(AGENPARL) – lun 20 maggio 2024 TERNA ADOPTS THE SELF-REGULATORY CODE ON EQUAL
OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESPONSIBLE BUSINESSES
The Italian electricity grid operator confirms its commitment to shared parenting and maternity
support
The number of women at the Group companies continues to grow
Rome, 20 May 2024 – Terna, the operator of the Italian electricity transmission grid, has adopted
the Self-Regulatory Code for Responsible Businesses in support of shared parenting and
maternity, promoted by the Equal Opportunities Department of the Presidency of the Council of
Ministers.
By adopting this Code, the Group led by Giuseppina Di Foggia is confirming its commitment to
promoting gender equality and supporting shared parenting, through concrete actions that can
have a positive impact on employees’ lives both at and outside of work.
At the heart of everything Terna does are people who contribute significantly to achieving the
challenging goals of a fair and inclusive energy transition thanks to their skills. This is what inspires
the Italian electricity grid operator to champion the values of human diversity, equality and
uniqueness, and to commit itself every day to creating an inclusive work environment with no room
for discrimination, so that everybody is free to realise their full potential.
At Terna, the People, Organization & Change Department is responsible for overseeing gender
equality matters and has a function dedicated to diversity, equality and inclusion. The proportion of
women in the Group is constantly growing: as of 31 December 2023, women accounted for 23% of
the total, excluding labourers (this figure was a little over 19% in 2020); in 2023, women accounted
for 36.8% of new hires, not counting labourers (30.3% in 2022, 30.2% in 2021).
In order to support its people and to promote equal opportunities, Terna has introduced concrete
welfare policies and measures to provide structured, integrated support to families, aimed at
encouraging a shared division of parental responsibilities. In further proof of the effectiveness of
these steps, no women returning from maternity leave resigned during their children’s first three
years of life.
To protect parents and support gender equality, Terna has established a number of conditions
which improve upon the provisions of worker contracts and of Italian law. These include: increasing
the allowance paid during mandatory maternity leave to provide full pay; six months of parental
leave, paid at a rate of 45% for the first month, 40% for the second and third months, and 30% for
the last three months; more flexible working hours for the parents of minor children attending lower
secondary school or below; a special day’s leave for the first day of primary school; five days of
paid leave in addition to those provided for by the regulations of the Italian Social Security Institute
(INPS) for fathers; a wedding bonus.
In November 2020, Terna signed an agreement through which it undertook to guarantee a better
work-life balance for its personnel, by allowing them to take advantage of a structural form of smart
working. This consists of the option of flexible working for up to two days per week, and possibly
more based on personal or family circumstances. In particular, pregnant employees can enjoy an
additional four consecutive weeks of smart working during the period prior to mandatory maternity
leave, while both mothers and fathers can take four consecutive weeks during the first year after
their son or daughter is born or joins their family. Moreover, workers at the Group’s main offices in
Rome can use co-working spaces as an alternative to going into the workplace: this will count as a
day of in-person attendance at work. The Rome branch also offers a nursery, MiniWatt, while some
offices actually have services to improve the work-life balance integrated into the workplace: gyms,
internal supermarkets and sustainable mobility, for example. On a wider, national level,
agreements are in place to provide babysitting and care-giving services, as well as sports facilities.
What’s more, since 2021, Terna has supported Komen Italia’s Carovana della Prevenzione per la
Salute [Caravan of Prevention for Health], a project which offers workers the chance to access free
medical screenings at company offices twice a year.
In recognition of the steps it has taken towards ensuring equal opportunities, Terna obtained its
Gender Equality Certification in accordance with UNI/PDR 125:2022 in March 2024, issued by the
IMQ Certifying Body. This achievement acknowledges the effectiveness of the policies and
organisational measures adopted in favour of equality and equal opportunities in terms of the
recruitment, growth, development and remuneration of its female workers, as well as their work-life
balance.