Case study: How PortAventura World promotes workplace diversity
PortAventura World – an entertainment resort in Catalonia, Spain – is among Europe’s leading holiday destinations. In 2018, PortAventura World attracted almost 5 million visitors, providing families and young people with unforgettable experiences, in a unique setting. Investing in its approximately 3,000 employees by offering them a great place to work, fostering equality and diversity, is a top priority for PortAventura World.
This case study is based on the 2018 Corporate Responsibility Report by PortAventura World published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.
Abstract
PortAventura World seeks to promote equal opportunities in the recruitment and selection of employees Tweet This!, making sure that people with functional diversity and at risk of social exclusion have a place at its workforce. In order to promote workplace diversity PortAventura World took action to:
- implement a Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
- apply a specific procedure for selecting people with functional diversity
- carry out awareness-raising activities
- collaborate with different organisations
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With this case study you will see:
- Which are the most important impacts (material issues) PortAventura World has identified;
- How PortAventura World proceeded with stakeholder engagement, and
- What actions were taken by PortAventura World to promote workplace diversity
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What are the material issues the company has identified?
In its 2018 Corporate Responsibility Report PortAventura World identified a range of material issues, such as economic performance, environmental criteria in facility design and construction, customer health and safety, effluents and waste, anti-corruption. Among these, promoting workplace diversity stands out as a key material issue for PortAventura World.
Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:
Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.
Key stakeholder groups PortAventura World engages with:
| Stakeholder Group | Method of engagement |
| Shareholders
| · Board meetings · Management meetings · Corporate information published periodically |
| Customers
| · Corporate website · Customer service telephone number · Social networks · Satisfaction surveys · Complaints box · Guest Service · Site staff · Regular publications · Advertisements in the media |
| Employees
| · Internal communications · Intranet · Newsletter · SMS · Videos · Fortnightly internal magazine (Revista Acció) · Bulletin boards and posters · Leaflets and other printed materials · Letters · Personal and direct contact · Counter and post box for Employee Services · Suggestions and complaints forms · Employee contests and draws · Online platforms: PortAventura Guide and La Guía app, and E-Nómina (payroll) |
| Suppliers and contractors
| · Procurement managers · Supplier Portal · Dialogue with Suppliers day |
| Public administration and social environment
| · Fundació PortAventura website · Periodic publication of corporate information · Institutional involvement · Meetings with representatives of public institutions and social organisations |
How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues
To identify and prioritise material topics PortAventura World asked stakeholders – shareholders, customers (travel agencies and tour operators), employees, suppliers, representative entities from society and visitors – to complete an online survey.
What actions were taken by PortAventura World to promote workplace diversity?
In its 2018 Corporate Responsibility Report PortAventura World reports that it took the following actions for promoting workplace diversity:
- Implementing a Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
- Both the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and a Workplace Harassment Protocol are tools used by PortAventura World to guarantee non-discrimination based on race, colour, gender, religion, age, political opinion, social origin, background and others. PortAventura World also has an equal opportunities plan for men and women and incorporates the gender perspective in psychosocial risk assessments.
- Applying a specific procedure for selecting people with functional diversity
- PortAventura World has a specific procedure for the selection of people with functional diversity and also has links with job centres and integration entities, to carry out the recruitment. The selection process is personalised, and consists of a skills and competences interview. There is also an on-boarding plan and specific initial training. Follow-up is conducted jointly with the partner centre and, if necessary, with the family, with the ultimate goal of establishing a common communication framework.
- Carrying out awareness-raising activities
- In 2018, PortAventura World carried out awareness-raising activities in order to inform and advise employees about the different recognised disabilities and the possibility of obtaining a disability certificate, with the advantages that it entails. PortAventura World also performed the management of the procedures for obtaining the disability certificate.
- Collaborating with different organisations
- PortAventura World collaborates annually with different organisations to foster integration of people with functional diversity. Inserta (Fundación Once), Incorpora (Fundación la Caixa), the Sant Rafael Special Education Centre and Down Tarragona, with whom PortAventura World has been collaborating since 2012, are some examples. As regards the insertion of people at risk of social exclusion, PortAventura World works with the ASJTET Tarragona Centre of Regional Programmes (Support for young people currently and formally in care and Directorate for child and adolescent care) and with Aula 15 of the City Council of Vila-seca. For young people in general, PortAventura World also collaborates with the Vila-seca, Salou and Mas Carandell employment boards.
Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?
The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:
1) Disclosure 405-1 Diversity of governance bodies and employees
Disclosure 405-1 Diversity of governance bodies and employees corresponds to:
- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
- Business theme: Gender equality, Women in leadership
- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
- Business theme: Diversity and equal opportunity
Disclosure 413-1 Operations with local community engagement, impact assessments, and development programs does not correspond to any SDG.
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References:
1) This case study is based on published information by PortAventura World, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:
http://database.globalreporting.org/
2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/
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