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Introduction
Public institutions, research organisations, universities and universities, whether public or private, in EU Member States or Associated States wishing to participate in Horizon Europe from 2022, must fulfil the condition of an existing gender equality plan. This condition applies to all calls with a closure date from 2022 at the time of signature of the grant agreement.
The Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic fully supports the policy of equal opportunities for all its employees and employees, and has drawn up a gender equality plan for 2022-2025 ("the plan').
About the Ministry
The Ministry is a central government body for:
- health care,
- health protection,
- public health insurance,
- further training of health professionals;
- natural healing baths, natural healing resources, natural mineral waters,
- the pricing policy for health products, services and performance prices and non-residential rental prices in medical establishments,
- control of the prohibition of biological weapons.
Within the scope of its competence, the Ministry establishes non-profit organisations, state-owned enterprises and public limited liability companies and establishes contribution organisations and budgetary organisations.
The Minister of Health of the Slovak Republic (hereinafter referred to as the Minister of Health) is responsible for the management and operation of the Ministry. At the Ministry the following levels of management are:
- Minister,
- State Secretary,
- Secretary-General of the Service Office (hereinafter referred to as "GTSÚ");
- Director-General of the Section,
- Head of the Department;
- Head of Department.
General principles and objectives
No tolerance against discrimination or harassment in any form is permitted in the Ministry. This applies both to preventive measures and to measures to halt the growth of existing structures and conditions that maintain inequalities and differences, as well as to measures to directly intervene in cases of harassment.
The Executive Management of the Ministry has overall responsibility for gender equality and equal treatment.
The Directors General, Directors and Head of Department of the Ministry are responsible for implementing the measures and objectives within their departments. The plan has been jointly developed and prepared by authorised Ministry staff from different departments to ensure neutrality and cross-cutting of the measures.
Gender equality objectives
- The Ministry is constantly striving to achieve gender equality and to achieve and maintain equal treatment of all employees. Gender equality and equal treatment are part of ensuring quality and human resources.
- Personnel policy provides attitudes that promote gender equality and equal treatment.
- The Ministry aims to set up a policy of zero tolerance of discrimination or harassment. Where a representative for gender equality, a manager or an employee reports any case of discrimination or harassment, whether observed directly or indirectly in structures and processes, the Ministry undertakes to take action.
- The plan offers an inclusive approach to coverage that includes gender, gender identity and orientation (LGBTQIA), ethnic origin, religious or other beliefs, any disability, age, etc.
- Every recruitment process shall be without discrimination. Any form of publicity and marketing communication should be gender neutral. The staffing processes of the Ministry will take into account equality aspects. Underrepresented groups can be actively encouraged to apply for employment. Please note that the measures do not show signs of discrimination if their implementation promotes equality (="positive discrimination').
- Particular emphasis will be placed on issues relating to the positive work-life balance, such as flexible working time, parental and family leave, meeting procedures and other aspects affecting the work-life balance.
- The Ministry seeks to ensure the seamless availability of documents relating to gender equality and equal treatment and the transparency of support processes in cases of harassment or unfair treatment. In addition to employees, occasional and part-time employees, co-workers as well as jobseekers at the Ministry are included in this area, who must also have access to the documents in question.
Labour Code
Law No 55/2017 The Z.z. on civil service defines the labour system and basic principles for the remuneration of civil servants in order to present transparent working conditions for all employees. The Code also lays down basic conditions for admission to employment and provides basic means of reconciling personal and professional life. The Civil Service Act is complemented by the Public Service Act, the Labour Code, the Anti-Discrimination Act, and the Collective Agreement.
Principles of remuneration
For the remuneration of a civil servant, the service office is required to decide only under the conditions laid down by the Civil Service Act. For each public service employee, it is remunerated under the Public Service Act and for each public service employee it is remunerated under the Act on the remuneration of certain employees in the performance of public service tasks.
Recruitment of new staff
The Ministry of Health applies a non-discriminatory recruitment policy, fully respecting the applicable legislation. The basic idea of the recruitment process is to find the most suitable person for a given vacant position. The post shall be filled by the head of the department where the post is to be filled. The requirement to fill a post shall form the basis for the invitation to tender. Members of the Selection Board are familiar with the legislation on recruitment of new employees (for discriminatory issues, see Anti-discrimination Act and Civil Service Act).
Balanced working and personal life
The Ministry allows the use of part-time work and work from home on the basis of the GTSÚ 4/2020 measure, in order to ensure that employees have the opportunity to balance their professional and personal life in the course of all work tasks. Internal meetings, meetings and working group meetings should, as far as possible, be scheduled between 9 a.m. and 14 a.m. (fixed working hours of a Ministry staff member) so that all staff members can attend without difficulty, taking into account part-time or adjusted working hours, if any. Where possible, meetings shall also be held in hybrid or online format.
If an employee needs to change working time or feels any discrimination in the workplace, he should contact his supervisor.
Tasks for 2022-2025
The current plan for 2022-2025 focuses on four main categories, which are not currently defined as problem areas, but we see an opportunity for improvement in the future:
- working conditions,
- raising awareness of gender equality and awareness;
- preventing harassment and discrimination;
- employment and personnel issues, including salaries.
The coordinator/coordinator for gender equality (hereinafter referred to as "the coordinator/coordinator') will be nominated and appointed by the GTSÚ by 31.10.022. Consequently, an action plan based on the Roadmap 2022-2025 will be developed in the first quarter of 2023.
A. Working conditions
Objective A1: The working environment in the Ministry promotes equality and equal treatment and prevents discrimination and harassment.
Task A1.1: To carry out an assessment of the state of the conditions for gender equality and to carry out a survey on the needs of employees in relation to gender equality and equal treatment. The results of the surveys and evaluations will be used for future activities in the Action Plan. Heads of staff will be provided with outputs and proposals for action and will be supported in further communication of these outputs and actions and in further work on outputs.
Tools: anonymous questionnaires, individual interviews
Liability: Coordinator/coordinator, Personal Office
Task A1. 2: The governance documents (guidelines, plans and other similar supporting documents) will be reviewed in the light of gender equality. It will be ensured that selection procedures, careers and working conditions in relation to parental responsibilities reflect the gender equality plan.
Tools: Revision and (where appropriate) update of current documents
Liability: Personal office
Task A1. 3: The Ministry website is currently in the process of reconstruction. All texts and pictures on the website as well as all other material appearing on social networks and information documents will be examined. By promoting equality and diversity, we avoid strengthening stereotypes, including in terms of language and accessibility. Sub-sections must take into account gender equality in content creation.
Tools: Review of website content, social media and print material
B. Awareness-raising and information
Objective B1: The Ministry of Health will step up efforts on gender equality and equal treatment at all levels to improve gender equality treatment as well as to prevent discrimination and harassment. The Ministry will develop ways to support these efforts and evaluate the need for such efforts.
Task B1. 1: Any update of documents, guidelines, plans and other similar supporting documents shall also be assessed in terms of gender equality and equal treatment before any changes are adopted. This will improve the transparency of decision-making processes. There will be increased awareness and increased communication towards employees, with emphasis on creating a culture of gender equality, non-discrimination in the activities of the Ministry. Likewise important is the subsequent implementation of these principles when updating documents and planning gender pay (remuneration for equal work should be the same).
Tools: Newsletter, other internal and external communication tools and channels
Liability: Coordinator/coordinator, Head of Ministry Services
Task B1. 2: Measures to raise awareness among key managers in order to make gender equality issues and theme a natural part of the preparation of legislation, directives, technical guidelines, any other documents as well as human resources planning and other policies of the Ministry.
Tools: Meetings of the coordinator/coordinator with key heads of Ministry departments
Liability: Coordinator/coordinator, Head of Ministry Services
Task B1. 3: The existing Committee for the Management Approach to the Common Assessment Framework (hereinafter referred to as the "CAF Committee') entrust the Ministry with monitoring and evaluation of the state of implementation of the principles and principles of gender equality at least twice a year, together with the coordinator/coordinator.
Tools: Report from the coordinator and results of monitoring
Liability: Coordinator/Coordinator, CAF Committee
Task B1.4: Support services to take equal treatment and gender issues into account in their work.
Liability: Coordinator/coordinator, Personal Office
C. Prevention of discrimination and harassment
Objective C1: Each member of staff of the Ministry should be able to find without difficulty information on the principles of gender equality and equal treatment applied in the Ministry, whether on the subject of age, gender, gender identity and orientation (LGBTQIA), ethnic origin, religion or any other belief or disability. Each employee should also know how to maintain himself if he becomes a witness to discrimination, harassment or unequal treatment.
Task C1. 1: Establishment of a gender equality plan 2022-2025 and a related Directive. Publication of documents on the Ministry's website.
Tools: Gender equality plan, procedures and processes for escalating harassment or discrimination, information on the website
Liability: Coordinator/coordinator, Communications Department, Personal Office
Task C1. 2: Every employee of the Ministry - from top management and union representatives to part-time employees - is aware of his responsibility to create an inclusive, tolerant environment in which everyone feels welcome and accepts a policy of zero tolerance of discrimination and harassment.
Tools: Directive on discrimination
Liability: Coordinator/coordinator, Personal Office
Task C1. 3: Each employee is aware that the Ministry applies a zero tolerance policy against discrimination and harassment and knows how to proceed in the event of unequal treatment. This means that, if any employee notices any discrimination or harassment, whether explicitly or indirectly embedded in structures and processes, this behaviour immediately escalates with the intention of taking measures. The procedure depends on the particular situation. Reproofing, contacting the manager or coordinator/coordinator are examples of measures that could be taken. Silence means consent to conduct.
Tools: Directive on discrimination
Liability: Every employee, Coordinator/coordinator, Personal Office
D. Employment and personnel issues, including salaries
Task D1. 1: Review staff plans and processes, and document all barriers and measures - both adopted and planned - to achieve the target gender-based distribution ratio.
Tools: Staff plans, payroll accounts, staff statistics
Liability: Coordinator/coordinator, Personal Office, Head of Ministry departments
Task D1. 2: Gender equality in both careers and employee pay.
Tools: Personal statistics
Liability: Personal office
Task D1. 3: Separate emphasis will be put on supporting staff with children. The Ministry's ambition is also to be a model for other government institutions in the area of access to employees with families and children. To this end, all relevant documents supporting this objective and remuneration policies will be reviewed.
Tools: Personnel statistics, union representatives
Liability: Personal office
Conclusion
The Ministry of Health is aware of the irreplaceable role of human capital for any organisation and the importance of building an organisational culture, so our ambition is to build a culture that stimulates, encourages, promotes and maintains an environment rich in diversity, openness, dialogue and equality.
Through the implementation of gender equality policy, we want to ensure better conditions not only for the current staff of the Ministry, but also to attract and reach out to an educated and skilled workforce that is sensitive and sensitive to the subject of equal working conditions and opportunities, and also regardless of family background.
Dr Vladimir Lengvarsky, MPH