09 JANUARY 2023
Margaret Tonkin embraced her role as Chair of the Worsley Inclusion Network (WIN) and the role the group has played in setting a new direction for inclusion and diversity in the workplace.
This year Worsley Alumina announced the inaugural Worsley Inclusion Network Awards (WIN). These Awards recognised people in our business who are going above and beyond to create an inclusive work environment for all. Today we're pleased to share WIN Award Nominee Margaret’s story.
Above: Margaret Tonkin inaugural WIN Chair
She became involved after asking managers what was being done to drive inclusion at Worsley, and when the WIN was established, accepted their invitation to chair the group and share ideas she had seen work successfully at other companies.
“We decided it needed to be owned and driven by the front line, for the front line, not from Corporate or managers, so the first thing we did was get people’s views about inclusion at Worsley,” Margaret said.
“We engaged Diversity Australia to hold focus groups, talk one on one to people and carry out a survey and the results really gave us a wake up call – they made us realise we needed a new plan to reset behaviours.”
A road map was developed from Diversity Australia’s recommendations and initiatives rolled out which included improving the onboarding and training of new employees, training leaders to recognise and address non-inclusive behaviours, improving on site communication and establishing inclusion metrics.
Australian and multicultural events and significant days are acknowledged and communicated, peer support networks have been set up and a sexual harassment risk assessment rolled out.
There are plans to embed flexible shift work, train more employees to become peer support officers, offer mental health support, improve facilities on site and achieve the 40:40:20 ratio – aiming for diversity of gender in the workplace leadership (40% men, 40% women, 20% of any gender) by 2027.
“Our Roadmap outlines our way forward with a clear Mission: We are committed to creating a workplace that is safe, where everyone belongs and where people feel comfortable to bring their true selves to work,” Margaret said.
“There has been a lot of hard work that’s created a solid framework to move forward with and we are excited about the initiatives we’ve got planned, which is really going to achieve excellence in inclusion and diversity.”
Topics