News and Events - Epworth HealthCare

Employer of Choice for Women since 2001

Epworth HealthCare has again been awarded Employer of Choice for Women status – making it eight years in a row that it has achieved this recognition.

On 18 March, the Federal Government’s Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) publicly acknowledged 111 organisations around Australia that meet the criteria for its award.

Group Chief Executive Alan Kinkade said that consistent recognition over the last eight years by the Federal Government demonstrates that Epworth is committed to creating a fair workplace and to achieving genuine results for working women.

“We are committed to attracting and retaining women employees and managers for sustainability in the long term” Mr Kinkade said.

“The policies and practices that Epworth Healthcare has implemented to support women across the organisation have benefited our organisation and the business. Best practices include providing mentoring and career development, flexible rosters to accommodate staff members with family responsibilities and part-time work or paid maternity leave,” he said.

EOWA’s criteria includes:

• Offering a minimum of 6 weeks paid maternity leave after 12 months of service; providing the ability for female managers to work part-time
• Ensuring the percentage of female managers is the same or greater than 28% of the industry average, and
• Ensuring a pay equity analysis has been undertaken and any gap identified is below industry average.

Other Australian health providers to receive the award this year include Cabrini Health, St John of God, Cancer Council Queensland, Benetas and Mercy Health and Aged Care.

Some interesting initiatives undertaken by large national businesses included in this year’s list of successful applicants include initiatives such as:

• Stretch targets for female representation at divisional and group levels (ANZ)
• Grandparents leave for employees who have been with the organisation for three years or more; as well as one week off at full pay upon the birth of a grandchild (Westaff), and
• A coaching program for women lawyers with the potential to become partners (Corrs Chambers Westgarth).