Equal Pay Certification
On March 10, 2023, Efling received the Equal Pay Certification to the ÍST 85 Equal Pay Standard from BSI in Iceland. The Office of Equality in Iceland confirmed the certification on March 15, 2023. The equal pay certification confirms that a process has been established that ensures that procedures and decisions in pay matters do not involve gender-based discrimination. The goal of the Equal Pay Certification is to combat the gender pay gap and promote gender equality in the labor market.
The Equal Pay Certification is valid from 2023-2026.
The Efling gender equality plan 2022 – 2025
The goal of Efling union’s gender equality plan is to ensure gender equality and that everyone has equal working opportunities regardless of gender. It is essential that managers and employees are aware of the importance of gender equality in daily operations, policy-making, and all decision-making. Efling’s staff collectively bears the responsibility for ensuring gender equality.
The gender equality plan is based on law no. 150/2020 on equal status and equal rights of the genders.
Efling union’s gender equality plan applies to all staff and aims to make Efling a desirable workplace where gender equality and equal rights prevail. The gender equality plan is made public on Efling’s website.
Wage equality
Efling staff enjoy the same rights and wages for similar or equally valuable jobs, cf. art. 6 of the equality laws.
The criteria used to set wages do not discriminate on the basis of gender.
| Goals of the equal pay system | Action | Responsibility | Timeframe |
| To eliminate any unexplained wage gap | Comply with the goals of the equal pay policy and maintain equal pay certification according to the equal pay standard ÍST85:2012. | Managing director and operations manager. | Annually, before the annual general meeting |
| Conduct statistical reviews and analyses of gender-related differences in wages and other employment terms. Present the findings to the staff. | Managing director and operations manager. | Annually, before the annual general meeting | |
| If the review reveals gender-related differences in wages or other employment terms, the management shall introduce corrective measures. | Managing director and operations manager. | Within 3 months if the difference is more than 3%, otherwise within a year. |
Hiring, training and education
Equal job opportunities at Efling shall be available to men, women, and individuals with a gender-neutral registration in the national registry, in accordance with para. 1 of art. 12 of the equality law.
Managers should work purposefully to achieve as equal a gender balance as possible within work groups and operational units.
Gender equality considerations are evaluated on par with other important criteria in hiring and promotions. It shall be ensured that everyone stands on an equal footing regarding career advancement, training, education, and task allocation.
| Goals of the equal pay system | Action | Responsibility | Timeframe |
| Gender-diverse workplace. | All jobs are gender-neutral in advertisements, and all genders are encouraged to apply. If two equally qualified applicants apply for a position, preference should generally be given to the applicant of the gender that is underrepresented in that profession. | Managing director and operations manager. | When jobs are vacant, during the creation of advertisements, and when hiring. |
| Promoting diversity in the workplace. | Hire staff with knowledge of foreign languages and cultural communities. | Managing director and operations manager. | When jobs are vacant and when hiring. |
| Equal opportunity for training and education. | Maintain a gender-divided overview of staff participation in courses, conferences, and other continuing education. Results are presented to all staff members. | Management and supervisors. | Annually, before the annual general meeting. |
Work-life balance
Employees can balance their work responsibilities and family obligations, regardless of gender, in accordance with art. 13 of the equality law, such as through flexible working hours, part-time work, or other measures, as needed and applicable. Staff should enjoy flexibility to take care of their families.
Everyone should find it easy to return to work after maternity/paternity leave or from time off due to unavoidable urgent family circumstances. In addition, such circumstances should not have negative effects on decisions about the individual’s career progress.
| Goals of the equal pay system | Action | Responsibility | Timeframe |
| Balancing work and family life | Introduce to staff the work schedule and the organized flexibility available. | Supervisors. | Introduced during employee onboarding. Staff and department managers have access to Tímon – a time management system. Time registrations are reviewed and confirmed at the end of each month. |
| Parent-friendly work environment | Everyone is encouraged to utilize their rights to maternity/paternity leave and time off for children’s illnesses. | Supervisors and operations manager. | Discussions are held when specific cases arise. |
| Keep overtime of staff within reasonable limits and eliminate any gender-related differences in overtime. | Maintain a gender-divided overview of the number of overtime hours and present the findings to all staff members. Respond with task restructuring or other work-life balance measures if needed. | Managing director and operations manager. | Annually, before the annual general meeting. |
Bullying, gender-based harassment, sexual harassment, and gender-based violence
Department managers and supervisors are responsible for creating working conditions that do not tolerate bullying, gender-based violence, or gender-based or sexual harassment in the workplace. They are obliged to address issues and follow Efling policy and procedures. Any hints or complaints regarding such matters must be taken seriously and considered impartially.
All employees have the right to be treated with respect. Bullying, gender-based violence, gender-based, or sexual harassment are not acceptable. If an employee believes they have experienced any of the aforementioned behaviours, they should immediately report it to their immediate supervisor, operations manager, or managing director, who are obliged to follow established procedures. The same applies if an employee has reason to suspect such behavior towards a colleague.
The EKKO action plan aims to ensure a healthy and safe working environment with a staff communication agreement as a guiding principle. The plan covers the communication of Efling trade union staff and others they interact with in relation to their work. Organized events or meetings outside the workplace are also included.
It is the responsibility of managers and employees to prevent and respond to such behaviour, and the action plan is developed in accordance with regulation no. 1009/2015 and Efling union’s gender equality plan.
Managers and employees have preventive measures at their disposal and are responsible for creating a positive workplace culture where people feel comfortable, mutual respect prevails, and open communication and constructive criticism are encouraged. Issues, conflicts, and communication difficulties in the workplace should be addressed as quickly as possible. Managers are offered training in resolving communication problems.
Employees should be made aware that bullying, sexual and gender-based harassment, and violence are prohibited, and everyone is obliged to work against such behavior. All employees should be informed about the action plan against EKKO. The plan should be regularly reviewed at staff meetings.
The managing director ensures that regular risk assessments take place in the workplace regarding actions against EKKO, according to art. 4 of regulation no. 1009/2015. It is also essential to create a health protection and prevention plan in accordance with the assessment results, and to reassess after the completion of improvements.
| Definitions | |
| Bullying | Bullying is repeated behavior that is generally intended to cause discomfort to those who experience it, such as belittling, insulting, hurting, or threatening the person involved or causing them fear. Disagreements of opinion or disputes due to different interests do not fall under this category. |
| Workplace bullying | Frequent and negative actions carried out by one or more individuals against a colleague who has difficulty defending themselves. These actions cause the person experiencing the bullying significant distress and undermine their self-confidence. |
| Gender-based violence | Violence based on gender that leads to or could lead to physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering for the person experiencing it, including threats of such violence, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, both in private life and in the public sphere. |
| Gender-based harassment | Behavior related to the gender of the person experiencing it, with the purpose or effect of demeaning their dignity and creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment for them. |
| Sexual harassment | Any form of sexual behavior that has the purpose or effect of demeaning the dignity of the person experiencing it, especially when the behavior leads to an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment. The behavior can be verbal, symbolic, and/or physical. |
| Violence | Any form of behavior that leads to or could lead to physical or psychological harm or suffering for the person experiencing it, including threats of such violence, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty. |
| Victim | Someone who believes they have experienced bullying, sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, violence, or intolerable behavior. |
| Perpetrator | The person against whom a complaint of bullying, sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, violence, or intolerable behavior is directed. |
Follow-up and review
The gender equality plan is made for three years at a time. One year before it expires, a review shall begin, aiming to have a new plan ready when the previous plan expires. The next review thus begins in 2024.