Business case for cultural change
Why is this important for my business?
- Inclusive cultures are known to enhance organisational performance. Evidence across sectors shows that organisations that foster diversity and inclusion perform better financially, experience greater staff engagement and manage risk more effectively.
- In the context of the wine sector, where seasonal intensities require agility and cohesion, a culture that supports diverse participation enables more resilient and responsive teams.
A visible commitment to cultural change not only strengthens reputation, it enhances recruitment; the perception of the wine industry as old-fashioned and resistant to change can discourage talented individuals from entering the sector.
Demonstrating inclusive and respectful workplace practices not only broadens the recruitment pool but also aligns with consumer expectations. Increasingly, consumers prefer to engage with brands that embody ethical and equitable values.
Cultural change initiatives, such as inclusive leadership development, clear promotion pathways and a strong stance against sexism, help retain skilled workers and reduce the significant costs associated with staff turnover.
Findings from the Gender Equality Scoping Study identified that workplaces in the wine sector often have persistent traditionally-masculine cultural norms that can shape workplace relations, expectations and power structures. This can lead to multiple barriers for women and gender diverse employees. Masculine cultural norms emphasise traits such as physical strength, competitiveness, risk-taking emotional detachment and beliefs that women are naturally unsuited to work requiring such traits. Of particular relevance to cultural change are the problems of everyday sexism and sexual harassment in the wine sector.
The resources offered in this toolkit provide structured approaches to facilitate discussions about workplace culture, gender dynamics and organisational change. They include materials for exploring current cultural norms, identifying barriers to inclusion and developing strategies for positive change. The resources are designed to engage all employees in the change process, with specific modules for different organisational levels and contexts.
Equal pay
Why is this important for my business?
- Ensuring pay equity for women and gender diverse employees in the Australian wine sector is directly connected to talent retention, as balanced compensation reduces costly staff turnover.
- Equal pay creates a competitive advantage in recruitment, ensuring business owners can position their wine companies as employers of choice.
Even though equal remuneration is required by the Fair Work Act 2009, unequal pay prevails in Australian workplaces. The Guardian reports that women earn approximately 78 cents for every dollar earned by men, translating to an average annual shortfall of $28,425[2]. The Australian Government's Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) notes a lack of current data regarding gender diverse employees and recommends efforts to ensure these employees feel safe to disclose their identity at work. This is expected to lead to an increase in statistical data for more meaningful analysis.[3]
In the wine sector, women may work fewer hours and in positions of lower seniority or less remuneration than men, leading to unequal pay outcomes. Regular pay equity audits are therefore essential for businesses to identify and address these unintentional wage gaps.
Addressing pay equity should include establishing a pay equity policy which can complement an action plan to audit and adjust for pay equity as required in your organisation. Annual review procedures should be built into KPIs and reporting to ensure ongoing efforts to achieve equal pay. Below are possible implementation pathways for small, medium and large businesses, set out as five broad steps.
The gender pay gap or gender wage gap is the average difference between the remuneration for employed men and women. This is measured in two different ways: the adjusted pay gap refers to differences in hours worked, occupations chosen, education and job experience (i.e. for the same work). The non-adjusted values represent how much the average man and woman make in total (see www.wgea.gov.au/the-gender-pay-gap).
Implementation steps for Small Businesses (under 20 employees)
- Review current pay rates
- Document pay decisions
- Standardise starting salaries
- Create a simple review process
- Establish basic monitoring
Implementation steps for Medium Businesses (under 20-100 employees)
- Develop pay bands
- Create a job evaluation system
- Implement structured reviews
- Establish reporting mechanisms
- Train managers on policy
Implementation steps for Large Businesses (100+ employees)
- Comprehensive job evaluation
- Detailed analysis systems
- Regular auditing process
- Formal reporting structure
- Advanced monitoring tools
Resources for equal pay
Eliminating sexual harassment and everyday sexism in the workplace
Why is this important for my business?
- Eliminating sexual harassment and everyday sexism is not only a legal and moral imperative but a critical component of workforce sustainability and business success.
- Workplaces that tolerate sexist behaviours, inappropriate comments or discriminatory treatment undermine employee wellbeing, reduce productivity and increase the risk of legal liability and reputational damage.
- A workplace culture free from harassment and sexism fosters psychological safety, which is essential for staff engagement, collaboration and innovation.
Sexual harassment is unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature. It is defined as sexualised behaviour that is offensive, intimidating or humiliating, and/or hostile[4]. It has been identified as an issue in Australian workplaces and for women and gender diverse employees working in male-dominated sectors.[5]
Everyday sexism refers to the routine, often subtle and normalised forms of sexism that occur in day-to-day life. Acts such as diminishing abilities, derisive and sexual jokes aimed at women and gender diverse employees, and assigning lesser roles based on their gender contribute to and reinforce gender inequality[6]. Left unaddressed, these can escalate and contribute to a broader culture that tolerates inequality and abuse.
Sexual harassment and gender discrimination are unlawful in Australia. Organisations and businesses have a legal duty to prevent and respond to such behaviour.
The key Australian Laws are:
- Sex Discrimination Act 1984: Prohibits sexual harassment, sex-based harassment and gender discrimination in employment, education and the provision of services.
- Fair Work Act 2009: Provides protection against sexual harassment in the workplace and enables victims to seek remedies through the Fair Work Commission.
- Work Health and Safety Acts: Require employers to provide a safe workplace, which includes preventing sexual harassment as a psychosocial hazard.
Focus group participants in the Gender Equality Scoping Study revealed that some women in the wine sector are subjected to everyday sexism and sexual harassment. Some participants said that sexual harassment is a ‘recognised but concealed’ problem in the industry. Many did not call out the behaviours for fear of retaliation in the form of compromised employment opportunities. Participants in the study also said that everyday sexism included an expectation to perform duties considered ‘domestic’, e.g. cleaning, diminishment of their abilities, and sexualised remarks and jokes directed toward them.
Leaders and colleagues alike can set the tone by challenging problematic behaviour, modelling respect and fostering inclusive workplace norms.
To meet their legal obligations and foster inclusive workplaces, business must establish clear, well-communicated policies. Clear policies reduce the prevalence and incidences of everyday sexism and sexual harassment.
These policies should:
- set out behavioural expectations
- outline reporting and complaints procedures
- detail the consequences for breaches
- create accountable and accessible paper trails about reports and responses to them.
When developed and implemented effectively, such policies contribute to a culture of safety, respect and accountability.
What to do when you hear or see sexist, disrespectful or sexually harassing behaviour
- Don’t laugh at sexism or sexist jokes or join in.
- Check in with the person affected, ask if they are okay and need support in any way.
- Let those perpetrating sexist language and behaviours know the behaviour is not okay: “The joke you made in yesterday’s meeting was not funny, and actually not okay.”
- At the time, calmly disagree and state that the comment is wrong or unacceptable.
- Challenge the logic: “That’s not my experience.” or “What makes you think that?”
- Make eye contact with the person affected — let them know you’re an ally.
- As a bystander you can report the behaviour to management, or via incident reporting systems.
Resources for reporting sexual harassment, discrimination and bullying. What are your rights and obligations?
Australian Fair Work Commission. Apply to resolve a sexual harassment dispute (Form F75)
This page guides individuals on how to apply for a resolution of sexual harassment disputes through the Fair Work Commission. It includes instructions for completing the Form F75 application and details about the dispute resolution process.
Australian Fair Work Commission. Apply to resolve a sexual harassment dispute (Form F75)
Australian Fair Work Commission. Respond to an application about workplace sexual harassment
This resource is for employers or individuals who have received a sexual harassment application. It explains the process of responding to such applications, including the steps to take and how to navigate the legal and procedural requirements in the Fair Work Commission.
Australian Fair Work Commission. Respond to an application about workplace sexual harassment
Australian Fair Work Commission. Sexual Harassment
This page provides detailed information about sexual harassment in the workplace as recognised by the Fair Work Commission. It explains how sexual harassment is defined, the responsibilities of employers and the legal protections employees are entitled to under Australian workplace laws.
Australian Fair Work Commission. Sexual Harassment and discrimination, the general protections and work health and safety
This document explores the relationship between sexual harassment, discrimination, general protections, and work health and safety. It provides an overview of how these issues are intertwined and outlines employees' rights and protections when facing harassment or discrimination at work.
Australian Fair Work Commission. Sexual Harassment. “What you can do if you’ve been sexually harassed”
This resource provides guidance for individuals who have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. It outlines steps employees can take, including how to report the incident, what legal avenues are available, and how to seek resolution through the Fair Work Commission.
Australian Fair Work Commission. Who can make a sexual harassment application?
This resource explains who is eligible to make a sexual harassment application through the Fair Work Commission. It details the criteria for individuals or organizations wishing to lodge a complaint, ensuring that those affected by harassment understand their rights to seek redress.
Australian Fair Work Commission. Who can make a sexual harassment application?
National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces: Have Your Say Conversation Toolkit
This toolkit is part of the National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces and encourages individuals to share their experiences and perspectives. It provides resources for employers, employees and the public to engage in conversations about sexual harassment and contribute to ongoing policy reforms.
National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces: Have Your Say Conversation Toolkit
Workplace Sexual harassment: Never part of the job. Regulatory guidance for employers on their work health and safety responsibilities
This guidance is aimed at employers, emphasising their legal responsibilities to prevent and address sexual harassment in the workplace. It offers practical advice on creating a safe environment for employees, preventing harassment and addressing any incidents that may occur.
Building inclusive workplaces — further tools for cultural change
Why is this important for my business?
- Training integrated with structural changes (mentoring, flexible work policies, inclusive hiring) can equip organisations for sustainable cultural transformation.
- A deliberately cultivated, gender-inclusive culture accelerates innovation and the quality of decision-making;it also reduces staff turnover and recruitment costs.
Participants in the Gender Equality Scoping Study highlighted a series of gender-based assumptions that impacted their work and career pathways. Their feedback revealed how toxic behaviours across all organisational levels specifically harm women and gender diverse employees in a range of roles in the wine sector.
Training, professional development and other tools are commonly used in organisations of all sizes to address toxic behaviours in the workplace. This can include unconscious bias training, designed to help employees recognise and counteract automatic mental shortcuts and assumptions they may not be aware of making. It also includes bystander training, designed to equip employees with practical strategies to safely intervene when witnessing inappropriate workplace behaviours. Despite being widely accepted as workplace actions to improve organisational culture, research cautions that unconscious bias and bystander training approaches often fail to create lasting behavioural change or improve workplace equity and may not produce the intended outcomes for employees[7]. For example, unconscious bias training carries the risk of entrenching biases in those who are resistant to undertaking the training.
Earlier sections of the toolkit address practical approaches to these aspects — the resources below complement these. On their own, these tools will not create cultural change but used alongside organisational action to make structural change, these approaches can challenge and change workplace cultures that perpetuate outdated attitudes and stereotypes.
The resources in this section highlight a range of approaches businesses of all sizes can take to build fair, friendly and respectful working environments.
‘Stepping in’: A bystander action toolkit to support equality and respect at work - VicHealth
The ‘Stepping In’ toolkit by VicHealth is aimed at helping individuals in the workplace act as positive bystanders to support equality and respect. It offers guidance on how to intervene when witnessing disrespectful or discriminatory behaviour and how to do so in a manner that upholds safety and respect for all parties involved.
‘Stepping in’: A bystander action toolkit to support equality and respect at work - VicHealth
An employee’s guide to difficult conversations in the workplace - Fair Work Ombudsman
This is a guide for employees preparing for a difficult conversation in the workplace. ‘Difficult conversations’ can make employees feel uncomfortable and many people try to avoid them. However, difficult conversations can help to resolve workplace issues more rapidly. This guide helps employees gain the skills and confidence needed to discuss workplace issues. It provides advice on how to prepare for and handle such conversations, how to manage emotions and what to do after the conversation. See also the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Difficult Conversations in the Workplace below.
An employee’s guide to difficult conversations in the workplace - Fair Work Ombudsman
An employee’s guide to fixing workplace problems - Fair Work Ombudsman
This guide is for employees dealing with workplace problems and provides a four-step process for employees to address workplace issues with their employers. It provides examples relating to pay and entitlements, gender equity and workplace flexibility.
An employee’s guide to fixing workplace problems - Fair Work Ombudsman
Fair Work Ombudsman’s Difficult Conversations in the Workplace – employee’s online course
The Fair Work Ombudsman provides a free online course for employees at fairwork.gov.au/learning. This course includes interactive scenarios to help employees prepare for difficult workplace conversations and to practise their workplace conversations skills.
Fair Work Ombudsman’s Difficult Conversations in the Workplace – employee’s online course
Gender equality and intersecting forms of diversity - Workplace Gender Equality Agency
This resource explores how gender equality is influenced by intersecting factors such as race, class, sexuality, disability and culture. It highlights the importance of adopting an intersectional approach to understanding inequality and provides insights into how inclusive strategies can address the diverse experiences and barriers faced by different groups.
Gender equality and intersecting forms of diversity - Workplace Gender Equality Agency
Online Active Bystander Project + toolkit - Gender Equity Victoria
This online toolkit from Gender Equity Victoria focuses on promoting active bystander intervention to prevent gender-based violence and discrimination. The toolkit provides practical resources and strategies for individuals to safely intervene and support a culture of gender equality and respect in their workplaces and communities.
Online Active Bystander Project + toolkit - Gender Equity Victoria
Respectful language and communication guide - Tasmanian Government
This guide provides practical advice on how to use respectful language and communicate effectively within a workplace or community setting. It highlights the importance of creating a respectful environment and offers tips on avoiding harmful language that could contribute to discrimination or harassment.
Respectful language and communication guide - Tasmanian Government
Workplace Equality and Respect Standards - Our Watch
The Workplace Equality and Respect Standards developed by OurWatch offer a set of guidelines for organisations to create equitable and respectful workplace environments. These standards emphasise the importance of addressing gender inequality, preventing violence and fostering respect and inclusion in workplace culture.