Case Study

Diversity in Westfield’s Workplace

The Westfield Group has a strong commitment to diversity and seeks to promote an inclusive culture where people are encouraged to succeed to the best of their ability. 

Westfield considers that a gender balanced, diverse and inclusive workforce is a key strategic asset for its business. The Group believes that diversity contributes to its business success and aspires to a workforce reflective of the communities in which it operates.

Westfield’s commitment to diversity means it continuously works to ensure that it has an environment supportive of equal opportunity and with equal access to career development, remuneration and benefits through the implementation of practices, procedures and policies which support, among other matters, diversity. 

Westfield operates in a number of countries, and, until 2012, diversity initiatives were focused at the local level, having regard to the legislative requirements of those countries. As part of the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations, which require its listed companies to report on diversity, the Group committed in 2012 to establish processes in relation to objective setting, co-ordination, monitoring and reporting of global diversity measures. As part of this initiative the Managing Director of each jurisdiction in which Westfield operates is responsible, on an annual basis, for developing a three-year plan to identify and implement diversity initiatives and measures for personnel in their respective territory.

In each country, the plans will incorporate the Group’s measurable objectives with regard to key metrics including: 

• representation by gender within each band within the Group, including senior management;
• representation by gender in development and leadership programs;
• representation, by gender, in talent and succession planning; 
• salary comparison by gender and role level;
• employee turnover rates by gender; and
• employee survey results.

The Managing Directors (in conjunction with the regional directors of Human Resources) will be responsible for monitoring and evaluating implementation of the three-year plan and the various initiatives contemplated by the plan.

The Group’s Executive Committee will receive reports from the Managing Directors on the Group’s diversity related initiatives and will facilitate periodic reporting to the Board. The Board will review the progress of the Group’s diversity strategy on at least an annual basis.

Westfield believes that diversity is about recognising and valuing the contribution of people from different backgrounds, with different perspectives and experiences. Diversity includes but is not limited to gender, age, disability, ethnicity, religion and cultural background and, in the United States, the Group’s policies on diversity extend to veterans.

However, in terms of global measurable objectives, the initial emphasis by the Group is on gender diversity with a primary goal being to strengthen the representation of women executives in senior management positions.

2012 Diversity Initiatives

Development programs and education