Hall & Wilcox named WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality in 2023

Hall & Wilcox is proud to again be recognised with an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).

For the fifth consecutive year, Hall & Wilcox has committed to strong and meaningful action to support equality in the workplace and to champion change.

WGEA, an Australian Government agency charged with improving gender equality in Australian workplaces, is responsible for administering the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (Cth). Its main objectives are to promote and improve gender equality (including equal remuneration between women and men), support employers to remove barriers to the full and equal participation of women in the workforce, and promote the elimination of gender-based discrimination in employment matters.

The EOCGE citation is public recognition of our firm’s commitment to driving progress towards gender equality. The citation is awarded after a rigorous application process that considers our firm’s initiatives in leadership, learning and development, closing gender remuneration gaps, flexible working, employee consultation, preventing sex-based discrimination and making real progress towards targets for improving gender equality in our organisation.

Hall & Wilcox has been acknowledged for initiatives over the past year including:

• running our highly successful Women in Leadership program that aims to support more women into partnership and senior leadership roles and representation at Board level;
• working towards our gender targets (and in some areas, surpassing these targets);
• continuing to undertake gender pay gap analysis;
• continuing to promote hybrid flexible working practices to support and promote gender equality for all;
• creating the Hall & Wilcox Gender Equality network to encourage discussion about gender equality in the legal profession and within our workplace;
• partnering with Women’s Agenda to deliver Disrupt the Status Quo roundtable sessions;
• adopting the Law Council of Australia’s Gender Equitable Briefing Policy;
• signing the Law Society of NSW’s and the Law Institute of Victoria’s Charter for the Advancement of Women in the Legal Profession; and
• providing firm-funded women lawyers’ association memberships.

Hall & Wilcox Chair of Partners Emma Woolley said, ‘Hall & Wilcox has a long history of inclusion and a celebrated culture of supportive, talented people who encourage each other to succeed. We are delighted to again be named an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality by WGEA and we will continue to drive progress towards gender equality.’

Hall & Wilcox Managing Partner Tony Macvean said, ‘We are committed to flexible working, reducing the gender pay gap and providing equality of opportunity in our partnership, on our board and management team, and across our firm.’