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CASE Gender Equality Plan
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Introduction
CASE is an independent, non-profit research institute founded on the idea that research-based policy-making is vital for the economic welfare of societies. Established in Warsaw in 1991, CASE today is recognized as the top think tank in Central and Eastern Europe and is one of the most highly regarded think tanks internationally. CASE carries out policy-oriented research and development assistance projects, specializing in the areas of: 1) Fiscal, monetary and financial policies; 2) Sustainable development policies; 3) Trade, innovation and productivity policies. CASE provides rigorous quantitative and qualitative analyses, innovative methodologies, and sound recommendations, all
facilitating economic, social and environmental sustainability. Our work includes proactive, well-functioning efforts around gender equality, inclusion and diversity, both from an ethical perspective and with a view towards profitability and efficiency improvements as an employer and as a research and development institution. CASE takes on itself the responsibility to support positive change through active efforts both within and outside the organisation. We are currently working on a situation analysis on gender equality with the aim of obtaining clear input for developing a detailed plan for gender equality, diversity and inclusion.
Background
CASE’s Current employment
The table below presents employment of full-time staff in CASE over the last few years.
Year | Male | Female | Non-binary | Total full-time staff |
2015 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
… | 0 | |||
20203 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
2021 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 12 |
2022 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 13 |
Recruitment and remuneration in CASE
Recruitment is conducted on merit, where the employee is evaluated solely on the basis of his or her qualifications. Gender, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, age or disabilities are not taken into consideration in the recruitment process. Remuneration of employees is the result of negotiations between…? and depends on the employee’s position.
Flexible work
All employees have flexible working hours and the possibility of working from home 2 or 3 times a week (administration staff – 2 days, economists – 3).
Gender Equality Plan
General assumptions of GEP at CASE:
- Each employee should be treated equally,
- Each employee should be evaluated equally,
- Each employee should have the right conditions to develop social awareness in the area of discrimination and stereotypes hindering professional development,
- Support the employees’ work-life balance.
Principal objectives
Six specific main objectives have been identified in the recommended areas:
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- Raise awareness of gender equality and unconscious bias.
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- Improve work-life balance and change practices.
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- Maintain gender balance in governing roles.
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- Work towards gender equality in recruitment and career progression.
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- Tackle abusive behavior of a sexist and sexual nature.
- Promote and support the inclusion of a gender dimension in research and innovation.
In order to put a gender equality policy in place for research and innovation, action must be taken at two levels: firstly, to help departments and scientists tackle any gender inequality, and secondly, to support structural change promoting gender equality. CASE aims to eliminate any existing barriers to gender equality, and more specifically, to fairness, diversity and inclusion. In particular, it seeks to remove factors limiting gender parity and individual progression. All measures are classified by the six above-mentioned, interconnected areas.
1. Raise awareness of gender equality and unconscious bias
1.1 Present the CASE GEP to all staff and provide it to newly hired staff on joining
Why: it is essential for all CASE staff and newly recruited employees to be aware that gender equality and inclusion are a CASE priority.
Aims: to raise awareness of gender equality and anti-discrimination principles within the organisation.
How: by communicating about the GEP to all staff. By providing a copy of the GEP and the code of ethics to newly recruited staff on commencing their contracts. By presenting the GEP at the welcome day for newly recruited staff members.
Indicators: the number of staff members who have received a copy of the GEP.
Results: awareness-raising from induction onwards and emphasis of CASE’s intention to adopt a continuous improvement process.
Aims: to raise general awareness of gender equality and unconscious bias within the organization. To foster a culture based on a new style of inclusive leadership that prevents discrimination and prejudice and enables employees to feel valued for their contribution.
How: by organizing compulsory training sessions on unconscious bias for all staff members delivered by experts in this area. By adopting ideas from existing training provided by other organizations. By improving managerial skills to ensure effective management of a diverse group of individuals, taking account of all their unique characteristics in an empathetic and unprejudiced manner.
Indicators: the number of trained staff members.
Results: diversity addressed more effectively by all employees.
1.3 Organize dedicated events on fairness, diversity and inclusion for all staff
Why: to incorporate fairness, diversity and inclusion in the organizational culture.
Aims: to promote discussions on fairness, diversity and inclusion in all scientific and administrative departments.
How: by organizing dedicated events every year like the Gender Equality awareness Month held in 2021. By offering performance-based lectures and training on these topics for all staff members.
Indicators: the number of events organized and participants in these events.
Results: development of discussions and awareness-raising on diversity, fairness and inclusion, and promotion of measures taken.
1.4 Set up a dedicated web page on fairness, diversity and inclusion
Why: to demonstrate the importance of fairness, diversity and inclusion to the organizational culture and promote this approach internally and externally.
Aims: to centralize and increase the visibility of all measures, tools, guidelines and content related to fairness, diversity and inclusion. To encourage the emergence of a community advocating the importance of fairness, diversity and inclusion at CASE
How: by developing an accessible dedicated web page on the CASE website with all relevant information concerning diversity, fairness and inclusion (policy, officers, tools, guidelines, events). By identifying employees responsible for regularly updating the web page with new content and supporting and moderating debates on the topic.
Indicators: the number of visitors to the web page, documents downloaded, videos viewed. The volume of content updated and news published.
Results: ongoing promotion of the process internally, and external visibility.
2. Improve work-life balance, thus improving the organizational culture
2.1 Promote work-life balance as a better approach to work
Why: improving work-life balance can result in significant productivity improvements, reduced risk of burnout, and greater well-being.
Aims: to circulate the internal procedure on home working so all eligible employees are able to benefit from such arrangements, and inform them of their right to disconnect.
How: by publicizing initiatives on the agreement on working from home. By only scheduling meetings and seminars at times enabling a good work-life balance (9.30am to 5.30pm). By holding lectures highlighting the benefits of maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Indicators: the number of staff members working from home. The number of lectures held on this topic.
Results: improved working arrangements and greater awareness among all staff of the benefits of improving work-life balance.
2.2 Implement measures to facilitate parenthood
Why: to encourage more equal sharing of career breaks between mothers and fathers. To offer break times and dedicated facilities in the workplace to improve the well-being of women who choose to breastfeed their children.
Aims: to improve gender equality in the workplace. To provide basic facilities for breastfeeding mothers in CASE.
How: by offering parenthood support meetings. By creating a document on parenthood. By adjusting working hours for breastfeeding mothers and providing convenient dedicated areas with refrigerators to enable breastfeeding mothers to express milk privately whenever needed.
Indicators: the number of men taking paternity leave. The number of mothers using the rooms for expressing milk.
Results: promotion of parenthood and sharing of parental responsibilities. Enabling continued breastfeeding after maternity leave has ended.
2.3 Improve communication on rules of extending fixed-term employment contracts and team leader positions (heads of five-year groups and five-year units) for staff taking career breaks
Why: it is important for all staff members to be informed that it is possible to extend fixed-term contracts and team leader posts (heads of five-year groups and five-year units) if they take career breaks (sick leave, maternity leave, paternity leave, etc.).
Aims: show CASE’s support for staff taking career breaks. Enable all staff to familiarize themselves with the existing system so they can use it if required.
How: through actions publicizing the existing procedure for extending fixed-term contracts and team leader posts for staff taking career breaks.
Indicators: number of notices sent out on the topic.
Results: reduced impact of career breaks and potential to extend contracts allowing staff to complete initiated research projects.
2.4 Incorporate gender issues in internal procedures and regulations
Why: internal procedures are operational documents describing the CASE’s operating methods in relation to various roles. Clear and updated procedures encourage transparency and responsibility.
Aims: to recognize the principle of non-discrimination at CASE level. How: by analyzing internal procedures in detail. Revised code of ethics and recruitment procedures.
Indicators: the number of relevant procedures amended to incorporate gender equality issues.
Results: emphasis of the CASE’s intention to promote gender equality and further encouragement to adopt best practices.
3 Maintain gender balance in governing roles
3.1 Work towards gender parity in governing bodies
Why: in order to achieve equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, it is essential to identify, encourage and disseminate best practices and facilitate their adoption.
Aims: to close the gender gap in governing bodies. Develop a corporate culture aimed at promoting diversity, fairness and inclusion. Encourage voluntary initiatives such as the creation of themed discussion groups (Employee Resource Groups or ERGs).
How: by producing a best practice guide with recommendations to raise selection committees’ awareness of unbiased recruitment. By ensuring virtually equivalent or equal gender representation within governing bodies. By organizing compulsory training sessions on unconscious bias for selection committee members. By appointing equality officers within selection committees. By rewarding departments that apply best practices in terms of fairness, diversity and inclusion through “Gender Equality Friendly” accreditation. By holding lectures emphasizing the benefits of diversity, fairness and inclusion. By encouraging ERGs that have already been set up at the CASE to share their experience.
Indicators: the number of women holding posts on governing bodies. The number of departments that have been rewarded for gender equality. The number of officers appointed.
Results: in the long term, having more women in leadership positions
4 Improve gender equality in recruitment and career progression
4.1 Internal monitoring of gender-related data and indicators
Aims: to monitor gender breakdown in all career-related areas (e.g. recruitment, promotions, project involvement funding, publications, etc.) for the various staff categories and adopt corrective measures if necessary. Emphasize the CASE’s commitment to recruiting/promoting more women.
How: by setting up a database that summarizes recruitment data broken down by all staff categories. This document will be managed by the Human Resources Department and the Department of Scientific Affairs.
Indicators: annual updating and monitoring of indicators provided by the database.
Results: an additional tool for proposing corrective measures.
Aims: to close the gender gap in terms of career progression by offering men and women equal access to promotions. To give women the means to progress in their careers.
How: by setting a minimum number of female applications for promotion requests, particularly for scientists, and unbiased, transparent assessment/promotion criteria. By appointing equality officers on assessment bodies. By setting up a special training program for women. By offering women special support with promotion requests. By developing a female professional network through the CASE mentoring program. By introducing internal interviews aimed at understanding existing barriers to making promotion requests.
Indicators: the number of female applicants making promotion requests. Existence of unbiased, transparent promotion criteria. The number of officers appointed. The number of women who took part in the dedicated training program. The number of women who received support with their promotion applications. The number of women mentored. The number of individuals interviewed about barriers to promotion requests.
Results: increase in the number of women applying for promotions, including women with dependent children. Increased diversity at CASE.
Aims: to set up a community of practice to share experience, develop knowledge and enhance expertise.
How: by working on various topics to form relationships, learn, develop best practices and identifyareas for action with support from the equality coordinator.
Indicators: number of events (online/face-to-face) organized with the CoP.
Results: facilitating collaboration and promoting best practices to encourage broader implementation, which helps improve adoption of the diversity, fairness and inclusion culture.
Aims: to refine our peer assessment process and ensure that it is as inclusive as possible. To ensure gender parity on assessment committees.
How: by adopting a charter stipulating that gender parity is required on all assessment committees. Assessment committee members attend appropriate training on unconscious bias to raise their awareness of the impact of such prejudice on decision-making and how to manage it at assessment meetings.
Indicators: introduction of a charter providing information on addressing gender equality in research and gender balance within research teams. The number of trained assessment committee members.
Results: gender parity on assessment committees with clear recommendations for assessors supported by the senior management team.
Aims: to raise awareness of sex and gender differences in research. All professionals involved in research should recognize and take account of biological gender differences, starting from the research design phase, and understand how these affect preventive measures, clinical signs and therapeutic approaches.
How: by introducing a specific reference to “gender in research activities” and “sex/gender analysis” when designing research projects. By organizing special training for scientists. Awareness-raising on gender-related innovations.
Indicators: the number of training sessions organized and the number of participants involved, evaluation of gender issues included in research activities. The number of research projects that take account of gender diversity.
Results: increased awareness of sex and gender differences in research, a more innovative and inclusive research environment.
and sexual nature, including sexual harassment
Aims: to explain and disseminate principles laid down by Polish law and applied within CASE.
How: by offering all staff compulsory awareness training on everyday sexist conduct that can sometimes lead to sexual harassment. By providing information on the law, penalties and disciplinary measures faced by those guilty of wrongful conduct, tools currently in place, and dedicated officers for such matters who can be contacted if required. By disseminating the reporting procedure for victims and witnesses on the website. By offering psychological support to victims.
Indicators: the number of reports and measures taken. The number of individuals who have attended training on this issue.
Results: strengthen the possibility to report incidents. Every individual shall have the right to express his/her suffering and disagreement. Eradicate sexist and sexual violence within CASE.
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