The CERCA Center Agrotecnio has approved its new Equality Plan, a fundamental strategic document that establishes a set of measures to guarantee equal opportunities between women and men within the organization. This plan represents a decisive step in Agrotecnio’s commitment to promoting a more equitable and inclusive work environment.
Agrotecnio’s Equality Plan includes a series of concrete and measurable actions designed to effectively address existing inequalities and foster an inclusive culture. Some of the main measures included are:
- Work-life balance: Specific measures will be implemented to facilitate the compatibility between employees’ professional and personal lives, such as flexible working hours, remote work, and other initiatives that promote better work-life balance.
- Equality in hiring and internal promotion: Selection and promotion processes will be ensured to be based on objective and transparent criteria, free from any form of gender bias. This includes the creation of mechanisms to guarantee that promotion opportunities are equal for everyone, regardless of gender.
- Prevention of harassment and discrimination: Specific protocols will be developed to prevent and address any form of harassment or discrimination in the workplace. A climate of mutual respect and zero tolerance towards discriminatory attitudes will be promoted.
- Training and awareness: Training programs will be launched to raise awareness among employees about the importance of gender equality and diversity. This training will include tools to identify and manage potential gender biases in daily work.
- Salary review: Periodic analysis will be conducted to ensure that there are no unjustified wage gaps between women and men in jobs of equal value. This will allow for the detection and correction of potential pay imbalances.
This set of measures reflects Agrotecnio’s commitment to building a fairer, more diverse, and more equal organization. Moreover, it clearly aligns with current gender equality regulations and best practices in corporate social responsibility within the sector.
As the center’s director, José Antonio Bonet, explains, the plan is “a demonstration of our commitment to generating a positive impact, both within the organization and in society, ensuring that all people have the same opportunities for growth and professional development, regardless of gender.” This strategic approach not only contributes to a more inclusive and respectful work environment but also fosters a more collaborative and productive workplace.
With this initiative, Agrotecnio reaffirms its commitment to social responsibility and to creating a more inclusive, diverse, and equal work environment for all employees, positioning itself as a model of best practices in promoting gender equality.
A voluntary initiative
The law establishes that companies with 50 or more employees must have a mandatory equality plan, while companies with fewer than 50 employees can choose to implement an equality plan voluntarily.
Although it is not mandatory due to its size, Agrotecnio has decided to adopt an equality plan to promote equality between men and women and to strengthen its values of inclusion and equality. This plan, although voluntary, becomes binding for the company once it is negotiated and signed by the involved parties.
The process of developing this plan began on July 25, 2023, when Agrotecnio contacted the Dolors Piera Center for Equal Opportunities and Women’s Promotion at the University of Lleida to gather information on the steps to follow in creating a voluntary equality plan. On October 30, 2023, both entities formalized their commitment to collaborate on its development.
The plan’s development followed a thorough process, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques to analyze the situation of women and men within the organization. This diagnosis has allowed for the identification of areas for improvement and the establishment of necessary actions to ensure equal opportunities.
During its four-year duration, periodic monitoring will be carried out to evaluate its effectiveness and ensure compliance with the established objectives.
To have full legal validity and effects before third parties, Agrotecnio’s equality plan has been registered with REGCON (Registry and Deposit of Collective Agreements, Collective Work Agreements, and Equality Plans) of the Ministry of Equality.