Elche announces the 2026 Conciliating Company Seal for its business community

The Elche City Council has announced the 2026 edition of the Local Distinctive Seal “Conciliatory Company,” a recognition aimed at companies in the municipality that implement measures to balance work, family, and personal life. The call, published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Alicante number 171, dated September 9, 2026, establishes the rules governing the granting of the seal within the framework of III. Local Administration.

The objective is to recognize, stimulate, and promote activities aimed at improving work-life balance within the business fabric of Elche, as well as to disseminate best practices among the business world and the general population. Legally constituted companies located and active within the municipal district of Elche may apply for the seal.

Requirements and modalities

Candidates must be up to date with their fiscal, tax, and Social Security obligations, must not have been sanctioned by a final resolution for a very serious infringement regarding equality in accordance with Royal Legislative Decree 5/2000, of August 4, and must present improvements over current regulations on work-life balance, provided these measures are currently in effect.

The call provides for two types of recognition:

• Private organizations, with categories based on the number of employees:
  • Micro-enterprise: up to 10 people.
  • Small enterprise: from 11 to 50 people.
  • Medium enterprise: from 51 to 250 people.
  • Large enterprise: more than 250 people.
• Mixed-character organizations, regardless of their legal form, size, and number of employees.

Submission of applications and documentation

Applications shall be submitted electronically through the City Council’s electronic office (procedure “call for the local distinctive seal Conciliatory Company 2026 Edition”), on the website www.elche.es, in accordance with Law 39/2015, of October 1, on the Common Administrative Procedure. The deadline will be 90 days starting from the day following the publication in the gazette.

Along with the application, the following must be provided:

• ID (DNI) of the owner or legal representative and the CIF accreditation card.
• A responsible declaration stating the number of men and women on the staff.
• A summary of the actions developed regarding work-life balance.
• An explanatory report of a maximum of 20 pages, signed by the company’s representation.

Evaluation and award

An Evaluation Commission, chaired by the Councilor for Women and composed of representatives from business and trade union organizations, the Municipal Council for Women, and technical staff and officials from the Department, will assess the candidacies with a maximum score of 20 points. The scope of the measures, the number of strategies, their permanence, innovation, exemplary nature, and staff participation will be taken into account.

The award will consist of a plaque and/or accrediting diploma, with an initial validity of two years and the possibility of extensions of equal duration. Distinguished companies may use the seal on their documents during that period, and the City Council will provide maximum visibility to the beneficiaries, in addition to organizing an Annual Meeting of Companies for Work-Life Balance.

Relevance for the municipality

The call for applications reinforces Elche’s commitment to co-responsibility and the quality of life of working people, while turning work-life balance into a competitive value for the local business fabric. The distinction not only rewards good practices but also incentivizes the implementation of new measures and projects the awarded companies as benchmarks for other organizations and institutions.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Alicante, no. 171, September 9, 2026, III. Local Administration, page 1 (official reference: 6857 / 2026).