Four firms lauded as inclusive employers

Four firms have been recognised by the Diversity Council of Australia (DCA) as inclusive employers in the latest iteration of its Inclusion@YourWork Index.

Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers (CGW), Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills, and Sparke Helmore Lawyers were among the 35 organisations lauded this year for their commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Launched by the DCA in 2017, the biennial list is derived from a national representative survey of 3,000 Australian workers. The state of diversity and inclusion in each of the organisations are also compared to findings of a national index benchmark.

To be selected, each organisation must show that they are active and committed to inclusion by exceeding the benchmark’s results in five of the following measures: awareness, engagement, inclusive organisational climate, inclusive leadership, inclusive team, and exclusion.

This is the second time CGW, Corrs, and Sparke Helmore have made the index. Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills is the new entrant.

Neil Baker, director of people and culture at Cooper Grace Ward, said that the recognition reflects the firm’s strong focus on culture and values.

“The firm boasts a range of inclusion initiatives including an active diversity committee, wellness committee, LGBTIQ+ support group, and a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and I believe these along with the supportive leadership have contributed to us receiving this recognition from our own team via the Diversity Council of Australia inclusion at work index,” he said.

CGW, Corrs, HSF, and Sparke Helmore are Australasian Lawyer Employer of Choice 2019 firms.