Our approach

We aim to give every woman the power of informed choice when making career decisions.

We shine a spotlight on workplace policies, benefits, and initiatives, so
that all women can make more informed decisions about where they
choose to work – whilst also providing solutions that help employers
improve their workplace practices to attract and retain more women.

Proof of a company committed to supporting women

We support and celebrate companies that are truly committed to supporting women’s careers. Our endorsement is a clear sign of such commitment, making it easy for women to identify workplaces that will work for them.

A company endorsed by WORK180:

  • Meets or exceeds our minimum criteria for paid parental leave and flexible working arrangements
  • Is genuinely committed to ongoing improvements in diversity, equity and inclusion
  • Is transparent about their employee benefits and policies – and has published them on our website
Image of the find employers section of the website

“I don’t want to work somewhere that’s not even trying to do the right thing.”

Feedback from WORK180’s
What Women Want Report 2021

“Our partnership with WORK180 means that LV=General insurance is really serious about inclusivity. It’s serious about diversity and belonging.”

Neil Harvey, Employer Branding & Talent Acquisition Manager at LV=General Insurance

Only around 50% of employers qualify for our endorsement

That’s not because we ask organizations to be perfect, but they do need to prove their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

*based on endorsement checks taken in Feb 2024

In 2022, only 66% of employers met the standards of our endorsement check

That’s not because we ask organizations to be perfect, but they do need to prove their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

*based on endorsement checks taken in 2022

The 10 key standards driving equity in the workplace

 

Our standards are designed with an intersectional lens by our team diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) experts. They’re also informed by our global community of women, employers from a range of industries, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We use these to measure, benchmark and guide employers to support women in the workplace.

 

INCLUSIVE HIRING PROCESSES

When it comes to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization, it’s crucial that companies provide fair and equal access to their opportunities. This starts with the hiring process. 

We champion the importance of fair and transparent hiring processes that empower women of all backgrounds and experiences to apply and know they will be genuinely considered.  This can be achieved through many different strategies, from inclusive job advertisements and a focus on transferable skills, through to clear selection and shortlisting processes and balanced interview panels. We also encourage our employers to draw on candidate feedback to continuously review and improve the overall experience.

REPRESENTATIVE LEADERSHIP

Not only do leadership teams have the ultimate decision-making power, but they can also inspire those in and outside of the organization. So while achieving diversity will have a positive impact at any level, an increased focus on achieving diversity in leadership will have the greatest impact, in both the short and long term.

That’s why we benchmark progress on balanced leadership in all its forms, whether it’s achieved through targets and quotas, internal succession planning, or other initiatives.

FLEXIBLE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS

From remote work to adjusted hours, flexibility is one of the most powerful ways in which companies can help every employee overcome workplace barriers and thrive. 

This isn’t just in a practical sense, such as opening up opportunities for those with disabilities or helping employees manage the domestic load (which disproportionately impacts many women); by normalizing flexibility for every employee, these approaches reduce the stigma attached to the practice for those that need it. This promotes shared responsibility of unpaid care, which is crucial in the fight for gender equity.

PAY EQUITY

While equal pay for equal value of work is a legal requirement, unequal access to opportunities continues to result in pay gaps between genders, races, and ethnicities. For example, many women around the world receive no pension, superannuation, or equivalent during their parental leave. Due to the intersection of systemic discrimination, these pay gaps are combined and compounded for women from underrepresented groups.

We focus on helping employers introduce policies and practices that help them work towards true pay equity. And we help them track, measure, and prove their progress through transparency and benchmarking.

SHARED CARING RESPONSIBILITY

Creating a culture that promotes and supports equal and shared responsibility for parents and carers — regardless of gender — is critical to enabling women to thrive in the workplace.

From gender-neutral parental policies through to return-to-work programs, employers can support their all-important workforce while removing damaging stereotypes. WORK180 amplifies the impact of such policies by displaying them on our transparent platform, ultimately showing women what a supportive workplace looks like.

EMPLOYEE VOICE & ERGs

Employee voice is a key part of building an equitable and inclusive organization. This means creating a culture that empowers employees, particularly those from underrepresented groups, to share their experiences, insights, and ideas.

We encourage our employers to find ways to ensure that a wide range of employee voices are listened to, learned from, and used to make lasting change. This can be achieved through initiatives such as Employee Resource Groups, regular staff engagement exercises, or ‘Ask Me Anything’ sessions.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

To address the current underrepresentation of women in leadership and in industries, such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM), companies can’t afford to just focus on hiring alone. It is equally important to nurture and retain the women within their organizations through career development support that builds confidence, skills, networks and direction.

Whether it comes in the form of coaching and mentoring programs, education and training opportunities, return to work initiatives, or formalized growth and succession planning, this is an area that women from all backgrounds tell us they are seeking from employers.

INCLUSIVE AND ANTI-DISCRIMINATORY CULTURE

We encourage and celebrate employers who proactively work to build inclusive and anti-discriminatory cultures in which a wide range of people can come together and thrive. This involves removing any social, physical, or mental barriers that may prevent individuals from feeling safe, comfortable, confident, or able to fully contribute in the workplace.

This can take many forms: policies related to work attire, personal grooming and acceptable workplace behaviour, initiatives that raise awareness of different cultures and communities, or even the provision of dedicated spaces, like private pumping rooms for working mothers or accessibility options for individuals with disabilities.

EMPLOYEE SAFETY AND SUPPORT SERVICES

From domestic violence to ageism and ableism, women and underrepresented groups often face a multitude of workplace barriers. We encourage employers to recognize the role they must play in the systemic removal of such barriers while offering robust (often external) support for those impacted.

Examples include Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) policies, Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) that provide independent and anonymous support, and health and wellbeing programs.

STRATEGIC COMMITMENTS

Ultimately, organizational change needs to be led from the top. Whether it’s at the board, shareholder or C-suite level, formalizing an organization’s ambition to build and maintain a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization through strategic commitments can be one of the most important drivers of positive change.

Through our work, we help organizations to identify the actions that will best deliver on these commitments. We also keep them accountable by publicizing their commitments and progress on our platform, which is a trusted source of career information for women around the world. 

WORK180 supports and endorses companies at all stages of the diversity journey. Is your organization ready to work with us?

Some of the ways we support our Endorsed Employers

Guidance and support from DEI experts and strategists

Tools and resources to optimize gender equity efforts

Data and reports to track and prove progress

Some of the ways we support our Endorsed Employers

Guidance and support from DEI experts and strategists

Tools and resources to optimize gender equity efforts

Data and reports to track and prove progress