Equity: Myths still need to be banished
Anna McPhee. Pic by: Paul Trezise
Women have come a long way in the workplace since they were expected to resign as soon as they married.
Yet, according to the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA), there's still a few niggling issues such as equal pay that have to be banished.
Last month, the EOWA released a list of 99 organisations on its 2008 EOWA Employer of Choice for Women list (left).
"These businesses have moved beyond simply writing policies and providing basic flexibility." says EOWA director Anna McPhee.
"For these organisations, creating equity is about changing culture, changing expectations, breaking down the outdated myths about women and finally valuing the massive contribution women make to the workplace whether they are working part-time or full-time, working from home or in the office, starting their careers or nearing retirement."
However, she says that there is still some work to do before such awards are no longer required.
"I am looking forward to a time when there is no need for an Employer of Choice for Women List because all organisations understand that every working woman has a contribution to make to the workforce and that it makes sense to embrace diversity," she says.
The EOCFW citation is awarded to non-government organisations with more than 80 employees that have demonstrated that they have policies and practices that support women across the organisation and these have had a positive outcome for both women and the business. Organisations must apply for the citation each year.
While the average pay gap in 2008 EOWA Employer of Choice for Women organisations is a staggering 10 per cent, it is still seven per cent lower than the national average.
According to EOW, each of the 99 organisations have shown that gender pay equity has been analysed, that the gap is less than the industry average and that they are working to address any gap identified. Organisations have also shown that their recruitment and promotion processes are merit based and transparent and they have provided training to all staff about preventing sex-based harassment in the workplace.
Paid maternity leave is provided in all 2008 EOWA Employer of Choice for Women organisations, despite the minimum requirement being six weeks paid maternity leave, the average duration provided by these organisations is over 12 weeks.
"All organisations should use the EOWA Employer of Choice for Women requirements to benchmark their own policies and workplace environment. If every organisation could meet this minimum standard we would be going a long way
towards creating true equity for women in the Australian labour force." said McPhee.
* www.eowa.gov.au
2008 EOWA EMPLOYER OF CHOICE FOR WOMEN
* CONSTRUCTION
Boral Limited
Lend Lease Corporation
* EDUCATION
Australian Council for Education Research (ACER)
Brisbane Girls Grammar School
Canberra Girls' Grammar School
Catholic Education Office-Adelaide
Lauriston Girls' School
Loreto Normanhurst
Overnewton Anglican Community College
St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School
Santa Sabina College
* ELECTRICITY GAS WATER SUPPLY
Origin Energy Limited
United Water International Pty Ltd
* FINANCE AND INSURANCE
American Express Australia Pty Ltd
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ Bank)
AMP Limited
Australian Securities Exchange Limited
Citi
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Credit Union Australia Limited
Goldman Sachs JBWere Services Pty Ltd
Insurance Australia Group Limited
JP Morgan Administrative Services Limited
National Australia Bank Limited
NSW Teachers Credit Union Limited
Savings and Loans Credit Union (SA) Limited
UBS AG, Australia Branch
VicSuper Pty Ltd
Westpac Banking Corporation
* HEALTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
Baptist Community Services-NSW and ACT
Benetas
Brisbane Water (NSW) Legacy
Calvary Health Care Tasmania
Calvary John James Memorial
Churches of Christ Homes and Community Services
Epworth Foundation
Mercy Health and Aged Care
National Childcare Accreditation Council Inc
St John of God Health Care Inc
The Spastic Centre of New South Wales
UnitingCare Health
Warrigal Care
World Vision Australia
* MANUFACTURING
Cummins South Pacific Pty Ltd
EMI Music Australia Pty Ltd
Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited
GM Holden Ltd
John Wiley and Sons Australia Ltd
Kimberly-Clark Australia Pty Ltd
Mars Australia Pty Ltd
Medtronic Australasia Pty Ltd
Pitney Bowes Australia Pty Ltd
The Shell Company of Australia Pty Ltd
* MINING
Alcoa of Australia Limited
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
Energy Resources of Australia Ltd
ExxonMobil Australia Group of Companies
Rio Tinto Aluminium Limited
* PROPERTY AND BUSINESS SERVICES
Allens Arthur Robinson
Blake Dawson
Cisco Systems Australia
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Deloitte
Ernst and Young Services
Freehills
Hays
Holding Redlich (lawyers and consultants)
IBM Australia Ltd
KPMG Australian Services
Maddocks
Mallesons Stephen Jaques
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
Sparke Helmore
* PERSONAL AND OTHER SERVICES
Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) Limited
* RETAIL TRADE
McDonald's Australia Pty Ltd
* TERTIARY EDUCATION
Curtin University of Technology
Deakin University
Flinders University of South Australia
Griffith University
Illawarra Technology Corporation Limited
La Trobe University
Monash University
Queensland University of Technology
RMIT University
Swinburne University of Technology
The University of Adelaide
The University of Melbourne
The University of New South Wales (UNSW)
The University of Queensland
The University of Sydney
The University of Western Australia
University of Canberra
University of New England
University of South Australia
University of Technology Sydney
University of the Sunshine Coast
University of Western Sydney
University of Wollongong
* WHOLESALE TRADE
Becton Dickinson Pty Ltd
Yet, according to the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA), there's still a few niggling issues such as equal pay that have to be banished.
Last month, the EOWA released a list of 99 organisations on its 2008 EOWA Employer of Choice for Women list (left).
"These businesses have moved beyond simply writing policies and providing basic flexibility." says EOWA director Anna McPhee.
"For these organisations, creating equity is about changing culture, changing expectations, breaking down the outdated myths about women and finally valuing the massive contribution women make to the workplace whether they are working part-time or full-time, working from home or in the office, starting their careers or nearing retirement."
However, she says that there is still some work to do before such awards are no longer required.
"I am looking forward to a time when there is no need for an Employer of Choice for Women List because all organisations understand that every working woman has a contribution to make to the workforce and that it makes sense to embrace diversity," she says.
The EOCFW citation is awarded to non-government organisations with more than 80 employees that have demonstrated that they have policies and practices that support women across the organisation and these have had a positive outcome for both women and the business. Organisations must apply for the citation each year.
While the average pay gap in 2008 EOWA Employer of Choice for Women organisations is a staggering 10 per cent, it is still seven per cent lower than the national average.
According to EOW, each of the 99 organisations have shown that gender pay equity has been analysed, that the gap is less than the industry average and that they are working to address any gap identified. Organisations have also shown that their recruitment and promotion processes are merit based and transparent and they have provided training to all staff about preventing sex-based harassment in the workplace.
Paid maternity leave is provided in all 2008 EOWA Employer of Choice for Women organisations, despite the minimum requirement being six weeks paid maternity leave, the average duration provided by these organisations is over 12 weeks.
"All organisations should use the EOWA Employer of Choice for Women requirements to benchmark their own policies and workplace environment. If every organisation could meet this minimum standard we would be going a long way
towards creating true equity for women in the Australian labour force." said McPhee.
* www.eowa.gov.au
2008 EOWA EMPLOYER OF CHOICE FOR WOMEN
* CONSTRUCTION
Boral Limited
Lend Lease Corporation
* EDUCATION
Australian Council for Education Research (ACER)
Brisbane Girls Grammar School
Canberra Girls' Grammar School
Catholic Education Office-Adelaide
Lauriston Girls' School
Loreto Normanhurst
Overnewton Anglican Community College
St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School
Santa Sabina College
* ELECTRICITY GAS WATER SUPPLY
Origin Energy Limited
United Water International Pty Ltd
* FINANCE AND INSURANCE
American Express Australia Pty Ltd
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ Bank)
AMP Limited
Australian Securities Exchange Limited
Citi
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Credit Union Australia Limited
Goldman Sachs JBWere Services Pty Ltd
Insurance Australia Group Limited
JP Morgan Administrative Services Limited
National Australia Bank Limited
NSW Teachers Credit Union Limited
Savings and Loans Credit Union (SA) Limited
UBS AG, Australia Branch
VicSuper Pty Ltd
Westpac Banking Corporation
* HEALTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
Baptist Community Services-NSW and ACT
Benetas
Brisbane Water (NSW) Legacy
Calvary Health Care Tasmania
Calvary John James Memorial
Churches of Christ Homes and Community Services
Epworth Foundation
Mercy Health and Aged Care
National Childcare Accreditation Council Inc
St John of God Health Care Inc
The Spastic Centre of New South Wales
UnitingCare Health
Warrigal Care
World Vision Australia
* MANUFACTURING
Cummins South Pacific Pty Ltd
EMI Music Australia Pty Ltd
Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited
GM Holden Ltd
John Wiley and Sons Australia Ltd
Kimberly-Clark Australia Pty Ltd
Mars Australia Pty Ltd
Medtronic Australasia Pty Ltd
Pitney Bowes Australia Pty Ltd
The Shell Company of Australia Pty Ltd
* MINING
Alcoa of Australia Limited
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
Energy Resources of Australia Ltd
ExxonMobil Australia Group of Companies
Rio Tinto Aluminium Limited
* PROPERTY AND BUSINESS SERVICES
Allens Arthur Robinson
Blake Dawson
Cisco Systems Australia
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Deloitte
Ernst and Young Services
Freehills
Hays
Holding Redlich (lawyers and consultants)
IBM Australia Ltd
KPMG Australian Services
Maddocks
Mallesons Stephen Jaques
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
Sparke Helmore
* PERSONAL AND OTHER SERVICES
Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) Limited
* RETAIL TRADE
McDonald's Australia Pty Ltd
* TERTIARY EDUCATION
Curtin University of Technology
Deakin University
Flinders University of South Australia
Griffith University
Illawarra Technology Corporation Limited
La Trobe University
Monash University
Queensland University of Technology
RMIT University
Swinburne University of Technology
The University of Adelaide
The University of Melbourne
The University of New South Wales (UNSW)
The University of Queensland
The University of Sydney
The University of Western Australia
University of Canberra
University of New England
University of South Australia
University of Technology Sydney
University of the Sunshine Coast
University of Western Sydney
University of Wollongong
* WHOLESALE TRADE
Becton Dickinson Pty Ltd
The Weekend Australian, April 12, 2008
From Employer of Choice: A special report on changing trends in employment and the Australian companies who are working to achieve a better workplace.
