Purpose
This policy outlines Verve Partner’s (VP) commitment to providing a workplace that embraces and facilitates workplace diversity and inclusion.
It also applies to all recruitment, selection and promotion decisions.
The objective of VP’s Diversity and Inclusion Policy is to:
- work in partnership to achieve parity.
- positively contribute to social change, education and attitudes.
- invest in people, technology and training to continually improve the approach.
Policy Statement
VP strongly believes in dismantling barriers faced by minority groups including people who identify as disabled, LGTBIQ+, refugee or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, women and people of non-binary gender. The VP approach to tackling such a large, social issue is multi-faceted:
- reporting on their current position
- pledging for change
- investing in education; and finally
- implementing practices to support staff, candidates and clients.
VP acknowledge and pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of the land on which they work and live. VP pay our respects to the First Peoples of this country, their culture and Elders past, present and emerging. VP recognise that this land was and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land because sovereignty was never ceded.
VP recognise that they live on Awabakal land and work across Awabakal and Worimi country and ensure that this is acknowledged and respected by all employees.
DEI Strategy
- Strategic Goal One: More than words: We commit to action to operationalise our pledge.
- Strategic Goal Two: Create a ripple effect: We strive to be the trusted leader for equitable and inclusive hiring in the Newcastle region by setting and sharing best practices.
- Strategic Goal Three: Tackle inequality and support systemic change: We understand the role we play as a regional business in collaborating with others to tackle systemic inequality. We take accountability for the role we play in having a positive social impact on the region.
Approach
VP is committed to tackling cultural stereotypes both within and outside their organisation. VP have clear reporting procedures for any type of discrimination or harassment combined with follow-up procedures to prevent future incidents.
VP promote accessibility for individuals of all abilities and will facilitate this by:
- attracting diverse talent.
- providing assisted services, such as EAP, for employees and contractors.
- offering flexible working arrangements.
- community partnerships with strategic organisations that specialise in diversity and inclusion.
VP supports the advancement of minority group talent and will facilitate this by:
- being advocates.
- raising the profile of talent irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, race or religion.
- ensuring cultural awareness.
- training on unconscious bias.
VP promote diversity and inclusion to:
- enable employees to feel safe and valued.
- create greater employee engagement, satisfaction, innovation and productivity.
- be an ‘employer of choice’ across all regions they work in.
- make the workforce more creative, flexible, productive and competitive.
Employees
Must:
- Respect individual differences and treat all people with dignity.
- Contribute to the creation of an inclusive workplace environment that values and utilises the input of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
- Be aware of all employees’ responsibilities under the Preventing workplace bullying, sexual harassment, and unlawful discrimination policy, and how they relate to the principles of diversity and inclusion.
Directors and Managers:
In addition to complying with all of the above, Directors and Managers also have the responsibility to execute their managerial and supervisory duties with diligence and fairness.
Must:
- Champion, lead and promote inclusion and diversity through inclusive leadership and modelling behaviours.
- Drive performance by creating a strong and dynamic working environment that effectively accesses the potential of all employees.
- Consult and adopt contemporary approaches to inclusion and diversity issues in policies, practices and systems that support our employees and better reflect the community we operate in.
- Know, validate, and promote statistical information associated with diversity and inclusion within the department.
Definitions
- Diversity includes characteristics such as age, ethnicity, gender, intellectual and/or physical ability, cultural background, sexual orientation, gender identity, or intersex status. Diversity also refers to less visible aspects, such as education, socioeconomic background, faith, marital status, family responsibilities, thinking styles, experience and work styles.
- Employee: Any person employed by Verve Partners in a permanent, temporary, casual, or contractual capacity.
- Inclusion is the way an organisation’s culture, values, workplaces and behaviours make a person feel valued, included and able to participate fully. It relates to a work environment where all people are treated fairly and respectfully, with equality of opportunity.
Legislation
- Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cwlth)
- Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cwlth)
- Disability Services Act 2006 (Qld)
- Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld)
- Industrial Relations Act 2016 (Qld)
- Multicultural Recognition Act 2016 (Qld)
- Public Sector Ethics Act 1994 (Qld)
- Public Service Act 2008 (Qld)
- Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cwlth)
- Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cwlth)
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
- Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (Cwlth)