The tobacco company has been awarded the federal government’s Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation for the third consecutive year.
The award, issued by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), recognises organisations that drive change and play a leadership role in promoting gender equality in the workplace.
Philip Morris’s 12-week paid parental leave, 50-50 gender-mix hiring policy, flexible working program and strong commitment to diversity and inclusion across the organisation, have been reflected in the receiving of this award.
The company says it continues to demonstrate its commitment to gender equality, with 42 per cent female employees across Australia, as well as pay equity between women and men.
This ratio is also reflected in the senior-management team at the company, particularly with the appointment of new Managing Director Tammy Chan.
“It makes me extremely proud to lead an organisation that has a strong record in ensuring gender equality in the workplace,” Ms Chan said.
“The fact that we have strong female representation across all our divisions, as well as in the senior-management team, is an exemplary achievement.”
A record 120 organisations received the Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation this year. WGEA Director Libby Lyons says the steady growth in the list indicates that the business benefits and competitive advantage to be gained by improving gender equality in Australian workplaces are becoming ever more widely recognised.
“I’m particularly delighted to see some of the innovative and exciting initiatives by our EOCGE-citation holders covering, among other things, flexibility, paid parental leave, supporting women in leadership, and addressing gender pay gaps,” she said.
“Leadership and accountability are essential if real progress is to be made in shifting the entrenched gender divisions in Australian workplaces. That’s why the work of our EOCGE-citation holders is so important. It’s only through more employers showing this type of leadership and accountability that we’ll see the pace of real change increase.”
American Express Australia, BP Australia, Caltex Australia, Lion, PepsiCo, Scentre Group, Stockland and Unilever are among the 120 organisations to be awarded by WGEA.