Numeum announces the signature of a new agreement on gender equality. This social innovation focuses on clear objectives such as reducing the pay gap between men and women, supporting women’s careers, promoting gender diversity in the workplace, and identifying and eliminating obstacles to achieving gender equality.
Faced with persistent gender inequalities, the engineering and consulting sector has signed an ambitious agreement to accelerate the reduction of professional inequalities. This strategic text is designed to bring about lasting change in practices in a sector that is still predominantly male.
Numeum participates in social innovation. The Syntec branch announces that it has signed an agreement with the branch’s social partners aimed at reducing inequalities between men and women.
The industry’s report on the comparative situation of men and women reveals a number of findings. The proportion of women employed in the sector is 35%. The average gross salary of a man in the sector is 4,877 euros, and that of a woman 4,137 euros, a difference of 18%.
And yet, studies show the positive impacts of professional equality for companies and their employees, such as :
– more effective mobilization of available skills.
– reduced staff turnover and improved attractiveness.
– improved economic performance.
– productivity gains.
– a response to recruitment tensions in certain professions.
A five-pronged action plan
The social partners approve an agreement built on five solid pillars.
1. Better measurement for better action
The agreement insists on a more strategic use of existing tools such as equality indexes and comparative situation reports. These data should guide human resources decisions and provide direction for company negotiations.
2. Combating wage disparities at source
The branch strictly reiterates the principle of “equal pay for equal work”. It therefore calls for greater vigilance on the part of companies at key moments in an employee’s career cycle, such as recruitment, pay rises, maternity leave returns and career reviews. Companies will have to analyze the median of male-female pay rises to identify any unjustified discrepancies.
3. Breaking glass ceilings
With only 29% to 32% women in the digital and engineering professions, the industry is aiming to reverse this trend. Companies are encouraged to feminize their talent pools, promote female role models in schools, and guarantee equal access to promotion and training.
4. Supporting parenthood and caregivers
Aware that maternity remains a penalizing turning point, the agreement strengthens existing rights. It proposes reduced working hours, telecommuting possible from the 3ᵉ month of pregnancy, full salary continuation for medical absences or even the right to breastfeed without loss of pay. Companies are also invited to adapt workstations and make life easier for employees who are caregivers, the majority of whom are women.
An economic as well as a social challenge
The agreement reminds us that reducing inequalities is not just a legal or ethical requirement. It is also an economic imperative. In a tense sector, where recruitment difficulties are recurrent, attracting more women is a strategic opportunity.
The social partners thus recognize that their role does not end with the signing of this innovative agreement. From now on, companies will be expected to follow suit. Company agreements will have to include concrete targets for progress, and actions will be monitored annually at branch level.
