Let’s talk about diversity, equality & inclusion – how Cotton On Group has promoted DEI in the workplace

We constantly hear about diversity, equality, and inclusion in the workplace and some organisations even form committees that are solely devoted to advocating DEI.

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Let’s explore what it means, the benefits, and how Cotton On Group have found the DEI sweet spot.

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So, what is DEI?

DEI also known as EDI or DIE refers to equal treatment and opportunity regardless of factors such as race, age, gender, sexuality, or other characteristics, as well as establishing a sense of belonging for all individuals within an organisation [1]. Companies are starting to invest more time, effort, and money in this space given the positive implications of creating more diverse, equitable, and inclusive teams.

We love the following quote by Liz Fosslein as it encapsulates the essence of diversity and inclusion:

“Diversity is having a seat at the table, inclusion is having a voice, and belonging is having that voice be heard.”

The benefits of implementing DEI initiatives

When organisations prioritise and embrace DEI, the benefits that align are boundless. Companies that value DEI experienced a 20% growth in innovation; a 35% increase in productivity; and were more profitable when compared to businesses that had substantially lower diversity [2]. We can infer through past research and studies that DEI-focused workplaces are better equipped to produce higher-performing, happier, more innovative, and engaged employees – the statistics don’t lie!

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You’ll also find that inclusive family-friendly workplaces supporting their working carers have greater success in achieving a fairer gender-balanced workforce, as most primary carers leave, 95% to be exact, are taken by women [3].

So yes – DEI is quite a big deal, as it should be in today’s modern era.

The Cotton On Group way of promoting DEI

We sat down (virtually) with Cotton On Group’s HR expert, Michelle Welsh to learn about the exciting initiatives that promote DEI in her workplace. Michelle sheds light on the changes to DEI throughout her 13 years at Cotton On Group; the successes and challenges; and provides some valuable tips to help you get started on your DEI journey.

Watch the full webinar with Michelle and KidsCo’s Co-founder Laynton Allan as they unpack DEI in the video below:

[1] https://www.cultureamp.com/blog/diversity-equity-inclusion-work

[2]https://diversity-inclusion-speakers.com/news/tips-and-tricks/benefits-diversity-inclusion-workplace-statistics/

[3] https://www.wgea.gov.au/newsroom/employers-need-to-care-more-about-carers

Is your organisation compliant with the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA)?

Gender Equality and what does WGEA seek to achieve?

We want equal rights for all genders! This isn’t a phenomenon that can miraculously happen overnight in the workplace – we’d hope everyone’s moral compass veers in the right direction but that’s not always the case and so organisations need to be held accountable.

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Time for some hard-hitting stats: The current gender pay gap stands at 13.4% and only 32% of women are in key management positions [1]. Biased hiring and pay decisions and the lack of flexibility or support for female carers are the few reasons that have trampled career progression and are the root of the gender pay gap. We needed to do BETTER and so the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) was born in 2012. In order to improve gender equality outcomes, WGEA requires companies with more than 100 employees to report and companies with over 500 employees to comply with the minimum standards which we will unpack further below.

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Interesting fact: Proactive companies committed to serving gender equality can be formally acknowledged as an ‘Employer of Choice’. On the contrary, if you’ve been non-compliant, I’ve got some bad news for you – welcome to the blacklist and goodbye righteous brand reputation. Each year, WGEA reveals all the companies that have failed to comply. You can lose eligibility to tender for contracts or receive government grants if you haven’t followed the WGEA rules!

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Is your company compliant with WGEA’s minimum standard?

‍Below are the four key areas in WGEA’s minimum standard that you should pay close attention to:

Workplace composition to support gender equality

You’ll need to advocate gender equality in one of the following areas: recruitment, retention, performance management, promotion, identification of talent and high potential employees, succession planning, training and development, and gender equality overall.

Gender pay equity

You’ve got to make sure there’s a remuneration strategy so there’s no biases in pay decisions. We want to close the gender pay gap!

Support for Carers

Do you have a strategy to support carers in your workplace? This could be through flexible working arrangements, additional leave entitlements or perhaps KidsCo school holidays programs?

Preventative measures for sex-based harassment‍

Don’t forget to devise and implement policies and strategies that prevent gender-based harassment in the workplace.

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Find out more on the WGEA website here.

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How can KidsCo help your organisation with WGEA’s minimum standards?

KidsCo has helped over 75 companies in the ‘Carers Support’ space when reporting to WGEA. In partnership with leading organisations such as PWC, Toyota, and Cotton On Group, we’ve provided onsite and virtual school holiday programs to relieve the stress on working parents who are frantically sourcing alternative childcare or taking unnecessary leave during this time.

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With 1 in 4 women considering leaving or altering their career as a result of caring responsibilities, it’s absolutely critical for organisations to implement a strategy that supports carers [2]. Our school holiday programs have hit the nail on the head and have been a major success – it’s lended a helping hand in workplace diversity and inclusion; employee mental health and wellbeing; and talent acquisition and retention.

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Our client Bunnings found that the mental health of their employees improved from 64% to 92% in the period KidsCo was running and through a wider lens 92% of parents overall felt more valued by their workplace when they were offered KidsCo as an employee benefit.

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Join our free webinar with Michelle Welsh, Head of Remuneration, People Operations at Cotton On Group to learn how they’re supporting Diversity, Inclusion and Equality

[1] https://www.wgea.gov.au/women-in-leadership

[2] https://abcnews.go.com/Business/women-leaving-workforce-downshifting-careers-covid-19-report/story?id=73310740

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