Industrial and Safety - Diversity and inclusion

Industrial and Safety is committed to providing an inclusive workplace where all team members feel safe and respected. Each business unit has its own inclusion strategy and commitments to supplement divisional goals, including but not limited to actions in support of gender balance, Indigenous (Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Māori and Pasifika) representation, and a culture of respect and inclusion.

Gender targets are consistent throughout the division and all business units have policies in place to support ongoing commitment. Representation of women in senior manager roles has consistently remained within the division's target range at 34 per cent. Pay equity controls are embedded in business processes to ensure fairness, and gender equity pay is submitted at a divisional level to Wesfarmers.

NZ Safety Blackwoods continued its commitment to gender equality in the workplace through the Gender Pledge, reducing the stigma of period poverty by providing free sanitary products for females and gender diverse team members who required them. It also took the Pride Pledge.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation within the Australian workforce trended positively at 3.5 per cent, up from 3.3 per cent in the prior year. In NZ Safety Blackwoods, 117 team members identify as either Maori or Pasifika, making up approximately 20 per cent of the New Zealand-based workforce.

During 2024, the division strengthened its internal approach to reconciliation, with more definitive workstreams across team member engagement, supplier partnerships and industry collaboration. This is in addition to awareness campaigns within Australia for National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week, and ongoing partnerships with the Clontarf Foundation for school-based traineeships and CareerTrackers for internships. NZ Safety Blackwoods developed an Indigenous Strategy with a leading pillar of being Māori-led. This is a long-term strategy to begin to attract, retain and create a stronger sense of belonging for Māori team members. The parental leave policy has been revised to include Whāngai, supporting the Māori tradition of children being raised by someone other than their birth parent.

Bullivants has provided financial support to five First Nations tertiary students since introducing the Bullivants Indigenous Scholarship Program in 2019. There are currently three scholarship recipients located in Perth, Brisbane and Wollongong — two in their second year of the program and one in their third year. The program provides financial support towards university costs, books, equipment and rent, which reduces the pressure of everyday living expenses and gives the students more time for their studies to meet their career aspirations.

The division continued to acknowledge days of significance including but not limited to International Women’s Day, NAIDOC Week, Harmony Week, Wear it Purple, World Mental Health Day, and International Day of People with Disability.