Viva Energy is delighted to be granted the Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation for 2017-18.
Viva Energy CEO, and Male Champion of Change, Scott Wyatt said he was immensely proud of the progressive culture at Viva Energy that had enabled the company to implement policies that drive real change on workplace gender equality across the organisation.
“I am thrilled that we have been recognised for our focus on improving gender diversity and the strong leadership position we have taken in helping our employees, particularly women, have equal access to opportunities to develop their careers.
“I’m particularly proud of the work we’ve done in addressing the superannuation gap. We recognised that women face unique challenges when it comes to retirement savings with statistics showing they retire on average with less than half the amount of superannuation than men.
“Last year we became the first Australian company to offer employees a full-time superannuation payment of 12% base salary for up to five years during unpaid parental leave and part-time work periods. While the policy applies equally to men and women, it is clear it will make an enormous difference to the retirement savings of female employees who traditionally take extended time off to have children and often return to work part time,” said Mr Wyatt.
The EOCGE citation is a voluntary leading practice recognition program that is designed to encourage, recognise and promote active commitment to achieving gender equality in Australian workplaces.
Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) Director Libby Lyons said: “This year I am particularly delighted to see some of the innovative and exciting initiatives by our EOCGE citation holders on such issues as flexibility, paid parental leave, supporting women in leadership and addressing gender pay gaps.
“I congratulate Viva Energy for its commitment and recognition of the benefits that improved gender equality can bring to its business. Employers, like Viva Energy are setting the benchmark for other Australian workplaces to follow.”
Mr Wyatt concluded, “As a WGEA Pay Equity Ambassador, I am enormously encouraged by the increased commitment from corporate Australia to addressing workplace gender equality as evidenced through this year’s EOCGE citations.
“I hope the increased focus encourages other businesses to recognise the importance of proactively addressing this challenge, not only for their employees, but also for the ongoing success of their businesses.”