Konica Minolta’s ongoing and deeply-held commitment to gender equality has resulted in a citation from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality. As one of just 106 organisations Australia-wide to receive the citation this year, Konica Minolta is thrilled to be recognised as a leader in this area, since it reflects the company’s determination to live its values.
Cindy Reid, director of people and culture, Konica Minolta, said: “Konica Minolta is the first business in the heavily male-dominated print industry to receive this citation. It reflects the organisation’s overall approach to being an employer of choice not just through gender diversity but also through sustainability and ethical dealings.”
The citation is aligned with the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012, and recognises that gender equality is increasingly viewed as a baseline feature of well-managed and leading organisations.
Criteria for the citation covers leadership, learning and development, gender remuneration gaps, flexible working and other initiatives to support family responsibilities, employee consultation, preventing sex-based harassment and discrimination and targets for improving gender equality outcomes. According to WGEA, “Trends this year include a focus on flexibility, greater support for women to progress into leadership positions and more sophisticated analysis of the causes of gender pay gaps.”
Konica Minolta has a number of formal and informal policies and initiatives in place to encourage workplace diversity. Most recently, the company introduced its Domestic & Family Violence Support Policy, which provides comprehensive paid leave, flexible working arrangements and employee assistance programs for employees who are in, or seeking to remove themselves from, a domestic or family violence situation. Employees actively supporting a person experiencing domestic or family violence are also catered for, as are perpetrators who choose to come forward to seek assistance.
Konica Minolta also has specific policies in place to achieve pay parity for women, which involves regular pay audits and immediate correction of discrepancies. The company also holds every staff member accountable for their actions to create a comfortable and inclusive workplace for all. This includes recognising and changing behaviours that perpetuate gender stereotypes, through training and ongoing reinforcement.
Konica Minolta operates in a highly-commoditised industry so it is imperative to stand out from competitors and run the business as effectively and efficiently as possible. Key to that strategy is having diversity of thought within the organisation and demonstrating that Konica Minolta takes an ethical approach to business.
Cindy Reid said, “For us, addressing issues like gender equality are not an afterthought; it is engrained in everything that we do. We don’t believe that profits and ethical operations are mutually exclusive. In fact, Konica Minolta prefers to focus specifically on ethical dealings, including working closely with not-for-profit organisations, ensuring ethical sourcing, minimising the organisation’s environmental impact and supporting organisations and initiatives that are committed to ending modern slavery. Businesses choose to work with Konica Minolta because of who we are, and as a result, the business is continuing to grow. This also helps us attract a higher calibre of people, both men and women, who are determined to contribute as a positive force for change.
“Konica Minolta encourages every business to take an active approach in making changes in their organisations and to use the business as a platform to contribute to making society better,” she concluded.