Some suggested considerations you could give to each of the seven Employment Matters are:

Recruitment and Selection

• Are your recruitment processes transparent and accessible to a diverse pool of candidates?                              
• Are these processes delivering you a diverse range of successful job candidates, including women?          
• Does your organisation have formal written policies on how to advertise, review applications, short-list for interview, conduct interviews and select the most appropriate candidate?
• Does your organisation recruitment and selection processes meet anti discrimination legislation guidelines?
• Does your organisations interview questions meet anti discrimination legislation guidelines?                                
• Have staff involved in recruiting received training on how to recruit equitably and on merit?                                
• Are you advertising to attract applications from both men and women?                           
• Is every candidate assessed against the same criteria?
• Do all job descriptions reflect the real requirements of the job, rather than describing the person who filled the job previously?
• Does information received via employee consultation confirm the equity of your recruitment and selection process?

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Promotions, Transfers and Terminations

• Are employees aware of the policies on transfer and promotion?
• Are your employees being promoted and transferred according to your policy?
• Are transfers and promotions made on the basis of merit rather than seniority or convenience?
• Are women provided with the same promotion and transfer opportunities as men?
• Are women promoted in the same proportion as they are represented at lower levels?
• Are women promoted in the same proportion as men?
• Have you identified women who are (and are not) interested in promotion?
• Are women leaving the organisation at a greater rate than entering?
• Do women leave your organisation at the same rate as men?
• Does your organisation have a process for capturing information from staff who leave voluntarily? (eg exit interview)
• Have you planned to address the issues the exit interviews have raised?
• Does information received via employee consultation confirm the equity of your promotion, transfer and termination processes?

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Training and Development

• Does your organisation do a Training Needs Analysis?
• Do all staff participate in a formal Induction program?
• Is there a formal Performance Management System in place?
• Does it apply to all staff?
• Does your organisation have written and formal policies relating to training and career development?
• Are all employees informed of your training and career development policies?
• Do all employees have equal access to training?  (How Does your organisation know this?)
• Does your organisation use a variety of methods to notify employees of training that is available?
• Is training conducted within normal business hours?
• Have you identified women who are (and are not) interested in career opportunities?
• For those women who said they are not interested, have you fully investigated the reasons why?
• Do women have access to leadership, management, supervisory training in the same proportions as they are represented your workforce?
• Do women access training in a proportion that reflects the total number of women employed?
• Are women employed in a broad range of jobs and levels of responsibility and not clustered in a narrow range of jobs that have become known as "women's" jobs?
• Does your organisation keep statistics on the career progression of staff who have worked periods of part time work?
• Is career progression for this group similar to staff who have always worked full time?
• Does information received via employee consultation confirm the equity of your training and career development process?

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Work Organisation

• Does your organisation have written policies relating to work organisation, flexible work practices (eg flex time, working from home) and work/life balance?
• Are all staff and managers aware of them?
• Do staff have a written contract of employment which states their working hours?                                            
• Are part-time and casual/contract staff kept informed of company policies and procedures?         
• Do any of your staff work from home?                                        
• Does your organisation have job share arrangements?
• Do any of your staff work flexible hours?                                    
• Are managers trained on how to implement and manage flexible working?                                          
• Does your organisation keep statistics on the usage rate of these individual policies for men and for women?             
• In recruitment advertising, Does your organisation state that your organisation offers flexible work arrangements?   
• Are employment conditions for casual / contract staff consistent with relevant awards and agreements?                     
• Is the length of service of casual employees the same or similar to that of full time employees?
• Are long-term casuals and temporary staff members offered the opportunity to become full time staff?                      
• Are long-term casuals and temporary staff members offered the opportunity to become permanent staff?                 
• Do staff working part time or flexibly get promoted?
• Are part time and job sharing opportunities available?
• Are women returning from parental leave?
• Do they return part time?                                  
• Are work loads for part time workers realistic?
• Does your organisation keep statistics on the career progression of staff who have worked periods of part time work?
• Is career progression for this group similar to staff who have always worked full time?                                     
• Does information received via employee consultation confirm the equity of your work organisation processes?

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Conditions of service

• Are men and women paid equitably including bonuses and benefits? How does your organisation know this?

• Is the access to paid overtime similar for men and women?

• Are there similar usage rates for men and women?

• Are bonuses allocated equitably on the basis of performance and requirements of the job?

• Does your organisation conduct a regular gender pay equity analysis?

• Do casual and temporary employees have comparable conditions of service to full time and permanent employees?

• Do staff know what benefits your organisation offers in addition to salary?

• Does your organisation offer an Employee Assistance Program?

• Are pregnant women and women on parental leave included in pay review processes?

• Does your organisation offer paid parental leave?

• Are employment conditions for casual/contract staff consistent with relevant awards and agreements?

• Does information received via employee consultation confirm the equity of your conditions of service?

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Dealing with Sex-based Harassment

• Are there clear, written policies in place outlining what is or isn't acceptable behaviour?

• Is there an internet policy referring to the accessing or emailing of offensive material?

• Have your policies been signed by your CEO and received by everyone in your workplace?

• Are your policies on Sex Based Harassment accessible to non English-speaking staff and staff with low levels of literacy?

• Is the Sex Based Harassment policy read, discussed, understood and signed at the Induction of all staff members?

• Are all managers and staff trained in harassment prevention and grievance handling procedures regularly?

• Does your organisation have an easy to use and trusted complaints procedure?

• Has the complaints procedure been communicated to all staff?

• Does your organisation have men and women trained as contact officers?

• Do staff know who they are?

• Have you monitored your harassment prevention strategies? Are they are working effectively?

• Do your managers demonstrate and encourage appropriate behaviour?

• Do your employees feel comfortable raising sexual harassment issues?

• Does information received via employee consultation confirm the equity of your arrangements for dealing with sex based harassment?

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Dealing with Pregnant and Potentially Pregnant Employees and Employees who are Breastfeeding

• Does your organisation provide:

• Does your organisation's anti discrimination policies include pregnancy discrimination?

• Do your organisation's certified agreements provide adequate protection for pregnant and potentially pregnant employees?

• Are employees aware of harassment and inappropriate behaviour in relation to pregnant women?

• Have all employees been advised of their rights and responsibilities in relation to pregnant and potentially pregnant women?

• Do women who are pregnant or potentially pregnant have equal opportunities for promotion, transfer and training?

• Does the workplace support pregnant employees working part time?

• Are your staff and managers aware that your casual employees who are pregnant or potentially pregnant, have the same rights under the Sex Discrimination Act as permanent employees?

• Are your recruitment and selection procedures free from discrimination in relation to pregnant or potentially pregnant applicants?

• Are pregnant employees provided with the opportunity for reasonable alternate equipment and work environments to protect their health and safety?

• Does your organisation comply with occupational health and safety standards relating to the creation of a safe working environment for pregnant or potentially pregnant employees?

• Are pregnant employees able to use their sick leave to attend medical appointments associated with their pregnancy?

• Does your workplace have a safe, clean and private room for women who are breastfeeding to express and safely store breast milk?

• Does information received via employee consultation confirm the equity of your arrangements for dealing with employees who are pregnant, potentially pregnant or breastfeeding?

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In addressing these seven Employment Matters, you may also wish to consider the extent to which informal practices have been formalised into written policies and communicated to all staff.

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