Media releases

Westpac awarded best bank for LGBTI inclusion

 

17 May 2014

Westpac Group has been acknowledged for its leadership in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) employee inclusion at the 2014 Australian Workforce Equality Index (AWEI) Awards on Friday 16 May. Ranked 3rd out of 42 large corporate organisations who submitted for the award, the Westpac Group topped the banks to retain the lead bank position established after ranking 7th place in 2013.

BT Financial Group Chief Executive, and Westpac Group Executive Sponsor for LGBTI inclusion, Brad Cooper, said he was “both honoured and delighted that the initiatives Westpac Group had put in place were awarded so highly but more importantly they were creating a truly inclusive culture.”

“At Westpac Group we believe that our customers’ best interests can only be met through nurturing a culture that celebrates diversity and where everyone is valued for their individual qualities and contributions. It is not only the right thing to do, it also creates better business outcomes,” Mr Cooper said.

Since 2011 ‘Pride in Diversity’, the social inclusion initiative of the ACON Health, have been ranking the top LGBTI-friendly employers in Australia at the AWEI Awards. The awards were established to encourage employers and LGBTI network leaders to develop solutions, provide training, set challenges and improve the overall inclusivity of their workplace policies, practices and workplace culture.

Westpac Group has developed a range of initiatives including updating bullying and harassment procedures, rolling out inclusive language training and reviewing policies to update definitions including ‘family’ and ‘partner’. One of the most distinct and successful internal campaigns is ‘You Being You’ which encourages all employees to bring their whole self to work. This campaign was launched with a video featuring Westpac executives, including CEO Gail Kelly, sending messages of support to Westpac employees stating they support you being you.

“Our vision is to be one of the world's great companies for diversity and flexibility, helping our customers, communities and people to prosper and grow,” Mr Cooper said.