These two awards are a recognition of the equality initiative adopted by FCC in 2008, when the company signed its first Equality Plan; it was followed by the adoption of equality plans in the other business areas. Just three years later, in 2011, the Citizen Services Group obtained its first Equality Seal in the Water division, followed in 2012 by FCC Industrial and Energy Infrastructure.

The Equality Seal seeks to encourage and recognise enterprises that are committed to equality and which have implemented policies aimed at promoting it in all areas of the company. It also recognises the Group's actions in support of work-life balance, setting general objectives and implementing flexible measures which can be adapted to diverse situations and needs on the part of the company's personnel.

FCC's CEO, Carlos M. Jarque: "The Equality Seal is a recognition by the authorities of work done over the years in pursuit of key aspects such as equal opportunity, diversity and work-life balance. Our Group," he added, "has specific teams pursuing real progress in these areas, with the support and participation of the workers and their representatives. This Equality Seal is a vindication of that work."

FCC's CEO is nevertheless ambitious and encourages employees to "continue working and making improvements so that this progress is real and permanent, and not just temporary. Equality and work-life balance depend on all of us: men and women," added Jarque. "There is a considerable body of research showing a positive correlation between companies' financial performance and gender diversity."

Factors rated when granting these two distinctions included: implementation and results of equality plans; establishment of procedures and criteria for periodic evaluation of those plans; and positive steps to actively enhance equal opportunities between men and women.

Context of balance

FCC's commitment to equal opportunity, to the promotion and respect for diversity, and to eradicating all types of discrimination and harassment is a value of the organisation and a binding requirement on all its employees. This approach is based on the philosophy that countries and companies that wish to be competitive and socially and economically sustainable must use all available talent and, therefore, guarantee full equality of opportunity so as to enable women and men to contribute all their skills, energy and intelligence to society and, secondarily, to business.

Practice has shown that when men and women work together in a context of balance, this gives rise to a diversity of approaches, visions, languages and relations that is substantially richer and more in line with the great challenges faced by business in the 21st century.