The Emprega + Mulheres Program is an initiative aimed at the inclusion and equity of women in the labor market. It was established by Law 14.457/2022, a guideline that brought changes to labor laws, introduced flexible maternity leave, and support measures for mothers returning to work.
With the legislation, companies needed to adapt some processes. Check out our article and discover the importance of the program and how the changes took place at Teclógica!
What is the importance of the + Mulheres Program?
Women’s participation in the labor market has been growing, but still progresses slowly in some segments. Studies show that gender inequalities in the professional field exist in practically all societies, with greater magnitude in developing countries.
In Brazil, according to IBGE, in 2022 about 52.7% of women performed paid work. As for men, this number reached 72.1%.
When talking about women with children, the difficulty in finding a job is even greater: more than 70% of them fail to re-enter the market, according to a study by Condurú Consultoria.
The need to balance work and motherhood generates challenges for women, especially when the children are young. This is one of the issues that the Emprega + Mulheres Program seeks to improve.
How does the program impact maternity leave?
Among the measures, which seek to foster an environment of less gender disparity at work, one of them deals with flexible schemes and workloads to support maternity in the children’s early months, through agreements between the employer and the employee.
This was the case of Daniela da Cunha, human resources analyst at Teclógica. She adopted the full four-month maternity leave guaranteed by law, plus four months of leave on a part-time schedule to be able to spend more time with her newborn daughter.
“It has been wonderful to have this time with her to help her develop, build this bond and connection between mother and daughter in this very important phase of her life and mine as well,” she comments.
The company’s role
Currently, Teclógica has 33 female employees, 11 of whom have children. Before the law, the company already adopted the extended maternity leave of 6 months, but with the changes in the guidelines, it is now possible to agree with new mothers on the best format option.
Among the possible measures is home office, time bank, and/or special work regimes. Karina Pereira, People and Management Manager, explains that it is important for women to have the possibility of choosing flexibility in the work regime, since a 6-month-old baby still requires a lot of care.
The manager also comments that this time helps women resume their work in a smoother and more gradual way, until returning to the regular pace. “This gives more confidence for their subsequent full-time return, since their child will be older and she will be more familiar with her work activities and adapted to her new routine,” she states.
For Daniela, having this support is fundamental in this new phase of her life. “Today, actually living it, I see that we have no idea of the scale of a mother’s role. It is very challenging, especially at the beginning of children’s lives, and having this opportunity to spend more time with her, providing greater care, more quality time, is wonderful,” she celebrates.
Other changes under Law 14.457
The legislation addresses actions for women’s qualification and the recognition of best practices in promoting employability. One of them is the Emprega + Mulher Seal, awarded to standout companies.
Among the established measures are:
- Payment of daycare reimbursement;
- Encouraging microcredit for women;
- Hiring, professional growth, and occupation of leadership positions;
- Promotion of a culture of equality between women and men.
In addition to the Emprega + Mulheres Program, the legislation also established that starting in 2023, the acronym CIPA (Internal Accident Prevention Commission) included the word “harassment”, becoming: Internal Commission for the Prevention of Accidents and Harassment.
As a result, companies that have the commission must adopt measures against sexual and moral harassment in the workplace. This includes defining procedures, including conduct guidelines, and promoting the topic among employees.
Now you know the importance of the Emprega + Mulheres Program and have seen a bit about how the changes help new mothers on a daily basis. Keep following our blog to know everything that is happening here at Teclógica!
