Lion, Metcash and Diageo have all been re-certified by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) as Employers of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) for the fourth consecutive time. Pernod Ricard remains on the list and is mid-way through its first two year cycle having been recognised last year.
WGEA Director Mary Wooldridge said: “Each year we accept applications for our WGEA EOCGE citation from those employers who are raising the bar when it comes to driving change, creating the circumstances that allow all people, regardless of their gender, to thrive.
“After passing through our evidence-based benchmarking evaluations, our EOCGE citation holders are officially recognised as some of the best employers in Australia who are committed and dedicated to action in achieving gender equality.
“Critically, these organisations are delivering on a formula that sees better support structures in place for working families, stronger actions to address pay inequalities, and strategic recruitment and promotion practices that help to encourage the full participation of women at work.”
All employers in Australia with 100 or more employees report annually to WGEA to comply with the Commonwealth Workplace Gender Equality Act. Citation is sought on a voluntary basis by companies that choose to go through additional evaluation by WGEA with a range of stretch criteria, designed to measure the actions organisations are taking to advance gender equality outcomes for their employees.
Lion CEO Stuart Irvine said: “As an EOCGE holder, we are proud to be among some of Australia’s leading change-makers who are committed to embedding gender equality in the workplace.
“Last year we took a step further in our journey towards workplace gender equality and evolved our gender target to a minimum 40 per cent representation of both men and women in teams and we are on track to reach our 2030 goal.
“This is in addition to the work we’ve done updating the Families@Lion parental leave offering to be more inclusive and expanding our Domestic and Family Abuse policy and support.”
Ms Wooldridge said research into the cohort of Employers of Choice - produced in partnership with the University of Queensland – has analysed the actions they are taking compared to other organisations.
“It proved the outcomes of this approach are paying clear dividends: our WGEA Employers of Choice are closing their pay gaps faster, have a higher proportion of women in management, a stronger pipeline of women moving into senior management, a higher representation of women on their Boards and a higher proportion of female employees working full-time than other employers,” she said.
On International Women's Day, Chief HR Officer, Louise Prashad said, "At Diageo, we know that progress requires bold ambition and action. It must start with building representation throughout the organisation, and especially in the most senior roles that can influence decisions, shape culture, and provide a pathway for others. We are proud to have 60 per cent female representation at board level, and talented women in key executive roles including Chief Financial Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, and Regional Presidents of our largest markets. However, we know there is more to do...
"Women bring huge value into the organisation, and it has never been more important to retain women in the workplace. The pandemic has sadly highlighted that many inequalities still exist. As one of the first companies to globally launch an equal parental leave policy, we aim to ensure the burden of childcare does not fall unduly on mothers. Since launch two years ago, Diageo’s fathers are now taking on average 99 days of parental leave. We have also strengthened support for employees experiencing menopausal symptoms and fertility issues, and we will continue to embrace flexible working so that women can thrive in all aspects of their lives."
Announcing the news on LinkedIn, Metcash said that it champions "the diversity and unique strengths of our people by putting our Gender Agenda front and centre. We’ve made our mark on gender quality by closing our gender pay gap to approximately 1%, promoting gender equality, promotion and leadership support, flexible working and policies and initiatives that support everyone at Metcash."
While Pernod Ricard's Chairman and CEO, Bryan Fry, sat on the panel at the Drinks Association's International Women's Day lunch last week. He said, "Professionally, I am proud that Pernod Ricard Winemakers has now achieved gender balance across senior roles. This is an important milestone and step forward for the business, and forms part of our broader commitment to create a working environment where our teams feel comfortable to truly be themselves and confident to share who they are with the people they work with.
"But, remember it is a journey, not a one year box ticking exercise, and it should be continually ingrained into the thinking and behaviour of our organisation."