Guadalmez approves a protocol against sexual harassment in the City Council

The Guadalmez City Council has published its Action Protocol against sexual harassment, harassment on the grounds of sex, and harassment based on sexual orientation in the Official Gazette of the Province of Ciudad Real number 214, corresponding to Thursday, November 5, 2026, within the Local Administration section (announcement number 3567, pages 10426 to 10437, CVE mJWNSPxWD579f0F2K8sV). The text establishes an internal procedure for reporting, investigation, and sanctioning, and designates the Confidential Advisory Service and the Advisory Committee as the bodies responsible for processing it.

Regulatory Framework and Scope

The protocol is based on the Spanish Constitution of 1978, Organic Law 3/2007, of March 22, for the Effective Equality of Women and Men, and Law 12/2010, of November 18, on Equality between Women and Men of Castilla-La Mancha. The framework is completed by Law 31/1995, on the Prevention of Occupational Risks, Royal Legislative Decree 5/2015 which approves the TREBEP, the Workers’ Statute, and Royal Decree 901/2020, of October 13, on equality plans.

The scope of application covers all council personnel. External contracted companies, collaborating entities, societies, and municipal autonomous bodies will be informed of its existence, and when a case affects both municipal personnel and personnel from a contractor, business coordination mechanisms will be activated.

The classified behaviors are considered very serious misconduct, regardless of the provisions of criminal legislation, and lead to the sanctions provided for in the protocol itself and in the TREBEP. The declaration of principles emphasizes that harassment attacks the dignity of working people and that the City Council will not tolerate these practices.

Preventive Measures and Definitions

The document distinguishes three modalities: sexual harassment—with the variants of sexual blackmail and environmental harassment—, harassment on the grounds of sex, linked to gender stereotypes, and harassment based on sexual orientation, referring to gender orientation, identity, or expression. To prevent them, the following actions, among others, are articulated:

• Official declaration of principles and commitment to eradication.
• Dissemination of the protocol via corporate email and publication on the municipal website for download.
• Informational documents and welcome manuals.
• Information sessions and specific campaigns on rights, duties, sanctions, and precautionary measures.
• Specific training for those involved in the procedure and for middle management and service heads, within the Equality Plan.

Procedure and Guaranteeing Bodies

The Confidential Advisory Office, composed of a minimum of two people designated by the Presidency of the Equality Commission, receives complaints, analyzes them, and decides whether to reject them, open an informal channel, or activate the formal one. Complaints may be verbal or written—verbal complaints must be ratified in writing—and anonymous complaints are not admitted. Those entitled to file a complaint include the allegedly harassed person or their legal representative, union representation with prior authorization, and any public employee with a reasoned justification, subject to ratification by the victim.

The Advisory Committee processes the formal channel and is composed of two technicians from the Prevention and Occupational Health Service, one person from the Confidential Advisory Office, a lawyer from the Legal Advisory Office, and a psychologist from the Equality Service, with the possibility of adding professionals from the Almadén Women’s Center. Confidentiality—each complaint is identified with a numerical code—respect, diligence, impartiality, prohibition of retaliation, and good faith are guaranteed. The parties have a maximum period of five working days to present allegations.

Closure

The protocol is subject to annual monitoring through a report from the Confidential Advisory Office to Labor Relations and the Equality Commission, with an evaluation after the first three complaints or one year after its implementation, and has a validity period of four years from its approval. With this publication, the small Ciudad Real council provides its staff with a regulated and confidential channel to report harassment behaviors, a framework that until now depended on general regulations and which now establishes specific bodies, deadlines, and guarantees.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Ciudad Real, number 214, November 5, 2026, Local Administration — City Councils, pp. 10426-10437 (official reference: announcement number 3567, CVE mJWNSPxWD579f0F2K8sV).