Contribution relief of up to 50,000.00 euros, higher score in contract notices and premium score for the granting of state and/or public funding.
These are just some of the benefits from which Italian companies and organizations can benefit, starting from January 1, 2022, once they obtain the certification of gender equality in the workplace.
This certification, whose application standards were established only with the publication in the Official Gazette of the Prime Minister's Decree of April 29, 2022, had already been envisaged by the National Legislature with Law 162/2021 on equal opportunities in the workplace when it became apparent not only the need to strengthen the protection already offered with the Equal Opportunities Code (Legislative Decree No. 198/2006), but also the need to combat the ever-growing phenomenon of the so-called "Gender Pay Gap." Indeed, it was intended to pursue these objectives with two orders of action:
- Tightening of sanctions in the area of gender discrimination;
- Introducing a certification (mandatory for companies, public and private, with more than 50 employees and optional for all others) aimed at certifying the measures taken by the employer to remove gender inequality (Art. 3 L. 162/2021).
Ensuring socially acceptable work activities and promoting the continuous improvement of working conditions by guaranteeing opportunities for professional growth and equal pay will be the first steps in achieving an inclusive work environment, consistent with the principles of Agenda 2030 and SDGs,
September 30th, 2022, is the first scheduled deadline for sending the report to the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy for the biennium 2020-2021. Thereafter, the deadline for sending the report will be April 30th of the year following the expiration of each biennium. In case the employer fails to comply with this obligation, sanctions and audits by the National Labor Department will follow according to specific ministerial decrees.
Any company may be interested in this new management tool that will ensure advantageous conditions for stakeholders both inside and outside the organization.
