Diversity and equal opportunity

Our approach

Our ability to compete on a global scale depends on our people. The wide range of perspectives that we gain by hiring and developing talent from a diverse global labour pool gives us a better understanding of the needs of our customers, suppliers and communities, and helps us advance our leadership position in both packaging and corporate responsibility.

Amcor’s Code of Conduct and Ethics Policy states: ‘Amcor recognises the dignity of each co-worker, and the right to a workplace free of harassment, abuse or corporal punishment. Decisions on hiring, salary, benefits, advancement, termination or retirement are based solely on the co-worker’s ability to do the job. There is no discrimination based on race, creed, disability, gender, marital or maternity status, religious or political beliefs, age or sexual orientation.’

Understanding the Code of Conduct and Ethics Policy is part of the induction process for new Amcor co-workers.

How we are doing

In 2011, Amcor’s Global Management Team approved a global approach to the development of our diversity strategy and for reviewing current business group activities. The specific actions and reporting on diversity are generally managed by Amcor’s Business Groups. Diversity will be an agenda item at all future meetings of Amcor’s Talent Council. The Talent Council is the forum for reviewing and leveraging talent across Amcor. During Talent Council sessions, company leaders review current performance and development opportunities for individuals, talent capability needs/gaps, and succession planning.

Our Talent through Diversity Policy was released this year (available at amcor.com/diversity) and we formalised the management structure and processes around managing diversity within our workforce.

Initiatives implemented this year to improve our workforce diversity include:

– establishing diversity objectives in talent attraction, management and retention processes; and

– incorporating diversity as a key metric that is reported to the Board of Directors HR Committee and included in the Annual HR Review.

As a listed company on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), Amcor is also responsive to ASX expectations in relation to diversity performance and disclosure. The ASX Principles were amended in 2010 to incorporate recommendations on diversity. Amcor will report against these new recommendations in the FY2011/12 Annual Report.

Due to the acquisition of the Alcan Packaging assets in early 2010 and the resultant significant increase in the number of Amcor co-workers globally, Amcor’s focus in FY2010/11 has been to collect data in relation to diversity. Amcor will adopt and report against the new ASX diversity recommendations in the 2012 Annual Report.

Within Amcor’s Australasia business, a business-level Diversity Council was launched this year. Chaired by the Amcor Australasia and Packaging Distribution Managing Director, Nigel Garrard, the Council is made up of co-workers from across Australia and New Zealand. Amcor also facilitates a ‘women in manufacturing’ forum with customers, sharing insights and aiming to increase the number of women moving into leadership roles across the manufacturing industry in Australia and New Zealand.

Other initiatives throughout our global businesses include the development of Affirmative Action Plans, internal gender pay reviews and targeted recruitment programs for female senior managers.

The number of women in management roles is a metric that is tracked globally across Amcor. Results for the past three years are shown in the graph below, showing the gender balance at Amcor in FY2008/09 and then after integration with the acquired Alcan Packaging businesses in FY2009/10.

 

 

 

Discrimination

During FY2010/11, no material discrimination claims were identified through internal or third-party use of our Whistleblower Service, and no material discrimination claims were escalated beyond the Amcor Business Group level.