Corporate welfare and gender equality.

How to profitably incorporate corporate welfare plans into the strategic plan for obtaining gender-equality certification.

Among the areas of intervention set out by UNI PdR 125:2022, particular relevance is given to the area entitled "Protection of parenthood and work-life balance", covering all welfare policies adopted by a company mainly concerning parenthood and so-called work-life balance.

But what are these welfare policies?

The term is certainly familiar to most, given the growing interest of companies in adopting policies in this area. The term "corporate welfare" refers to the set of initiatives, benefits and plans put in place by an employer to improve employees' quality of work and life. Among the most common initiatives are meal vouchers, smart working arrangements, in-house gyms, or special agreements with nurseries and summer camps.

In short, it is a whole series of company measures aimed at making it easier to reconcile private life with continued employment and consequent career progression.

While, on one hand, this represents a great advantage for employees in terms of personal wellbeing, on the other hand there are numerous benefits companies derive from welfare policies: first of all, they allow employers to achieve significant tax savings, accompanied by a simultaneous increase in company productivity.

In addition, welfare plans enable two further important advantages, both closely linked to the concept of brand reputation: the effects of "employer branding" and "employee retention".

The first relates to a company's ability to be attractive on the market to those with an interest in it: an ability that grows exponentially when adequate welfare packages are offered, thereby making the company particularly appealing to new talent.

The second, by contrast, concerns specifically the internal life of the company, as welfare initiatives are capable of reducing staff turnover, with a consequent reduction in the costs arising from staff training.

Having a clear understanding of what welfare is and what benefits derive from it, it is then possible to consider the potential synergy between these benefits and the achievement of gender-equality certification. As already mentioned, among the specific areas identified by the reference standard for drafting a strategic plan is the area dedicated to the protection of parenthood and work-life balance.

The question, therefore, is not whether this synergy is possible, but which welfare plans are best suited to achieving the goal of gender equality within a company. It follows naturally that the main initiatives revolve around motherhood and are designed to enable working mothers to more easily reconcile returning to work with managing their children. In this respect, granting smart working, the possibility of reduced working hours, and agreements with nurseries and summer camps (even better if run in-house) all appear highly important.

These, however, are not the only options, as a company may act as it sees fit based on the specific needs of its own working environment. Interesting initiatives can involve psychological support, for example by offering the possibility of undertaking a course of psychotherapy for the benefit of employees who feel they need it (when returning after maternity leave or to manage work-related stress).

Other suggestions may concern organising workshops for staff specifically aimed at team building, with a view to inclusiveness and socialising.

As can be seen, there are many different paths that can be taken, with the advantage of easily adapting to the specific reality of each company, while still aiming to achieve the same result: creating a corporate environment that is as equal and inclusive as possible.

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