Advancing gender equality will benefit all our employees and enhance the work we do for the Victorian community. Gender equality in the workplace:
- has a positive impact on organisational culture and performance
- facilitates greater innovation, productivity and employee engagement
- enhances employee attraction and retention.
As a leader in Victoria’s work to achieve gender equality, we are committed to:
- modelling gender equality best practice in the workplace
- advocating for change in other departments and agencies
- sharing lessons learnt.
Our vision for gender equality
We aim to lead the way in workplace gender equality and workplace diversity and inclusion.
We will provide a safe, respectful and equitable workplace. A workplace where all employees have access to equal power, resources and opportunities to reach their full potential.
We will take sustained and enduring action to address gender inequality and other forms of inequality and disadvantage.
How we developed the plan
To develop the plan, we:
- carried out a workplace gender audit to assess our state of gender equality
- consulted with and gathered feedback from staff
- considered research and best practice guidance on workplace gender equality.
What is in the plan
The Gender Equality Act 2020 specifies that a gender equality action plan must include the results of a workplace gender audit.
We must also:
- put in place strategies and measures for promoting gender equality in the workplace
- report to the public on the progress of gender equality in the workplace
- complete gender impact assessments on new and revised policies, programs or services that have a direct and significant impact on the public.
We will ensure that gender equality is prioritised in all work we do. We will apply a gender lens to our policies, programs, services, strategies, operations and change processes.
| What we learnt from data and staff consultations | What we will do about it |
|---|---|
| We are unable to robustly identify, measure and address the inequities experienced by diverse staff due to gaps in collection of intersectional workforce data. |
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| Our policies, programs and services are not always aligned with gender equality principles. |
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We will build a workforce that reflects the diversity of our community, including diversity at all levels of leadership. We will ensure that our leaders prioritise gender equality and are held to account for progress.
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What we learnt from data and staff consultations |
What we will do about it |
|---|---|
| There is an absence of intersectional data on our Board members and composition of governance groups | Our Board to biannually discuss gender and intersectional equality and how to ensure diversity on Board and internal committees |
| Lack of accountability from leaders results in inaction around diversity and inclusion |
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| Time and budgets are barriers to cultural change and diversity awareness, particularly in engaging middle managers | Implement a strategic resource plan for GEAP implementation |
We will identify and address gender pay inequities, including inequities experienced by diverse staff. We will tackle structural barriers to career progression and satisfaction including recruitment, selection, promotion, learning, capability building and career development barriers for diverse staff.
| What we learnt from data and staff consultations | What we will do about it |
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There is occupational segregation and low representation of diverse staff and diverse women within the workforce, particularly at senior levels. There is an over-representation of men in senior roles or leadership. Older staff and diverse groups experience occupational segregation, devaluation, ageism and lack of support, including through key life stages such as career breaks, menopause and retirement. |
Identify and address barriers to employment, promotion and retention for diverse staff by:
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The female dominated workforce ‘hides’ the gender pay gap. Our median pay gap is zero, however gender pay gaps exist within divisions, position levels and types of employment. |
Increase transparency and accountability for addressing gender pay gaps (including intersectional pay gaps) by:
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| Diverse staff experience gender pay gaps, however there is no capacity to measure and address gaps | Prepare targeted strategies to respond to pay gaps identified among diverse staff, including identifying and applying special measure conditions to relevant higher classification, manager or leadership positions |
We will support staff wellbeing by promoting equitable access to flexible work arrangements and supports for staff with diverse caring and parental responsibilities. We will create safer, more respectful workplaces by acting to prevent discriminatory and harmful behaviours and establishing trusted, transparent response frameworks to support employees who have experienced harmful behaviours.
| What we learnt from data and staff consultations | What we will do about it |
|---|---|
| The reporting frameworks, systems and processes for sexual harassment and other harmful behaviours are not visible, clear, trusted, transparent or always acted on. |
Take action to increase perpetrator accountability and deter harmful behaviours Establish an accessible single central intake and referral point for staff to report sexual harassment, discrimination, bullying and other inappropriate behaviour, issues and risks. Address barriers to staff reporting, including increasing the options available to staff. |
| Staff from diverse groups experience disproportionately high rates of discrimination, harassment, racism and inappropriate behaviour, and additional barriers to reporting |
Deliver targeted interventions for at risk groups to encourage help seeking behaviour, strengthen prevention and address barriers to reporting of sexual harassment in the workplace. Establish culturally safe mechanisms to address racism, discrimination, bullying and inappropriate behaviour in relation to diverse staff. |
| There is low uptake of parental leave entitlements and unpaid careers leave by male employees |
Promote and facilitate equitable uptake of flexible working arrangements, parental leave and paternity leave via:
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| Inconsistent support for flexible working arrangements adversely impact staff with parenting and carer responsibilities (including diverse staff) |
Offer and promote job share and flexible working arrangements that are innovative and accessible via:
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Low uptake of family violence leave provisions. MARAM implementation not yet embedded into BAU or organisational development frameworks |
Strengthen organisational responses and supports for staff experiencing family violence by:
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| Short term or ’hands off’ interventions (such as mandatory online short courses) are compliance-focused rather than genuinely building awareness and knowledge to effect cultural change |
Implement prevention actions targeting inappropriate and harmful behaviours including:
Develop a 'Trans and gender diverse affirmation' policy and resources, and increase availability of all-gender and gender-neutral bathrooms. |