Across all companies with fifty or more workers, registering an equality plan with the labor authority is now required for a full year. This obligation is widely acknowledged as a key priority, yet many firms still fall short, according to ongoing union complaints. The labor inspectorate has signaled a growing focus on parity compliance and holds firms accountable for disparities in pay, harassment, and unequal treatment. When a company fails to adopt or implement equal opportunity measures, penalties follow.
The enforcement body has significantly increased sanctions for breaches of equality rules. It has even noted cases where there is no internal protocol addressing sexual harassment at work or where wages differ by more than 25 percent. The aim is to reduce the persistent gaps that keep women at a disadvantage in the labor market. Official data show women in Catalonia earning 20.6 percent less than men on average, a disparity that continues to shape recruitment and advancement opportunities. [Attribution: Generalitat de Catalunya data]
Data provided by the Ministry of Labour, in response to questions from EL PERIÓDICO as part of the Prensa Ibérica group, indicates that in 2022 there were 4,788 labor-police interventions across Spain related to parity issues. In about one in four inspections, the company failed the review and was recorded as having breached the rule. The total value of sanctions issued by the Worker’s Authority reached €2.58 million. [Attribution: Ministry of Labour; Prensa Ibérica]
Sanctions range from fines for not having an equity plan to amounts between €751 and €7,500, with higher penalties possible where a clear intent to conceal gender-based discrimination is detected, potentially reaching €225,000. [Attribution: Ministry of Labour]
Inspection priority
The surge in sanctions in 2022 aligns with the full enforcement of the regulation that requires all companies with more than fifty employees to have an equity plan. Sanctions in 2022 were eight times higher than those in 2021 (approximately €324,771), and the number of inspections related to parity issues nearly doubled. [Attribution: Generalitat de Catalunya]
According to Enric Vinaixa, Minister of Labour for the Generalitat de Catalunya, the equity plan and any related protocols are among the first items inspectors review when they visit a company, alongside the occupational risk prevention plan and the working hours record. [Attribution: Generalitat de Catalunya]
One common problem identified is that some equality plans are not negotiated with a bona fide workers’ union. When one party lacks legitimate representation, inspectors may reject the plan as incomplete or invalid. [Attribution: Minister of Labour; quoted official]
Implementation challenges are often linked to worker representation. Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) struggle to establish a legal worker delegation for negotiations. Some centers report that delegations are composed of external personnel who do not fully grasp the center’s internal dynamics. This friction can slow or derail the negotiation process. [Attribution: Catalan business associations]
Companies complain about bureaucracy
Critics argue that the system encourages last-minute compliance. CCOO Catalunya highlighted this issue at a recent press conference, noting that since 2007 large firms have had equity plans but did not begin negotiations promptly. Data from the center show that only 14 percent of Catalan companies registered an equity plan in 2022. [Attribution: CCOO Catalunya; center data]
Pimec, the representative employers’ group, acknowledges some progress but argues the norm is poorly aligned with the reality of most firms, which are SMEs. Ariadna Guixé, Pimec’s head of collective bargaining, emphasizes that the requirement feels skewed toward large companies with established union representation. [Attribution: Pimec]
Officials contend that registering an equity scheme is not an end in itself. The real value lies in proving that plans are in place and actively addressing inequalities. Without formalism, inspectors would lack a reliable way to verify full compliance, and firms would miss opportunities to identify and correct disparities. [Attribution: labor authorities]
Beyond sanctions, the absence of an equity plan can bar a company from certain public subsidies, such as hiring incentives. Administrations assess psychosocial risks and equity plans together, recognizing the obligation to identify factors in the workplace that contribute to fatigue or stress. This requirement has been formal since 1995, and many workplaces still struggle to meet it in practice. [Attribution: Labour Administration]