A new Diversity and Inclusion Charter and fresh action to reach at least 40% women in its management by 1 November 2019 are two key features of the Commission’s new human resources policy.
The purpose is to create a better workplace for all – including women, staff with disabilities, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Intersex (LGBTI) staff and older staff. Concrete steps will be taken to make best use of the talent of all of the Commission’s employees.
Commissioner Gunther H. Oettinger in charge of budget and human resources said: “We want our staff to be valued and accepted, irrespective of their age, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities. If we build on this diversity, we will be more innovative and deliver better results for our citizens.
A true equal opportunity workplace: at least 40% in female management
In addition to the Diversity and Inclusion strategy, the Commission has today adopted a set of robust measures to bring female representation in its management to at least 40% by 1 November 2019. These include individual targets for all Commission departments when it comes to appointing someone as Head of Unit for the first time. Departments that are falling behind their targets may be asked to attract suitable female candidates before proceeding with an appointment.
These measures come on top of those adopted earlier, including efforts to identify, develop and support female talent, targeted training sessions as well as mentoring.
A better workplace for all: the Commission’s Diversity and Inclusion strategy
The Diversity and Inclusion strategy focuses on four main target groups: women, staff with disabilities, LGBTI people and older staff.
The strategy contains cross-cutting but also specific measures to address the concerns of each of these groups, including:
– For women, specific management programmes and support for existing and new women networks
– For disabled staff, involvement in the planning of access and mobility facilities in Commission buildings.
– For LGBTI, awareness activities and trainings for managers and staff, in particular to address any unconscious bias.
– For older staff, monitor whether they face any discrimination when applying for new jobs.
The strategy will start a process of reporting, monitoring and further fine-tuning of proposed measures. The first Diversity and Inclusion Report will be published in spring 2018.