Inclusion and equality in the hospitality sector
27 Feb 2023
Valueable, the european network of socially responsible companies in the hospitality sector, has been working for years to propose a working model based on inclusion and equality. The Gruppo UNA, with its charter of values, also pursues the same mission and chooses to join the network to create a path of opportunities together.
Recently, the Versilia Lido | UNA Esperienze, UNAHOTELS Decò Roma and UNAHOTELS Scandinavia Milano structures belonging to the chain's portfolio, received the prestigious "Valueable, handing opportunities" brand.
The two-year process sees the hotels receive the ‘bronze’ version of the label, meaning that the facilities have conditions aimed at inclusion and non-discrimination and apply in this direction by offering internships to people with intellectual disabilities.
Find out what it means to receive the Valueable brand and why it is so important.
What it means to receive the Valueable brand
Establishments in the hotel industry that have joined the Valueable project set themselves the goal of growing socially responsible by their actions and by example
Hotels and restaurants are called upon to support the expansion of this European network with more and more companies in the sector.
The Valueable award is dedicated to companies that are consistently committed to including people with intellectual disabilities in their workforce through different formulas such as internships and/or employment.
Each edition of the project is enriched with tools that help companies and aspiring workers to move forward together.
These include: an app to make trainees more independent, video tutorials designed to help restaurants and hotels with staff training, and distance learning courses on a variety of work aspects.
In addition, protocols aimed at hotel chains and highly comprehensible HACCP courses are also available.
In Italy, the Valueable brand is issued by the Associazione Italiana Persone Down (AIPD). Founded in 1979 in Rome, today it chairs the International Committee composed of the training agencies of the countries participating in the Valueable network.
Compliance with the rules of the Code of Conduct associated with the label is also a prerequisite for receiving the award.
Joining the Valueable network is a fundamental step in pursuing a sensitive commitment to social responsibility and what it entails. All of this with respect for very precise values that cannot be excluded from daily operations: accessibility, far-sightedness, respect, solidarity and responsibility.
The voices of the Valueable project
The best way to understand the importance of the Valueable project and its impact on employees' lives is through their voices.
We asked Chiara, a girl with Down Syndrome who works at UNAHOTELS Scandinavia Milano, to tell us about her experience and what working in the catering industry means to her.
"I like clearing tables, passing the cutlery, taking things off the tray and giving them to the guy at the wash-up."
Chiara performs a variety of tasks that put her in direct contact with the customer and allow her to grow and learn something new every day.
"I clean the chairs of crumbs. I prepare the Too Good To Go. I fill the sugar bowls. I set the tables. When a customer asks me for something I go and tell Sonia or whoever is present.
Anew, I have learnt how to ask customers for their room number, although in english it will take a bit longer because I am studying it; how to froth milk for cappuccinos; how to greet customers with a smile and say goodbye to them when they leave, although with a mask it is not very easy."
It is also thanks to testimonials like this and the direct feedback from the protagonists that it becomes possible to understand what Valueable does, what joining its network entails and the benefits for all the parties involved.