Despite the success stories in introducing harassment-free workplaces and family friendly policies, most Australian companies have failed to recognise that the biggest impediment lies with changing attitudes, starting with the CEO, the Affirmative Action Agency (now the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency) claims.

Director of the Affirmative Action Agency (now the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency), Ms Fiona Krautil has urged women to ‘vote with their feet’ and target the ‘women-friendly’ organisations that provide the best opportunities and avoid those with a poor EEO record.

"Equal employment opportunity (EEO) is more than policies and processes, and that’s why we’ve only got so far," said Ms Krautil. "Just as we know that speed can kill, companies still ignore the business benefits of fully utilising every employee.

"Sadly, many Australian senior managers are like fish in water, they can not see the organisational culture they’re swimming in and how it’s limiting the contribution of the diverse talent within the company of both men and women.

"Smart employers understand that Australia can’t afford to ignore the benefits of diversity if we want our businesses to be successful and competitive in the global economy" said Ms Krautil.

A recent survey identified that CEO commitment to EEO and diversity was the driving factor in removing roadblocks and introducing a culture that supported workplace policies. The survey also showed that these organisations are most likely to become ‘preferred employers’ that attracted a wider range of candidates for positions within the companies, regardless of gender.

The Agency’s Annual Report concludes that senior managers need to take individual responsibility and look at solutions to attract and retain female talent rather than blame issues outside the organisation such as the unattractiveness of the industry to women and the absence of a ‘bigger pool’ of women to draw from.

A newcomer to this year’s ‘best practice’ list, Carlton & United Breweries, has proved that not all companies have delegated the issue to the ‘too hard basket’. The century old brewery has increased the percentage of women employees to 17 per cent from 14 percent in 1998 and the total number of women managers has increased from 14 to 31 during the same period.

The company introduced ‘Lead Enterprise’ workshops where managers receive 360 degree feedback about their management style and how well managers capitalise on diversity and availability of training opportunities. Parental leave is available to all employees and return to work rates have climbed to 67 per cent. Other initiatives include a pilot ‘Stay in Touch’ program for employees on parental leave, study assistance and an ongoing ‘Prevention of Workplace Harassment’ program.

Other leading edge organisations included Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation Ltd, SAP Australia and Ernst & Young.

The report named 55 organisations, (significantly less than last year) for failing to comply with the Affirmative Action legislation. "Like dinosaurs, they will perish if they do not start to adapt to the modern world and update their business practices," Ms Krautil said.

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