This year we’ve added a range of new services to support clients as they continue to achieve more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces. The services also help meet new legislative requirements on reporting to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) as well as position your positive duty obligations in the broader context of inclusive leadership and culture.
New services
1. Preparing Gender equality strategies to comply with new WGEA reporting requirements
From 1 April 2024, organisations with 500 or more employees are required to have policies or strategies for each of the six gender equality indicators. This means that if an organisation’s corporate structure incorporates multiple entities that have 500 or more employees, each entity will need to have their own strategy/policy. These policies could be the same or adjusted for the specific circumstances of each individual entity.
We can analyse your gender data and draw on best practice frameworks to identify what strategies will work best for your organisation. Diversity Partners has been developing these types of policies and strategies for more than a decade with organisations of all sizes and across all industry sectors. We’ve also worked closely with dozens of Victorian public sector entities since 2020 to develop their gender equality action plans and gender impact assessments.
2. Accurate reporting on workforce profile and pay gap data
With the current focus on gender pay gaps, are you confident the remuneration you report to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) that forms the basis for the next release of pay gap data is accurate? From our experience many employers misunderstand what workforce profile data needs to be submitted to WGEA.
We’ll guide you through reporting needs and help prepare an Employer Statement to provide context to your published gender pay gap, if you don’t already have one. Vanessa Paterson joined the Diversity Partners team of consultants, bringing her outstanding knowledge of reporting requirements after working at WGEA for 20 years. This year Diversity Partners has already supported many of Australia’s largest organisations to prepare their Employer Statements and identify gender action plans.
3. Blended education on the new positive duty with a focus on inclusive leadership behaviours to build safe, respectful and inclusive work cultures
Leadership and culture are two of the seven standards of the new positive duty requirements developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission to eliminate sexual harassment. The positive duty requires organisations and businesses to take a proactive focus on preventing workplace sexual harassment, sex discrimination and other relevant unlawful conduct, rather than responding only after it occurs.
We’ve been providing education on practical ways leaders can role model inclusive behaviours, encourage speak up cultures, and eliminate unlawful behaviours to help meet the positive duty.
What we’re continuing to deliver
We’re working with many clients to develop diversity and inclusion strategies, facilitate leadership workshops, conduct gender impact assessments, and lead ground-breaking industry research with the Australian rail sector. We’re looking forward to sharing more of this with you in coming months.
Contact us
If you’d like more information about any of our services, please contact us at info@diversitypartners.com.au or call our office on 1800 571 999.
