The WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation recognises, encourages and promotes organisations with an active commitment to workplace gender equality.
129 organisations are currently WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation-holders.
The EOCGE citation encourages, recognises and promotes organisations' active commitment to achieving gender equality in Australian workplaces. WGEA awards the citation for two years, after which organisations can reapply. This year’s cohort, announced on 1 March 2023, will hold the 2022-2024 citation.
WGEA's EOCGE criteria spans seven focus areas:
- leadership, strategy and accountability
- developing a gender-balanced workforce
- gender pay equity
- support for caring
- mainstreaming flexible work
- preventing sexual harassment, gender-based harassment and discrimination, and bullying
- driving change beyond your workplace.
These seven areas reflect the latest academic research in how employers can improve workplace gender equality.
EOCGE organisations must be compliant with the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012. They must also meet all the assessment criteria.
Chief Executive Partner Bruce Cooper said that Clayton Utz's recognition as an EOCGE reflected the company's continued prioritisation of gender equality as part of its broader Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) initiatives. "We know that while diversity, inclusion, and equality will help our business succeed, above all else, it's simply the right thing to do," said Bruce.
Bruce said that the refreshed gender equality and broader D&I strategy was building a "more respectful and inclusive culture". On the recent initiatives we have introduced, Bruce said:
"Our improved gender equality strategy saw us enhance our paid parental leave policy to increase our benefit to 26 weeks and remove the distinction between primary and secondary caregivers. As a broader carer initiative, we recently introduced a caregiving service for people with eldercare responsibilities. We're also focused on the pro-active prevention of discrimination, harassment, and bullying.
Educating our people on the role they play, as well as how to be an effective bystander, is a large part of this initiative."
Bruce said while Clayton Utz continues to make progress, he acknowledged that the path to gender equality was ongoing. "We're continuously keeping gender equality front of mind and making a conscious effort to support diversity by being open and honest and considering where we can improve. We look forward to developing more meaningful initiatives so that all our people can succeed."
Read the full list of WGEA Employer of Choice for gender equality citation holders HERE