Diversity in the Workforce
GWA recognises and celebrates the value and contribution each individual brings to the workplace and appreciates the value of attracting and retaining employees from different backgrounds. GWA is committed to creating a working environment that is fair, flexible and supportive of all our staff and that promotes personal and professional growth.
GWA embraces and celebrates diversity in the workforce which contributes to business success and benefits employees, customers, consumers and shareholders. Leveraging diversity in the workplace fosters engagement, enhances creativity, improves decision making and increases productivity to deliver a strong competitive advantage.
We remain committed to promoting diversity and inclusion through the implementation of policies and initiatives to achieve a diverse workforce. The Group’s Diversity and Inclusion Policy is available on the Group’s website at www.gwagroup.com.au under Corporate Governance Policies.
We understand that each individual is unique and we recognise individual differences. These differences can include skills, experience, thought, gender, age, disability, ethnicity, cultural or socio-economic background, religion, sexual orientation, political or ideological beliefs as well as other dimensions such as lifestyle and family responsibilities.
At GWA we are committed to:
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a workplace which is free from discrimination, harassment, bullying, victimisation and vilification;
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treating employees fairly and with respect;
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a workplace culture that is inclusive and embraces individual differences;
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equal employment opportunities based on ability, performance and potential;
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awareness in all staff of their rights and responsibilities with regards to fairness, equity and respect for all aspects of diversity;
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flexible work practices and policies to support employees and their changing needs;
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attraction, retention and development of a diverse range of talented people;
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equitable frameworks and policies, processes and practices that limit potential unconscious bias.
In 2012, the Board established a number of measurable objectives to promote and encourage increased gender diversity within the workforce as outlined below. The Board will continue to work on increasing the percentage of females employed by GWA including committing to a minimum 30% target for Board composition in line with the Principles and Recommendations of the ASX Corporate Governance Council having regard to business needs, the best available candidates and all facets of diversity in addition to gender.
GWA has made significant progress in recent years to address gender pay equity anomalies and have addressed these as part of the annual salary review process. In February 2021, a gender pay equity review was performed in the Australian business. The result of this review identified any variations in pay across similar roles were attributed to non-gender related variables. Gender pay equity reviews are built into the annual remuneration review process and will remain an ongoing focus for GWA.
The measurable objectives to increase gender diversity are assessed annually and are reported in the Corporate Governance Statement which is available on the Group’s website at www.gwagroup.com.au under Corporate Governance.
1. Increasing the percentage of females employed by GWA with a minimum 30% target for Board composition
The female participation rate for GWA’s overall workforce has remained generally consistent at around 42% in FY22. We have achieved a significant improvement in the percentage of females at the Executive level, which has increased from 14% in FY21 to 38% in FY22. The female participation rate at the Board level remains consistent at 33% for Non-Executive Directors, which is consistent with our target.
The following table is a breakdown of the female representation by category for GWA (Australia only) and GWA globally, as at 30 June 2022.
The following table is a summary of GWA’s Australian workplace profile at 31 March 2021 as reported to the WGEA:
| Title | % Female |
|---|---|
| Board of Directors | 29%1 |
| Key Management Personnel | 0%2 |
| Senior Managers/Other Managers | 32% |
| Total Management | 37% |
| Total Non-Management | 45% |
| Overall Total | 43% |
2. Provide and promote flexible work practices to attract and retain diverse talent
Across GWA we continue to review employment policies and practices to ensure that, among other things, flexibility is offered to attract and retain talent. GWA fully supports and encourages flexible working arrangements, and many employees take advantage of different ways to get the job done including working from home or working flexible hours.
The well embedded approach to flexible work practices enabled the Group to effectively navigate through lockdowns as a result the COVID-19 pandemic with all office-based staff having the ability to adjust to work from home and subsequent hybrid approaches. GWA also provided additional tools and training during the pandemic to ensure that staff were supported to work remotely as part of our ongoing focus on their safety and wellbeing.
3. Deploy Talent Development and Succession planning processes that attract and retain a gender diverse talent pool
GWA has in place robust people practices including disciplined recruitment and selection processes, and talent and succession development programs which support the attraction, identification, development and progression of diverse talent.
4. Conduct Gender Pay Analysis and Ensure Parity
GWA has in place a fair remuneration and pay equity practice which is applied during the annual remuneration review cycle. Each year GWA conducts a review of gender pay as part of the annual salary review process and any identified issues are addressed.
- 33% of GWA’s non-executive directors are female.
- KMP for WGEA reporting includes the Acting CEO, Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary roles with the other non-KMP executives included in Management.
