Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) have emerged as a prominent tool employed by Research & Innovation institutions to enact strategies aimed at attaining gender equality. Nonetheless, the existing body of literature has not extensively delved into GEPs. This study endeavors to uncover prevalent trends pertaining to the various actions and approaches concerning gender equality delineated in the latest GEPs. Our focus is specifically on European universities in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). In this research paper, we establish a theory-based classification framework, which can be utilized to chart and evaluate diverse GEPs. We perform a Qualitative Document Analysis (QDA) on Politecnico di Torino’s GEP to test the framework. Subsequent research endeavors will center on leveraging this framework to gauge the current status of GEPs within STEM Research & Innovation institutions.

The 2020 Covid-19 pandemic caused a sudden and massive change in work organizations. One of the major consequences of the crisis was the acceleration towards teleworking, through the specific phenomenon of Mandatory Work From Home: the situations in which workers overnight found themselves to work seven days a week from their home environment, constantly online, often without adequate equipment and little to no preparation. Different workers reacted in different way to this important change, depending on age, gender, family characteristics and other impacting factors. Mandatory work from home and these other variables impacted employees’ physical and mental health, triggering or increasing symptoms of overwork and emotional exhaustion among others. This paper contributes to the literature on the impact of the pandemic on workers’ health by giving an overview of the effects of MWFH on university staff, using Politecnico di Torino as a case study.