The Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA) hosted the second training session of the “Building Bridges” initiative championed by Lidl Bulgaria, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Shell Bulgaria.
The training session was organised by Lidl Bulgaria in partnership with Bulgarian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct. The session emphasised that countering discrimination in companies extends beyond compliance with legislative measures and heavily depends on the attitude of the employer.
The training session focused on the legal aspects of equality and reviewed various forms of discrimination. The lecturer, Ms. Mileslava Bogdanova, attorney-at-law presented different case studies from real-life practice providing guidance and advice to the participants.
The session also discussed the implications of the adoption and implementation of the EU pay transparency directive. Bulgaria needs to transpose the provisions of the directive into its national legislation by 7 June 2026.
The Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency, in its capacity as the Bulgarian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct, treats the issue of combating workplace discrimination with high importance and is convinced that enterprises, regardless of their size, sector, ownership, and structure, must respect human rights. Hence, it is essential that enterprises are well acquainted with the applicable legal provisions, actively participate in the dialogue on addressing the actual and potential adverse impacts on human rights, and take appropriate measures to identify and prevent such impacts. This is in line with the recommendations set out in the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct.
