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Media agency Initiative scores two national awards for LGBTI inclusion at AWEI Awards

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Media communications agency Initiative has been awarded two of the top honours at the 2019 Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Awards, celebrating LGBTI Inclusion. AWEI is a rigorous, evidence-based benchmarking program that annually assesses workplaces on the progress and impact of their LGBTI inclusion initiatives.

The awards are hosted by ACON’s Pride in Diversity, the national not-for-profit employer support program for LGBTI workplace inclusion.

Initiative was awarded Gold in the Small Employer (less than 200 people) category and was also named Small Employer of the Year. The agency was among many of Australia’s largest and high-profile corporate entities recognised for their LGBTI inclusion programs, such as Macquarie Bank, Australian Taxation Office, ANZ, LendLease, Woolworths, PwC, Brisbane City Council and RMIT University.

Initiative Australia has focused its LGBTI inclusion through the agency’s bespoke Rainbow Elephant program that includes developing HR policy and diversity practice, strategy and accountability, LGBTI training, network and champion initiatives, visibility and inclusion, community engagement and advocacy. The program is led by the agency’s head of studio Olivia Warren and national director of people and culture, Scott Laird.

Says Warren: “This award fills me with a lot of pride. I feel very fortunate to work in an environment that not only accepts me for who I am but fosters an environment that is supportive and inclusive for all.”

Initiative’s national CEO Melissa Fein said the LGBTI inclusion awards were a massive highlight for the business: “The whole agency has supported our progress in being a more inclusive and welcoming workplace, especially for the LGBTI community. Olivia and Scott have also been inspirational leaders for a group of agency volunteers and these awards prove how popular and effective our Rainbow Elephant program has been.”

There were just 17 employers, Australia wide, who received Gold standard in LGBTI inclusion, three of which were in the small-employer category (less than 200 employees) where Initiative was recognised. The agency’s Rainbow Elephant program continues to be an important internal program.

View the winners here.

Sapphire Inspire Award Winner 2019

12 June 2016

The Sapphire inspire Award celebrates the achievements of an LGBTIQ+ Woman, from their impact on workplace inclusion and support of other out women, to contributions they’ve made to promote and encourage such visibility. It is an individual award nomination that is part of the annual Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) and announced at The Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards.

With some outstanding achievements from several women nominated for this year’s award, the 2019 winner is Caitlin Monnery–Korving from ANZ. The award was announced by Pride in Diversity Relationship Managers Sarah Cox and Nicki Elkin, who govern the Sapphire Initiative.

Caitlin impressed the judges with the inspiring number of activities she delivered throughout 2018. In particular, she was instrumental in the development and creation of Women in Pride, a network for LGBTIQ+ women and allies within ANZ, and co-creator of Rainbow Women, an external network in Melbourne. Caitlin also drove ANZ’s early endorsement of the Darlington Statement for Intersex People.

The name of the award stems from Pride in Diversity’s Sapphire Initiative, developed to generate greater awareness of the unique challenges faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTIQ+) women in the workplace. The Sapphire initiative seeks to provide women with an opportunity to openly express and discuss some of these challenges in a safe, non-confrontational professional environment.

The initiative seeks to engage LGBTIQ+ women (regardless of whether or not they are out at work) who feel passionate about wanting to see a more inclusive workplace, one in which LGBTIQ+ women can freely be themselves at work and one in which there is a greater visibility of  ‘out’ female role models.

The dual impacts of being an out LGBTIQ+ female role model in the workplace is often referred to as the double-glass ceiling. Caitlin’s work in this area has certainly had a major impact, progressing towards equality, inclusion and visibility of LGBTIQ+ women in the workplace.

Click here to learn more about the Sapphire Inititative or become a member.

This year, ANZ was also recognised as a Platinum Employer of the AWEI, having achieved Gold Employer Status for the past four years. In recent years, ANZ has previously been recipients of:

  • Employer of the Year (2017)
  • The Sally Webster Ally Award (Melissa Tandy, 2016 & 2018)
  • External Media Campaign (2018)
  • Trans and Gender Diverse Inclusion (2017)
  • Out Role Model Award (Dave Beks, 2017)

ANZ is a Pride in Diversity member.

Woolworths awarded Gold for second year running in LGBTI Awards

Mirage News, 30 May 2019 3:07 PM AEST

 

Woolworths Group is proud to again be recognised with gold tier status at the 2019 Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards for the second year running.

The Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards is based on the results of the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI), the national benchmark on LGBTI inclusion.

The event recognises Australia’s top organisations for LGBTI inclusion and celebrates leaders, individuals and networks that have made a significant impact within their workplaces.

Woolworths remains the only retailer in Australia to be awarded Gold Tier status.

Woolworths Group Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Rachel Mead said: “At Woolworths, creating an inclusive culture is a huge priority for us. We want all our team members to feel free to bring their whole selves to work.

“We are delighted to be recognised as a gold tier workplace by AWEI for a second year in a row and extremely proud of the work we have undertaken to progress LGBTI inclusion in the workplace and the efforts of our teams across the Group.”

In the past twelve months, Woolworths Group has undertaken the following initiatives to progress LGBTI inclusion in the workplace:

  • Continuing educational LGBTI events and training sessions for team members and leaders;
  • Hosting a diversity roundtable and networking event;
  • Growing the Proud at Woolworths Group to 2000+ members;
  • Celebrating Wear it Purple Day across the Group, nationwide;
  • Partnering with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 2019 with teams participating in their first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade this year;
  • Launching LGBTI inclusion training online to improve access for all team members;
  • Hosting a guest panel event to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance to drive transgender awareness and inclusion across the Group; and
  • Inclusion of a double page spread on LGBTI inclusion in Woolworths Group Sustainability Report.

Rachel concluded: “While we know we still have more work to do, we are fully committed to continuing to create better experiences for our LGBTI team members.

“It is a very exciting time to be at Woolworths. As a diverse team, we know we can create better experiences together, each and every day.”

 

QBE ranks as one of Australia’s top LGBTI inclusion employers

by Mina Martin, Insurance Business Magazine 28 May 2019

 

Insurance giant QBE has been recognised as one of Australia’s top LGBTI inclusion employers, receiving gold employer status in the 2019 Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI).

The ranking, announced at the Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards held at Sydney’s Hyatt Regency, saw QBE advance from last year’s bronze status to become the highest-rated insurer on Australia’s benchmarking instrument for LGBTI workplace inclusion.

Catherine McNair, QBE head of diversity and inclusion for Australia Pacific, said the accolade recognises its progress on engaging and educating its people on LGBTI inclusion.

“Our organisation-wide commitment to diversity and LGBTIQ+ inclusion sees us focus on visible leadership, visible role models, and delivering differentiated ways in which we can continue to engage and educate our people on LGBTI inclusion. This achievement recognises the progress we have made through that focus,” McNair said. “Special thanks must go to our QBE Pride committee, who have contributed significant time and effort over and above their day jobs – this achievement would not have been possible without their dedication and sustained commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive culture at QBE.”

Australia’s top organisations for LGBTI inclusion announced

ACON, 24 May 2019

 

RMIT University has been named the 2019 Employer of the Year for LGBTI inclusion at the Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards, hosted by ACON’s Pride in Diversity – the national not-for-profit employer support program for LGBTI workplace inclusion in Australia.

More than 730 business leaders, diversity champions and HR professionals representing all sectors and employer sizes came together at the Hyatt Regency in Sydney to celebrate the results of the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) – a rigorous, evidence-based benchmarking tool that annually assesses workplaces in the progress and impact of their LGBTI inclusion initiatives.

This year reflects the greatest diversity of top employers achieving Platinum and Gold Employer Status in the history of the AWEI. It is also the first time that a non-private commercial organisation has been awarded Employer of the Year status.

This year top employers spanned public, private, higher education and not-for-profit sectors:

  • Four employers have been awarded Platinum Status for longevity in high performance (Accenture, LendLease, ANZ, UWA).
  • Two employers have qualified for Platinum Status next year (EY, Macquarie Group).
  • 14 employers have been awarded Gold Status for highest results within the current year.
  • The Small Employer component of the index also saw an increase in participation and scores with Initiative Media taking out the Small Employer of the Year.

 The year’s awards were attended by a record number of CEOs and business leaders with Qantas CEO and Patron, Alan Joyce, providing this year’s keynote address.

Dawn Hough, Director of ACON’s Pride Inclusion Programs, said there has been continued growth in participation in the index since its launch in 2010.

“This is the ninth year of the AWEI and, once again, we have record numbers of employers across all sectors and states participating in the index. The accompanying employee survey elicited a staggering 27,349 responses, which underscores the importance of LGBTI inclusion in the workplace,” Hough said.

“Practice is continuing to shift significantly in this space with employers across Australia not only maintaining their commitment to LGBTI inclusion but in fact strengthening their inclusion initiatives and activities. Scores required to obtain the various tiers of recognition have continued to increase. We are delighted with the continual growth and focus exercised within this area of diversity and inclusion,” Hough said.

Pride in Diversity is part of Pride Inclusion Programs, a suite of social inclusion programs delivered by ACON, Australia’s largest LGBTQ health organisation. Pride Inclusion Programs also includes Pride In Sport and Pride in Health+Wellbeing.

This year awards also celebrated the results of the Health + Wellbeing Equality Index (HWEI) focusing on LGBT inclusive service provision. The award for Inclusive Service Provider of the Year went to Uniting, which is also a Gold Employer in the AWEI.

“LGBTI inclusion has well and truly made its way onto the Australian workplace diversity and inclusion agenda, and is starting to make a mark in the sporting and service provider sectors as well,” Hough said.

“Congratulations to all award winners recognised today on their significant achievements and for showing great leadership in LGBTI inclusion.”

Pride Inclusion Programs will next celebrate LGBTI inclusion within Australian sport at the second Australian Pride in Sport Awards in Melbourne on 12 June. Held at Cargo Hall, the event will be hosted by NITV’s Matty Webb and attended by Pride in Sport co-patrons Alex Blackwell and Daniel Kowalski, along with several other leading sporting and community figures.

For more information on ACON’s Pride Inclusion Programs, go to www.prideinclusionprograms.com.au

Pictured: Pride In Diversity Co-Patron Alan Joyce with representatives from RMIT, 2019 Employer of the Year

 

2019 Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards

 

2019 Australian Workplace Equality Index Award Recipients

 

Employer of the Year        

RMIT University

 

LGBTI Employee Network of the Year           

LGBTI ERG, LendLease

 

Platinum Employers (Long-term Gold Employers)      

Accenture

ANZ

LendLease

University of Western Australia

 

Platinum Qualifiers for 2020            

EY

Macquarie Group

 

Gold Employers   

Australian Taxation Office

Brisbane City Council

Clayton Utz

Deakin University

Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet

EY

Macquarie Bank Limited

MinterEllison

NAB

PwC

QBE Insurance Australia

RMIT University

Uniting

Woolworths Group

 

Small Employer Gold

Initiative Media

Oliver Wyman

BlackRock Investment Management Australia

 

Small Employer of the Year              

Initiative Media

 

Most Improved Employer

Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet

 

Trans and Gender Diverse Inclusion

RMIT University

 

External Media Campaign

‘The Road to Broken Hill’ AAMI, Suncorp

 

Executive Leadership

Andrea Kenafake, Brisbane City Council

 

Network Leader of the Year

Cameron Tirendi, BHP

 

Out Role Model

Nicholas Steepe, Charles Sturt University

 

Sapphire Inspire

Caitlin Monnery-Korving, ANZ

 

The Sally Webster Ally Award          

Joint winners: Ian Bennett (PwC) & Superintendent Richard Roberts (AFP – posthumously awarded)

 

2019 Health + Wellbeing Equality Index Award Recipients

 

LGBTI Inclusive Service Provider of the Year

Uniting

 

Gold Service Providers

Reliant Healthcare

Flourish Australia

Uniting

Australia’s top organisations for LGBTI inclusion announced

RMIT University has been named the 2019 Employer of the Year for LGBTI inclusion at the Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards, hosted by ACON’s Pride in Diversity – the national not-for-profit employer support program for LGBTI workplace inclusion in Australia.

More than 730 business leaders, diversity champions and HR professionals representing all sectors and employer sizes came together at the Hyatt Regency in Sydney to celebrate the results of the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) – a rigorous, evidence-based benchmarking tool that annually assesses workplaces in the progress and impact of their LGBTI inclusion initiatives.

This year reflects the greatest diversity of top employers achieving Platinum and Gold Employer Status in the history of the AWEI. It is also the first time that a non-private commercial organisation has been awarded Employer of the Year status.

This year top employers spanned public, private, higher education and not-for-profit sectors:

  • Four employers have been awarded Platinum Status for longevity in high performance (Accenture, LendLease, ANZ, UWA).
  • Two employers have qualified for Platinum Status next year (EY, Macquarie Group).
  • 14 employers have been awarded Gold Status for highest results within the current year.
  • The Small Employer component of the index also saw an increase in participation and scores with Initiative Media taking out the Small Employer of the Year.

 The year’s awards were attended by a record number of CEOs and business leaders with Qantas CEO and Patron, Alan Joyce, providing this year’s keynote address.

Dawn Hough, Director of ACON’s Pride Inclusion Programs, said there has been continued growth in participation in the index since its launch in 2010.

“This is the ninth year of the AWEI and, once again, we have record numbers of employers across all sectors and states participating in the index. The accompanying employee survey elicited a staggering 27,349 responses, which underscores the importance of LGBTI inclusion in the workplace,” Hough said.

“Practice is continuing to shift significantly in this space with employers across Australia not only maintaining their commitment to LGBTI inclusion but in fact strengthening their inclusion initiatives and activities. Scores required to obtain the various tiers of recognition have continued to increase. We are delighted with the continual growth and focus exercised within this area of diversity and inclusion,” Hough said.

Pride in Diversity is part of Pride Inclusion Programs, a suite of social inclusion programs delivered by ACON, Australia’s largest LGBTQ health organisation. Pride Inclusion Programs also includes Pride In Sport and Pride in Health+Wellbeing.

This year awards also celebrated the results of the Health + Wellbeing Equality Index (HWEI) focusing on LGBT inclusive service provision. The award for Inclusive Service Provider of the Year went to Uniting, which is also a Gold Employer in the AWEI.

“LGBTI inclusion has well and truly made its way onto the Australian workplace diversity and inclusion agenda, and is starting to make a mark in the sporting and service provider sectors as well,” Hough said.

“Congratulations to all award winners recognised today on their significant achievements and for showing great leadership in LGBTI inclusion.”

Pride Inclusion Programs will next celebrate LGBTI inclusion within Australian sport at the second Australian Pride in Sport Awards in Melbourne on 12 June. Held at Cargo Hall, the event will be hosted by NITV’s Matty Webb and attended by Pride in Sport co-patrons Alex Blackwell and Daniel Kowalski, along with several other leading sporting and community figures.

For more information on ACON’s Pride Inclusion Programs, go to www.prideinclusionprograms.com.au

Pictured: Pride In Diversity Co-Patron Alan Joyce with representatives from RMIT, 2019 Employer of the Year

 

2019 Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards

 

2019 Australian Workplace Equality Index Award Recipients

 

Employer of the Year        

RMIT University

 

LGBTI Employee Network of the Year           

LGBTI ERG, LendLease

 

Platinum Employers (Long-term Gold Employers)      

Accenture

ANZ

LendLease

University of Western Australia

 

Platinum Qualifiers for 2020            

EY

Macquarie Group

 

Gold Employers   

Australian Taxation Office

Brisbane City Council

Clayton Utz

Deakin University

Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet

EY

Macquarie Bank Limited

MinterEllison

NAB

PwC

QBE Insurance Australia

RMIT University

Uniting

Woolworths Group

 

Small Employer Gold

Initiative Media

Oliver Wyman

BlackRock Investment Management Australia

 

Small Employer of the Year              

Initiative Media

 

Most Improved Employer

Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet

 

Trans and Gender Diverse Inclusion

RMIT University

 

External Media Campaign

‘The Road to Broken Hill’ AAMI, Suncorp

 

Executive Leadership

Andrea Kenafake, Brisbane City Council

 

Network Leader of the Year

Cameron Tirendi, BHP

 

Out Role Model

Nicholas Steepe, Charles Sturt University

 

Sapphire Inspire

Caitlin Monnery-Korving, ANZ

 

The Sally Webster Ally Award          

Joint winners: Ian Bennett (PwC) & Superintendent Richard Roberts (AFP – posthumously awarded)

 

2019 Health + Wellbeing Equality Index Award Recipients

 

LGBTI Inclusive Service Provider of the Year

Uniting

 

Gold Service Providers

Reliant Healthcare

Flourish Australia

Uniting

 

ENDS

For more information please contact: David Alexander, ACON Media and Communications

E: dalexander@acon.org.au   T: +61 (02) 9206 2044   M: +61 (0)428 477 042

New Benchmarking Tool To Assess LGBTI Inclusion Amongst Health And Wellbeing Providers Launches

A new benchmarking tool launched by leading LGBTI inclusion initiative, Pride Inclusion Programs, now provides health and wellbeing organisations the opportunity to assess, measure and improve their practices to better include LGBTI people in their services.

The Health + Wellbeing Equality Index is Australia’s first instrument to annually benchmark LGBTI inclusive service provision amongst organisations in the health, human services and wellbeing sectors. The index is administered by Pride in Health + Wellbeing, a national program that provides support, training and guidance in LGBTI inclusive service delivery. Pride in Health + Wellbeing is part of Pride Inclusion Programs, a suite of social inclusion initiatives delivered by Australia’s leading LGBTI health organisation, ACON.

ACON CEO Nicolas Parkhill said the Health + Wellbeing Equality Index will be an important resource for health and wellbeing service providers across Australia.

“With significant health disparities between LGBTI and non-LGBTI people and issues many LGBTI people experience in accessing important and critical health services such as perceived or previously experienced stigma, discrimination, harassment or refusal of service, this index is an instrumental tool for service providers as they seek to be more inclusive of all Australians,” Mr Parkhill said.

“We are proud to announce the launch of this index, which builds on ACON’s decades-long experience in LGBTI health and wellbeing. This instrument, in addition to our Pride in Health + Wellbeing support program, will provide a much-needed resource for those seeking to ensure full inclusivity of LGBTI people within the services and programs that they offer and will assist providers in working towards the Rainbow Tick accreditation if that is their ultimate goal,” Mr Parkhill said.

Participation will give service providers clear guidelines on getting started or on progressing their work in LGBTI inclusive service provision, as well as an opportunity to survey both staff and service users regardless of how they identify going forward.

The Health + Wellbeing Equality Index builds on from Pride Inclusion Programs’ benchmarking instruments, the Pride in Sport Index and the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI).

Dawn Hough, Director of ACON’s Pride Inclusion Programs, said just as the AWEI has been instrumental in shifting practices in LGBTI inclusion in workplaces across Australia, the Health + Wellbeing Equality Indexwill be critical in improving health and wellbeing service provision.

“The feedback provided as a result of participation will allow health and wellbeing providers to not only focus their inclusion work in areas of good practice, but also determine annually what they need to do to improve,” Ms Hough said.

“As index participation grows, the benchmarking data will provide a valuable reference in terms of current best practice as well as both qualitative and quantitative data to show improvements in their service provision.”

Participants to the index do not need to be a member of the Pride in Health + Wellbeing support program to take part. Submissions can be made online and close Friday 8 March 5pm.

For more information about the Health + Wellbeing Equality Index, and Pride Inclusion Programs, go to www.prideinclusionprograms.com.au/health-index

 

Media enquiries:

David Alexander, ACON Media and Communications
E: dalexander@acon.org.au T: +61 (02) 9206 2044 M: +61 (0)428 477 042

 

Spotlight On Corporate LGBTI Inclusion In Australia’s Largest Employee Survey

The findings from the country’s largest survey into lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) inclusion within Australian workplaces have been released, detailing a range of attitudes and responses on how inclusion initiatives within the workplace have impacted LGBTI and non-LGBTI employees.

The 2018 Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Employee Survey canvassed employees from around Australia on their organisation’s LGBTI inclusion efforts, to determine views on current initiatives, the impact within their workplaces and the overall message of diversity and inclusion. The survey has been conducted by Pride in Diversity, ACON’s national not-for-profit employer support program for LGBTI workplace inclusion.

This year, 23,120 surveys were completed from employees working at 89 different organisations, and of all respondents, 3,709 identified as LGBTI. The survey was open to all employees regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status.

Heterosexual respondents comprised 76 per cent of the total, with gay and bisexual men comprising 9.2 per cent, lesbian and bisexual women comprising 6.7 per cent, and trans and gender diverse people comprising 1.5 per cent. Double the proportion of intersex respondents (65) responded in 2018 as opposed to 2017.

“LGBTI employees want diverse workplaces where they feel included and supported – it isn’t only a moral imperative, it’s also just good business,” ACON CEO Nicolas Parkhill said.

“Fear of abuse or discrimination forces many LGBTI people to hide their sexual orientation or gender identity when they access health and wellbeing services, leading in many cases to an increase in anxiety or depression.

“The work Pride in Diversity does in helping businesses as well as employees create more diverse and productive workplaces, is making real and substantial cultural change within Australian workplaces. There is however, so much more work to be done, as evidenced by some of these results, to ensure all Australians can be themselves at work.”

Some of the key survey findings include:

  • One in ten non-LGBTI employees believe that LGBTI inclusion at work is no longer necessary following marriage equality; only 73 per cent of non-LGBTI employees agree that inclusion work is still necessary, compared to 91 per cent of LGBTI respondents, indicating that, for the latter group, there is still much to be done in supporting diversity at work.
  • Over 88 per cent of non-LGBTI respondents believe that LGBTI employees can comfortably be themselves at their workplace, compared to 80 per cent of LGBTI respondents. However, those LGBTI employees working at organisations active in inclusion feel much more comfortable, with 86 per cent believing they can comfortably be themselves at work.
  • Almost 10 per cent of LGB respondents from regional areas reported experiencing negative commentary or jokes, more than double the proportion experiencing these in the cities. An even higher number reported having been personally experienced bullied in the past year – almost 12 per cent in regional areas, compared to 6 per cent in metropolitan areas.
  • More than 13 per cent of gender diverse employees experienced ‘very high’ or ‘high’ levels of anxiety during the recruitment processes.
  • 22 per cent of LGB respondents in regional areas were also more likely to expend energy hiding their sexuality to fit in – compared to 18 per cent of those working in the city.
  • Gay men are the most likely to feel that inclusion initiatives have had a positive impact on how they feel about their sexual orientation (60 per cent) compared to 52 per cent of lesbians.

“Even with some recent successes in achieving LGBTI rights, there is still a tremendous amount of work to do, and it is important that in all aspects of Australian working life that we have businesses comprising of leaders, advocates and allies within Australia’s major business, governmental, sporting, health and educational institutions who know the importance of LGBTI inclusion,” Director of ACON’s Pride Inclusion Programs, Dawn Hough said.

“This positivity and support surrounding LGBTI inclusion within these workplaces is a testament to Australian employers and the incredible work that they have done in the area of diversity and inclusion, and Pride in Diversity have been honoured to be a part of that journey. We would like to acknowledge survey partners Dr. Ilro Lee, Academic Advisor and Post-Doctoral Research Fellow AGSM, Helen Conway, Goldman Sachs for their publication support and Dentons for hosting the survey launch event we held on August 24.

“This survey and the work being done to make workplaces inclusive of all Australians, not only speaks to the importance of the work Pride in Diversity does, but is also something which employers can be extremely proud.”

 

The results of the 2018 AWEI Employee survey can be found here.

 

ENDS

For more information please contact:

David Alexander, ACON Media and Communications

E: dalexander@acon.org.au   T: +61 (02) 9206 2044   M: +61 (0)428 477  042

Australia’s Top Organisations For LGBTI Inclusion Announced

Professional Services firm EY has been named Australia’s 2018 Employer of the Year for LGBTI inclusion at the Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards, hosted today by ACON’s Pride in Diversity – the national not-for-profit employer support program for LGBTI workplace inclusion.

More than 700 business leaders, diversity champions, HR professionals and many more actively working on LGBTI inclusion came together at the Hyatt Regency in Sydney to celebrate the results of Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI); a rigorous, evidence-based benchmarking instrument that assesses workplaces in the work and impact of their LGBTI inclusion initiatives.

In 2018, for the first time, there was significant shift in the makeup of top employers. Traditionally dominated by financial and professional services, this year saw representation from various levels of government (Australian Taxation Office and Brisbane City Council), retail (Woolworths), higher education (RMIT University), energy & resources (AGL Energy) and religious organisations (Uniting).

 Twelve organisations were awarded Gold Employer status, with an additional four being awarded Platinum for the longevity of their high performance spanning at least four of the last five years (Westpac, LendLease, Accenture, Commonwealth Bank).

This year’s awards were attended by a record number of CEOs and Australian business leaders, including Qantas CEO and Pride In Diversity co-patron, Alan Joyce, and Luke Sayers, CEO of Pricewaterhouse Coopers, who picked up this year’s CEO of the Year Award for his role in LGBTI inclusion.

Director of ACON’s Pride Inclusion Programs (which incorporates Pride in Diversity, Pride in Sport and Pride in Health+Wellbeing) Dawn Hough said: “The AWEI has seen remarkable growth over the first eight years of its life; this year we see the most significant change in the diversity of our top employers and a much higher growth in participation of our small employers which we are delighted about”.

The AWEI saw 135 employers across Australia participate this year (both small and large employer indices), a 16 per cent increase on 2017 participation. The employee survey attached to the index received 23,130 responses, an increase of 38 per cent. Participation by small employers rose by 120 per cent this year with Key Assets, The Children’s Services Provider (Australia) taking out Small Employer of the Year Award.

“ACON congratulates all award winners recognised today on their significant achievement and for showing great leadership in the area of diversity and inclusion,” Ms Hough added.

Pride Inclusion Programs will next celebrate LGBTI inclusion within Australian sport with the inaugural Australian Pride in Sport Awards in Melbourne on 19 June. Held at the Showtime Events Centre, the awards will honour national and state sporting organisations, clubs and individuals as it showcases the results of the Pride in Sport Index (PSI) – the national benchmarking instrument used to assess LGBTI inclusion within Australian sport.  The event will be hosted by renowned Australian sports journalist, Tracey Holmes, and attended by Pride in Sport co-patrons Alex Blackwell and Daniel Kowalski, along with several other high profile athletes.

For more information on ACON’s Pride Inclusion Programs, go to www.prideinclusionprograms.com.au

2018 Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards Recipients

Award Recipient
Employer of the Year EY
LGBTI Employee Network of the Year Prism, EnergyAustralia
CEO of the Year Luke Sayers, PwC
Platinum Employers LendLease, Accenture, Westpac, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Gold Employers ANZ, Uniting, AGL Energy, Australian Taxation Office, Mercer (Australia) Pty Ltd, Brisbane City Council, Clayton Utz, RMIT University, Deloitte Australia, Deutsche Bank Australia, Woolworths, EY
Small Employer Key Assets, The Children’s Services Provider (Australia)
Most Improved Employer TAL
Trans/Gender Diverse Inclusion Uniting
External Media Campaign Hold Tight, ANZ
Executive Leadership James Collins, PwC
Network Leader of the Year Mark Hodgson, Alcoa
Out Role Model Angus Lonergan, YMCA NSW
Sapphire Inspire Kimberly Olsen, Uniting
The Sally Webster Ally Award Melissa Tandy, ANZ

For more information please contact:

David Alexander, ACON Media and Communications

E: dalexander@acon.org.au   T: +61 (02) 9206 2044   M: +61 (0)428 477 042

Australia’s Top Organisations for LGBTI Inclusion Announced

ANZ has been named Australia’s 2017 Employer of the Year for the first time at the sell-out Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards, a special event held today in Sydney by ACON’s national not-for-profit program, Pride in Diversity.

The Employer of the Year heads an annual list of top employers for LGBTI inclusion determined by an assessment against the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI), a benchmarking instrument that evaluates LGBTI inclusivity against a rigorous and comprehensive set of measures, in addition to a body of supporting evidence submitted by the employer as part of the evaluation process.

Over 640 business leaders, diversity and HR professionals, and representatives from LGBTI employee groups attended the Pride in Diversity luncheon and awards ceremony at Doltone House, which this year incorporated the results of the inaugural Pride in Sport Index (PSI) and featured keynote speakers former High Court justice Michael Kirby and cricketer Alex Blackwell.

As well as being named Employer of the Year, ANZ was also acknowledged for its work in inclusion of transgender people and ANZ’s Pride Network Specialist Dave Beks was recognised with the award for Out Role Model.

This year’s awards featured the new category of Platinum Employer, which recognises organisations that have ranked within the top ten for a minimum of four years within the last five year period, or have been acknowledged as Employer of the Year twice within that time frame. The inaugural awardees of Platinum Employer status are Goldman Sachs, PricewaterhouseCoopers, The University of Western Australia and Accenture.

Ten organisations that achieved the highest ranking within the past year were awarded Gold Employer status:  AGL Energy, Australian Federal Police, Australian Taxation Office, Bankwest, Clayton Utz, Commonwealth Bank, EY, Macquarie Bank and NSW Police Force. NSW Police Force also received the honour of being the first organisation to receive an award for the inclusion of intersex people.

Ten other organisations were awarded Silver Employer status and a further 34 were recognised with Bronze Employer Status.

EnergyAustralia picked up the achievement award for most improved employer and the Commonwealth Bank’s Unity network was named LGBTI Employee Network of the Year.

A record number of CEOs and C-Suite leaders attended this year’s awards luncheon, including Deloitte CEO Cindy Hook, who was recognised at CEO of the Year for her role in LGBTI inclusion.

Presenting at the ceremony, Pride in Diversity Patron Michael Kirby said: “The ever growing success of the outreach to the business, sporting and general community is most heartening. It is part of the explanation for the changing attitudes of Australians of all walks of life towards LGBTIQ equality and justice. In cities, regional, remote and rural Australia, things are changing.”

The AWEI saw 116 employers across Australia participate this year – a 38% increase compared to 2016. The employee survey attached to the index received 16,759 responses. By participating in the AWEI and the employee survey, employers are able to benchmark their practice against other organisations and obtain annual data on the impact initiatives are having on their employees.

Director of ACON’s Pride Inclusion Programs Dawn Hough said: “The AWEI has seen remarkable growth over the first seven years of its life with this year seeing the most significant growth to date.”

While there is still a long way to go, Hough said that LGBTI inclusion has well and truly made its way onto the Australian workplace diversity and inclusion agenda, and is starting to make a mark in the sporting field as well.

“ACON congratulates all award winners recognised today on their significant achievement and for showing great leadership in the area of diversity and inclusion,” Ms Hough added.

The awards also acknowledged, for the first time, the work of Australian sporting organisations in LGBTI inclusion. Ten sporting organisations participated in the inaugural Pride in Sport Index (PSI), a world first national benchmarking instrument designed to assess LGBTI inclusivity within Australian sport.

The Australian Football League was named the inaugural winner of the PSI Organisation of the Year Award.

AFL’s Inclusion and Social Policy General Manager Tanya Hosch said: “The AFL is honoured to be recognised as a leader for LGBTI inclusion in sport. The AFL was delighted to contribute to the implementation of the PSI. The AFL found the benchmarking exercise extremely valuable as a means to review and reflect on its LGBTI inclusion policies and practices across the Australian Football industry.”

The Inclusive Club award was given to St Kilda Football Club and the Water Polo Pride Cup was recognised with the Inclusive Sports Initiative award.

David Pocock, Vice-Captain of ACT Super Rugby club The Brumbies, was acknowledged with the award for LGBTI Ally.

“It’s a real honour to win the inaugural Pride in Sport Champion Ally Award,” Mr Pocock said. “I believe that sport is at its best when it is challenging society to be more inclusive and there have been so many people involved in driving this change.

“In rugby, may I make special mention of [Pride in Sport Index Co-founder] Andrew Purchas, who has been challenging the sport to become more accepting and inclusive, and all the people who have shown leadership in this area. The support from the major sports of the Pride in Sport Index is a good example of this change. I also want to congratulate all the other winners, including the inaugural Pride in Sport Index Organisation of the Year, AFL,” Mr Pocock said.

 

2017 Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards Recipients

 

Award Recipient
Employer of the Year ANZ
LGBTI Employee Network of the Year Unity, CBA
CEO of the Year Cindy Hook  – Deloitte
Platinum Employers Accenture, Goldman Sachs, PwC, University of Western Australia
Gold Employers AGL Energy, Australian Federal Police, Australian Taxation Office, Bankwest, Clayton Utz, Commonwealth Bank, EY, Macquarie Bank,  NSW Police Force
Small Employer Key Assets, The Children’s Services Provider (Australia)
Most Improved Employer EnergyAustralia
Transgender Inclusion ANZ
Intersex Inclusion NSW Police Force
Innovation and Engagement Medibank, I Am Better Campaign
Executive Leadership Lynn Kraus – EY
Network Leader of the Year Dane Renner – Woodside Energy Ltd
Out Role Model Dave Beks – ANZ
Sapphire Inspire Tracy Taylor – Accenture
Community Impact Jackie Braw – NSW Police Force
Training Impact Australian Federal Police
The Sally Webster Ally Award Lori Turner – Medibank
Inclusive Sports Initiative Water Polo Pride Cup
Inclusive Club St Kilda Football Club
Pride in Sport Index Organisation of the Year Australian Football League
Out Role Model  (Sport) Jason Ball – Yarra Glen Football Club
LGBTI Ally  (Sport) David Pocock – ARU Wallabies/ACT Brumbies
Inclusive Coach  (Sport) Mel Rippon – Brisbane Tritons Water Polo and Damien Hicks – Brisbane Barracudas

 

Pride Inclusion Programs, which incorporates Pride in Diversity and Pride in Sport, are programs of ACON, NSW’s leading HIV prevention, HIV support and LGBTI health organisation. For more information, www.prideinclusionprograms.com.au.

 

ENDS     *LGBTI – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex

 

For media enquiries:

David Alexander, ACON Media and Communications Officer

E: dalexander@acon.org.au | T: +61 (02) 9206 2044 | M: +61 (0)428 477 042