SUPERWOMAN ON THE LABOUR MARKET Lewiatan Confederation SUMMARY 2013-2014 PKPP Lewiatan participates in social dialogue, taking part in the Tripartite Commission for social and economic issues. In 2013, many draft acts were written by employer organisations, trade unions, and political parties; much like governmental drafts these aim at changing the labour code in matters concerning the time and organisation of labour, and also changes in the payment of insurance on civil-legal contracts. All the drafts were presented and extensively discussed during the works of individual teams of the Tripartite Commission. This range of subjects is directly related with the goals of the Superwoman in the Labour Market project, which is why we participated actively in the discussion, presenting arguments in support of the course of changes allowing to increase the level of professional activity of women and their employment. We pointed to specific solutions that would encourage employment of women, and discussed the subject of women s needs in the areas of family support policy and the state support in bringing up children. This area is also the object of interest of the President of the Republic of Poland. The main goal of the Superwoman in the Labour Market project is increasing the awareness among employers and employees alike in matters concerning flexible solutions for combining professional and family life, and in consequence supporting the professional activity of women. The other important task is to work out a package of recommendations concerning legislative solutions helping (especially women) to combine professional and family life. Most Polish people identify flexible forms of employment with civil-legal contracts and with fixed-time job contracts, which in their understanding imply lack of occupational stabilisation. This is the result of the far-flung campaign concerning umowy śmieciowe (literally: junk contracts ). It is important that the level of know-how concerning all the available forms of employment and organisation of labour time a great majority of which support employment, making it possible to combine professional and family life is augmented among representatives of trade unions, employees, and women. By carrying out the Superwoman in the Labour Market project, the Lewiatan Confederation increases the awareness of people involved in the process of legislation, civic partners, and also employees and jobseekers. This goal is attained through debates, a media campaign, and also direct meetings during two Congresses of Women (in 2013 and 2014) with outreach covering entire Poland, and also 16 regional conferences. Recommendations for our project are developed on the grounds of the binding law, as part of collaboration and dialogue between representatives of employers and employees, thanks to which they will meet the needs of both the groups. Representatives of public and territorial administration and the institutions of the labour market will also be invited to participate in the process of developing the recommendations. Participating in the TIME FOR WOMEN consultation meetings were representatives of the tripartite dialogue: employees, employers, and representatives of local administration, regional dialogue commissions, and the NGO sector. The Lewiatan Confederation cooperates among others with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (consultations accompanying discussion panels), the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland (organisation of substantive aspects of the seminar devoted to the Work-Life Balance), and the Plenipotentiary of the Government for Equal Treatment (substantive consultations). Especially important is the cooperation with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway to Poland concerning organisation of the individual parts of the project (participation of panellists, press conference, promotion).
MAIN OBJECTIVES ATTAINED Over 4000 people who received information on solutions facilitating the alignment of occupational and private lives, and solutions increasing the participation of women in company boards Package of recommendations: solutions facilitating the alignment of occupational and private lives, and resolutions increasing the percentage of women in executive boards and supervisory boards of companies COMPLETED EVENTS Participants: - representatives of the government, business, employees - representatives of employers applying Work Life Balance in the companies and observing gender equality principles - representatives of the NGO sector - representatives of business, freelancers, and culture SEMINAR: FAMILY-FRIENDLY EMPLOYMENT, 10TH MAY 2013 Lewiatan Confederation and the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland Shedding light on problems that employers encounter in other countries, while introducing instruments helping to align professional life and parenting. Flexible forms of work and organisation of working time supporting the alignment of professional and family life. A debate on the need and potential of introducing European solutions in flexible employment forms in Polish law and at the level of Polish enterprises Panels in TIME FOR WOMEN conference block: 14th-15th June 2013: (number of people participating in consultation meetings: over 1500) I Entrepreneurship of women: stories of our success / failures in our stories What it means to be a successful woman? How to achieve balance? How to measure the success? How to align the roles? How to cope with failures? inspiring success stories and tales of life experience of active, daring and entrepreneurial women in various fields of life II Home, work, life partnership (Work-Life Balance) What should the policy of supporting the family be to improve the demographic situation of the state, and at the same time increase the level of professional activity of women. What instruments embedded in currently binding legal regulations are applied in Polish businesses and how do they help to return to work after the period of maternity and child care? Do women in Polish enterprises have the same opportunities for promotion and equal pay as men? presentation of the results of current analyses and opinion polls from the study on the knowledge and use of legal solutions for combining professional and family lives and the professional development of women. III The path to the Board: our experience and IV Leader & Mentor Women have a highly beneficial impact on the performance and profitability of businesses. Some countries are introducing parity laws that enforce a share of women among board members. a presentation of results of the analyses good practices and personal experience of women: bosses and members of company boards discussion with representatives of companies V Entrepreneurship of women: Workshop session: own business with work-life balance points worth remembering while designing your own business benefits from establishing the business you run that is based on work-life balance
caring for the ecology of the goal, i.e. making sure that the selected goal bolsters your life satisfaction in all of its domains a preparation to launch your business, taking into account your values and needs. Panels in the TIME FOR WOMEN conference block 10th-11th May 2014: (number of people participating in consultation meetings: over 1500) SESSION I WORK LIFE BALANCE and PATH TO THE BOARD PART 1 GIRL POWER Our choices, our paths They are young, full of energy, ideas, and faith in what they are doing they are the women of success. How they reached so far in such a short time, how they combine their passions with professional lives. Their stories inspire other young women, proving that it makes sense to take your life in your hands, make daring choices, and persistently pursue the goal. The panel was aimed at showing the path the young woman must pass to be successful. PART 2 SUPERWOMAN Polish and foreign experiences Balance between professional and private lives is not only the problem of women. Where does the secret lie? Only in yourself or also in relationships with other people? Financial independence as a step towards alignment between the occupational and private lives. Women and men discuss the need for balance in life. Presentation of results of current analyses and opinion polls from a study on the knowledge and use of legal solutions supporting combining professional and family life, and the professional development of women. SESSION II My family, my business; woman as family entrepreneur A session consisting in discussions about how the role of a woman is changing in a family businesses, what the specific traits of managing a such business are, and an invitation to a free-of-charge training and consulting project Firmy Rodzinne 2 (Family Businesses 2), which develops the environment of family entrepreneurs in Poland. The participants will also have an opportunity to discuss whether running a business is a good way to spend time at home with the child and to exchange other family and business experiences. SESSION III Stories of our success / Failures in our stories What is success for entrepreneurial women? A balance between professional and private life, sense of selffulfilment and satisfaction? How to pursue the goal daringly and not to give up on the way, despite failures? Dorota Warakomska invited women who have been successful in various fields: business, public administration, media, art, and in rural areas and asked them for guidelines. SESSION IV Mentoring for women s businesses: how to use the opportunity? Practical experience from the pilot project: a dispute between people who have provided benefitted mentoring (mentor mentoree pairs). Modern day mentor women, i.e. the ones who are already running their business (what they can teach). What would someone who counts for mentor s help expect? SESSION V From networking via mentoring to leadership a practical workshop TIME FOR WOMEN CONSULTATION MEETINGS (number of people participating in consultation meetings: over 1000) Regional conferences addressed to groups within civil society: employees, employers, representatives of central government and local/regional authorities and administration, representatives of the NGO sector, experts, and the media. 16 meetings were held in Toruń, Kraków, Kielce, Katowice, Opole, Łódź, Poznań, Warszawa, Lublin, Rzeszów, Szczecin, Białystok, Olsztyn, Wrocław, Zielona Góra, and Gdańsk. Presented during the meetings were results of the analyses and outcomes of Lewiatan studies. Conducted against the background of the results was an interactive discussion with participants aimed at consulting the concept of legislative solutions meant to help in the alignment of professional and family roles, and the work-life balance. The meetings included also practical sessions workshops concerning the ways of aligning family with professional life, with special focus on mothers bringing up children and/or returning to the labour market.
Moreover, the meetings were a perfect opportunity for direct surveys concerning the awareness of barriers of legal and cost nature, resulting from the provisions of labour law, social insurance, and in executing child care, where special attention was paid to flexible forms of employment. PATH TO THE BOARD SEMINARS (number of people participating in the 16 consultation meetings: over 500) Workshop sessions designed for women, aimed at presenting the potential and practical competencies necessary when applying for managerial positions in organisations, businesses, and institutions: WHAT SKILLS AND TRAITS TO STRENGTHEN IN ONESELF, TO BECOME A LEADER? The programme includes: Part 1 Good practices and the personal experience of women: bosses and members of company boards How to build brand and reputation in the labour market? How to develop hard business competencies? How to increase the level of satisfaction and involvement. How to find the penetrating force and assertiveness in yourself? Part 2 Management and the liability of the Board, basic areas of liability Liability of the Board for individual s VAT obligations (businesses, associations, enterprises) in national and international trade Liabilities of the Board resulting from staff employment and HR policy Liability of the Board resulting from the employment of managers and contractors issues related to the Civil Code and the Labour Code Liability resulting from regulations on income taxation (PDOP, PDOF) Liability of the Board resulting from other regulations Strategic management EVALUATION Evaluation questionnaires conducted among the participants. The assumed level of return over 40%. Results show that: at least 30% of participants indicate that they are ready to apply for positions in corporate managing and supervisory boards. (63% of answers) and at least 80% of participants confirmed an improved understanding and awareness of solutions facilitating the alignment of professional and private roles (81% of answers). PUBLICATIONS OPENING REPORT (diagnosis) for the needs of consultation meetings (1000) PUBLICATION: Droga Do Zarządu [literally: path to the board ] report/information brochure with a compendium of knowledge concerning the professional development of women and proposed solutions (500) PUBLICATION: Godzenie Ról [literally: aligning the roles ] a report/information brochure containing a compendium of know-how on aligning roles and work-life balance, and proposed solutions (500) FINAL REPORT (recommendations) (500)
STUDIES AND ANALYSES A study of 1000 employees and a study of 250 employers 1. PREPARING AND CONDUCTING A STUDY on the awareness of existence of legal instruments that make it easier to align professional and family lives, legal and non-legislative barriers that limit entering and/or continuing employment from the point of view of a parent, and barriers in employment of women from the point of view of the employer. The subject of the study are the barriers that result from the provisions of labour law, social insurance, and legislation that regulates the principles that govern awarding family benefits and concern parents, as well as the level of knowledge of barriers of both legal and cost nature in child care. The results of the study provide grounds for constructing recommendations for the solutions that should be feasible from the point of view of employers and employees alike and increase participation of women in the labour market. The study was divided into three parts: A study of 1000 employees, on an national group of 2000 respondents (OMNIBUS) A study of employers, on a representative group of 250 respondents (CATI) Survey study during TIME FOR WOMEN consultation meetings 2. DRAFTING THE ANALYSES BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY 3. PRESENTATION OF THE ANALYSES AND RESULTS OF THE STUDY with participation of experts and the media (December 2013) PUBLICITY PLAN A campaign covering proactive ATL marketing and promotional activity, PR, and media relations with the use of selected communication tools. Selected communication activities: Radio dedicated spots promoting the events INTERNET PAGE VIEW EXTERNAL CAMPAIGN (websites including main info portals, form: Triple Billboard 750 300, planned page views: 100,000) REGULAR PRESENCE (websites www.czasnakobiety.pl, social media Facebook fanpage supplied with content related to the events organised updates of the content in the project tab at www.kongreskobiet.pl) PR AND MEDIA RELATIONS Maintaining and building relations with Lewiatan experts, entrepreneurs, external authorities, and key media: press, radio, TV, Internet. Press conference sharing current information, and staying in touch with the key central and regional media. Organised to present the views, recommendations, and conclusions at the successive stages of project implementation in selected, attractive locations. Invitations sent to the journalists from the Lewiatan databases. Deviation from Project Implementation Plan and remedial actions NO DEVIATIONS