Diversity and Inclusion Policy

Overview

ReGen Strategic and its associated entities (the Company) is committed to building and sustaining a culture that is diverse and inclusive.

Founded and managed by two gay men, the Company acknowledges that diversity brings together varied perspectives, produces a more holistic analysis of any issues the Company may face from time to time and spurs greater effort, leading to improved decision making. This improves the business of the Company, the experience of its staff and avoids group-think.

Please refer to and read this policy in conjunction with the Company’s Social Media Policy, Prevention of Workplace Bullying Policy, Code of Conduct, Parental Leave Policy and Respect in the Workplace Policy.

Company Diversity and Inclusion Statement

The Company is committed to improving and promoting equality for all participants in the Company regardless of a participant holding one or more of the following attributes including:

sex
gender
gender identity or status (including being transgender/gender diverse or having had gender reassignment surgery)
sexual orientation
descent or national or ethnic origin
race
colour
marital status or pregnancy
breastfeeding
family or carer responsibilities
age
physical, intellectual or mental impairment (disability)
political association or beliefs
employment or industrial history
physical features
expunged homosexual convictions, or
personal association with someone who has, or is assumed to have, one of these attributes or characteristics.

This means the Company:

provides equal pay for work of equal and comparable value, regardless of a worker’s attributes
supports the removal of barriers to the full and equal participation of workers in the Company who hold one or more of the attributes
aims to attract and retain staff across the broadest possible pool of talent
represents the local community within which we operate, and
uses diversity and inclusion as a way of connecting with, servicing, and anticipating the needs of our clients.

What Diversity and Inclusion Means to Us

Diversity and Inclusion means that we actively analyse our worker’s attributes in each of the following areas of the Company’s day-to-day functioning:

Recruitment

We have a merits-based recruitment process and hires are benchmarked against core competencies of the roles. There is an equal balance of gender participation by staff at each stage of the recruitment process. We have a recruitment shortlist target (encompassing both internal and external recruitment) that echoes our Gender Equality Target.

We have a recruitment shortlist target (encompassing both internal and external recruitment) that echoes our Gender Equality Target of 40% men, 40% women and 20% of any gender.

We also include people in the recruitment process from diverse cultures, education and perspectives.

Development and promotion and representation in leadership

The effectiveness of our policy framework and practices to support the development and promotion of women to leadership positions is demonstrated by the following:

Equal access to parental leave policies

All employees of our firm have access to parental leave arrangements irrespective of gender in accordance with our Parental Leave Policy. Our policy goes beyond what is required under the National Employment Standards (NES) to ensure that our employees are supported to make parental leave choices that suit their family’s needs.

Gender pay equity

We undertake an annual organisation-wide gender pay gap analysis. Analysis of the results are tabled for discussion as an action item at the Board level, with the aim of rectifying any inequity identified.

Reconciliation

The Company is committed to Reconciliation. We work with a number of Aboriginal organisations around Australia to ensure their voices are heard. The Company is developing its second Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), aiming to submit at the Innovate level in 2023. Through our past RAPs we have performed pro-bono work for Aboriginal organisations, as well as sponsoring a number of community projects. These included sponsorship of the Aboriginal Artwork Middle Stump Initiative, and pro-bono work for the Great Southern Noongar Corporation.

Not-for-profit clients

The Company is committed to working for not-for-profit clients. We work with a number of not-for-profit clients to assist them to achieve the objects of their community focused or charitable organisations. We promote and sponsor the objects of our not-for-profit clients and work with them on a commercially competitive basis.

Commitment to Organisational Justice

The Company is both legally obliged and committed to building and sustaining a culture that is, as far as is reasonably practicable, free from psychosocial hazards.

This involves identifying a recognised psychosocial hazard or risk factor in the Psychosocial hazards in the workplace – code of practice noted as ‘poor organisational justice’. Which means that where policies, performance reviews, resource allocation, opportunities in leadership or approval of employee entitlements is unfair, inconsistent, subject to bias or lacks transparency, this can present a psychosocial risk factor to workers.

Perceived poor organisation justice may also potentially be a psychosocial hazard or risk factor.

The Company takes measures to analyse and reduce the existence of psychosocial hazards or risk factors in line with this Diversity & Inclusion Policy.

As part of its overall risk management process, the Company reasonably requests that all workers are aware of the following factors which may cause non-compliance with this Diversity & Inclusion Policy, as well as the Company’s Social Media Policy, Prevention of Workplace Bullying Policy, Code of Conduct and Respect in the Workplace Policy.

Expression of beliefs

The Company recognises that we are all different. The Company also acknowledges that people hold different beliefs, views or personal values, whether stemming from different social, political, religious, cultural views or ideals. Sometimes different beliefs and personal values conflict.

This is ok.

But where a worker expresses their personal beliefs, views or values in a manner which is not in line with the Company’s policies, including the Company’s Social Media Policy, Prevention of Workplace Bullying Policy, Code of Conduct, and Respect in the Workplace Policy, the Company will take reasonable management action in a reasonable manner in response to the expression of that personally held belief, view or value.

The Company also reasonably requests that workers do not engage in a behaviour that is likely to result in a disruptive debate.

Conduct by employees and volunteers found to be in breach of this policy may be considered misconduct and may constitute serious misconduct, either of which exposes a person to disciplinary action (which could include the termination of a person’s employment or engagement).

In addition, an individual engaging in unlawful conduct prohibited by this policy may be held individually (personally) liable for their conduct under work health and safety legislation or the criminal law. Under applicable legislation, this exposes an individual to criminal convictions, orders by a Court that the individual pay compensation and financial penalties, and even imprisonment in certain circumstances.

Unconscious Bias

Unconscious bias is where a person has a tendency to make an assumption about another person based upon social stereotypes or commonly held perception of people belonging to a certain group without necessarily realising it.

The Company encourages its workers to challenge and combat bias. This includes encouraging its employees to understand that people subjected to unconscious bias often feel discriminated against.

The Company encourages all conduct in breach or inconsistent with this policy to be reported.

If you are subjected to bias, whether unconscious or not, the Company encourages you to take the steps outline in the ‘Procedures to resolve complaints under this policy’ in the Respect in the Workplace Policy.

Your Obligations Under This Policy

Reference to ‘you’ or ‘your’ is a reference to a worker.

Who is a ‘worker’?

In this policy, a ‘worker’ of the Company means any person who carries out work in any capacity for the Company, including work as:

an employee
a manager
an employee of a labour hire company who has been assigned to work in the Company (i.e. a ‘temp’)
an apprentice or trainee
a student gaining work experience, or
a volunteer.

Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of everyone covered by this policy to:

ensure they familiarise themselves with the terms of this policy and comply with it, take reasonable care of their own health and safety while at work, and the health and safety of others who may be affected by what they do or do not do
act in a way which sets an example for other employees by ensuring their conduct in the workplace complies with this policy,
provide support to complainants, victims or those accused and seek advice from HR as needed, and

if they consider that discrimination, bias, vilification or victimisation may be occurring, ensure they take appropriate action in line with the policy process, which may include reporting conduct or encouraging a victim to report the conduct.