Our people
DIVERSITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Peter Chandler, a part-time member of our team at Katherine in the Northern Territory 320 kilometres south of Darwin, is among an expanding group of Indigenous Australians who have become Woolworths employees.
Since joining Woolworths in 2009, Peter has gained experience in a variety of departments including bakery and perishables and is currently working as a nightfiller.
Before that Peter worked on cattle stations doing physically demanding work like fencing, tree-lopping, breaking in horses and mustering cattle. He first worked with us as a participant in a program jointly run by ourselves and CRS Australia, a provider of vocational rehabilitation and assessment services. The program enables participants to obtain a Certificate II in Retail Operations and to gain retail work experience with Woolworths.
As a result of the hard work and commitment Peter demonstrated during the program, we asked him to join the team permanently.
What does he enjoy most about his role? The people and the good friends he has made. And he especially loves the community contact. "Aboriginal customers often approach me in the store for a chat while I am working," says Peter, who is now keen to see more Indigenous Australians joining Woolworths. "They like to see me working - their children often giggle at me!"
As part of Woolworths' ongoing commitment to diversity, a diversity strategy has been developed and endorsed by the senior management group. Its aim is to provide a work environment that is inclusive and where all employees are treated with dignity, courtesy and respect. We acknowledge that diversity adds value in bringing different perspectives to the workplace and in reflecting the communities we serve. It generates business benefits as well.
A Diversity Working Group has been formed comprising line and HR managers from all divisions. The purpose of the group is to:
- Prioritise actions to harness diversity within Woolworths
- Ensure that recognising diversity is 'owned' by the business and managed accordingly.
Both staff and customers fall within the terms of reference of the working group, whose priority groups are:
- Indigenous Australians
- People with a disability
- Mature-aged workers. Initial activities include the appointment of a Diversity Manager, and:
- Commitment to Indigenous employment through The Australian Employment Covenant (AEC). The intent of the covenant is to promote the employment of 50,000 Indigenous Australians across all businesses in Australia within the next few years. The covenant has been signed by Michael Luscombe on behalf of Woolworths Limited
- Participation in the CEO's Network for Disability, a collaboration between Australian business and government leaders. We have signed a statement of intent, a public commitment to improve employment opportunities for people living with a disability
- Celebration of Harmony Day (20 March 2009) at a number of Woolworths sites. Team members brought in traditional delicacies which were shared with colleagues and generated discussions about the countries represented
- Tracking and monitoring employee numbers
- Delivery of a diversity awareness session
- Employment initiatives.
Gender balance
Women constitute 55% of the Woolworths workforce and we are proud of the progress we have made in the area of gender diversity, particularly in leadership roles.
In the 2003-04 financial year, 16.7% of leadership roles in Woolworths Limited were held by women. In the 2008-09 year it had risen to 27%.
In facilitating women's career development and progression, our focus has been to create an inclusive environment that is supportive and appreciative of difference. Women and men offer different perspectives, which provide undeniable business benefits. We have introduced programs to facilitate the inclusion of women and to remove barriers that may restrict their career progression. These programs include structured mentoring and networking opportunities, the provision of part-time and job-share roles, flexible reintegration after parental leave and support during this leave. Of the nine Woolworths Board members two are women, representing 22% of the Board.
