The accolade recognises John Holland’s visible commitment to gender equality by creating a workplace that equally supports people to achieve their best.
On receiving the citation, John Holland CEO Joe Barr said it was a true honour and a reflection of an incredible team effort.
“This citation directly speaks to our commitment to foster a more inclusive, equitable and safe workplace – because that’s how we transform lives.
“Diversity and inclusion in the workplace are fundamental to our culture, our business strategy and how we work. It’s a responsibility shared by everyone who works for us.
“I’m incredibly proud to lead a business that is an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality while recognising we have much more work to do in our industry and at John Holland.”
The successful John Holland policies and programs recognised by WGEA include:
- A Gender Equality Strategic Plan that applies a 40/40/20 framework across recruitment and development to achieve gender equity targets, including greater representation of women in leadership positions
- Improved access to paid parental leave for all John Holland people, resulting in men making up more than 30 per cent of those taking primary carer leave to date
- Focused programs for leaders on the importance of inclusion and diversity, building inclusive behaviours and challenging unconscious biases
- Embedding flexible work practices regardless of gender, and breaking down barriers to new ways of working flexibly
- Empowering athletes to take up flexible roles in construction, with an industry-leading partnership between John Holland and the AFLW.
Chief People Officer Sarah Elliott said achieving greater gender equality across John Holland and the wider construction industry is a shared challenge.
“We know how far this industry must come in order to be more diverse and inclusive – but we’re making some important strides.
“Our Gender Equality Strategic Plan puts in place a practical framework that will allow us to even the playing field, create more career opportunities regardless of gender in all roles, and foster a diverse, inclusive and flexible workplace.”
