The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) has named the latest Australia’s Employers of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE), with drinks industry workplaces including Lion, Diageo, Pernod Ricard Winemakers and Metcash featuring on the list.

120 Australian employers are now carrying the WGEA yellow tick to certify they are driving progress to make their workplaces equal, including 12 new companies awarded the prestigious WGEA certification this year.

Together, these organisations employ approximately 320,000 Australians, offering benefits to those workers such as family-friendly workplaces through paid parental leave and flexible working policies.

Pernod Ricard Winemakers became Australia’s first wine company to be named an EOCGE last year.

Bryan Fry, Chairman & CEO, Pernod Ricard Winemakers said: “Fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone has access to the same resources, opportunities and rewards is an important part of our commitment to valuing people. We are achieving this by instilling a mindset that drives long-term change, with gender being one area of focus.

“EOCGE certification publicly reaffirms the importance we place on gender equality and we are proud to be the first wine company to receive this recognition, as well as the only current South Australian based business out of the 136 organisations awarded this citation.

“Across Pernod Ricard Winemakers, 53% of our senior managers and 43% of our total population are female, as a result of strategies we introduced to improve our gender mix, such as making flexible work mainstream, uplifting parental leave entitlements, introducing diversity and inclusion training, closing the gender pay gap and conducting regular analysis to maintain our results.”

Diageo is celebrating its fourth citation by WGEA. Australia Managing Director Angus McPherson noted: “Diageo has long prioritised gender equality because it’s critical to creating a workplace where everyone can thrive. It’s key to driving performance, it attracts and retains the best talent and it’s absolutely the right thing to do.”

Lion celebrates fourth citation

Lion was named an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) for the fourth consecutive time by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).

Lion CEO Stuart Irvine said: “As an EOCGE holder, we are proud to be among some of Australia’s leading change-makers who are committed to embedding gender equality in the workplace.

“Last year we took a step further in our journey towards workplace gender equality and evolved our gender target to a minimum 40% representation of both men and women in teams and we are on track to reach our 2030 goal.

“This is in addition to the work we’ve done updating the Families@Lion parental leave offering to be more inclusive and expanding our Domestic and Family Abuse policy and support.

“Congratulations to all citation recipients who are paving the way for change. We are proud to stand alongside you.”

WGEA Director Mary Wooldridge said: “Each year we accept applications for our WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation from those employers who are raising the bar when it comes to driving change, creating the circumstances that allow all people, regardless of their gender, to thrive.

“After passing through our evidence-based benchmarking evaluations, our EOCGE citation holders are officially recognised as some of the best employers in Australia who are committed and dedicated to action in achieving gender equality.”

“Critically, these organisations are delivering on a formula that sees better support structures in place for working families, stronger actions to address pay inequalities, and strategic recruitment and promotion practices that help to encourage the full participation of women at work.”

Metcash makes its mark

Metcash was also recognised as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency for the fourth consecutive year.

“Who needs a hat trick when you can go four in a row?” the company noted.

“Receiving this citation marks our commitment to gender equality across all of Metcash. We take pride in our spot amongst Australia’s leading change makers who are committed to and driving gender equality. 

“We champion the diversity and unique strengths of our people by putting our Gender Agenda front and centre. We’ve made our mark on gender quality by continuing to eliminate the organisation wide gender pay gap,  promoting gender equality, flexible working and policies and initiatives that support everyone at Metcash, and we’re just getting started.”