Workplace diversity and inclusion in Spain – Part 2: Internal structure and operational management

Internal management in Spain is shifting toward co-responsibility and structured training, though structural barriers like the glass ceiling and the maternity penalty persist.

The Commitment Gap: Visibility vs. Measurement

Data from the 2025 Diversity Thermometer shows that while 80% of organizations publicly commit to DE&I by adhering to the Diversity Charter and integrating these values into their Codes of Ethics, a gap exists between intent and operation. Nearly all track gender, but only 12% monitor sexual orientation and 5% evaluate cognitive diversity. Furthermore, only 59% of analyzed organizations periodically evaluate the results of their DEI initiatives, while only 9% of companies link progress in diversity and inclusion to performance evaluations or financial incentives for their teams.

The glass ceiling

A structural challenge persists in 2026: while women make up 46% of the workforce, their representation drops to 37% in middle management and 30% in executive roles. Currently, only half of Spanish organizations have established measurable targets to increase female presence in senior leadership.

Flexible Work and Co-responsibility

Work-life balance in Spain has evolved into Co-responsibility, promoting an equal distribution of caregiving tasks. Today, flexibility is universal among signatories, with most providing options like teleworking (85%) or flexible start times, alongside maternity, paternity, and eldercare leave.

Example: A major energy company became a pioneer by implementing a year-round "continuous working day" (intensive morning shifts). This model, which avoids long mid-day breaks, is complemented by a 2-hour flexible window for arrival and departure.

Archived impact: Since its launch, voluntary turnover dropped below 1% and absenteeism decreased by 10%. Most notably, workplace accidents fell by 50% by eliminating high-risk afternoon shifts, while the company gained 500,000 productive hours annually by reducing travel and downtime.

Despite these gains, structural barriers remain. A persistent gender gap exists as women continue to take the majority of unpaid leave, resulting in a career maternity penalty. This is exacerbated by a "culture of presence" in middle management that views flexible workers as less committed. Furthermore, without digital disconnection protocols, teleworking often leads to blurred boundaries, burnout, and hidden overtime.

Big companies Vs SMEs

Organization size remains a decisive factor for DE&I implementation in Spain. According to the 2025 Diversity Thermometer, large corporations maintain a significantly higher capacity for structured management than SMEs across three key areas:

Target setting: 70% of large companies set specific representation targets, whereas only 40% of SMEs do so.

Employee support: Large firms are three times more likely to have internal Employee Resource Groups, with an adoption rate of 74% compared to just 32% in SMEs.

Measurement and impact: The ability to measure the real impact of diversity policies is 20 percentage points higher in large organizations.

Conclusion

Internal management in Spain is evolving through flexible work models and increased training, but structural barriers remain. While co-responsibility and intensive shifts have improved safety and productivity, the glass ceiling and the maternity penalty still hinder full equity. To move forward, organizations must bridge the gap between intent and operation by adopting stricter measurement tools and ensuring that inclusion becomes a reality across all company sizes.

Sources

Camilleri I. (2021) Diversidad e inclusión en la empresa, Economía industrial

Fundación Diversidad, Jarabo Deleña, S., Río Freije, S. y Casal Sánchez, L. (2025) Termómetro de la diversidad en España. Del compromiso a la acción: ¿cómo cumplen las organizaciones la Carta de la Diversidad?

Martín M. (2024) Qué es la diversidad e inclusión laboral: estrategias para un entorno de trabajo equitativo, APD https://www.apd.es/que-es-diversidad-inclusion-laboral/

OECD (2025) Annual Diversity and Inclusion Report

RRHH Digital (2025) España avanza en diversidad, pero solo 6 de cada 10 empresas miden su impacto real, RRHH Digital