Coles Group is proud to announce it has achieved some of its most important gender equity commitments nine months ahead of schedule, with 40% of its leadership roles now filled by women and a company-wide gender pay parity gap of less than 1%, to ensure team members receive equal pay for equal work no matter what their gender1,2.
These milestones come just one week after Coles was awarded Employer of Choice for Gender Equality by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA)3 for its active commitment to achieving gender equality.
Coles has now achieved its targets through the development of programs and initiatives that create clear pathways towards equality such as RelauncHER, supporting women wanting to return to a career in technology, and the Store Manager Accelerator Program, increasing the representation of women in store manager roles.
Last year, Coles increased secondary carer's leave from two to four weeks, with flexibility in how the leave is taken, to encourage partners to play a greater support role with families and in the home, and the business continues to promote flexible working so all team members can achieve success in their careers.
Coles Group Chief Executive Officer, Steven Cain, said he was proud of the progress Coles has made to achieve greater gender equity after setting clear and ambitious commitments as part of the 'Better Together' strategy.
"These achievements are a testament to the dedication of our Gender Equity Steering Committee and wider leaderships team. Their important work has led to Coles being a place where team members with diverse skills and backgrounds feel like they can feel confident with their opinions, thrive in their roles, and become leaders of the organisation. I am also delighted that my successor, Leah Weckert, will be the first woman to be CEO of Coles in our long 109-year history."
