WNT Gender Equality Plan (GEP) 2026–2028

1. Management Commitment

WNT is committed to ensuring equal opportunities and a safe, inclusive working environment free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Gender equality is integrated into our governance, HR processes, workplace culture, and (where relevant) R&D and training/knowledge-sharing activities.

Top management takes responsibility for implementation, provides resources, and ensures that progress is measured, reported, and continuously improved.

2. Governance and Resources

2.1 Roles and Responsibilities

WNT establishes the following governance structure:

• GEP Sponsor (Top Management): ultimate accountability; approves targets, resources, and annual reports.
• GEP Lead (HR/Operations or appointed manager): coordinates implementation; collects data; prepares annual report.
• Gender Equality Officer (GEO) / Gender Expertise: internal trained person or external expert contracted at least annually to support policy design, training, and assessment.
• GEP Working Group: cross-functional team (management + staff representatives) meeting at least quarterly to review actions and propose improvements.

2.2 Time and Budget Allocation

WNT commits to allocate:

• Human resources: at least 0.1 FTE equivalent for GEP coordination (combined across roles) plus time for working group participation.
• Budget: annual line covering training, expert support, and communication materials (minimum EUR 1,500/year; scaled with headcount and needs).

3. Data Collection, Monitoring and Reporting

WNT collects and monitors sex/gender-disaggregated data (in line with applicable data protection rules) for staff and, where relevant, students/interns hosted by WNT.

Indicators (minimum set)

1. Headcount by gender and contract type (permanent/temporary, full-time/part-time).
2. Recruitment pipeline by gender (applicants, shortlisted, hired).
3. Pay: gender pay gap (base salary and total compensation where applicable).
4. Career progression: promotions and role changes by gender.
5. Leadership/decision-making: share of women in management, project leadership, boards/committees.
6. Training participation: by gender and role (including decision-makers).
7. Work-life balance usage: flexible work arrangements, parental leave uptake by gender (aggregated).
8. Workplace safety & dignity: number of reported harassment/discrimination incidents (aggregated), resolution time, outcomes (confidentially handled).

Reporting

• An annual GEP Report will be prepared by the GEP Lead and approved by the GEP Sponsor.
• The report will include progress against targets, actions delivered, indicator trends, and next-year priorities.
• A public summary (non-sensitive, aggregated) will be published on the website.

4. Training: Awareness and Unconscious Bias

WNT provides regular training to build awareness and reduce unconscious bias in daily work and decision-making.

Training Programme (minimum)

• All staff: introductory training on gender equality, respectful workplace behaviour, and unconscious bias (online or in-person).
• Decision-makers (management, hiring managers, team leads): advanced training focused on unbiased recruitment, performance evaluation, leadership behaviours, and inclusive team management.

Frequency:

• Minimum once every 24 months for all staff; annually for decision-makers.

Training Targets

• ≥ 90% of staff complete basic training within 12 months of publication.
• ≥ 100% of decision-makers complete advanced training annually.

5. Concrete Measures and Targets

Area A: Work-Life Balance and Organisational Culture

Objective A1: Support work-life balance without career penalties.

Measures:

• Provide flexible working arrangements (flexible hours, hybrid work where feasible, part-time options).
• Ensure meeting culture supports inclusivity (core hours, avoid recurring late meetings).
• Transparent parental leave and return-to-work support.

Targets (by end of 2028):

• ≥ 80% of roles assessed for hybrid/flexible feasibility; documented rationale where not feasible.
• ≥ 75% staff satisfaction score on inclusion/work-life balance (annual survey).
• Return-to-work check-in conducted for 100% of employees after parental leave > 3 months.

Objective A2: Zero tolerance for harassment and discrimination.

Measures:

• Maintain a Code of Conduct and clear reporting channels (confidential, non-retaliation).
• Appoint trained contact persons and define investigation procedures and timelines.

Targets:

• Reporting channels communicated to 100% staff annually.
• Initial response within 5 working days and resolution plan within 30 working days (where feasible and lawful).

Area B: Gender Balance in Leadership and Decision-Making

Objective B1: Improve gender balance in leadership and key decision roles.

Measures:

• Ensure diverse shortlists for leadership positions where possible.
• Implement mentorship/sponsorship opportunities for underrepresented genders in technical and leadership paths.
• Review role descriptions to avoid gender-coded language.

Targets (by end of 2028):

• Achieve at least 30% representation of the underrepresented gender in management/team-lead roles or show year-on-year improvement with documented actions if company size makes statistical targets difficult.
• At least 40% of internal leadership development opportunities offered to the underrepresented gender (where participation is feasible and voluntary).

Area C: Gender Equality in Recruitment and Career Progression

Objective C1: Fair and unbiased recruitment.

Measures:

• Standardised job ads with inclusive language; salary ranges published where possible.
• Structured interviews with scoring criteria and at least two interviewers for key roles.
• Track applicant-to-hire ratios by gender.

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