Gender equity at FB Rice - Key to our success
FB Rice engaged with the Workplace Gender Equity Agency to improve our initiatives and actions around gender equity. As part of the process conversations have taken place across the firm which have underpinned the development of FB Rice’s Gender Equity Plan. Over the past 12 months this plan has driven a positive impact. Take a look at how we are actively #breakingthebias...
WGEA’s Employer of Choice for Gender Equity Citation
FB Rice has engaged in the Employer of Choice for Gender Equity citation process with the Workplace Gender Equity Agency. This process has involved conversations across the firm which have underpinned the development of FB Rice’s Gender Equity Plan. The plan is based on best practice guidelines and has already made a positive impact on FB Rice’s people related initiatives.
One such initiative that has come out the EOCGE process is the target of 50 per cent female entry to the Partner and Board levels by 2026.
Our Inclusion and Diversity Committee Initiatives
We regularly consult with staff on our systems and processes to ensure every member of the team has access to the same opportunities for career development and experiences the same benefits from our workplace culture and employee benefits programme. Some of our recent initiatives include:
- An increase to 26 weeks of employer-funded primary caregiver’s leave
- Seven unconscious bias workshops that were rolled out across the firm in 2020
- A regular gender based remuneration audit to ensure gender pay equity for like-for-like roles
- Compulsory anti-sexual harassment workshops that were rolled out in 2021
- Agile@FB Rice 2022 Policy - a flexible work and support programme available for employees at all levels, including those with caring responsibilities
- A review and subsequent relaunch of our Equal Employment Opportunity, Discrimination, Sexual Harassment and Bullying Policy and associated Personal Grievance Policy in 2022.
Training & Development
Leadership is a continual process of development. We provide support to our leaders and people managers to help them progress in their career. FB Rice rolled out an internally designed and delivered senior author leadership programme in 2021. Coupled with 360 degree feedback and leadership coaching, FB Rice’s future leaders are well equipped for their future careers. Diversity and inclusion is a key conversation in the programme ensuring that leaders are aware of their own unconscious bias and have the confidence to call out and act on bias.
Human Synergistics OCI-OEI Culture Survey Results
The second Human Synergistics OCI/OEI (culture) survey was completed in September 2021, following the first survey in September 2019. This survey uses an externally run questionnaire which analyses all aspects impacting our workplace culture. The survey includes questions around ‘fairness of appraisals’, ‘selection and placement’ and the ‘skills and qualities of managers and leaders’ in the firm. Some highlighted results:
- 85% of our team believes their supervisor genuinely supports gender equality
- 88% of our team believes they have the flexibility to manage their work and other commitments
- 96% of our team agrees gender based harassment and sexual harassment is not tolerated
- An increase in fairness of appraisal results from 48% in 2019 to 72% in 2021
