Metcash is celebrating International Women’s Day 2019 with the news it has won official citation from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE).

The WGEA EOCGE citation recognises employer commitment and best practice in promoting gender equality in Australian workplaces.

Metcash is the only wholesaler across the supermarkets, liquor and hardware industries to have received this recognition.

Commenting on the citation, CEO Jeff Adams said: “I’m delighted that Metcash has received this citation. Metcash strives to be a favourite place to work and has implemented a range of programs over the past few years to increase diversity in our workplace, including flexible working, parental leave polies and addressing the gender pay gap. This citation aligns with our values and is a testament to our hard work so far, we’ll continue to build and improve on these efforts.”

Metcash noted that it has made significant progress across a number of workplace initiatives including:

• Promotion and leadership support of flexible working arrangements, including start/finish times, shift options, job sharing and working from home

• Significant progress in closing the gender pay gap to less than 2%

• Establishing a Diversity & Inclusion Committee and championing gender equality across the business

• Tailored parental leave policies to support use by both women and men

• A campaign to attract females to traditionally male-dominated roles such as logistics

It is also proud to have five women among its eight board members on the board, a ratio of 62.5%.