When BNP Paribas Assurance signed in Decenber 2007 a second agreement on gender equality in the workplace, the issue became a priority in s Human Resources policy.

Consequently, throughout 2008 the Human Resources Department implemented an ambitious action plan , part of which focused specifically on equal pay.

It is within this context that the ROSE Committee (Objectified Remuneration Promoting Equality ) was set up. The Committee, made up of both HR representatives and managers, meets, should the need arise, to decide on a salary adjustment based on individual merits.
Over the year 2008, the ROSE Committee examined the salary situation of 505 employees, of whom:
• 143 were female employees who had already had two maternity leave periods whilst in the company’s employment.
• and/or 142 were working part time.
• and/or 193 were employees who had worked at least 10 years for the company.
• 177 were female employees who had returned following maternity or adoption leave since March 2006.

In total, 106 people were awarded a salary increase as a result of the deliberations of the ROSE Committee (82 in the “3 criteria” category and 24 in the “returning from maternity leave” category).
In order to support the work of the ROSE Committee, 10 awareness meetings were organised for company managers on the subject of professional equality. All managers also received an explanatory leaflet to assist them in the implementation of BNP Paribas Assurance’s actions to promote gender equality.

The agreement on professional equality also makes provisions for concrete actions in support of parenthood, allowing company employees to achieve a better work-life balance. A few figures:
• 47 employees benefitted from the extended paternity leave to two calendar weeks on 100% salary.
• 110 employees benefitted from 28 weeks maternity leave.
• 60 HR interviews were held with female employees and their managers before or after their maternity leave and 7 were able to resume working at a different position and with more flexible working hours.

• The company has 23 women in senior executive positions and 647 female managers, bringing the percentage of women in management positions to 48% as of 31 December 2008. It also has 190 full-time contract employees, who were given the option of working part-time. In 2008, 174 of those were women, as opposed to 153 in 2007.

On 19 June 2008, following the implementation of this action plan, BNP Paribas Assurance was awarded the Equality at Work label.