Diversity and inclusion: values and pillars of corporate culture

Iren Group is committed, as evidenced by the corporate mission and values and the Business Plan, to enhancing the diversity present within the Company, providing a healthy work-life balance and improving the quality of the working environment. The aim is to become a team, to add value to the outcome of individual work and to increase a feeling of belonging, creating shared social, cultural, professional and intellectual terrain. For this very reason, the Group has decided to have a “Policy related to Diversity and Inclusion”, which focuses on four main strands: gender, generational, cultural and ability diversity.

 

Diversity constitutes a value that, in an inclusive logic, promotes the well-being of all: our commitment is to build a corporate community of which each person feels part, in which they can make their own contribution aware of their uniqueness. 

Diversity and inclusion

Diversity and inclusion

Policy on Diversity and Inclusion in Iren Group

Policy on Diversity and Inclusion in Iren Group

Policy on dealing with violence, harassment and bullying in the workplace

Policy on dealing with violence, harassment and bullying in the workplace

Where do we stand: the D&I indicators

To verify the level of inclusion achieved and direct its goals, the Group uses a set of monitoring indicators.

 

Board of Directors

Iren’s Board of Directors is composed of 40% women, a significantly higher percentage than the national average of around 30%.

Year: 2021         Source: Sustainability Report, Management

Employees

Out of a total of 9055 employees, there are 2269 women, which is 25.1% of total employees, up from 2020 (24.7%) and 2019 (23.9%). This increase can also be attributed to the continuation of the generation turnover plan that has seen the inclusion of many female resources.

 

The commitment to the implementation of the policies initiated on gender diversity, was also recognised through the confirmation of the Iren Group for the second consecutive year in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI). The index measures gender equality based on five pillars: female leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay equity, inclusive culture, anti-harassment policies and advocacy towards women.

Year: 2021        Source: Sustainability Report, Iren in the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index - GEI 2022

New hires

Out of a total of 886 hires, there are 169 women, which corresponds to 19% steadily increasing from 2020 (16%) and 2019 (15%). 44% of new hires are under 30.

Year: 2021         Source: Sustainability Report

Management

Out of a total of 449 managers (executives and middle managers), there are 100 women, which corresponds to 22.27%. 

 

It is highlighted that, also in consideration of the mainly technical characteristics of the managed activities, the situation is not discriminatory for women, who represent around 37% of executives, middle managers and white collars.

Year: 2021        Source: Sustainability Report

Processes to support diversity inclusion

Iren Group’s policies of selection, recruitment, training, management, development and remuneration are strictly based on criteria of merit and competence, with exclusively professional assessment, without any discrimination.

 

In 2021, the Group decided to have a “Policy related to Diversity and Inclusion”, which focuses at this time on four main strands - gender, generational, cultural, and ability diversity - under the understanding that the context can always determine other forms of exclusion that must, as far as possible, be preventively identified, prevented, and countered. 

 

A specific “Policy on management of violence, harassment and bullying in the workplace” has also been prepared, aimed on the one hand at raising awareness of the complex phenomenon of violence and harassment, and on the other hand at supporting people who are victims of such phenomena, indicating specific channels through which reports of misconduct can be directed.

Year: 2021        Source: Code of Ethics, D&I Policy, Policy Against Harassment

Goals related to diversity inclusion

Gender Diversity is among management’s performance indicators as outlined in the Remuneration Report 2022. In particular, 2 KPIs on Gender Diversity were defined:

 

  • % women of total employees
 
  • % women executives and middle managers of total executives and middle managers

 

The 2030 Business Plan includes a goal concerning generational change (84% of hires/employees under 30) and one concerning gender diversity (30% female managers).

Year: 2021        Source: Remuneration Report, Business Plan

Flexible work

The Group’s management policy promotes and supports a proper work-life balance by encouraging forms of flexibility in the organisation that facilitate people in carrying out their work activities in relation to their family, health and personal conditions (flexible working hours, telecommuting, smart working, part time, ultra-daily flexibility). 

 

Thanks to these experiences of flexibility and the robust digitalisation process in the human resources area, also in 2021, the Group has responded effectively to the needs of the corporate population related to the pandemic, using the various forms of reconciliation.

Year: 2021        Source: Sustainability Report, Code of Ethics 

Welfare services

Iren has a corporate welfare service available to all employees that aims at the mental and physical well-being of people, in the workplace and also in private life.

 

The health crisis has led to the emergence of new social challenges and needs, with particular regard to the difficulties of access to health care, conditions of social and economic insecurity, new ways of organising work (smart working) and the problem of reconciling work and family. This situation has resulted in changes and new ways to develop the Group welfare plan. An internal survey, aimed at assessing the perception of corporate welfare and the initiatives implemented by the Group, was an opportunity to verify the considerable interest in certain services, particularly those concerning the health of employees and their families, and made it possible to expand information and to carry out further initiatives on this subject.

Year: 2021        Source: Sustainability Report

Disability

In the company, 379 employees (4.2% of total employees), have disabilities or special needs.

Year: 2021        Source: Sustainability Report

Career advancement

The policies of selection, recruitment, training, management, development and remuneration are strictly based on criteria of merit and competence, with exclusively professional assessment, without any discrimination.

Year: 2021        Source: Sustainability Report

Training 

More than 94.2% of employees have participated in at least one training course, with a per capita average of 23 hours of training.

 

A target has been included in the 2030 Business Plan regarding Reskilling and Upskilling (30 hours per capita of training).

Year: 2021        Source: Business Plan