In the Optima Program, developed by the Woman’s Institute since 1996, the cooperating companies endeavor to promote equal employment opportunities for men and women. Within this frame, Dana Automoción, an Optima Company, has designed and implemented a Plan of Positive Actions aiming to take advantage of the contribution of women to economic growth and social welfare.

An excerpt of the Declaration of Principles of Dana Automoción’s Plan of Positive Actions reads as follows:

“Aware of the new perception of the employment and the necessity to incorporate and promote equal opportunities within the Company, we wish to go forward with our human resources policy. Therefore, we offer our current and future female workers a labor environment based on equal opportunities, in regard to hiring, selection, promotion, training, flexibility to reconcile labor and family life, professional development and safety. The Optima Project of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has helped us to develop these targets by advising us in our Plan of Positive Actions, which includes specific actions concerning the above mentioned issues”.

In 1997, women accounted for only 27% of Dana Automoción’ staff: 10 women worked in the office and 42 in the plant. In March 2003, the staff included 245 employees: 34.28% women and 65.71% men.
Currently, Dana Automoción’s staff includes 328 employees, 147 of which (44.85%) are women:

23 women work in the offices
3 women are in the Management Team
123 women work in the Production Plant
1 woman is the Chairwoman of the Works Council.

Furthermore, Dana Automoción employs 13 disabled workers (8 women and 5 men).

The positive actions implemented by Dana Automoción within the frame of the Optima Program include:

Sensitization of personnel in regard to equal employment opportunities, through the Company’s internal magazine and the social statement.
Appointment of a person responsible for compiling information about equal opportunities.
To extend the practice of a neutral language in the offers of employment and the social statement.
Time to inform about equal opportunities in the meetings.
Writing a Declaration of Principles including the Company’s commitment.
Sigh-posting by images, both of women and men, within the Company’s premises.
Appointment of a Committee of Promotion for the awareness of equal opportunity policy.
Appointment of a person responsible for following up the equal opportunity policy.
Revision of the forms used in the selection processes.
Organization of training courses both in the morning and in the afternoon shifts.
Sensitization in regard to equal opportunities for people involved in the process of selection and promotion of personnel.
Sensitization in regard to equal opportunities for Human Resources staff and middle management.
Possibility of carrying out a master on Management and Administration of Companies (Program of Management Development), organized by the Autonomous University of Madrid, through the University Institute in Administration of Knowledge and Innovation of Companies (IADE).
To promote and facilitate flexibility of timetables.
Sensitization campaign concerning distribution of responsibilities
To identify and prevent female-linked labor risks.
Voluntary and regular medical checkups (gynecological checkups)

Further conciliation measures implemented by Dana Automoción since 2002 include:

In case of illness of parents, children or partner, the holidays can be split.
Special non-paid leaves to nurse ill relatives (up to second degree of kinship), or in connection with serious situations duly justified.
Equal right for enjoying holidays for couples duly registered.
Leave to take care of children under 3 years of age as a consequence from illness or medical care.
Three days a year of paid holidays
Leaves to attend official exams
Paid leave for the day in which the above exams are carried out for those successfully following studies aiming to obtaining an official degree/certificate
In case of coincidence of holiday period and maternity leave, a new holiday period  is set up.
Accumulation of the daily half hour to be enjoyed after the maternity period, with possibility of extending for two weeks.
To cut working hours by half hour
System of rotation of shift for Plant personnel
Three working shifts. They are fixed: morning, afternoon and night.
In case a post must be covered in the morning shift, the newly hired worker begins to work in the afternoon shift and two workers of the afternoon shift begin to rotate between them. The night shift is composed of voluntary staff.
Flexible timetable of work start for the office staff.
Possibility of non-split working day on Friday
Possibility of non-split working day in summer.

The advantages of the above action plan materialize in increased satisfaction and improved performance of Dana Automoción’s staff, as well as in a reinforced feeling of belonging to the Company. Furthermore, the economic indicators of Dana Automoción (sales and profits) show a significant increase since the implementation of the above measures.

In February 2007, the Company was awarded as company in the final of the third edition of the Aragonese Award concerning Corporate Social Responsibility, promoted by the Department of Industry, Commerce and Tourism of the Government of Aragon. So the panel of judges supported  the measures implemented by Dana Automoción to promote equal opportunities for men and women, as well as the Company’s actions in regard to the environment, the prevention of labor risks and the social action.

In May 2007, and within the 17th Conference on Woman and Employment, the Delegation of Social Action and Cooperation for the Development of the City Council of Zaragoza, paid tribute to Dana Automoción on the occasion of its incorporation of the equal employment opportunity policy through the hiring of women and the implementation of measures for the conciliation of labor and family life.

Further information is available from:

Dana Automoción, S.A.-Zaragoza Plant
Pol. Ind. Malpica, calle F 59; 50016 Zaragoza, Spain, Internet www.glaser.es
Lorena Arrizabalaga, Press Office
Phone  ++34 976 110 719, Fax  ++34 976 572 003
E-Mail  lorena.arrizabalaga@dana.com