Diversity and Inclusion at Hollard
Diversity and inclusion (D&I) are cornerstone to living Hollard’s purpose:
- It enables our contribution as a Positive Business with our people, customers and the community.
- It drives our community culture of ensuring all our people bring their whole selves to work, to do their best.
- It enables cognitive diversity and innovative thinking and is more reflective of our diverse customers’ needs.
Hollard formalised its commitment to diversity and inclusion in 2015. We proudly became a member of Diversity Council Australia, and developed a three-year roadmap. Hollard’s 6 D&I Working Groups (Accessibility, Cultural Diversity, DFV, Gender Equality, LGBTI, and Mental Health) independently develop initiatives aimed at supporting and educating employees on issues relating to their specific realms, or intersectional issues.
In 2022, Hollard won the ANZIIF award for Workplace Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion for a second consecutive year.
If you have any questions or enquiries about diversity and inclusion at Hollard, please contact our Senior Diversity and Inclusion Officer at: shai.feniger@hollard.com.au (please note that this position does not cover recruitment).
Find out more about our working groups by expanding the sections below:
The Accessibility Working Group’s vision is for Hollard to be a Disability Confident Employer and a Disability Confident Recruiter, endeavouring to provide equal employment opportunities to individuals with disability.
Key achievements:
- Membership of Australian Network on Disability (AND)
- Accessibility Working Group (established 2016)
- Accessibility Awareness Week celebrated annually
- Accessible recruitment processes aligned with AND’s Disability Confident Recruiter
- Workplace adjustments and ergonomic assessments available for all employees
- Standalone Accessibility Policy (2023)
- Work Where it Works Policy, promoting accessibility in and away from the office
We understand that a key component of being a disability confident organisation is ensuring that all people are able to find and access our premises in a safe, equitable and dignified way.
We are located in North Sydney and Hollard's building facilities include:
- A concierge operates on the ground floor Monday to Friday 8am - 4.30pm to assist with visitor entry
- Most meeting rooms are accessible
- All floors are accessible by lifts
- All floors have accessible bathrooms
Hollard strives to provide equal employment opportunities to individuals from all ethnicities, religions, and cultural backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Hollard's Cultural Diversity Working Group is continuously working on advancing cultural diversity, faith inclusion and cultural safety within Hollard.
Key achievements:
- Membership of Diversity Council Australia
- Cultural Diversity Working Group (established 2019)
- Harmony Week, National Reconciliation Week, and NAIDOC Week celebrated annually
- Processes to reduce unconscious bias
- Faith Inclusion Action Plan
- Cultural inclusion campaigns e.g., Hollard's eCookbook, Duolingo challenge and Hollard Holiday Series
- Inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan
Hollard sees control, abuse, harassment, and violence as unacceptable in any community, family, work environment or context. Hollard strives to have appropriate mechanisms to respond to employees who are impacted by domestic family violence (DFV) or sexual harassment, as well as mechanisms to support behavioural change of Hollardites using violence.
This helps contribute to whole-of-community action to prevent harm and create a society in which violence has no place. At Hollard, this work is underpinned by our long-term focus on advancing gender equality within Hollard and society. We strive to foster a community with zero violence, whilst putting those experiencing DFV and/or sexual harassment at the heart of our response.
Key achievements:
- White Ribbon Accreditation (since 2020)
- 16 Days of Activism Against Gendered Violence commemorated annually
- Leading practice standalone DFV/sexual harassment prevention policies and intranet hubs
- Unlimited paid leave to employees experiencing DFV and ensure salary continuation while they take care of their safety and wellbeing needs
- Paid emergency accommodation for at risk employees experiencing DFV
- Emergency funds to ‘make safe’ financially vulnerable employees
- Partnerships with Insight Exchange, No to Violence and Champions of Change Coalition
Hollard strives to achieve gender balance and gender equity in all aspects of our business. Our work is underpinned by measurable outcomes, with the aspiration of fostering an equitable workplace, including in Leadership.
Our Gender Equality Working Group has been active since 2016 and helped to identify and remove barriers that women encounter in the workplace.
Key achievements:
- Membership of Diversity Council Australia
- Gender Equality Working Group (established 2016)
- International Women’s Day celebrated annually
- Target to achieve gender balance in Leadership by 2023, with female representation in Leadership at 49.2% as of February 2023
- Integration of Champions of Change Coalition's action plan into our strategy
- Diversity Council Australia’s ‘Stand Up for Respect Pledge’ signed by Hollard
- Gender equality metrics cascaded to the business annually
- Quarterly Lean In Circles
- Market leading Parental Leave Policy
- Work Where it Works Policy
People who identify as LGBTI experience diversity of sex, sexuality and/or gender. Each of those diversities bring an array of different challenges, barriers and roadblocks in professional environments. Hollard strives to foster a work environment in which LGBTI employees can feel safe to bring their whole selves to work should they choose to.
Key achievements:
- Membership of Pride in Diversity
- LGBTI Working Group (since 2016)
- Pride Week celebrated annually
- Silver accreditation in Pride in Diversity's LGBTI Awards 2021, Bronze in 2022
- Policies and benefits are inclusive of all genders and family types
- HERO Network of allies who are involved in LGBTI inclusion work at Hollard
- Gender Affirmation Policy and Gender Expression Policy, including access to 52 weeks of leave, out of which, 4 are paid for employees affirming their gender
- Commemoration of days of significance e.g., IDAHOBIT Day, Wear it Purple and Transgender Day of Remembrance
Hollard is invested more than ever in our employees' wellbeing and mental health, specifically following the few turbulent years brought by COVID-19. We strive to provide all employees with leading practice, accessible and practical tools to boost and maintain a positive mind frame. Our Mental Health Working Group’s vision is to foster the mentally healthiest possible workplace for all employees.
Key achievements:
- Mental Health Working Group (established 2019)
- Partnership with Curtin University and the Thrive at Work framework
- Mental Health Week celebrated annually on the week of R U OK? Day
- Unmind app available to all employees and one friend/family member, including Unmind’s ‘Made for Managers’ content for senior leaders
- EAP available to employees, family members and customers 24/7
- Ongoing training and wellbeing webinars
- Free Financial Counselling available via Hollard’s EAP provider Acacia
- 5 days of Wellbeing Leave available to all employees annually