Gender equality initiatives underpin employer of choice application

27 October 2021

The Employer of Choice accreditation is awarded by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency to encourage and recognise organisations working to achieve gender equality.

Maurice Blackburn will this week submit its application to retain its accreditation as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality for the next two years.

Chief Executive Officer Jacob Varghese said:

“As a firm committed to fairness and justice, we are proud to have held this sought-after Employer of Choice citation since 2017.

“We believe our ongoing initiatives around pay equity and flexible working will support our bid to retain that accreditation for another two years.”

Gender equality measures to be highlighted in Maurice Blackburn’s application include:

• Making leaders and managers responsible for addressing unexplained like-for-like gender pay gaps in their teams
• Exceeding 50% female representation on the Maurice Blackburn Board
• Paying superannuation contributions to employees on paid parental leave under the Australian Government's Paid Parental Leave Scheme
• Rolling out a new “hybrid working” guide that aims to balance working together with working flexibly
• Increasing the number of men taking up primary and secondary carers leave in 2020-21
• A commitment to shortlisting a minimum 40% females and 40% males for all vacant roles 
• Aiming for all recruitment panels to have a least one female panel member at the same seniority or above as the vacant role
• Requesting equal gender representation among speakers on panels and events.

“While the firm has made important strides towards gender quality in our workplace, we are not there yet,” Mr Varghese said.

“We will continue to work on ways to consolidate the gains we have made while pressing forward to address the challenges that remain.”

Media inquiries:

Chee Chee Leung at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers 0412 560 584 or cleung@mauriceblackburn.com.au