Our policy on gender equality

By implementing a gender equality management system our company strives to effectively and equitably address opportunities for company growth, fair pay, parenting and work-life balance policies, and overall business process management. A steering committee has been established to oversee gender equality policies, consisting of Oscar Pizzi (CEO), Valentina Pizzi (HR and Finance Manager), and Roberto Corioni (Quality Manager). Their responsibility is to create and maintain an Action Plan for the implementation of these policies. In the Plan are set out actions, commitments and objectives regarding:

• Personnel and career management
• Communication of the policy (website, marketing, advertising)
• Promotion of diversity
• Determination to pursue gender equality
• Acquisition of self-awareness and enhancement of one’s skills, with a particular focus on women empowerment
• Training and communication within the organization, at every level, addressing gender bias and stereotypes.
• Monitoring of any event potentially related to discrimination and/or mobbing
• Incorporating the Plan into the company’s quality system (and procedures related to other existing certifications)

The policy, defined by management and the steering committee, is communicated and disclosed within the company Pizzi Osvaldo & C S.p.A., and on its website. It will be the subject of awareness for the company’s management and will be reviewed periodically. Management will allocate appropriate responsibilities, authorities and resources for the achievement and maintenance of the established gender equality objectives.

Within the Action Plan, the following themes are considered as minimum, yet strategic objectives.

Selection and hiring of new resources (manage candidate profiles fairly when it comes to gender)

The company Pizzi Osvaldo & C S.p.A. in relation to its policies and resources:

• has created a management procedure called “Recruitment Process” to establish rules aimed at preventing gender inequality, specifically addressing biases

• has ensured that job descriptions are gender-neutral and the recruitment process is inclusive of both men and women

• does not allow questions related to marriage, pregnancy, or care responsibilities during interviews

Career management (ensuring equal opportunities in professional development)

The company Pizzi Osvaldo & C S.p.A. in relation to its policies and resources:

• established processes to ensure non-discrimination and equal opportunities in professional development and promotion, based solely on professional skills and levels
• strives to achieve gender balance in corporate leadership roles, taking into account the particular industry and roles involved
• provides career advancement opportunities and professional development programmes for all employees
• provides access to and organizes monitoring information concerning: recruitment status, gender distribution, male representation in various professions, training, career advancement, job levels, changes in job category or qualifications; other mobility trends, wage guarantee fund interventions, terminations, pre-retirements and retirements, as well as actual salary payments
• creates a working environment that promotes diversity and protects the psycho-physical well-being of employees
• provides training opportunities specifically aimed at the development and improvement of professional leadership skills to address the career barriers encountered by the less represented gender

Wage equity (including benefits, bonuses, welfare programmes)

The company Pizzi Osvaldo & C S.p.A. aims to achieve gender pay equity:

• by implementing processes to balance compensation in total rewards strategies, which includes non-monetary benefits like welfare and well-being programmes

Furthermore:

• has implemented a job classification system that completes and expands upon the generic classification provided by the national collective agreements, allowing employees to report any wage disparities
• has set up a control mechanism to avoid practices that do not correspond to the declared non-discriminatory policies, including salaries, benefits, bonuses, welfare programmes
• periodically informs employees of the remuneration policies adopted by the company also with regard to benefits, bonuses, welfare programmes

Parenting and care (maternity or paternity leave, transitioning back to work)

The company Pizzi Osvaldo & C S.p.A. aims to support both motherhood and fatherhood by providing activities that help individuals balance their work responsibilities with the demands of parenthood, without creating obstacles to becoming parents.

Therefore, it supports this intent considering the following principles:

• Motherhood and fatherhood are supported by training, information and reintegration programmes
• Maternity care is provided before, during, and after childbirth
• Paternity leave is encouraged to ensure that all eligible individuals can fully utilize it for the entire duration mandated by law
• Transitioning back to work is supported by specific re-orientation initiatives

The organization actively supports caregivers who are responsible for caring for unborn children through concrete initiatives.

Work-life balance (flexibility of working hours, remote working, holidays and permits, meetings)

The company Pizzi Osvaldo & C S.p.A. strives to offer its employees the chance to effectively balance their personal and professional lives by allowing them greater control over their time management. This approach considers both the company’s business goals and the overall well-being of workers, promoting increased autonomy and flexibility. The principles underlying work-life balance are as follows:

• Work-life balance measures are aimed at all personnel regardless of gender
• The organisation adopts part-time, flexible schedules and remote working
• The organisation allows telecommunication with all staff working from outside (regardless of the contract), for work operations and participation in meetings

Prevention of any form of physical, verbal, digital or workplace harassment

The company Pizzi Osvaldo & C S.p.A. has:

• recognized the risk for physical, verbal, or digital harassment and abuse within the context of occupational safety and health
• created a plan to prevent and address workplace harassment
• developed a comprehensive training program at all levels, with a set schedule, focused on promoting a zero tolerance policy towards all types of violence against employees, including any form of sexual harassment
• developed a strategy for anonymous reporting of such incidents to safeguard the identities of the employees who come forward
• planned and conducted surveys with employees to explore their personal experiences of discomfort or distress caused by sexist attitudes or disrespectful situations while working indoors or outdoors
• ensured consistent focus on language usage, aiming to make communication as friendly and neutral as can be

Management sets the policy and goals for promoting gender equality, evaluates the effectiveness of the system regularly, reviews it periodically, and allocates the required resources and actions for its development and upkeep. Ensuring that all operational and administrative staff understand and implement the guidelines, and that they are distributed to both internal and external stakeholders, is crucial. Collaborative efforts from all staff are essential for the success of every initiative.