Employer of Choice for Women
The University of Melbourne has been recognised as a 2008 Employer of Choice for Women by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA). This is the sixth consecutive year the University has received this citation. The citation is a prestigious acknowledgment by EOWA of organisations that support and advance women in the workplace and are embedding equal opportunity into their workplace culture. In 2008 EOWA has awarded the citation to only 99 organisations nationally.
All organisations with 100 or more employees are required to comply with the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 and report annually to EOWA on the actions they are taking to develop and implement an effective equal opportunity for women in the workplace program. The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 aims to:
- promote merit in employment;
- promote equal employment opportunity and eliminate discrimination; and
- encourage consultation between employers and employees on these issues.
Further, as Employer of Choice for Women, organisations have to fulfill a set of pre-requisites including a pay gap between female and male employees less than the national average, a minimum of six weeks paid maternity leave after 12 months of service, the ability for female managers to work part-time and a higher representation of females in management positions.