Almadén approves a protocol against sexual harassment in the City Council

The City Council of Almadén has approved the Protocol for action against sexual harassment and harassment on the grounds of sex in the workplace through Mayoral-Presidency Decree No. 2026-1801, dated October 22, 2026. The full text is made public in the Official Gazette of the Province of Ciudad Real number 206, dated Monday, October 26, 2026, in the Local Administration section (announcement number 3445), and consists of 41 pages. The document bears the signature of the Mayor-President, Raquel María Jurado Merchán.

The protocol develops the municipal Strategic Plan for equal opportunities between women and men of Almadén, approved by the Plenary in an extraordinary and urgent session on January 18, 2022, and specifies axes 1 (public management with a gender perspective) and 3 (prevention and action against gender-based violence). The text itself justifies its approval, nearly four years after the Plan, due to subsequent regulatory changes: the development of articles 46.2 and 48 of Organic Law 3/2007, Organic Law 10/2022 for the comprehensive guarantee of sexual freedom, and the modification of Royal Legislative Decree 5/2015 regarding equality plans and the registration of protocols.

The invoked reference framework includes ILO Convention No. 190, Royal Decree 901/2020, Law 15/2022 for comprehensive equal treatment, article 14 of Law 31/1995 on the prevention of occupational risks and, at the regional level, Law 12/2010 on Equality between Women and Men of Castilla-La Mancha, Law 4/2018 for a Society Free of Gender-Based Violence, and Law 4/2011 on Public Employment.

A permanent commission with four areas and confidential advisory

The processing of complaints and reports is the responsibility of the Commission for the prevention of and against sexual harassment and harassment on the grounds of sex (PAS Commission), composed of one representative from each of these areas:

• The legal advisory service of the Women’s Center, which acts as the confidential advisory service.
• The Personnel Area of the City Council.
• The Prevention Service.
• A prevention delegate appointed by the Works Council.

The members shall be permanent, with a four-year mandate from the approval of the protocol, and must recuse themselves in cases of kinship, close friendship, manifest enmity, or direct interest in the file. The confidential advisory service receives the report, informs the affected person of their rights, gathers information, and accompanies them throughout the process.

Deadlines: five days for the expedited route and fifteen for the formal route

The procedure is structured into two itineraries. The abbreviated process seeks an urgent solution and extends for a maximum of 5 business days from the receipt of the complaint, with follow-up 15 business days after its resolution. If it does not succeed or if the severity of the facts requires it, the formal procedure is opened, which must be resolved within a period not exceeding 15 working days, extendable by agreement of the PAS Commission by an additional 3 working days due to complexity.

Upon receiving the conclusions, the person responsible for the Personnel Area has 3 working days to decide and communicate the resolution in writing to the victim, the reported person, and the PAS Commission. Subsequent follow-up must be carried out within a maximum period of 30 calendar days.

Victim protection and reserved reporting channel

Complaints are channeled through a reserved space on the municipal intranet, the “Employee Portal”, which is accessed only by confidential advisory services and members of the PAS Commission, or via a specific email, a sealed envelope, or the standardized form included in Annex III. Each party receives a numerical code to preserve anonymity.

Among the precautionary measures, the protocol mandates the separation of the alleged harasser from the victim and expressly prohibits forcing the victim to change their position, schedule, or location. If there are indications of a crime, the City Council will transfer the case to the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The text also incorporates four annexes with the list of behaviors constituting harassment—including digital harassment—the catalog of behaviors contrary to moral integrity and sexual freedom, the complaint form, and the confidentiality declaration model.

Four-year validity and mandatory review

The protocol is mandatory, entered into force on the day of its approval, and will remain in effect for four years. Its review will be carried out in accordance with Article 9 of Royal Decree 901/2020 or when a relevant legislative change occurs. It applies to all municipal personnel, including those from other companies and persons in training or internships, and also covers commutes, trips, social events, and travel between home and work.

The City Council commits to a dissemination plan—publication on the municipal website, informative material, and delivery by email—and a specific training plan, as well as incorporating questions about harassment in psychosocial risk and workplace climate evaluations.

The approval provides the city council with a regulated internal procedure for behaviors that, until now, were only covered by the general framework of the 2022 Equality Plan. The text recognizes that sexual harassment and harassment based on sex “always result in an impact on dignity” and constitute discrimination, and extends protection to those who testify or participate in the investigation, not only to the complainant.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Ciudad Real, number 206, of October 26, 2026, Local Administration-City Councils, pp. 10049-10066 (official reference: announcement number 3445; CVE 0JpqBZ9qtUbiJaj54i/D).