender Breakdown in Management

77%

23%

THE “MOM” TEAM In order to ensure 24-hour service to clients in the Call Centre, a shift system is required. Such a scheduling system often collides with the family lives of employees. For this reason, the Department set up the “Mom“ Team in December 2000, made up of pregnant women and mothers raising children up to four years of age (the rights of this group are regulated by the Labor Code). �e company resigned from a standard work schedule especially for this group, introducing greater flexibility so that each mother could, for example, take and pick up their child from pre-school or nursery. In time, fathers raising children also joined this group. Currently, there are over 50 people participating in this group. �e team managers, who also take advantage of the same rights and benefits as their staff, best know and understand these needs. �e team also makes sure that women returning from maternity or child care leave also take advantage of training. Mutual help, an atmosphere of social responsibility and understanding significantly increase satisfaction and motivation at work.

58

Work-Life Balance

Good Practices

PricewaterhouseCoopers Polska
“EMPLOYEES’ HANDBOOK” PricewaterhouseCoopers developed a handbook for their employees, which describes all available forms of flexible work in the company. It is not a closed catalogue, but simply a list of proposals that can be expanded with the agreement of the Human Resources Department. �e handbook describes: − flexible work schedules (ability of employees to set up their own working hours with their supervisor), − work at home (doing assignments off-site), − part-time work, − evening work, − job sharing (where two persons share the responsibilities of one position, each of them hired as a permanent employee with a proportional salary, benefits and joint job description), − career breaks (an employee can, for example, work six months during a year and not work for the remaining months; in PwC Poland, this variant can only be taken as unpaid leave).
Gender Breakdown in Company

51%

49%

Gender Breakdown in Management

59%

41%

Procter&Gamble Polska
PROVISION OF CHILD CARE DURING BUSINESS TRIPS If an employee who is a young mother has to take a business trip suddenly, the company allows her to take her child and a sitter to care for the child. �e sitter is paid for by the company while the mother is busy with work responsibilities (the cost is borne by the employee’s department). �is is a great help to young mothers, for whom an unanticipated business trip does not turn into an unexpected and difficult situation.
Gender Breakdown in Company

53%

47%

Gender Breakdown in Management

51%

49%

Profes
CARING FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AS AN ELEMENT OF CORPORATE CULTURE Profes has no formal policies for pregnant women and young mothers. Nevertheless, the practices implemented reflect the corporate culture of the company, and despite the fact that they are not written down, they function in the workplace. �e firm’s executives believe that each person has the right to a personal life, and that motivation is positively influenced by the ability to fulfill and balance one’s professional and personal lives. In order to keep valuable employees, it is worth developing solutions to interim problems which in reality often just require organizational adjustments. Because of management’s approach, women do not fear to inform their employer that they are pregnant. �is means that any organizational problems resulting from such an announcement can be foreseen and planned many months is advance. Most often, a substitute employee is hired or the job is divided among several positions. Pregnant women are also not excluded from training.

Gender Breakdown in Company

13%

87%

Gender Breakdown in Management

22%

78%

Work-Life Balance

59

Good Practices

After returning from maternity or child care leave, women can work part-time, at home or do project-based work. All issues related to work-life balance (such as, for example, limiting business trips) are open to discussion and can be resolved mutually between employees and their supervisors.

Volkswagen Motor Polska
Gender Breakdown in Company

94%

6%

“FUTURE MOM” PROGRAM �e “Future Mom” Program started in March 2006 as a result of a contract agreement reached between the company and trade unions. With the good of pregnant women in mind, Volkswagen introduced flexible working arrangements at the request of employees. �e program generally works as follows: an employee who wants to take advantage of the “Future Mom” program informs her supervisor that she is pregnant and submits confirmation of this from her physician. �e confirmation is also submitted to the personnel department. She is then able to take advantage of the following options: – flexibility in establishing a daily work schedule, as she sees fit, from 6.5 to 8 hours, – flexibility in the start- and end-times of work, according to the agreed upon daily work schedule (described above), – the ability of women working over 6.5 hours per day to accumulate the extra time worked in an individual account, called “plus hours” (resulting from the difference between an 8-hour work day and the time actually worked), – the ability to use the extra hours worked as time off on a convenient date, that is, after the appropriately worked day, week or month, but not later than the moment of birth. �e solutions introduced contribute to greater motivation at work, as well as increased loyalty to the company. A tangible benefit for the employer is better organization of the work of pregnant women, lack of additional costs due to overtime and avoiding the necessity of hiring substitute workers during this time. In its first year of operation, this program was treated as a pilot and monitored. �en Volkswagen Motor Poland studied its functionality to improve, supplement or expand it in areas that may have been overlooked. During the first year, 10 pregnant women expressed an interest in participating, of whom seven actually did. In March 2007, the “Future Mom” program was accepted by the personnel director and trade union representatives for an indefinite period.

Gender Breakdown in Management

82%

18%

60

Work-Life Balance

Good Practices

Xerox Polska
“MATERNITY PROGRAM” Xerox prepared a program for pregnant women and young mothers. �e company offers: – a maternity bonus (three times an employee’s salary provided upon returning to work from maternity leave), – a program enabling women returning from maternity or child care leave to be updated on changes in the company, – the ability to exchange information on the intranet about caretakers for children and preschools, – the opportunity to work 3 time upon returning from maternity or child care leave, – a two-week phase-in period upon returning from maternity or child care leave, where a woman may arrange with her superior to leave work earlier, complete part of her assignments at home or work at home, – the ability to take advantage of a special fitness club for future and young mothers, – a special supplement to the company’s quarterly “Xerox Mama” that includes up-to-date information on changes to the Labor Code, as well as advice and information for young and future mothers.
Gender Breakdown in Company

72%

28%

Gender Breakdown in Management

37%

63%

Work-Life Balance

61

Good Practices

Counteracting sexual harassment and mobbing
Polish regulations, amended to conform with EU law, clearly state that an employer is obliged to counteract workplace harassment, also known as mobbing. Additionally, a person whose health has suffered or who left work as a result of mobbing has the right to claim financial redress or damages. �e prohibition of sexual harassment, treated as a form of discrimination based on sex, was introduced by the EU directive 2002/73/EC of 23 September 2002. �e Polish Labor Code prohibits discrimination, treated as a violation of the principle of equal treatment in employment, in Chapter IIa, Article 18. As stated in Article 183d: “a person whose employer violated the principle of equal treatment in employment has the right to damages in an amount not less than the minimal remuneration for work [...].” In sexual harassment cases, the burden of proof rests with the defendant to establish that it did not occur. It should be emphasized that in European and Polish law, sexual harassment is treated as a form of discrimination based on sex. However, statistics show that mobbing and sexual harassment occur in the workplace. According to the report of Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General, 40-50% of women in Europe experience sexual harassment at the workplace.4 Some employers undertake initiatives to prevent mobbing and sexual harassment. �e good practices described below show the activities implemented by firms in this regard. On one hand, they take steps to inform employers that mobbing and sexual harassment at work will not be tolerated, while on the other, procedures are introduced to address instances of such behavior. Building awareness among employers is done by distributing instructions on the definitions of behaviors, which will not be tolerated in the workplace, along with complaint procedures and a penalty system, as well as by incorporating these principles and measures into the firm’s code of ethics. In establishing a procedure of reacting to and addressing incidences of mobbing and sexual harassment, it is essential to enable anonymous notification of such cases. As a result, employers are more apt to disclose such incidences and the employer is then able to take remedial measures.

4

I In-depth study on all forms of violence against women, Report of the Secretary General, UN, New York, 2006.

62

Counteracting sexual harassment and mobbing

Good Practices

BP Polska
“OPEN TALK” �e principles of behavior required of BP employees are written in its code of conduct. One chapter, entitled “A friendly, harassment-free workplace,” states that each employee in BP deserves to be treated with equality, politeness and respect. BP does not tolerate abuse or harassment in any form in the workplace in relationship to employees, contractors, suppliers, clients and other persons. As part of introducing its code of conduct, BP established a special hot-line “Open Talk,” whose aim is to provide answers to questions and react to doubts about ethical issues and compliance with the principles set forth in its code. �e telephone and e-mail hot-line are operated by an independent company. �e line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. Persons who report instances of harassment are ensured any help that is needed, including legal assistance. “Open Talk” is one element of monitoring inequities in employee treatment. It enables the company to prevent discrimination, harassment and mobbing.
Gender Breakdown in Company

62%

38%

Gender Breakdown in Management

71%

29%

British American Tobacco Polska
“WHITE LINE” British American Tobacco has a “White Line” obligatory procedure. All employees are encouraged to report eventual cases of sex discrimination. A special communication channel was established for this purpose, the “White Line.” Employees can use this line when the normal, official channels of reporting cannot be used for various reasons. Reports can be made by recording on a telephone answering machine, operating 24 hours a day, or by sending an e-mail. Each report submitted in this manner is verified and investigated. As a result of this system, opportunities are guaranteed to resolve ongoing problems in the area of interpersonal relations. �e “White Line” is a tool cultivating the cultural organization of the company.
Gender Breakdown in Company

76%

24%

Gender Breakdown in Management

72%

28%

Dr. Irena Eris
INTERNAL DOCUMENT ON EQUAL TREATMENT Equal treatment in employment and counteracting mobbing are very important issues in the company. Each new employee is precisely informed about what should be done in such situations, and the internal regulations set forth in the “Proclamation on equal treatment in employment and counteracting mobbing” clearly states the principles of conduct. Employees are obliged to inform their employers of each observed incidence related to discrimination or mobbing.
Gender Breakdown in Company

38%

62%

Gender Breakdown in Management

33%

67%

Counteracting sexual harassment and mobbing

63

Good Practices

Heinz
Gender Breakdown in Company

46%

54%

Gender Breakdown in Management

82%

18%

“ETHICS & COMPLIANCE HOTLINE” HJ Heinz has been operating an “Ethics & Compliance Hotline” for over two years, publicized, among others, by visibly placed posters at company facilities providing information on how to report irregularities. �e posters provide a US telephone number that each employee may call at the company’s expense any time, day or night. When a person calls, a recorded message responds stating that the caller can maintain anonymity, but should provide the country and language to be used in speaking to a consultant. �e caller is asked to wait on the line until a translator can be found, if needed, for the consultant who will take the call (consultants use English and Spanish). �e caller is also informed that the company strictly abides by the policy prohibiting harassment of an employee reporting a problem when done in good faith using the hotline. Problems reported through the hotline relate to three areas – production and products, sales and finances, and ethics. Ethics includes such issues as discrimination, sexual harassment and mobbing. �e other categories cover such areas as sabotage, corruption, falsifying documents, environmental pollution, illegal activities, vandalism, theft, revealing confidential information, and use of the company’s resources and information for private gain. �e poster also encourages employees to try to resolve the issue first with their superiors or the human resources department. If for some reason this is not possible, they then should use the hotline. �is is not, however, a condition for using the hotline. �e company tells its employees: “Your security is ensured, because if you have a grievance, you can always use the hotline and make a complaint.”

Nordea
INSTRUCTIONS ON EQUAL TREATMENT IN EMPLOYMENT �e instructions were prepared by the human resources director of Nordea Poland, approved by Nordea Poland’s management board and then distributed to all employees. Its aim is to raise awareness, and includes a description of the complaint procedure as well as penalties for employees practicing discrimination. “In keeping with Polish law and the values we uphold, we acknowledge that any form of discrimination in employment at Nordea Life Poland is impermissible. �e instructions define direct and indirect discrimination, what is considered discriminatory activity, and describe behaviors that may be acknowledged as harassment. According to the instructions, employees “have the right to equal pay and benefits as well as other monetary or non-monetary gain for equal work, understood as the same type of work performed under the same conditions in an equal amount and quality and work of the same value, that is, work requiring comparable professional qualifications, confirmed by documents or practice and professional experience of comparable responsibility and effort.” Each person employed at Nordea Life Poland who believes that the principles of equal treatment in employment were violated in his/her case has the right to submit a written statement about the problem to his/her direct supervisor with

Gender Breakdown in Company

36%

64%

Gender Breakdown in Management

57%

43%

64

Counteracting sexual harassment and mobbing

Good Practices

notice to the human resources department and the direct supervisor of the person accused of the violation. Complaints are thoroughly investigated. �e rights of both the complainant as well as the person accused are respected. �is enables employees to feel that their rights are observed, while eliminating in most cases the possibility of making unfounded accusations. If a case of discrimination is confirmed, the person violating this principle is penalized, and may even be disciplinarily fired from work.

Counteracting sexual harassment and mobbing

65

Good Practices

Other measures promoting gender equality
Corporate social responsibility is a concept whereby businesses voluntarily incorporate the interests of society and environmental protection in their operations, as well as in relationship to their various stakeholders, such as employees, clients, credit providers, suppliers, and the local community. To be responsible means not only fulfilling all formal and legal requirements, but also to be voluntarily engaged in increasing investments in human resources, environmental protection and relationships with the community. Social initiatives of companies in Poland vary and mainly depend on a firm’s location, size, type of operation, development strategy, etc. Most often, companies are involved in education, the development of an information society, health and safety, and environmental protection. Socially responsible enterprises, aware of the important social role they play, contribute to the development of society, and by doing so also support the efforts of public authorities and local governments. Some firms undertake activities on behalf of women. Considering the situation of women in the labor market, companies conduct activities to provide women and men with equal opportunities. �ey contribute financially to support women’s entrepreneurship, women’s professional engagement or activities improving their safety. �ese activities benefit both society, as well as the company, which gains a better image and increased trust. While developing social projects may not be part of human resource management, it is worth promoting such activities. Projects for women are an important element of equal opportunities companies i.e. firms which incorporate issues of equal opportunities for women and men through their philosophy and strategies. �e initiatives presented here may be an inspiration for other socially responsible corporations.

Avon
Gender Breakdown in Company

28%

72%

Gender Breakdown in Management

32%

68%

“THE ENTREPRENEURIAL WOMAN” COMPETITION Avon Cosmetics Poland held “�e entrepreneurial woman” competition from 2000 to 2006. �e vision of this project originated from the company’s philosophy, which has supported women in various areas of life for over 100 years. Business women, who established their own companies through their knowledge, energy and strength, frequently facing and overcoming significant odds, were selected and honored in this competition. �e winners successfully manage and develop their own firms. At the same time, they do not give up their personal lives and interests, and are active in society, culture or in charitable endeavors. Under the title “You are invited by an entrepreneurial woman,” Avon organized seminars and conferences for women where women business owners and managers, representing various business sectors and women’s groups, presented their activities. �e main theme of the meetings was to make participants aware that the source of success is within them, regardless of their sex or age. Avon Cosmetics Poland has also been running the “Great Campaign for Life” since March 1998, aiming to raise awareness and knowledge about breast cancer prevention and to encourage women to take care of their health. Funds collected through the sales of products specially marked with a pink ribbon were used to conduct this campaign in Poland. Activities concentrated on spreading the message that one can recover from breast cancer if it is diagnosed early.

66

Other measures promoting gender equality

Good Practices

Heinz
“EQUALIZING OPPORTUNITIES – WOMEN’S ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THE LABOR FORCE” �is program is operated together with the Gostyń County Labor Office and supported by funding from the European Social Fund. Its goal is to provide comprehensive support to women in the labor market, to increase the percentage of women actively engaged in the labor market and improve their professional and social status by promoting equal access to the employment of both women and men, promoting life-long education, improving employability and popularizing flexible forms of employment enabling the achievement of work-life balance. All project activities help unemployed women overcome the barriers they experience in seeking jobs, such as: – lack of qualifications, – difficulty in returning to the labor market after a long break taken to raise children, – the prejudice of employers in hiring women. As part of this project, Heinz Poland hired 18 women from the immediate surroundings of their plant in Pudliszki.
Gender Breakdown in Company

46%

54%

Gender Breakdown in Management

82%

18%

Provident Polska
“BE SAFE IN THE CITY” Provident in involved in activities for local communities and is a socially responsible corporation. One example of such involvement is their “Be safe in the city” program, conducted during summer vacation time in 2006 in Łódź. “Be safe in the city” is a response to the high perception of danger among women residents of Łódź. Women feel more threatened by unsafe situations than men, often related to the stereotype of the “weaker sex,” where women believe that they do not have the chance or opportunity to defend themselves. �ough crime is decreasing – as seen in police statistics – every other woman has found herself in a situation endangering her health or life. A report prepared by the Provincial Governor’s Office in Łódź shows that the city and province are among the areas of Poland most threatened by crime. �e “Be safe in the city” program is a proposal to increase women’s feelings of personal safety. �e campaign included 16 training cycles, each comprised of 8 sessions, with presentations by psychologists and practical exercises in self-defense. Over 400 women participated. �e training was targeted to women who could be exposed to dangerous situations in their daily lives, e.g. while using public transportation, on the street, in elevators. �e program showed how to avoid dangerous situations and, if necessary, how to cope with them. Women of various ages and physical ability participated. Workshop participants agreed that the training significantly improved their feelings of personal safety.
Gender Breakdown in Company

60%

40%

Gender Breakdown in Management

55%

45%

Other measures promoting gender equality

67

Is your company an
“equal opportunities company”? – survey

Elwira Gross-Gołacka

Is your company an “equal opportunities company”? – survey

T

his questionnaire is a tool for diagnosing equal opportunities in a company’s human resource management policies. It allows an organization to analyze its activities in five areas of personnel management: recruitment, employee development, salary policies, work-life balance, and counteracting mobbing and sexual harassment.

�e scores show which areas require improvement and what can be done to enhance the functioning of equal opportunities policies in the organization. One should begin with areas assessed negatively as they are the ones requiring change and worth addressing to eliminate discriminatory practices. �is self-assessment tool was prepared with not only large firms in mind, but also small and medium-sized companies. It shows ways of implementing activities that promote equality without assuming additional expenses. In summary, the self-assessment tool should be a source of advice and guidance on incorporating equal opportunities’ principles into the practice and policies of an organization.

Recruitment
Job advertisements
When publishing job advertisements: 1. Are they sent to the media long before the recruitment deadline? 2. Are they published in a variety of media? 3. Are the required skills and qualifications for the position presented in detail? 4. Is the salary range for the position provided? 5. You do not specify the preferred sex of a candidate. 6. You do not only use the masculine form of a position’s title. 7. In cases of professions typically perceived as “male,” you provide a description of responsibilities indicating the opportunity for women to apply. Yes Sometimes No

Job descriptions
Are job descriptions: 8. clear and understandable? Do they include the most important tasks and scope of responsibilities? Do they comprehensively describe the skills and knowledge required of the candidate? 9. checked and approved by the persons responsible for this (direct supervisor, HR specialists)? Yes Sometimes No

Employee selection
Does your company: 10. establish a recruitment panel to ensure the objective selection of a candidate (direct supervisor, HR specialist)? 11. train persons responsible for recruitment on the influence of prejudices and stereotypes related to gender in the selection process of job candidates? 12. establish a set of questions for candidates related to their experience and the requirements of the particular job? 13. eliminate questions on marital status, age and children? 14. ask the same questions of all candidates? 15. not ask women questions that wouldn’t be asked of men? Yes Sometimes No

70

Is your company an “equal opportunities company”? – survey

Employee orientation
Does your company: 16. conduct an orientation for new employees to fully integrate them into the firm? 17. provide information to new employees to make them aware of equal opportunities in your workplace? Yes Sometimes No

Employee development
Does your company: 18. have a policy developed with the employer’s declared interest in supporting employees’ professional development, improving qualifications and access to training? 19. offer women and men equal access to training opportunities? 20. have a transparent and clear system of promotion for all employees? 21. provide constructive feedback to employees applying for promotions (regardless of whether they were promoted or not)? 22. promote individuals from weakly represented groups to higher positions (e.g. women) by using mentoring programs, coaching or support groups? 23. monitor access to promotion and training using data disaggregated by sex? Yes Sometimes No

Salary policies
Does your company: 24. provide women and men with equal pay for equal work of the same value? 25. have a clear and transparent system of establishing salaries and providing employees with raises and awards? 26. monitor salary levels to eliminate wage inequities based on sex? Yes Sometimes No

Work-life balance
Does your company: 27. inform employees of their rights and eligibility to benefits (e.g. to maternity leave, child care leave, flexible forms of employment)? 28. monitor whether information on achieving work-life balance reaches women as well as men? 29. have special work-life balance programs for pregnant women and young mothers? 30. offer employees and their families e.g. medical care, subsidies for child care, co-payments for children’s vacation activities? 31. offer flexible forms of employment: a) part-time work, b) flexible times of work, with the ability to choose start and end times, as well as breaks, c) working from home? Yes Sometimes No

71

Is your company an “equal opportunities company”? – survey

Counteracting sexual harassment and mobbing
Does your company: 32. inform employees that sexual harassment and mobbing are behaviors that are not tolerated? 33. inform and train employees in recognizing cases of mobbing and sexual harassment? 34. have procedures of filing complaints and addressing cases of discriminatory actions? 35. inform employees of the complaint procedures? 36. enable discriminatory actions to be reported to trained mediators, guaranteeing an objective resolution of the problem? Yes Sometimes No

Match your answers with the number of points indicated in the table below.

Table of points
Question Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31a 31b Yes 2 3 3 2 3 2 2 3 3 2 2 3 4 3 2 2 4 2 4 2 2 2 3 4 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 Sometimes 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 No 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

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Is your company an “equal opportunities company”? – survey

31c 32 33 34 35 36

3 2 2 3 2 2

2 1 1 2 1 1

0 0 0 0 0 0

Results 100–86 points
A very good result. Your firm implements policies ensuring equal opportunities for women and men in the workplace. Continue these pro-equality activities which promote an increase in your company’s effectiveness and innovativeness.

85–51 points
You are probably not implementing equal opportunity policies in all areas of human resources management in your organization. It may be worth taking a look at the good practices serving to equalize opportunities for women and men in the workplace. �eir implementation has shown to make good business sense in many areas. Research confirms that organizations ensuring equal opportunities have access to a greater talent pool, minimize costs associated with staff turnover, achieve better financial results and are perceived as a valued employer. It is reasonable then to take additional action to introduce equal opportunity strategies in all areas of human resource management.

50–0 points
Your company may not be complying with the Labor Code in treating women and men equally at work. An analysis of all areas related to human resources management in your company is required to implement measures required to counteract discrimination.

Bibliography
Equal opportunities handbook, Regenasis 2005, http://www.equality-online.org.uk/get_involved/eo-handbook.html Equality checklist, Enterprising Approaches to Equality Project, http://www.esep.co.uk/East0006/east_dloads/east_horznt/ eqcheck.pdf Pillinger J., Equality checklist, http://www.socialeurope.com/mandiv/en/checklist.html Recruting Staff. Guidance for managers and supervisors, Equal Opportunity Commission 2006. 2001 Equal Opportunity. Handbook and model policies, �e Law Society of New South Wales 2001.

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Index of companies and good practices

Index of companies and good practices
Company ETHICAL NORMS BP Polska British American Tobacco Polska Deloitte GE Money Bank Johnson&Johnson Poland Masterfoods Polska PricewaterhouseCoopers Polska EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT BP Polska Hewlett-Packard Polska ING Masterfoods Polska Microsoft Motorola PricewaterhouseCoopers Polska Procter&Gamble Polska Real Urząd Skarbowy w Środzie Śląskiej Practice “Our commitment to integrity” “Statement of Employment Principles” “Code of Conduct” “�e Spirit & �e Letter” “Our Credo” “�e Five Principles of Mars” “Code of Conduct” Page 50 51 51 52 52 53 53

Competency-based selection Women listed as candidates Men and women on the selection committeeo Multi-stage selection process Uniform selection standards �e Diversity Competition Multi-stage selection process Informational meetings for female university students “Recruitment without Discrimination” Workshop Guidelines for the impartial and standardized selection of new employees

55 56 56 56 57 58 59 60 61 61

EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT Citibank Handlowy Deloitte Deloitte GE Money Bank IBM Polska IBM Polska Johnson&Johnson Poland Nokia Poland Novartis Poland Novartis Poland Procter&Gamble Polska Procter&Gamble Polska Volkswagen Motor Polska

Citigroup Women Poland Global Excellence Model “Women in the Workforce” “GE Women’s Network” “European Women Leadership Council” “Woman in Technology” “Women’s Leadership Initiative” Individual professional development programs for women “Female Leadership Forum” Mentoring program for women Mentoring Development plan VW Women’s Club

63 64 64 66 66 66 67 68 68 69 69 69 70

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Index of companies and good practices

COMPENSATION POLICIES BP Polska Masterfoods Polska Procter&Gamble Polska WORK-LIFE BALANCE Avon BP Polska Deloitte Dr. Irena Eris Dr. Irena Eris Hewlett-Packard Polska IBM Polska IBM Polska Johnson&Johnson Poland Masterfoods Polska Microsoft Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa PricewaterhouseCoopers Polska Procter&Gamble Polska Profes Volkswagen Motor Polska Xerox Polska

Salary policy Zonal salary system Monitoring salaries by sex

72 73 73

Career breaks Access to the tools of work during maternity leave Work-life balance policies Corporate culture supports the family lives of employees Care for pregnant women “Maternity leave policy” Supporting employees in achieving work-life balance “Let’s stay in touch” Program “Working Mom” Program Flexible work schedules Flexible work schedules for young mothers �e “Mom” Team “Employees Handbook” Provision of child care during business trips Caring for pregnant women as an element of corporate culture “Future Mom” Program “Maternity Program”

75 75 76 76 77 78 78 79 79 80 80 80 81 81 82 82 83

COUNTERACTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND MOBBING BP Polska “Open Talk” British American Tobacco Polska “White Line” Dr. Irena Eris Internal document on equal treatment Heinz “Ethics & Compliance Hotline” Nordea Instructions on equal treatment in employment OTHER ACTIVITIES PROMOTING GENDER EQUALITY Avon “�e entrepreneurial woman” competition Heinz “Equalizing opportunities – women’s active participation in the labor force” Provident Polska “Be safe in the city”

85 85 85 86 86

88 89 89

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Company profiles

Company profiles
Avon Cosmetics Polska Sp. z o.o.
Avon is one of the six largest cosmetic companies in the world. Its products are offered through direct sales from over 5 million independent consultants. �e company was established in 1886 in the United States. It currently operates in 100 countries and has been in Poland since 1992. In 2007, the number of independent Avon consultants in Poland surpassed 200,000.

BP Polska Sp. z o.o.

BP is an energy company, operating in Poland since 1991, with headquarters in Kraków. It operates fuel stations, sells liquefied natural gas, oils and lubricants, produces asphalt and wholesale automotive fuels. �e company received an award from the “Equal opportunities company” competition in 2006.

British American Tobacco Polska SA

British American Tobacco Poland is part of the British American Tobacco Group – an international tobacco company selling its products in over 180 markets in the world. �e start of the British American Tobacco Group dates to 1902. It started operating in Poland in 1991. Since beginning operations in Poland, it works with a facility in Augustów, where today (2007) over 700 people are employed.

Citibank Handlowy (Handlowy Bank in Warsaw SA)

Handlowy Bank is one of the largest financial institutions in Poland, offering under its Citibank Handlowy trademark (since 2002) an up-to-date range of products and services in corporate, investment and consumer banking. Handlowy Bank in Warsaw SA is the oldest commercial bank in Poland and one of the oldest to have been continually operating in Europe. In 2001, it merged with Citibank Poland Company. Citigroup is a leading global firm providing financial services. It serves about 200 million individual, corporate, government and institutional clients in over 100 countries.

Deloitte Advisory Sp. z o.o.

Deloitte has been present in Poland since 1990. Since that time, it has become one of the best known trademarks associated with the highest quality of comprehensive services in tax advising, financial advising and auditing. Since June 2006, the company, which is continually developing, has had the largest team in Poland of over 200 consultants offering a full range of consultancy services.

GE Money Bank SA

GE Money Bank belongs to GE Money, the financial branch of the General Electric Corporation. Operating in Poland since January 2005, it was established as a result of a merger between GE Capital Bank (in the Polish market since 1995) and GE Housing Bank (in the Polish market since 1998). �e mission of GE Money Bank is to meet the financial needs of people by providing up-to-date, accessible and speedy services of the highest quality.

ING Group

�e ING Group is a global provider of financial services originating in the Netherlands. It offers a broad range of banking, insurance and investment portfolio services. In terms of its market value, ING belongs to the top 20 largest financial institutions in the world, and is in the top 10 in Europe. ING’s mission is to set the standard in supporting clients in managing their financial future. Each day, 120,000 ING employees work hard to meet the needs of various types of clients: individuals, families, small businesses, corporations and institutions. It serves clients in over 50 countries.

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Company profiles

Hewlett-Packard Polska Sp. z o.o.

Hewlett-Packard Poland has operated in the Polish market since 1991. According to rankings of the information technology market (Teleinfo 500, Computerworld Top 200), the company is the largest information technology firm and provider of IT in Poland, and has maintained that position since 1997.

HJ Heinz Polska SA

�e Heinz Company was established in 1869. In 1997, Heinz acquired a Polish processing plant – Pudliszki SA. �en in 2000, it acquired two additional plants: ZPOW Międzychód and ZKS Wodzisław Śląski SA. �e plants then went through a three-year restructuring period, resulting in the merger of all three into Pudliszki SA as the center for vegetable and tomato processing, and the Pudliszki Division in Międzychód, where pre-cooked courses are produced. Today Heinz Poland offers over 140 products, and its market share of specific items is rising.

IBM Polska Sp. z o.o.

IBM is one of the world’s largest information technology firms, a leader in supporting business innovation for over 80 years. �e company offers a wide range of consulting and IT services, programming and IT systems and technology. �e company operates in over 170 countries, employing over 320,000 specialists. IBM Poland has been operating since 1991 and currently employs over 1,800 persons. Its main headquarters is in Warsaw, with divisions in Kraków, Katowice, Poznań and Wrocław.

Johnson&Johnson Poland Sp. z o.o.

Johnson&Johnson is a world leader in health care products, operating in the medical and diagnostics products market, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. �e company’s success is due to its unique form of decentralized management, its farsighted vision and compliance with ethical principles set forth in its “Our Credo” document, which defines its responsibilities to clients, employees, the community and stockholders. 200 companies are part of the corporation, and Johnson&Johnson’s products are sold in over 175 countries. �e company has been operating in Poland since 1989. With its seven significant franchises, J&J is the largest corporation in the world operating in the medical devices and diagnostics market.

Laboratorium Kosmetyczne Dr Irena Eris SA

�e Dr. Irena Eris Cosmetic Laboratories is one of the best known Polish producers of cosmetic care products, operating in the market for over 23 years. Dr. Irena Eris cosmetics are sold in 26 countries of the world. Research and development is a significant area of company activity. In 2001, the company opened a new Centre for Science and Research, where in vitro studies on skin cells are conducted, unique in the cosmetics industry. �e Dr. Irena Eris brand is also known through a network of Skin Care Institutes, offering a wide-ranging array of professional cosmetic services with the expert advice of dermatologists. Today, the network has 28 sites in the country, two outside of Poland and Dr. Irena Eris SPA Hotels.

Masterfoods Polska Sp. z o.o.

Masterfoods Poland is the Polish division of the American company, Mars, Inc. Mars is a world leader in the production of pet food, confectionary and pre-cooked meals. Today Mars includes over 200 divisions and over 100 plants, employing about 40,000 persons in over 65 countries. Masterfoods Poland was established in 1992 in Kożuszki Parcel near Sochaczew, where a plant and office complex is operating.

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Company profiles

Microsoft Sp. z o.o.

Microsoft is an international producer of computer software, server applications and information technologies for individual, corporate and institutional clients. It was established in 1975 in the United States, and the Polish division was founded in 1992. �rough its branches throughout the world, Microsoft employs over 70,000 specialists in various fields, including 230 persons in Poland.

Motorola Poland Electronics Sp. z o.o.

�e Center began operations in Kraków in March 1998, and today is part of a worldwide network of 20 Motorola programming centers. �e Kraków Programming Center of Motorola now employs over 800 persons and mainly works on programming and integrating elements for the infrastructure of mobile telephone networks, telecommunications systems for public safety services and mobile telephone programming.

Nokia Poland Sp. z o.o.

Nokiais the world’s largest producer of mobile telephones and equipment, a leader in equipment production, creating solutions and providing services to network operators. �e company’s goal is to improve communication among people and to seek new methods of exchanging information.

Nordea – European Financial Group

Nordea is a leading financial institution in Northern Europe. It is among of Europe’s 15 largest financial institutions. It offers comprehensive services in consumer and corporate banking, life insurance and investment management. �e Nordea Group in Poland is represented by Nordea Poland Life Insurance Association SA and Nordea Public Retirement Association SA (retirement funds). Nordea Life Poland offers savings-insurance programs for individuals and firms and their employees.w.

Novartis Poland Sp. z o.o.

Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) is a world leader in health care. �e company focuses on discovering, developing and marketing innovative medical products, bringing relief in illness and improving the quality of life. Novartis is the only company in a leadership position in both the pharmaceutical patents market and generic pharmaceuticals. Novartis was established in 1996 by the merger of two pharmaceutical firms: Sandoz and CIBA Geigy. �e corporation has three divisions: Pharma, Sandoz and Consumer Health. Companies comprising the Novartis Groups, with its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, employ about 99,000 persons and operate in over 140 countries in the entire world. �e company has had ties to the Polish pharmaceutical industry for over 100 years. Today in Poland, the Group is represented by Novartis Poland Sp. z o.o., CIBA Vision, Alima-Gerber SA, HEXAL Polska Sp. z o.o., Lek Polska Sp. z o.o., and Lek SA.1

Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa Sp. z o.o.

Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa Co. Ltd. is the operator of the Era and Heyah mobile telephone networks. PTC offers services based on the GSM 900, GSM 1800 and UMTS licenses. �e company also offers wireless access to the Internet. PTC serves over 12.2 million clients, reaches 96.5% of Poland’s territory and 99.6% of its residents.

PricewaterhouseCoopers Polska Sp. z o.o.

PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global organization providing professional consulting services through the knowledge and qualifications of over 140,000 employees in 149 countries. It builds its relationships with clients by providing the highest quality services, transparency and honesty. In Poland, PricewaterhouseCoopers employs a team of over 1,000 specialists and administrative staff in six cities: Gdańsk, Kraków, Poznań, Wrocław, Katowice and Warsaw.

1

I PCC 032007 COR PRA 0164.
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Company profiles

Procter & Gamble Operations Polska Sp. z o.o.

Procter&Gamble produces and sells fast moving consumer goods such as cosmetics, personal hygiene products and household cleaners. A total of 135,000 employees, including 2,000 in Poland, work towards the company’s success in over 80 P&G offices throughout the world. P&G has a strong organizational culture, and is distinguished each year in prestigious international and national rankings an excellent employer.

Profes® Center of Training and Consulting E. Karpińska-Bryke, A. Olszewski, M. Bryke sp.j.

Profes is a consultancy and training company improving management processes and developing management staff and specialists’ competencies of mainly large and mid-sized firms. It specializes in organizational and sales management, implements sales management systems and quality standards for sales personnel and their management in dedicated projects. Established in 1993, Profes is one of the oldest and most experienced companies in its field. Since that time, it has continually grown, increasing its know-how and client base. It is one of the top consulting and training companies in Poland. �e Warsaw Business Journal ranks Profes as the eighth largest company in its field. In 2005, Profes established the Kaizen Institute in Poland, part of the international structure of a global consulting firm originating in Japan. �e firm implements improvement processes using the Kaizen philosophy and methodology and offers educational programs based on these tools.

Provident Polska SA

Provident was established over 125 years ago in Great Britain. It is part of the international finance corporation – Provident Financial plc., a leader in the cash credit market provided quickly in a client’s home. Today, Provident also operates in Ireland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Mexico and for almost 10 years in Poland.

Real - Sp. z o.o. and Spółka, and Spółka komandytowa Urząd Skarbowy w Środzie Śląskiej

�e network of Real hypermarkets belongs to the Metro Group, one of the largest sales corporations in the world. �e firm has 49 hypermarkets located throughout Poland.

�e Środa Śląska Tax Office has been operating since 1983. It acquired its ISO 9001:2000 quality management certificate in 2005. It uses modern management techniques, concentrating mainly on efficient and effective customer service. As a result of these policies, the Office has garnered a number of awards: – Special recognition in the SC Manager competition as “�e Friendliest Public Administration Office” in 2003, – �e title of “Most Business-Friendly Tax Office” awarded by the Business Centre Club. It also achieved a high score in the “III Ranking of Treasury Offices” by “Gazeta Prawna” [Law Gazette].

Volkswagen Motor Polska Sp. z o.o.

Volkswagen Motor Poland began operations in 1998. A modern production facility was built in Polkowice in 1999. �e company underwent an integrated management system certification process. Volkswagen’s vision is to constantly elicit client satisfaction and to create new value for its future by ensuring the highest level of efficiency and creativity among all its employees.

Xerox Polska Sp. z o.o.

Xerox is a technology and service corporation. It is one of the largest service organizations in the world in the field of document management, both in electronic as well as paper form. It also offers software, technical assistance and office equipment. Xerox has been on the market for over 65 years and in Poland for over 30 years. It currently employs 205 persons.

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‘�is pioneering publication is a particularly valuable addition to Polish literature [in the area of human resources management]. I give it a highly positive rating. It is addressed to: middle and upper-level managers, particularly those working in human resources to create a corporate environment where women and men have equal opportunities; human resources consultants advising Polish companies on how to create equal opportunities.’
Monika Kostera, Ph.D., D.Sc.

Professor of Business Administration, Faculty of Management, University of Warsaw Director of the Entrepreneurship Institute, Växjö University

‘�e problems being addressed by this publication are valid and salient in the realm of modern organizational management. �e existence of equal opportunities is becoming increasingly more important as yet another competitive advantage factor for companies on today’s globalised, knowledge- and technology-driven market. �e Good Practice Guide is a novel piece of work, helping incorporate modern ideas into the field of human resources management in Poland. I definitely give it high marks. Written in simple language, it is practical and comprehensible to the average reader. Furthermore, it can be readily used by university students and human resources consultants in their work.’
Aleksy Pocztowski, Ph.D., D.Sc.

Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and International Relations, Cracow University of Economics

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