AUSTRALIA, March 22, 2022

Avanade today announced that it has been awarded the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation for 2021-2023.

Receiving the accolade for the fifth consecutive year through to 2023, Avanade was cited for demonstrating visible commitment to gender equality as a strategic imperative for its business and extending its influence across the industry, encouraging other organizations to keep pace with its diversity policies and practices.

The EOCGE citation is a bi-annual program designed to encourage, recognize and promote organizations' active commitment to achieving gender equality in Australian workplaces.

On receiving the citation, Avanade Australia General Manager, Laura Malcolm said, “We’re thrilled to be recognized as a WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality for the fifth year in a row, which speaks to our commitment to create a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive. At Avanade, we believe that inclusion and diversity is everyone’s responsibility -- it’s fundamental to our culture, our business strategy and how we work.”

“However, change cannot be achieved in isolation. I believe there’s a lot more that organizations in the public and private sectors can do to drive further change and progress. We need more industry alliances committed to amplifying diversity awareness, sharing gender equality best practices, and achieving a culture of inclusion through conversation, collaboration and action,” said Malcolm.

Examples of successful programs and policies introduced by Avanade to embed gender equality in the workplace include:

• Enhanced Parental Leave benefit: All parents, regardless of gender, can access 18 weeks paid parental leave within the first two years of the birth or adoption of their children – giving all employees the opportunity to share caring responsibilities while maintaining their careers. The leave can also be utilised flexibly to suit each family’s unique needs.
• Gender Transition Leave benefit: All employees are eligible for the Gender Transition Leave benefit including, but not limited to, accessing medical surgery, hormone replacement therapy, or initial non-invasive transitioning.
• Alternative Work Week: A pilot program to allow for more flexible working arrangements where employees have the option of working their contracted hours in fewer days. Employees can choose between a 9-day fortnight or 4-day week – all at their own pace, with the acknowledgement that it is good for the business as well as for the participating employee and their family.
• Recruitment strategy: In addition to slating female interviewers as part of the process, Avanade also conducts a gender pay equity review for our new hires.
• Gender equity and pay parity in promotions: Avanade has achieved gender equity in promotions and pay parity for six years in a row.
• Female hires, representation and leadership: Avanade’s female hires, representation and leadership continue to grow double-digit year-on-year. This was achieved by actively sponsoring female managers and implementing the right infrastructure to support a more inclusive and flexible workplace, as well as creating more career pathways and development programs.

WGEA Director, Mary Wooldridge, said: “Each year, we accept applications for our WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation from those employers who are raising the bar when it comes to driving change, creating the circumstances that allow all people, regardless of their gender, to thrive. After passing through our evidence-based benchmarking evaluations, our EOCGE citation holders are officially recognized as some of the best employers in Australia who are committed and dedicated to action in achieving gender equality.”

“Critically, these organizations are delivering on a formula that sees better support structures in place for working families; stronger actions to address pay inequalities; and strategic recruitment and promotion practices that help to encourage the full participation of women at work. We extend our congratulations to these leading employers and look forward to working with them closely to accelerate positive change across Australian workplaces,” added Wooldridge.