EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

2022– 2025

ACTION PLAN AND POLICY

CONTENT LIST

1. Introduction…………………………………..3
2. Statement……………………………………..4
3. Strategic Context……………………………5
4. Objective & Scope………………………….6
5. Accountability & Responsibility………..7
6. Strategies & Measures of Success…….8-9

1. Introduction

BURC’s strategy on gender equality originates from our actions and work over more than 26 years on equality in the workplace and turns around our objective.

BURC People department policy is based on the development of people, regardless of their gender, age, ability, culture and race, and we firmly believe in this. For this reason, in 2022 BURC made commitment to draw up the first equality plan in order to progress in equal opportunities between women and men. This Gender Equality Plan (GEP) shows the organisation’s plan to achieve this goal, its scope and the strategic objectives we want to achieve over the next 3 years. It is intended to be a living document that will be updated regularly to accommodate new actions and developments.

2. Statement

The promotion of gender equality and equal opportunities represents an important topic for BURC since the beginning, guaranteeing a gender balance both at the organizational level and within the activities promoted.

Gender considerations are crucial both to BURC’s vision and to the achievement of its mission.

Currently, % 45 of our staff is consists of women.

We aim to increase our female workforce.

The equality plan will apply to all employees, regardless of the position.

We consider equality to be ‘part of the day job’ and an essential part of building a fair and sustainable future for the social economy.

BURC, stands in support of equal rights and fair treatment of all members of the LGBTI+ community.

3. Strategic Context

Boğaziçi Underwater Research Center-BURC was established in 1997 to conduct research on underwater issues and to develop diving techniques. The main area of ​​expertise of our company is diving and underwater technologies. For this purpose, it provides diving training, develops and produces innovative diving equipment. The products resulting from our R&D studies are produced and sold under the registered trademark of BURC, INNOVASUB. In addition to R&D studies, innovative consulting services, licensed trainings are provided for recreational and professional diving.

BURC takes a leading role in recognizing and valuing the diversity of its staff based on language, cultural background, gender, age, religion, geographical region, sexual orientation, functional disability and socioeconomic situation.

The organization’s performance in relation to gender equality, in particular, significant achievement with women being well represented in senior management and in certain disciplines.

For many years BURC has been very committed to the fight against gender-based violence. Together with the members of its network and in partnership with other important European players, BURC will strive to regularly promote project initiatives that aims to preserve the physical, emotional health, safety and wellbeing of employees.

BURC is dedicated to making an additional effort to achieve a gender-equal company culture, by taking the measure necessary to develop working conditions and a culture in which female, as well as male workers, feel they are welcome, have job satisfaction and experience the organization as a caring and fair employer.

This gender equality plan suggests the development of specific interventions for areas in need of more practical and strategic approaches, in order to ensure the empowerment of gender diverse individuals as a step towards gender equality.

4. Objective & Scope

The objective of this GEP is to serve as a tool and framework for enhancing gender equality in the work environment and to enable the integration of gender into organizational practices.

In parallel, this GEP also aims to contribute to the achievement of gender equality by providing high level consulting services in order to build tomorrow future through ground-breaking R&D projects, paying attention to gender differences and actively promoting equality between gender diverse individuals.

This plan applies to all work throughout the organization.

An Equality Officer has been appointed to oversee the implementation of the gender equality plan.

The measures and actions included in this plan seek to achieve the following specific objectives:

Qualitative objectives:

• To integrate the gender perspective in the management of the organization.
• To guarantee access to employment on equal conditions, establishing objective selection criteria based on meritocracy.
• To guarantee a true work-life balance that contributes to the personal and professional development of the people working at BURC, thus contributing to a culture of co- responsibility.
• To guarantee a work environment based on respect and non-discrimination, establishing as labour right for all people the protection against moral, sexual and gender-based harassment.
• To promote the presence of women in the proposals preparation.
• To promote the presence of women in the management of R&D projects.

Quantitative objectives:

• To maintain or improve the balance between men and women in the organization.
• To conduct at least one training for employees to disseminate the equality plan, involving the workforce and raising awareness of equality.

5. Accountability & Responsibility

1. Ratification

The GEP is ratified at the executive level (board of directors and president) and the equality officer is responsible for ensuring that it is communicated to all staff members.

2. Communication

The equality officer has the further responsibility to ensure that employees are aware of the gender equality plan and to initiate corrective action when discrimination is observed or reported.

3. Monitoring

All the while they are on duty, the equality officer has the responsibility to monitor the situation and keep the plan regularly updated to accommodate new actions and developments.

4. Data collection

The equality officer is expected to collect data disaggregated by sex and other relevant variables, and to review and reflect on the gender aspects of the respective areas of work. Such action will help ensure the integration of gender considerations in all of BURC's work in different fields.

6.Strategies & Measures of Success

The 5 priority intervention areas that are vital for gender diversity in our organisation are:

1. Work-life balance and organizational culture

2. Gender balance in leadership and decision-making

3. Gender equality in recruitment and career progression

4. Integrating the gender dimension into research and teaching content

5. Measures against gender-based violence including sexual harassment.

The plan will allow us, over the next 3 years, to navigate and accelerate the gender equality journey that BURC must take in order to improve its performance. To achieve its strategic goals, BURC needs to work in several areas that serve as building blocks for the strategy, listed below.

Area 1: Access to employment and recruitment

• To ensure that no requirements on gender stereotypes are included in job offers

• To draw up a recruitment guide

• To apply a talent matrix that avoids gender biases when recruiting

• To promote the organisation’s image and reputation as inclusive that supports and values diversity

• To have a human resources policy to promote equal career opportunities for all genders

Area 2: Professional classification, promotion, training and representation of women

• To include a mandatory section on equality in the onboarding of newly recruited workers

• Leadership training focused mainly on newly promoted women

• To disseminate and promote access to external professional networks with specific support for women

• To foster parity when choosing panelists for conferences

• To foster parity when choosing the participants for trade fairs stand-side

• To celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 February)

Area 3: Work-life balance and co-responsibility

• To draw up a proposal for a remote work pilot test

• To draw up a practical guide for employees on maternity and paternity

• To update the work-life balance guide with a co-responsibility approach

• To undertake a regular review of flexible work and other relevant policies

• Diagnosis of people’s needs coming back to work after parental leaves, with respect to support from the organisation

• Training and mentorship programmes that help employees to accommodate work demands on their return from parental, maternity or family-related leave.

Area 4: Occupational health

• To include the gender perspective in risk assessments and health surveillance

• To draw up an absenteeism report with a gender perspective

• To foster remote work for pregnant women

Area 5: Remuneration and audits

• To study remuneration in accordance with BURC professional categories

• To monitor possible deviations in the remuneration policy through annual reports

Area 5: Prevention of sexual and gender harassment

• To modify the harassment procedure: gender perspective and resolution by third parties

• To adhere to global corporate policies on zero tolerance for all forms of violence in the workplace

• To prepare annual surveys of all staff evaluating gender experiences in workplace: harassment, discrimination, workplace culture and management styles

• To provide staff with specific training courses and materials on fighting sexual and gender-based violence, gender equality and unconscious gender biases

• To create reporting mechanism that allow staff to raise concerns, document and act on gender balance issues they identify

Area 6: Communication and inclusive language

• To draw up a guide for an inclusive recruitment process to avoid unconscious biases

• To provide employees with guides and workshops on the integration of equality and diversity in training programme design, and learning activities as teaching and learning support

• Communications about training must not be gender-specific unless the training is specifically designed for a specific gender

• To ensure all staff are aware of the gender equality and related equality policies

• Use social media to create a positive image of successful practices put in place by BURC.