- The Diversity Plan seeks to promote a safe working environment and equal professional development for the community, with a special focus on transgender people
- The plan, signed between the company and employees’ legal representatives, is made up of 69 measures
- Among the most relevant measures are a set of developmental and awareness-raising actions and an assistance guide for trans people
- SEAT S.A. reinforces its commitment to diversity as a strategic value of the organization
SEAT S.A. has approved its Diversity Plan to ensure the inclusion for the LGBTI+ community, reinforcing its commitment to people and society. The signing of the plan has been the result of a collaborative process and joint work between the company and legal representatives of employees. A total of 69 measures have been implemented in favour of LGBTI+ people, with a special focus on the trans community.
“Diversity and inclusion are a fundamental pillar of SEAT S.A. To ensure true equality of opportunity, we strive daily to make our company a safe space for all people, including, of course, the LGBTI+ community. This Diversity Plan is a reflection of this, and the company is extremely proud of the outcome,” said Laura Carnicero, Executive Vice-President for People and Organisation at SEAT S.A. “With this plan, we want to consolidate our equality and diversity journey and reaffirm our commitment to building more diverse, inclusive and respectful work environments. We are currently at a moment of historic transformation, which also implies a cultural transformation, in which people are and will always be the protagonists,” she added.
The new measures contained in the plan signed on April 7 will be implemented across seven different areas, as required by law: equal treatment and non-discrimination; access to employment; job placement and promotion; training, awareness and language; diverse, safe and inclusive work environments; social benefits and disciplinary arrangements.
More than 60 good practices in favour of diversity
The measures included in the LGBTI+ Diversity Plan complement the current legal framework, while at the same time extending and consolidating other long-standing measures within the company’s policies. Initiatives already in force are included, such as SEAT S.A.’s requirement to its commercial partners and supplier companies to guarantee non-discrimination on the grounds of gender identity, expression or sexual or affective orientation. The organisation’s training programme has been expanded to include content on LGBTI+ diversity, with both awareness-raising and specific training initiatives on harassment and non-discrimination. This awareness-raising plan will be tailored and segmented according to different groups of employees and will use both physical and digital formats.
The company also intends to explore ways to promote the presence of companies led by LGBTI+ people in the portfolio of suppliers and will share vacancies and job offers with institutions and organisations that work to promote the incorporation of trans people in the workplace. On the other hand, employees travelling for work purposes will be proactively informed about countries with legislation or contexts that may affect the community, making them aware of the degree of respect and protection of their rights through the company’s internal channels.
Among other noteworthy measures, SEAT S.A. is also preparing a trans accompaniment guide to assist members of the community and those close to them, ensuring that they feel supported in their journey and professional development within the company. In the production plants, a neutral dress code will be applied to uniforms, allowing people to choose the style they feel most comfortable in. Complaint channels will also be improved, enabling a virtual access through internal digital platforms, ensuring availability to all employees.
The company is committed to continuing to carry out its inclusion survey periodically to monitor and take concrete actions to improve the inclusiveness of all groups. It will also implement focus groups to gather qualitative information that will enable it to continue working on building an inclusive, safe and discrimination-free working environment.
A step forward in diversity and equality
With the signing of its first Equality Plan in 2012, SEAT S.A. positioned itself as a benchmark in the implementation of initiatives that, already at that time, were committed to making diversity a strategic value of the organisation. This commitment laid the foundations in terms of diversity and has evolved with the incorporation of specific groups such as LGBTI+.
In this regard, the company has a consolidated a series of actions, such as awareness-raising campaigns, membership of dedicated associations, sponsorship and participation in Barcelona’s Pride Parade, as well as the extension of its sexual and gender-based harassment protocol to include harassment and discrimination towards the LGBTI+ community. In addition, the company has developed an inclusive communication guide with a specific LGBTI+ focus and has implemented workshops and experiential programmes that address unconscious bias, promote empathy and make visible the stories of people who have experienced stigma, prejudice or social exclusion.
In this journey, the LGBTI+ Diversity Plan is a key element in the company’s commitment to continue moving in this direction. The plan has been developed in accordance with the requirements of Royal Decree 1026/24, the agreements established in the 20th Collective Agreement, and has had the cooperation of SEAT S.A.’s Pride Moves Us network, which has actively contributed with initiatives in favour of the LGBTI+ community. The result is a document that embodies SEAT S.A.’s firm belief in the key role of diversity in business success and social justice.
