Initiative

Sharing & diversifying to better reconciling

Summary of the initiative

Lubiam Moda per l'uomo S.P.A. is a manufacturer of clothes based in Mantua, in the Lombardy Region. It was found in 1911 and has belonged for 4 generatiosn to the Bianchi family. The company has female-dominated employment (about 90%) and women are responsible for key areas such as communication and public relations, relations with staff, administration and accounting, showrooms management, human resources management.  34% of Lubiam employees work part-time.

A project called “Sharing & diversifying to better reconciling” (“Condividere e diversificare per meglio conciliare”), based on art. 9 of law 53/2000 has been undertaken by the company since 2006. It involves various public local authorities of Mantua city council as well as representatives of the main trade union confederations (CGIL, CISL and UIL), Confindustria, small and medium-sized enterprises and the Chamber of Commerce.

The project targets 330 employees and aims at facilitating work and family balance and to promote reconciliation for both men and women alike, by overcoming gender stereotypes. The project was born to meet the needs of employees requiring more flexible working arrangements, but at the same time willing to maintain their roles and commitment within the company.

Various, interlinked measures have been put in place over the years:

• Flexible working time arrangements for employees who need to look after children or elderly, including fessibilità in entrata/uscita
• A family-friendly desk “Your own space” within the company whose task is to enable finding tailor-made solutions for those employees undergoing difficulties in reconciling work and family commitments;
• Job-sharing for all employees in the production and telework for others;
• Training for employees returning from maternity leave or from long parental leaves;
• Nursery “Ida and Edgardo Bianchi” with 10 seats reserved for employees with reduced tariff rate of 30%;
• Free recreation centre for employees’ children aged 5-12 years during Christmas and Easter holidays in the company premises (presence of an average of 20/25 children from 7.30 a.m. to 6 p.m.) with qualified staff;
• A gift to a mother for the birth of a child

A follow-up committee has been established to monitor the project implementation. Their members are: the company CEO, a trade union representative; one employee; one project coordinator; a project expert and the local advisor on gender equality (Consigliera Provinciale di Parità).

Lubiam also takes part in the pilot project “N.OR.MA.LE.” (acronym for “New Way to Organise MAternity Leave “ funded by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs) to encourage the return of the mother to the company (currently involves 10 mothers) and it adheres to the Regional voucher project (Dote di Conciliazione) at hiring mothers with young children (currently no.5).

In 2009 the company was awarded the Prize “Famiglia Lavoro” (Net Work Family Balance) by the Lombardy Region in the category: partnership development with territory.