Brad Cooper

Westpac Group has been acknowledged for its leadership in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) employee inclusion at the 2015 Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Awards on Friday 15 May:

• Westpac moved up to second place in the Employer of the Year rankings
• Brad Cooper won the Executive Leadership Award
• Kristina Bennett won the LGBTI Ally award
• GLOBAL was awarded LGBTI Employee Network of the Year

“Our goal is to create a workplace where people are truly comfortable to be themselves – where they are appreciated for the job they do and not judged on their sexual orientation or gender identity.  And importantly, where they feel safe and respected,” Mr Cooper said.

Since 2011 ‘Pride in Diversity’ the social inclusion arm of the Aids Council of NSW (ACON) has been ranking the top twenty 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 culture.

Westpac Group has developed a range of initiatives including: bullying/harassment procedures, inclusive language training and policy reviews to update definitions including ‘family’ and ‘partner’. One of the most distinct and successful internal campaigns ‘You Being You’ encourages all employees to bring their whole self to work. There has been an increase each year in LGBTI employee engagement since ‘You Being You’ was launched.

“This recognition goes to the core of our vision 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.

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