Purpose
Rest has a large and diverse membership. Rest members come from a broad range of backgrounds, cultures, gender, age, language, culture, sexual orientation, religious belief, family responsibilities, marital status, life experience, education, socio-economic background, disabilities, personalities, values, perceptions and attitudes.
Rest recognises that people from different backgrounds bring different skills, knowledge and experiences that assist in acting in the best interests of our members. Accordingly, Rest is committed to promoting a culture that actively values those differences and believes that diversity is an important part of promoting that culture.
Scope
This policy applies to all employees of Rest.
Policy
Rest is committed to diversity and inclusion and the ongoing development of a work culture that is built on respect and encourages and enforces:
- Maintaining a safe and inclusive working environment that is respectful of individual differences and attributes
- Recruiting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce that is free of discrimination and eliminating artificial barriers to career progression
- Developing and offering flexible work practices to meet the differing needs of employees in the context of business requirements
- Providing a fair and equal employment process that appoints individuals based on relative ability, performance and potential, as well as actively ensuring gender equity in remuneration
- Fostering a culture, including through education and training, that promotes diversity and rewards people for furthering the objectives of this policy.
Supporting policies
Our diversity initiatives apply, but are not limited, to our practices and policies on recruitment and selection; remuneration and benefits; learning and development; promotions, transfers and terminations. Rest’s approach to diversity and inclusion is supported by a range of policies and guidelines, including:
- Code of Conduct - Rest is committed to integrity and ethical actions in all of its business dealings and relationships. Our Code of Conduct sets out the minimum standards of behaviour and conduct expected of all Rest employees, contractors and consultants
- Flexible workplace arrangements - to ensure that we meet the needs of our employees and customers, Rest offers flexibility in working arrangements for all employees, across all levels, that recognise and accommodate individual needs whilst still meeting business needs
- Leave - a range of leave options are available to Rest employees to ensure they have appropriate options for time off work. This includes annual leave, carers' leave, personal leave, parental leave, community service leave, domestic violence leave and long service leave
- Discrimination and harassment – Rest recognises the value of, and strongly supports the principles of, equal opportunity in the workplace. Employees are, therefore, expected to treat every other employee with respect, fairness and dignity, to collaborate with each other in a climate in which every employee can feel entirely comfortable and confident that they are being dealt with solely on the basis of merit in an environment that is free from
- Learning and development - Rest is committed to developing a more highly skilled and flexible workforce by providing employees with growth opportunities and material support in order to acquire requisite skills, knowledge and experience and achieve and maintain competency in current and future roles
- Remuneration and reward - Rest is committed to providing remuneration and rewards that are commensurate with performance and responsibilities in the market and maintaining remuneration equity
- Recruitment and resourcing - Rest is committed to ensuring that for each position, the best person is selected, having regard to a range of criteria, including capabilities, potential and qualifications and eliminating a conscious or unconscious biases in decision making. In instances where there are multiple suitable candidates for the role, decision makers are encouraged to make appointments that will help achieve or maintain gender equity
Responsibilities and Authorities
The Chief Strategy, People and Corporate Affairs Officer is responsible for the application of this policy and for ensuring that the promotion and improvement of gender equality, as determined by the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012, is implemented within Rest.
Employees are accountable for treating others with dignity and respect always. All employees are expected to exhibit conduct that reflects inclusion during work, at work functions on or off the work site, and at all other company-sponsored and participative events. All employees are also required to attend and complete scheduled diversity awareness training to enhance their knowledge to fulfil this responsibility.
Procedures
We aim to leverage the competitive edge that diversity provides us by:
- Striving to create an inclusive environment respectful of all cultural backgrounds and beliefs
- Fostering a culture which supports and respects the values and needs of all individuals, regardless of their age
- Considering ability and not disability when we employ and promote people and aiming to create a physical and cultural environment which supports participation and reasonably accommodates special needs
- Ensuring recruitment and selection processes across Rest are structured so that a diverse range of candidates are considered
- Actively reviewing Rest’s recruiting practices, policies and procedures to reduce bias, both conscious and unconscious, on a regular basis
- Actively reviewing and benchmarking remuneration relativities to ensure that there is no gender pay difference for the same work
- Implementing programs that:
- are provided in a way that maximises fair and equitable access to all employees and seeks to ensure that employees are aware of their responsibilities in relation to equal opportunity and diversity and
- assist in the development of a broader and more diverse pool of skilled and experienced employees that, over time, will prepare them for senior management and board positions and
- set targets for the number of women in management and senior leadership positions to ensure accurate and fair representation.
Measurable objectives for achieving gender diversity will be set and the progress towards achieving these, will be assessed annually by the Chief Executive Officer. Objectives and progress will be reported annually to the People, Culture and Remuneration Committee and to Rest staff.
Definitions
Diversity:
Diversity encompasses age, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender, cultural background, physical and mental ability, religious belief and sexual orientation.
References
Applicable Award(s)/Standards
Banking, Finance and Insurance Award 2020
National Employment Standards
State and Federal Anti-Discrimination Acts
Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012
Amendment to Policy
Rest may discontinue or amend any part or the whole of this policy from time to time in its absolute discretion.
Review of Policy
Rest undertakes to review this policy and related procedures regularly for effectiveness. As a minimum, they will be reviewed every two years. Policy is currently in review.