ALTANA

  Key Information

  Abstract

  Relevant Details about the Organisation in general

• Altana is a new company (established in 1992) but by now the most important company for kids clothes in Italy
• Altana is owned and hold by a young woman entrepreneur
• the female employees are very young
• women in management double the number of men

  Special Best Practices as a part of a larger project/programme

Altana is more related to "informal individual oriented policies than to more formal programs". The importance of informality, together with a high value posed at workers as individuals, are stressed as the key value of the organisation

  Objectives/reasons for the special best Practice

The main objective is to reach a good kind of human relations and to demonstrate attention to quality of life in the work

  Target group

employees (male and female)

  Best Practices-process/special Best Practices activities

• Flexibility during the day time: time of entrance and exit are arranged individually (although with some rules)
• Flexibility during the week: the opportunity to have the Friday afternoon free in some offices on rotation
• part-time: in use by ten workers
• job sharing: in use by four workers (two functions), one in reception and one in the customer services
• teleworking: mainly used by managers on maternity leave, they can make up this time when coming back to work

  Some additional aspects: Altana is situated in a old venetian villa, surrounded by a park ( in which are posed toys for kids), with a swimming pool that can be used by workers and families after the work and also during week-ends. The cafeteria is a separate small building, with a kitchen, where everybody can cook or re-heat its own meal. A large villa in Tuscany is also available on week-end on a rotation base. Journey for families are often.

  Promoters/coaches etc

owner (who is mother of a child)
HR

  Cost/benefit criteria

Benefit: flexibility and disposability enable employees to do a good job, without a disadvantage in the personal life but they have to respect a loyalty "pact" from workers and disposability by the owner

  Other relevant information

The HR managers wonder if the informality existing now could still go on when the number of workers is so dramatically increasing

Banca Commerciale Italiana

  Key Information

  Abstract

  Relevant Details about the Organisation in general

Growing womanlization and better woman's qualification

  Special Best Practices as a part of a larger project/programme

Favourable firm atmosphere achieved through a long work of sensibilization by means of Positive Actions of middle management carried out by the Committee for Equal Opportunities

  Objectives/reasons for the special best Practice

Part-time and flexitime not as marginal work: career chances

  Target group

All employees

  Best Practices-process/special Best Practices activities

• 13 part time patterns (horizontal, vertical, mixed). Up to now the most used patterns have been: part time with 25 hours a week, part time with 30 hours, part time with 15 hours (the only one within six months' fixed period renewable in case of necessity). Leaves without pay (up to max. one year) in case of one's own child's disease if he/she is aged between 3 and 6, leaves without pay (max. 10 days) to insert one's own child in the nursery school or kindergarden.
  
• Time bank (using overtime to make up for time), Training: two courses a year for women who come back to work after a maternity or parental leave.
  
• Career course: also part time women are introduced into career circuits

CERFE Group

  Key Information

  Abstract

  Relevant Details about the Organisation in general

The areas of interest of the Group are:
poverty and social exclusion; civil society; urban issues; rural development and environment; gender issues; capacity building and training; enterprise, labour and employment; health and quality; migrations and brain drain; globalization
Among its contracting institutions are:
European Commission, European Parliament, UNDP, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, FAO, UNDESA, UNOPS, ILO, UNCHS, UNICEF, WHO, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italian Ministry for Health, AIOP, ANISAP, Bayer It., Merck Sharp & Dhome, Pfizer It., Telecom It.

  Special Best Practices as a part of a larger project/programme

The promotion of a co-operative to support associates and employees in their care responsibilities is principally aimed at helping women contribute with their full potential to the activities of the Group without neglecting the centrality of family and social life. This objective rests on the assumption that women constitute a powerful social actor for the development of contemporary societies.

  Objectives/reasons for the special best Practice

Main objectives of the co-operative ("Centro di cooperazione familiare"): promoting women's career, children's and elders' well-being, the sharing of responsibilities between men and women in care activities and adult education

  Target group

Associates and employees of Gruppo CERFE; Their parents and children

  Best Practices-process/special Best Practices activities

• Kindergarten ("asiletto") in hours different from those provided by public and traditional childcare services (from 3.30 pm to 8.30 pm, dinner included);
• Girls' and boys' club ("Circolo die ragazzi) to assist them in home-work and to provide them with opportunities for their cultural and social personal development;
• Fathers' socialization to their role;
• Extraordinary support services for family (from domestic cleaning to sick-care)
• Personal care services for elders; maternity, paternity, adoption, emergency, training leave; part-time, flexiplace, flexitime, term-time working;
• Sensitization to themes of social relevance

  Promoters/coaches etc

Women researchers belonging to ASDO are the real promoters of the policy of women's and family support in the context of Gruppo CERFE. ASDO started with self -help services among women and obtained in the end institutional and financial support to services growing more and more complex and far-reaching. The Centro di cooperazione familiare is now almost entirely autonomous from the financial point of view, having succeeded in finding contributions for this activities

  Cost/benefit criteria

Investments on care services are made to have women working full-time, often at top-level positions

  Evaluation/awards/prices etc

Gruppo CERFE presented its co-operative in the framework of the European network on child care

  Planned next steps

The co-operative is now active in training women's enterprises in the provision of care services that need to be suited on the particular demands of highly committed women professionals. Services for elders are also being expanded.

  Other relevant information

All services provided by the co-operative have a participative character: In the Siletto and in the Circolo mothers and fathers are engaged in regular shifts, coordinated by a staff of professionals

Delta Elettronica

  Key Information

  Abstract

  Relevant Details about the Organisation in general

The production in delta is "irregular": in some months of the year the company needs more working hours

  Special Best Practices as a part of a larger project/programme

General need of flexibility

  Objectives/reasons for the special best Practice

General need of flexibility without excessive costs for employees

  Target group

for one best practice: all employees,
for two best practices: white collars

  Best Practices-process/special Best Practices activities

• time accounts ("banca delle ore" or hours'bank)
• flexitime (shifts of 1 hour) for white collars
• part-time after maternity leave

  The first 16 extra-hours are payed. The other ones can be recovered. Every employee has a "count" of extra-hours/vacancies, etc. which can be spent when he/she needs or like

  Promoters/coaches etc

Trade Unions of the company/HR of the company

  Cost/benefit criteria

No cost for the company. Only organisational cost. Benefits: for company, the limitation of extra payed hours; for employees, the incentive to value correctly the time, not only the salary

Electrolux Zanussi

  Key Information

  Abstract

  Relevant Details about the Organisation in general

Growth of women's presence (from 1992):
Total women from 25,2% to 37,9%
Managers from 0,9% to 1,6%
Female clerks from 29,4% to 31,1%
7th grade female clerks from 4,6% to 9,5%
6th grade female clerks from 22,5% to 31,4%
Female executives from 15,3% to 17,9%

The strategy of committee is directed to create the conditions for a professional growth and a rise in abilities at pre-executive levels to allow a new generation of women with a sound business background to achieve the managerial status in the future. The group which examines qualifications, in fact, remarks that the average score made by pre-executive female clercks is rising every year

  Special Best Practices as a part of a larger project/programme

The main activity has been the business and trade union management's cultural awaking and training in order to remove cultural barriers and stereotypes within the firm and the trade union. The aim is to promote the awareness that the development of female resources represents an organisational necessity and a business plus

  Target group

• administrative women are supported to become international dealers
• women workers supported with specialized technical training to allow them to be in change of the running of an automatic plent - women blue collar supported with flexi shifts and job-sharing

  Best Practices-process/special Best Practices activities

Promotion of policies on selection and career aimed to women; Policies against sexual harassment (training groups/phone line/finally publishing the Code of Conduct to safeguard Women and Men's dignity inside the firm. It is the first code against sexual harassment adopted by an Italian private business); Positive action called "Pink at Work" in order to break the rigidity of the working hours.

  Promoters/coaches etc

Company board Italy. Human resources
Commissione "I pazia" (for equal opportunities)
National Trade Unions

Ferrovie Nord Esercizio S.P.A.

  Key Information

  Abstract

  Relevant Details about the Organisation in general

Northern Reelways is a masculine organisation where women are in marginal position. There is an Equal Opportunities committee

  Special Best Practices as a part of a larger project/programme

The point of interest in this case consists in some affirmative actions in order to link the women's improvement to the project of company's reenginering

  Objectives/reasons for the special best Practice

The main objective is to link the professional position's improvement to reconciliation's practice

  Target group

All female employees

  Best Practices-process/special Best Practices activities

• training for management on equal opportunities topics;
• training for women in order to promote their mobility to masculine jobs (train drivers, etc.)
• new rules for access to job (modification of the announcement of competition)
• maternity leave is payed 100% (vs. 80%)
• parental leave is payed 50 % (vs. 30%)
• an info's service for women in maternity or parental leave
• a consultant service in order to support women's career after maternity

  Promoters/coaches etc

Equal Opportunities' committee/HR of the company

Provincia Di Milano

  Key Information

  Abstract

  Relevant Details about the Organisation in general

Meaningful womanlization prozess ( 16% women manager)

  Special Best Practices as a part of a larger project/programme

Obligation introduced by law 125/91 for public authorities to start positive actions for equal opportunitiesObligation introduced by law 125/91 for public authorities to start positive actions for equal opportunities

  Objectives/reasons for the special best Practice

Requirements of better conciliatory systems within a system aimed at improving women's work

  Target group

All employees

  Best Practices-process/special Best Practices activities

With the circular letter dated 11.09.95 it has become possible to change temporarily the working hours (time band, time organisation during the day or week) in order to cope with family duties (taking children from the nursery school, looking after them on Saturdays, etc.); to change office (necessity of rejoining one's own family or nurse relatives); to use up to two half days' leave to meet family needs. In order to get these facilities employees (both women and men) must apply enclosing relevant documents. Training programmes for the members of the Committee for Equal Opportunities

  Promoters/coaches etc

HR of organisation, Committee for Equal Opportunities

Regione Lombardia

  Key Information

  Abstract

  Relevant Details about the Organisation in general

Meaningful womanlization prozess (women are 57,4%)

  Special Best Practices as a part of a larger project/programme

Obligation introduced by law 125/91 for public authorities to start positive actions for equal opportunities

  Objectives/reasons for the special best Practice

Requirements of better conciliatory systems within a system aimed at improving women's work

  Target group

All employees

  Best Practices-process/special Best Practices activities

• flexitime (8-9.30 in the morning; 16.30-19 in the evening)
• Payed leave of 10 hours every month. They can be recovered in the year
• part-time (50% - 60% - 70%)
• part-time (in the week/in the month/ in the year)
• parental leave to fathers
• training groups after the parental leave
• maternity leave (payed at 100% vs. 80%)
• Participation to the costs of kindergarten, near the job's place

  Promoters/coaches etc

Trade Unions of the company/HR of the company/Equal opportunities' committee

Sony Italia

  Key Information

  Abstract

  Relevant Details about the Organisation in general

The factory's population is very young: the overage age for women is 27 years, for men 29 years. Because of the young age of female employees there are about 10-15 maternity leaves every year. For 80% of employees the job in Sony is work's first experience

  Special Best Practices as a part of a larger project/programme

Project of Positive Actions

  Objectives/reasons for the special best Practice

After a survey in the firm, it becomes clear that the main problem for women was the weight of full time after maternity and parental leave

  Target group

Female employees after maternity and parental leave

  Best Practices-process/special Best Practices activities

ON EQUALITY: it consists in a training program in order to high women's overage qualifications or specialisation’s (training of 240 hours within two years for blue collars women in order to become fixers. Until now, 3 women have become quality controllers and 10 women become line chiefs
ON RECONCILIATION: the agreement (Positive Action) stated that woman who came back to work after maternity leave had the right, if she had asked, to work in job sharing with another worker (the patterns of sharing are decided by the couple). 36 hours payed 40 (shift of 6 hours during the week (6x6))

  Promoters/coaches etc

Work's Agency of province of Trento. Trade Unions of the company. HR of the company

  Cost/benefit criteria

Cost: no cost
Benefit for company: more worker's commitment, higher motivation, incentive to stay in the company

  Planned next steps

The possibility of job sharing for every one

TIM (Telekom Italia Mobile)

  Key Information

  Abstract

  Relevant Details about the Organisation in general

1) Extra fast staff growth in order to support the development of the business managed (24557 employees in 1995 when the company was established, 9313 in 1999)
2) Growth of women's presence: 25,7% in 1995; 37% in 1997; 42 % in 1998; 43,2% in 1999 (female population has increased by over 300% versus 160% of general employees)

  Special Best Practices as a part of a larger project/programme

1) Managing diversity project
2) The company has tried to combine the production requirements with the social issues of the society, featuring a "socially positive mission" (initiatives in favour of young people access to jobs (especially from the south of Italy), unemployed women over 40, disabled and convicts in the prison

  Objectives/reasons for the special best Practice

Reconciling family and work has been linked with the valorisation of women's competencies

  Target group

women over 40
employees mothers and fathers of young children

  Best Practices-process/special Best Practices activities

1) part-time extension in the commercial facilities
2) woman value project (since 1997 176 unemployed women over 40 have been introduced in the commercial and customer care facilities, after a training process highlighting the competencies acquired during the care work
3) TIM Mamma project consist in: - Ensuring to the women on leave updated information about the company - Creating a step-by-step procedure of re-introduction to the office work when returning from maternity
4) Time bank: this is a project specifically designed for working mothers (or working fathers) with children aged 1 to 8. The Hours Bank allows to benefit from a special time availability to meet the needs of everyday life: the hours bank works like a real bank. Every mother will be provided with a regular 150-hour current account and a time-cheque book: in this way she will be enabled to benefit from "credit hours" according to her own needs and to return the "debit hours" cumulated through additional services to be agreed with her own manager depending on the operating requirements. The project was launched by mids 1998.

  Promoters/coaches etc

Company board Italy - Human Resources

  Cost/benefit criteria

Cost: possibility of contemporary boom of maternities - due to the age of the women employed and the subsequent need to fulfil and increase the commitments
Benefit: the correct management of diversity represents a corporate plus (ex. Maternity as a positive factor)

  Evaluation/awards/prices etc

European Telework Award in November 1998

  Planned next steps

• "Donne on air" (Women on air) project, for training and requalifying 15 women to be introduced in the network technical area
• "Ginestra" project, to provide a work for 50 convicts, organised in cooperatives
• "Disabili" (Disabled) project for the introduction of disabled people
• "Crotone" project, for outsourcing services to a company located in the South of Italy (with a forecast of about 200 new employed)

Whirlpool Europe S.r.l.

  Key Information

  Abstract

  Relevant Details about the Organisation in general

• Cassinetta Cooking factory volumes growth trend in the last years
• Nowadays, growth opportunities are strictly connected with the overcoming increase of yearly production relatedto the Oven Flow Factory
• Mix Change: consistent female presence growth in the last years

  Special Best Practices as a part of a larger project/programme

The new agreement, signed on April, 6 th ("A" Ovens Flow) and on July, 21 th 2000 ("B" Ovens Flow), introduces the following new working time schemes:
OPTION 1 (average: 36 hours/week): 2 rotating shifts:1 st Shift: 6-00-12.35 from Monday to saturday, 2 nd Shift: 12.35-19.05 from Monday to Friday
OPTION 2 (average: 30 hours/week): 19.05 p.m. - 24.00 from Monday to Friday - This agreement allows to increase the production, but also to warrant a better quality of life for employees . Free time increases (more time for family, sports and hobbies), evening exit is now 19.05 instead of 22.00; family time improves.

  Objectives/reasons for the special best Practice

• assets productivity/equipment extension, to better respond at market requests/opportunities
• better quality of life for employees, especially blue collars
  Especially married women appreciate the option 2, because they can better balance work and family time; they can spend it with their children and take care of. Younger women appreciate the new working time schemes too: some of them have the chance to go on studying attending evening school, working at the same time.

  Target group

Cooking Factory employees

  Best Practices-process/special Best Practices activities

• Company Communication and People Commitment to make people aware and to make the change possible (tools: Factory newsletter, meetings)
• Internal Climate Survey to verify and measure people perceptions and approval after new working time schemes introduction (methodology: focus group discussion and individual questionnaire). Unions meetings, votes and choices shared with workers

  Promoters/coaches etc

Human Resources and Cooking Factory Management
Option discussed and shared with Unions

  Cost/benefit criteria

production growth, faced without Saturdays overtime or investments

  Evaluation/awards/prices etc

• Press Briefing hold in Cassinetta
• National and Local Media (newspaper, magazine, radio and TV) coverage

  Planned next steps

Next step expected for the agreement will in part modify weekly working schemes: in fact, second shift will include Saturday morning, allowing first shift working to "prolong" the weekend from Friday to Monday: they will stop working on Friday, 12.35 taking up again on Monday afternoon, with the consequent positive repercussion on their quality of life