Konica Minolta has, for the third consecutive year, received a Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation, which demonstrates our ongoing commitment, and success, in achieving gender equality in the workplace.
This citation is testament to the culture we have created at Konica Minolta Australia that encourages and promotes gender equality in the workplace.
“We do this because it is aligned with our core values as a company but also because we understand what it means for employees to work for a company that values gender equality in today’s society,” said Dr David Cooke, chairman and managing director, Konica Minolta Australia.
With an ongoing commitment to, and involvement with, WGEA and Male Champions of Change, we have various programs to improve equality in our workforce including flexible work options, parental leave, pay parity and women in management and underrepresented roles.
Key components of our programs include:
Flexible work
- Encouraging engagement in flexible work for all possible roles, helping employees strike a better balance between their work and outside commitments and interests.
- Job-sharing, gradual return to work programs and career breaks are also used to optimise flexibility for as many roles as possible.
Parental leave
- 12 weeks of paid leave is offered to primary carers and 10 days to secondary carers.
- Keep In Touch Days are well-used to ensure that new parents remain in touch with their workplace, and can continue to feel a part of the team while on leave.
- We actively encourage men to take up parental leave, removing gendered language from policies and creating active support networks for new parents.
Pay parity
- Formal procedures to achieve gender pay equity by monitoring like-for-like and organisation-wide remuneration and ensuring that no gender bias occurs at any part of the remuneration review process.
- This process is repeated yearly, and ensures that we continue to demonstrate our commitment to pay parity across the workforce.
Women in management and women in underrepresented roles
- Where the representation of women is less than 40 per cent, targets have been set to rectify this discrepancy, and developments are reported back to both the governing body and all personnel.
- Due consideration is also given as to why this discrepancy has arisen, including consideration of the total gender breakdown of applicants for roles, monitoring for unconscious bias, and ensuring gender balance of interview committees.
Here is what some of our employees have to say:
John, State Service Delivery Manager – “Konica Minolta’s parental leave policy assisted my family immensely when my wife transitioned back to her full time employment. At this time I took six weeks paid parental leave to care for our 11 month old and transitioned him into full time childcare. The support that Konica Minolta offered helped reduce the stress and pressure that our family would have otherwise experiences”.
Elisabeth, Account Director – “Working for an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality means that I feel valued and heard in my role as an account director. Konica Minolta supports me in an industry where women are often overlooked”.
Gender equality is an important part of ensuring we have a culture that encourages its entire workforce to reach their potential no matter their circumstance, and can support a changing workforce into the future. It also ensures that the business is in the best place to nurture, retain and attract the best talent.
