Page 37 - Women in Rail

Other strategies for change
Other issues identified by our respondents
Ideas for change
“When I was a second year grad, they introduced a first year (male) grad into my team and they paid him more. I had recommended him as I knew him om uni and knew he’d be excellent for the team.
From the Fair Work Ombudsmen – here’s some ideas:
I should have been en tled to a referral bonus and I didn’t get that, and then he was paid more than me... we both had the same amount of experience. When I broa ed the subje , I was told that remunera on was confiden al.
• Are jobs fairly described and valued? Check that responsibility and working conditions are consistently measured.
“ e strongest, deepest working assump on is that the rail industry is somehow uniquely special, and therefore justifies the na ral order that men are in arge.
• Instil values that promote equity, diversity and inclusion. An organisation’s culture is founded on what its beliefs and values are.
“ e ‘boys’ ub’ still exists. It’s not as obvious as it used to be but there are po ets of it. ey get the jobs because they know su and su . Women tend not to have those networks that the blokes do.
Promote transparency:
• Check your organisation’s policies and practices - is there a transparent performance review process and equitable access to training, promotions and rewards and benefits programs?
• Assess your organisation’s wage setting process - has it been checked to ensure it is free of gender bias?
• Undertake a pay equity audit to determine areas and occupations where gender pay inequity may exist.
• Introduce a process where your organisation compares salaries for men and women upon commencement, yearly and on promotion.
See fairwork.gov.au
Cultural change – it takes time and a multi-faceted approach:
• Take action against inappropriate behaviour. Behaviour should reflect the organisation’s values.
• Implement procedures and processes that promote equity. If an organisation values equity, there needs to be systems to ensure it is embraced – not left to chance.
• Ensure symbols such as promotional/other are reflective of the community – that is – are diverse. Organisational symbols are an important aspect of culture.
• Leadership – without this, culture will not change. Poor leadership will result in poor culture. • Take a whole of organisation approach.
The ‘boys’ club’ is most often related to ‘jobs for the boys’ and inequitable HR practices. Here are some ideas for organisations:
• Acknowledge it – if the issue is not recognised it cannot be resolved.
• Assess how the organisation’s culture promotes this and implement strategies to combat it.
• Communicate and educate – raising awareness can help.
• Implement equitable and transparent recruitment and general HR strategies – for example – blind (without gender identifiers) CVs.
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