www.vodafone.it

Context and objectives

Vodafone Italia is a multicultural and multinational company, having been part of a global group. As a result, employees from a variety of cultures, languages and backgrounds interact and work together. It therefore needs inclusive policies that can be implemented across different geographical areas. Talk and Rainbow Corner are two projects designed to encourage employees to talk to each other and share their experiences in a safe space. The topics of the sessions are not related purely to romantic and sexual orientation, but also cover gender, minority rights and disability rights, including from an education and parenting perspective.

Description of activities and results

The Talk sessions offered consist of regular online meetings that are open to everyone, regardless of gender. Speakers and ambassadors discuss issues relating to romantic and sexual orientation, inclusion, diversity and rights at work. Not only do these events provide a platform for sharing stories and experiences, but they are also an opportunity to build awareness of and generate information on LGBT+ issues. Many people take part, especially to seek support in the complex role of being a parent.

Rainbow Corner is a twice-weekly project that can be accessed online from all offices, where the Vodafone Italia LGBT+ Chairman offers a listening space to meet with those wanting to learn more about LGBT+ issues. In addition to this, there is a free psychological support service that is open to everyone, which people can turn to for any issues, including education, information and guidance on transitioning and coming out. Based on our regular internal analyses, we found that these projects have contributed considerably to the level of job satisfaction at Vodafone.

Tip

We involved the company’s senior staff to give a human face to the messages we wanted to put across, and we gave a voice to the internal community when designing new proposals for activities to be pursued. This gave greater credibility and strength to the project, which was then embraced by managers and employees.

www.sky.it

Company profile  

SKY Italia is Italy’s number-one media and entertainment company. It is part of the Sky Group, one of Europe’s leading entertainment groups, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation, a global media and technology company. 

  
Context and objectives  

Sky Italia has always promoted inclusion through various projects. The “Women@Sky” network was launched in September 2022 with the objective of forging an alliance between men and women to close the gender gap and combat stereotypes within the company. Membership to the network is voluntary and there are 643 members at present. Its governance body is made up primarily of women of a mix of ages, ethnicities and roles within the company. In addition to Women@Sky, there are also two other D&I networks: Body&Mind@Sky and LGBTQ+@Sky.  

Description of activities and results 

Through the activities of the Women@Sky network, employees – both men and women – are invited to share experiences and opinions on gender issues (parenting, motherhood, well-being, health and empowerment) at dedicated forums, such as the Caffè delle Idee [Coffee Time of Ideas] sessions, which are open to everyone at the company. In keeping with the theme of gender and intersectionality, sessions have been held on menopause and endometriosis, gender violence, and women’s empowerment. Members are also kept in the loop by means of the internal social media pages, which share news, events and suggested reading. Another objective of Women@Sky is to encourage networking outside the company. This gave rise to the partnership with Young Women Network, enabling a number of young women at Sky to join the association’s mentoring programme. Sky has also developed dubby.it – a shared, open-access and ever-evolving online dictionary of inclusion terms – in partnership with Parole Ostili, a social project raising awareness around the violence of words. The website will also help promote cultural change externally. 

Overall, the Women@Sky network has encouraged employees to come together and discuss, thus strengthening the atmosphere of trust within the company. 

Tip 

By engaging women from the very start of the initiative, entrusting them with the role of governance, and devoting time and space to D&I issues within working hours, we were able to give continuity and depth to the transformation process. 

www.engie.it 

Company profile 

ENGIE Italia generates and sells power to homes, companies and the public administration, focusing on producing energy from renewable sources while phasing out traditional ones. The company has around 100,000 employees worldwide and 3,000 in Italy. 

Context and objectives 

The Fenix Project seeks to strengthen the corporate culture by creating an inclusive and supportive work environment, where diversity is seen as an added value rather than an obstacle. The project was also set up to respond to a number of social and personal challenges, namely social rehabilitation, reducing repeat offences, and women’s empowerment.  

Description of activities and results 

The Fenix Project involved providing a job placement for a prisoner with a view to offering them a stable position at the company. 

The implementation of the project required a number of steps. First of all, the company identified and selected the candidate from among the female prisoners at Dozza prison in Bologna. The woman received professional training as well as emotional and psychological support. The work placement phase then began, with the woman working on a company project. Her work and well-being were monitored constantly to ensure that the objectives were being met and to evaluate the feasibility of repeating the project. Alongside this, meetings were held with colleagues from the selected team to discuss the importance of including the resource, to curb prejudice. The results were positive for all those involved. The woman fitted in well at the company, working hard and building good relationships with colleagues. Her new specific technical skills will improve her employment prospects and a stable job will reduce the likelihood of recidivism. For colleagues at ENGIE, this experience helped reduce gender biases around certain jobs, but also biases around how people view those leaving prison, who are considered dangerous and untrustworthy. The company now also has new uniforms for women and a dedicated changing room to create a welcoming environment for female staff. 

Tip 

For such a complex, delicate project to be a success, you need to be willing to give a prisoner a second chance and make sure they receive a sincere welcome from the team, free from prejudice. 

www.botta.it

Company profile  

BOTTA EcoPackaging has been manufacturing corrugated cardboard packaging since 1947. It is well-established in the industry as a sustainability expert and has received numerous international prizes, including the Packaging Excellence Award (2020) and the Road to Green Award (2022). 

 
Context and objectives  

BOTTA EcoPackaging rises to the challenge of ethnic discrimination and under-representation of women with its “inclusive and sustainable packaging” scheme. It promotes gender equality, supports foreign women from different backgrounds and places value on diverse teams, which are more capable of responding to the market and innovating. The company has opened up opportunities for discussion to drive the necessary cultural change and demonstrate the resulting added value. 

Description of activities and results 

The inclusive and sustainable packaging scheme by BOTTA EcoPackaging implemented several measures to foster inclusion and diversity. First and foremost, recruitment and hiring were geared towards looking for candidates from diverse backgrounds, in particular foreign women, with the Invest Your Talent in Italy scholarship programme by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mentoring and training programmes were launched to support the career development of new hires. 

Discussions on unconscious biases and gender stereotypes stimulated the personal and professional growth of all employees, through the experience of working in teams with a mix of genders, ages and ethnicities, and the recognition of different cultures, traditions and capabilities. Internships specifically for international female students led to those with excellent performance being offered full-time jobs, as proven by the case of a Vietnamese intern who is now a key figure in the marketing department. 

The scheme turned the work environment around: women in senior roles offered fresh perspectives, steering the company into the future. The inclusive culture improved satisfaction and the sense of belonging among employees, inspiring mutual respect. Language and technology skills also improved due to the need to communicate with the new staff, including through the use of simultaneous translation.  

Tip 

Looking for people from different cultures was essential in order to appreciate the benefits of diverse teams and nurture open-mindedness about new cultures and capabilities.

www.gruppoa2a.it

Company profile  

A2A is a Life Company, because it puts life at the centre of everything it does. It deals with energy, water and the environment. Its technology serves people and helps protect nature, and the company works every day to regenerate the potential of every resource. 

Context and objectives  

As a Life Company, we also put the lives of our people at the centre of everything we do, through concrete actions. These include: A2A Life Caring, a parenting support plan for employees with dedicated initiatives and tools; Multicultural Ambassadors, to foster intercultural dialogue and respect for the environment; the Transition Policy, to encourage recognition of self-perceived gender identity within the company. 

Description of activities and results 

With A2A Life Caring, A2A aims to help parents by providing a series of cross-cutting initiatives and tools to support new births. The plan focuses on three main areas: “Time”, “Financial support” and “Culture”, for example by supplementing maternity and paternity leave with one month of full pay and the opportunity to reimburse expenses incurred for schooling, education and work-family reconciliation, differentiated by age group, up to 18 years. 

The Multicultural Ambassadors project provided training on recycling and the circular economy for employees of Arab origin so that they could go and speak about these issues at schools in Milan. Using their knowledge of Arabic and the skills they acquired by attending a public speaking course, they also acted as cultural mediators, engaging and raising awareness among various stakeholders across the region. The Transition Policy paved the way for recognising the self-perceived gender identity of every person in the Group, so that all individuals can express themselves and affirm their identity freely. This was done by promoting initiatives such as introducing chosen name and pronouns, gender-neutral toilets, and specific education and awareness-raising on gender transition. 

Tip 

We strive every day to create value for our stakeholders and especially for our people, and to make A2A an increasingly inclusive company. Because for us, “diversity is a fact, but inclusion is an action”.