Attractive workplace on equal terms

1. Attractive workplace on equal terms

2. Goal • Using gender equality work as method to develop organisation, activity and professional role. • Improvement of qualifications • More men employed at School restaurants • Try new ways of organising work to decrease long-term sick-leave

3. Target group • Long-term unemployed, interested in or with some background in food/restaurant business, as well as to employees of the School restaurants

4. Budget • Total: 3 195 500SKR (Euro 319 550) • Co-financing : 162 700 Euro • out of which 90 700 Euro is part of unemployment benefit • Municipality of Umeå 15 000 Euro • School restaurant work 57 000 Euro

5. Result with gender mainstreaming at School restaurants • Action plan for gender equality • Collaboration with gender experts • Gender equality file at every work place

6. Improvement of qualifications for staff of School restaurants

7. Improvement of qualifications • Gender theory • Gender equality politics • Women´s history • Gender stereotypes • Gender equality law • Techniques of power & empowerment • Workshop on media, images, internet • Town planning & gender issues

8. Result • 163 employees all had four whole days of gender equality course • Total of: 652 days • Staff met over boundaries and worksplaces, got to know colleagues from other kitchen´s, ”mini” bench-marking at coffee-breaks, self-esteem through meeting and discussing the important questions, value added to organisation for future work on changes, new ideas etc.

9. Training course for unemployed • 1 March - 8 September 2006 • Theoretical training, 16 weeks • Gender equality and common values, two weeks • Practice, 8 weeks

10. Theory and practise

11. The staff from the restaurants were teachers at the course • High competence • Knowledge of profession and trade were essential for the course

12. Result from training for unemployed • 14 unemployed men (long-term unemployment) • 5 have long-term temporary job (3-24 months) • 5 have shorter temporary jobs • 1 has started training for chef • 3 not in the organisation

13. Try new ways of organising work to decrease long-term sick-leave • Rotation of work • Exchange of experience

14. Results • Rotation of work has started in several working areas between the restaurants and within the separate kitchens. More flexible solutions enabling full-time jobs and making the work more interesting, and also if the kitchens have to help each other due to staff illness or other cause. • Exchange of experience had started between two different areas. The staff changed place with each other for a few days – this was possible now that they knew more people after going to the course-days with people from the different kitchens.

15. Other results • Conference for all staff and external guest. • Media reporting about the school restaurants • University interest in the project • Study visits, invitations to conferences etc

16. Tony Westerlund and Lena Sundelin, Hagaskolan Photo: Per Landfors