BEST WORKPLACE FOR WOMEN 2009” AWARD
PRESS RELEASE (31 March, 2010)

Background
The Association of Women’s Career Development in Hungary, which has received a consultative status at the UN („UN-ECOSOC -Consultative NGO Status”) in 2009, aims to establish a Platform
of knowledge transfer with the participation of organizations interested in working for the enlargement of women’s employment and the realization of gender equality (EU, government, economic sector, non-profit organizations, media) by the direct involvement of major Hungarian employers.
This Platform can be the basis for the enlargement of women’s employment and a more characteristic representation of gender equality, thus contributing to the enlargement of the labour market, its greater effectiveness and the strengthening of economic competitiveness.
The Association plans to introduce its projects at EU and UN level as well, as Hungarian “best practices”.

The Best Workplace for Women Award
The Association of Women’s Career Development in Hungary has issued a call for participation
in the survey of  "The Best Workplace for Women 2009" Award as a continuation of the successful initiative launched in 2007 in honor of the “Equal Opportunities for All – European Year”.
The Prize has been established to point beyond the need for equal employment opportunities to the economic advisability and advantages of making more and more women part of the work force.

The cooperating partners of the Association for Women’s Career Development:
Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour
National Assembly Committee on Employment and Labour

The Competition is open to Companies operating in Hungary who fall into one of two categories:

• 30 - 250 employees
• over 250 employees

Main Patron: Mr. Vladimir Spidla, member of the European Commission (until 2009)
Patrons: Dr. Zita Gurmai, MEP, Vice-chairwoman of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs,
and Mrs. Lívia Járóka, MEP, Vice-chairwoman of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality
Media partners: Figyelő (The Observer), Világgazdaság (World Economy), Manager Magazin and
HR Portál

Evaluation Committee:
Chairwoman: Dr. Judit Demeter, Chairwoman of the Equal Treatment Authority
Members:
Association for Women’s Career Development in Hungary: Katalin Hajós
Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour: Zsuzsa Sebestyén
Working group of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour – Women in Economic Decision Making: Kitti Dobi
National Assembly Committee on Employment and Labour: Dr. Valéria Farkasné Molnár

Aspects of Evaluation:

• fair working arrangements;
• career opportunities,
• promotion;  
• opportunities to preserve health and well-being,
• skill development opportunities,
• reconciliation of work, private and family life

According to the decision of 23rd March 2010 of the Evaluation Committee the Winning Applications of the Best Workplace for Women Award 2009 are the following:

Category I: Companies employing more than 250 employees 
1st Award:  Microsoft Magyarország Kft.
2nd Award: Fővárosi Gázművek Zrt. (Budapest Gas Works Ltd.)
3rd Award: MAVIR Zrt. (MAVIR Hungarian Transmission System Operator Company Ltd.)

Category II: Companies employing 30-250 employees
1st Award:  S Modell Kereskedelmi Zrt.,
the exclusive franchise partner of Marks & Spencer Plc. London
2nd Award: Quintiles Magyarország Kft
3rd Award: Kulcs-Soft Számítástechnika Nyrt. (Key-Soft Plc.)

Special Awards:
Special Award of the Ministry of Employment and Labour: Móra-Vitál Kft.
Special Award of  ’Figyelő’ (The Observer): Hotel Panda Kft.
Special Award of ’Világgazdaság’ (World Economy): M.E. Trial Masters Egészségügyi Szolgáltató Kft.

 

Award Ceremony:
on March 31, 2010 between 14:00-16.00 in the Hunting Room of the Hungarian Parliament after the March for Disabled Women – IV. “Rehabilitation in moving” conference as part of the Open Day of the National Assembly Committee on Employment and Labour

 

Best Workplace for Women 2009 – Award Ceremony
Venue: Hungarian Parliament, Hunting Hall
Date and Time: 31 March between 14:00 pm – 16:00 pm

PROGRAM

14.00-14.30
Andrea Ferenczi, President of the Association for Women’s Career Development in Hungary
A presentation on the “Best Workplace for Women 2009” competition and the announcement of the awardees
Greetings:
Dr. Judit Demeter, Chairwoman, Equal Treatment Authority
Edit Rauh, Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, Under-Secretary of State
István Vécsi, Chairman, National Assembly Committee on Employment and Labour,
Sub-Committee on Rehabilitation
Attila Benedek, Cabinet Chief, on behalf of Dr. Zita Gurmai, Vice-Chairwoman of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament
Oszkár Ökrös, Consultant, on behalf of Lívia Járóka, Vice-Chairwoman of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality of the European Parliament

The Award Ceremony of the Best Workplace for Women Competition organized by the Association for Women’s Career Development in Hungary (AWCDH) for the third time also formed part of the events during the Open Day of the National Assembly Committee on Employment and Labour. ‘This competition, too, is among our various initiatives through which AWCDH as a prestigious non-governmental organization and think-tank can function as an expert partner to decision makers, lawmakers and institutions in the private sector in the field of equality’, said AWCDH president Andrea Ferenczi during her opening remarks. Andrea Ferenczi then thanked all the participating companies for their interest in the competition, which despite the recession turned out to be more popular this year than in the previous years. ‘To be a good workplace from the point of view of women nowadays means fame and prestige for a company’, claimed the president of AWCDH, ‘which has obviously been recognized by the winning companies since they conduct employee satisfaction surveys on a regular basis; the feedback from which they then build into their HR strategies’.
The winning companies were first greeted by Chairwoman of the Equal Treatment Authority (ETA) and Chairwoman of the Evaluation Committee of the Best Workplace for Women Award Dr. Judit Demeter, who took the opportunity to congratulate the companies on their child-friendly and equal opportunity policies, which stand in sharp contrast to the unfavorable trends witnessed daily by ETA that attest to the continuing existence of discrimination against women, both in the form of lower salaries and because of childcare duties and commitments.
Under-Secretary of State of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour Edit Rauh expressed her appreciation to AWCDH for their efforts as a non-governmental organization to encourage companies through different initiatives to establish workplace conditions that advance equality of women and men. Additionally, she raised attention to the necessity of promoting the CSR practices of companies by various means and methods, and of strengthening corresponding social norms.
Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Rehabilitation of the National Assembly Committee on Employment and Labour István Vécsi called the winning companies excellent examples of joint thinking and acting, whose exemplary equality policies and practices should be taken up by other companies.
Vice-Chairwoman of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament Dr. Zita Gurmai’s message to the awarded companies was conveyed by her Cabinet Chief Attila Benedek, in which she first welcomed the Best Workplace for Women initiative as a competition based on the idea of solidarity, and also congratulated the companies winning the first three prizes on showing how successfully good legal policies may be implemented in practice.
On behalf of Vice-Chairwoman of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality of the European Parliament Lívia Járóka, Oszkár Ökrös emphasized the paramount importance of civic organizations like AWCDH in the elimination of the various layers of discrimination and in creating opportunities for showcasing best practices, such as the Best Workplace for Women competition itself.

14.30-15.00
Award Ceremony
Moderator: Erika Farkas, editor and anchor, Hungarian Public Radio (Magyar Rádió)

The Awards of the Association for Women’s Career Development in Hungary were presented by:
Andrea Ferenczi, President and Gyöngyi Fazekas Representative in Southern Transdanubian Region on behalf of AWCDH
and Under-Secretary of State Edit Rauh on behalf of the cooperating partner, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour.

The First Prize was received by CEO László Drajkó and his colleagues on behalf of Microsoft Magyarország Kft.

The First Prize was received by Board President Katalin Jüttner and HR and Operational Director Irén Krihó-Földesi on behalf of S Modell Kereskedelmi Zrt.

The Second Prize was received on behalf of Fővárosi Gázművek Zrt. by:
CEO Dr. Tibor Bakonyi, HR Manager Ágnes Patai Head of the Legal Advising Department Dr. Zsuzsanna Bíró Szalay, Director of Finance Dr. Tiborné Turmezey.

The Second Prize was received by CEO Dr. Szabolcs Barótfi on behalf of Quintiles Magyarország Kft.

The Third Prize was received by Head of the Communications Department Krisztina Kovács and Head of the HR and Economic Department Zsuzsanna Tóth Hevesi.

The Third Prize was received by CEO Tibor Kulcsár and his colleagues on behalf of Kulcs-Soft Számítástechnika Nyrt.
 
Awarding of Special Prizes:
 

The Special Prize offered by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour was presented to Móravitál Kft. by President of AWCDH Andrea Ferenczi and by Under-Secretary of State Edit Rauh and Zsuzsa Sebestyén on behalf of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour.
The Special Prize was received by CEO dr. Jánosné Malatinszki and HR Rapporteur Ferencné Petró.

The Special Prize offered by Világgazdaság was presented to ME Trial Masters Egészségügyi Kft. by József László on behalf of Világgazdaság and by President of AWCDH Andrea Ferenczi.
The Special Prize was received by Head of Clinical Research Dr. Katalin Birki and her colleagues, Dr. Ágnes Vatay and Henrietta Szappan.

The Special Prize offered by Figyelő was presented to Panda Hotel Kft. by journalist István Váczi on behalf of Figyelő and by President of AWCDH Andrea Ferenczi.
The Special Prize was received by Director Béla Kocsy and his colleagues.
 
15.00-16.00
Presentations by Award Winners

Brief overview of the award winners of the Best Workplace for Women 2009 competition and some of their prominent equality policies:

Microsoft Magyarország Kft.

• The satisfaction of women employees is a business issue, which is at the same time strongly      related to and mirrors user demographics, since most customers are women
• There are 5 women in the 11-member top management, and the proportion of women at this level is expected to rise in the coming years.
• Women employees are encouraged to take advantage of international career opportunities.
• The company takes pride in participating in the annual best workplace contest.
• A great emphasis is put on attracting talented women candidates during processes of recruitment and talent initiatives.
• It is the company’s mission to help increase the proportion of women working in the field of IT.
• Data gained from annual employee satisfaction surveys are analysed systematically.
• Women-friendly initiatives: flexible work hours and work-from-home opportunities, also available during outstanding life-cycle events.

 

S Modell Kereskedelmi Zrt.

• 159 employees out of 170 are women.
• Availability of flexible work hours during and after maternal leave (part-time job opportunities with 4 or 6 working hours a day).
• Employee preferences regarding workplace location are taken into consideration.
• On-the-spot trainings during the workday paid by the company.
• Flexible working hours and promotion initiatives for elderly employees aiming at keeping their loyalty.

 

Fővárosi Gázművek Zrt.

• The company is 154 years old.
• 70% of their 504 employees are women.
• The proportion of women in the company management is 51%.
• Fifty new women employees over 40 years of age have been hired in the past 5 years.
• Precise and clear communication of requirements, evaluation criteria and promotion opportunities towards employees is a top priority.
• Many job vacancies attract mostly women, such as positions in the customer service and finance departments.
• Internal rotation and flexible working hours.
• Training initiatives for employees on maternity leave.
• Promotion of free-time and regeneration activities, such as the women’s fitness club available every day after work.
• Family resorts.
• Complementary health services and examinations.
• Free massage for office employees.
• Biannual employee satisfaction surveys.

 

Quintiles Magyarország Kft.

• Out of 150 employees 110 are women, which is rare in the field of medical services.
• There are partner offices all over the country, whereby the company also fosters employment of women in rural areas.
• The four platforms of the company’s ultimate mission to create an attractive workplace are:
• Health preservation: gymnastics, stress management program, massage, non-smoking workplace, ‘fruit day’ twice a week.
• The possibility to choose remote, work-from-home and part-time working structures, and the provision of ICT equipment to employees choosing flexible working hours.
• Equality, which is respected at every level, including the management: 10 top managers out of 16 are women.
• Paying attention to work-life balance: regular family and child programs to enable families to spend more time together.

 

MAVIR Zrt.

• The company is 60 years old.
• The goal is to contribute to the general well-being of employees and to create a friendly work environment.
• A constant endeavor to preserve employees’ loyalty and keep them on board, whose success is proven by low fluctuation numbers.
• Flexible working hours for those returning from maternity leave.

 

Kulcs-Soft Számítástechnika Nyrt.

• One-third of the 60-70 employees are women.
• Motto: „Equality in work, even more equality in the corridors”, which refers to the importance of kind everyday gestures.
• Paying attention to the special needs of the mostly young workforce, especially to the needs of those before maternity leave; in such cases, a one-on-one consultation is set up with the employee, during which an agreement is made regarding when and how the employee would like to join the company again her maternity leave.
• Keeping regular contact with employees on maternity leave and inviting them to company events to keep them engaged with company affairs.
• For those returning from maternity leave: defining the position to be filled in jointly with the management along with the availability of on-the-job training.

 

Further information:
Andrea Ferenczi, President (phone: +36 30 982 7093)

PHOTOS

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 Winner Applications of the Best Workplace for Women Award 2009

Category I: Companies employing more than 250 employees

 

The award was received by (SAP Hungary Kft): Balázs Ablonczy,
CEO of  SAP Hungary Kft.



The award was received by (Citi Shared Service Centre): Nynke de Jong,
Regional HR Manager for Central and Eastern Europe

 

 

 2nd Award: ELMÜ NyRt.

 The award was received by( ELMÜ NyRt.): Dr. Marie-Theres Thiell,
Member of the Board of Directors

 

 

3rd Award: GE Hungary Zrt. Energy Division

 The award was received by ( GE Hungary Zrt. Energy Division):
Letícia Szabó, HR ManagerCategory II:

 

 

Category II: Companies employing 30-250 employees

 

 

1st Award:  EVOPRO Kft.

The award was received by ( evopro Kft ): Csaba Mészáros, CEO

 

 

2nd Award: ZALAVÍZ Zrt.

The award was received by ( ZALAVÍZ ZRt.): Magdolna Miklósné Csondor, Communication Specialist 

 

 

 

3rd Award: THERMAL HOTEL AQUINCUM Zrt. Ramada Plaza

 The award was received by (THERMAL HOTEL AQUINCUM Zrt. Ramada Plaza):
Tamás Fazekas, Director

 

 

Special Awards:

Special Award of the Ministry of Employment and Labour: IC Companys  Hungary Kft.

The award was received by ( IC Companys Hungary Kft.):
Éva Szántó, Retail Area Manager

 

 

Special Award of  Figyelő (The Observer): ALCOA-Köfém Kft. 

The award was received by ( ALCOA-Köfém Kft.):
Erika Sas Communication Manager

 

 

Special Award of Világgazdaság (World Economy): Kanizsa Trend Kft.

 The award was received by ( Kanizsa Trend Kft.)
Éva Décsy, Marketing Manager