on the way towards diversity – seminar

November 26, 2009 - The Pontis Foundation and Business Leaders Forum with the support of Foundation Fund Dell at the Pontis Foundation have organized a seminar named On the Way Towards Diversity, held on premises of the Dell company in Bratislava on November 25, 2009.

Michael Smyth, General Manager of Dell in Slovakia opened the event underlining the role of measuring in diversity management and as an interesting fact mentioned meetings with future parents and counseling in work-life balance. He also added, that Dell has currently more than 100 women on their maternity leave. After a brief speech of Lenka Surotchak, Director of the Pontis Foundation, who reminded of the  importance of diversity and variety at workplace, followed an expert program presented by Janka Debrecéniová from the civic association Občan a demokracia (Citizen and Democracy). She presented various forms of discrimination, showed results of public opinion polls, as well as research in companies. She drew the attention of companies´ representatives to the existing legislation valid in Slovakia in the area of (anti)discrimination. A part of the seminar was a workshop with concrete examples of discrimination and practical showcasing of solutions to diversity in practice.

The afternoon session was opened by presentations of diversity programs in the companies Dell (Ivana Kollárová) and HP (Ivana Kompasová). Ivana Kollárová, Legal Counsel at Dell spoke of projects that Dell applies in this area. Their main focus is at four areas: Support of family and parenthood, balancing work and private life, support of gender equality and women’s education and “growth”. She also underlined the importance of women’s representation in the company. In this aspect Dell in Slovakia reaches above average results – out of the total number of its employees 49% are women. 45% of managerial positions, 33% of positions in top management.are held by women.

Ivana Kompasová introduced the HP Company Global Work-Life strategy and spoke of the company´s effort to employ women as much as possible, to meet their needs by adopting various benefits – e.g. working from home, flexible working time and 1-2 extra days off. Mothers/fathers on parental leave are invited to all company events and have the possibility to use all sport and relax activities organized and paid for by the company.

The seminar was primarily meant for human resources managers and was attended by 37 people.