Freehills awarded prestigious EOWA Employer of Choice for Women citation
27 February 2007Freehills has received formal recognition as an Employer of Choice for Women by the Australian Government’s Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA), in acknowledgement of the firm’s commitment to supporting and enhancing the career experiences of women within the organisation.
The prestigious EOWA Employer of Choice for Women recognition was announced today and Freehills’ CEO, Gavin Bell accepted on behalf of the firm.
According to EOWA, the Employer of Choice for Women acknowledgement ‘… recognises organisations who address the barriers women face in the workforce and who demonstrate they have policies and practices that support women across the organisation and that these have had a positive outcome for both women and the business’.
In announcing the recognition EOWA recognised Freehills’ exemplary approach towards enhancing the career experience of women in their workplace and their ongoing commitment to assisting women in maximising their potential.
Freehills’ Chief Executive Officer, Gavin Bell, said the recognition as an Employer of Choice for Women is important as it acknowledges the firm’s commitment to attracting, retaining and developing the very best people. The many achievements and continual improvements the firm is making to support female employees within the Women at Freehills initiative is evidence of this ongoing commitment.
'Being an Employer of Choice for Women recognises, reinforces and strengthens our internal strategies focused on increasing the number of women in leadership positions, as well as retaining our talented women in roles that meet their expectations. The formal recognition of our efforts in this area strengthens our brand, giving us a competitive advantage in the attraction, retention and development of talented people,' Mr Bell said.
Other successful initiatives include:
- Generous parental leave policy
- Developing women – individual coaching, a Women in Business program and formal mentoring programs to support Freehills’ high potential female partners
- A supportive work environment that embraces flexible work practices including an in-home emergency childcare service
- A Freehills Corporate Mums program which helps to build internal networks, share experiences and develop skills and knowledge to assist in maximising the value of the time that is devoted to career as well as the time devoted to family.
'As an organisation we value diversity and recognise that gender diversity within the firm will enrich our organisational culture, bringing with it the benefits of different perspectives, experiences, ideas and leadership styles,' said Mr Bell.
Mr Bell also acknowledged that achieving success in this important arena is a long-term goal that requires ongoing commitment and support from the firm, and from key individuals who help develop and drive the various programs and initiatives throughout the firm. 'This recognition is because of their focus and dedication to making Freehills a fantastic place to work,' he said.
For more information please contact
Public Affairs Manager
arriarne.kemp-bishop@freehills.com
+61 3 9288 1119 +61 414 311 331
