Designation

Each staff delegation appoints an Equal Opportunity Officer at its constituent meeting from among its regular or alternate members for the duration of its mandate, and informs the head of the company and the Inspectorate of Labour and Mines in writing within three days.

Mission

The general task of the Equal Opportunity Officer is to uphold the principle of equal treatment of women and men at work with regard to access to employment, vocational training and promotion, pay and working conditions.

To this end, without prejudice to the tasks that may be conferred on them by other legal provisions, Equal Opportunity Officers, acting alone or in concert with the staff delegation regarding the areas of their mission, are in particular empowered:

• to give their opinion and directly or indirectly make proposals on any matter relating to one of the above-mentioned areas;
• to recommend awareness-raising actions for the company’s employees to the employer;
• to prepare and submit to the employer a plan of measures to promote equal opportunities for women and men;
• to submit to the employer any individual or collective complaint relating to equal treatment of men and women;
• to prevent and settle individual or collective disputes that may arise between the employer and the employees in the area of equal treatment of men and women;
• to refer any complaint or observation to the Inspectorate of Labour and Mines (ITM) if the above-mentioned disputes are not settled;
• to convene once a year the salaried staff of both sexes, separately;
• to ensure equality training for apprentices in the company;
• to collaborate in establishing and implementing any initial vocational training scheme, in particular apprenticeships;
• to give consultations in an appropriate room to the salaried staff of the establishment either outside working hours or during working hours. In the latter case, Equal Opportunity Officers must agree with the head of the company on the time and methods of organising these consultations, the duration of which is deducted from their time credit;
• to give their opinion prior to the creation of any part-time position in the company.

Hour credits

In order to carry out the tasks defined in this article, Equal Opportunity Officers shall receive a specific number of hour credits, to include:

• four paid hours per month, if the company employs between 15 and 25 employees during the 12 months preceding the first day of the month in which the elections are announced;
• six paid hours per month, if the company employs between 26 and 50 employees during the 12 months preceding the first day of the month in which the elections are announced;
• eight paid hours per month, if the company employs between 51 and 75 employees during the 12 months preceding the first day of the month in which the elections are announced;
• ten paid hours per month, if the company employs between 76 and 150 employees during the 12 months preceding the first day of the month in which the elections are announced;
• four hours per week, if the company employs more than 150 employees during the 12 months preceding the first day of the month in which the elections are announced.

These hour credits are reserved for the exclusive use of the Equal Opportunity Officers.

Education leave

Equal Opportunity Officers shall be entitled to paid training leave to participate in training activities organised by trade union organisations or specialised institutions that coincide with normal working hours and are aimed at perfecting the economic, legal, social and psychological knowledge useful for the performance of his/her duties.

Equal Opportunity Officers thus have two half-days of education leave a year, which cannot be charged to their annual recreation leave.
The duration of the education leave is treated as a period of work; in the case of enterprises with fewer than 150 employees the related remuneration expenses are borne by the State.

If a designated Equal Opportunity Officer is an alternate member of the delegation, he or she may participate in all decisions relating to their special mandate and may attend all meetings of the delegation concerned in an advisory capacity.