CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, has been awarded Gold Employer Status in the 2020 Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI).
Awarded by Pride in Diversity on Thursday 11 June, the status demonstrates a leap forward in LGBTIQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/gender diverse, intersex and queer) inclusiveness at CSIRO.
Nationally, the AWEI sets a comparative benchmark for employers across all sectors and provides a framework for organisational approaches to LGBTIQ+ inclusiveness.
Participating organisations conduct a rigorous evidence-based assessment and employee survey to gauge the overall impact of inclusion activities on organisational culture.
Our award reflects an overall score of 161 out of a possible 200 points on assessment of LGBTIQ+ -related activities during the 2019 calendar year, positioning CSIRO in the top 10 per cent of scores from more than 150 participating organisations.
This is the highest score obtained by CSIRO over three consecutive years and a significant leap from 2017 (47 points) and 2018 (78 points).
Throughout 2019, CSIRO prioritised activities that raised the visibility of LGBTIQ+ employees, participated in annual celebrations including Mardi Gras and Wear it Purple Day and drove systemic changes in policy and reporting.
These activities form part of a broader remit accelerating equity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths fields in Australia under the Science in Australia Gender Equity program, which CSIRO has been a founding member of since 2015.
Dr Marcus Zipper is Acting Executive Director Future Industries and Executive Sponsor of the CSIRO Pride Network.
"Striving to be a workplace demonstrating best practice for LGBTIQ+ inclusiveness is essential for us at CSIRO," Dr Zipper said.
"Our people are supported to bring their whole selves to work, not only through our attitude and organisational culture, but through having inclusive policies and procedures that don't leave anyone behind.
"We are proud to stand alongside other Australian organisations, of all sizes and from all sectors, who are seeking to be better and more inclusive employers, and we congratulate everyone who is on this journey.
"Through our commitment to this benchmarking process, we can identify opportunities to keep building on our success and continuously improve LGBTIQ+ inclusiveness at CSIRO."
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