We’re committed to creating a culture of respect and inclusion across all parts of our organisation, and embedding reconciliation through respectful and mutually beneficial partnerships, education, understanding, respect, and recognition.
In 2019, we created our Indigenous Employee Network (IEN) following a suggestion from employees. The IEN was designed to help to share knowledge and stories, build meaningful relationships, provide support, and facilitate learning about each other’s cultures, with a view to sharing these across the Origin workforce.
Starting with around 30 employees, the network has grown to more than 70 members in 2022, as Origin continues to focus on employing more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Co-chaired by Indigenous employees, Tania Carlos and Brigitte Bin Awel, the network meets six times per year. Members of the Origin Executive Leadership Team are invited to attend, with agenda topics focused on the development of members, building awareness of different business unit strategies and providing opportunities for employee growth and wellbeing.
The network supported the development of an Indigenous employee handbook which outlines the support groups and channels available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees. These include the IEN, Reconciliation groups across the business, and a buddy system, in which all new Indigenous employees are offered the opportunity to buddy with an IEN member to provide additional support.
We also recognise the importance of cultural obligations and the ability to participate in cultural activities by implementing, in consultation with the IEN, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Leave policy. This supports employees with an additional three days of paid leave per year to help our people meet traditional law (or lore), customary law, family and community obligations or to participate in ceremonial, cultural or religious activities.
In addition, all employees are asked to complete online cultural awareness training, developed in consultation with our IEN, and the option of face-to-face cultural awareness workshops to learn more about relationships, respect and opportunities to support our broader Reconciliation journey.
In 2022, we surveyed IEN members to see what was working well and how we could improve. It was rewarding to see that 84 per cent of respondents felt supported by the network. What they liked most was feeling connected to other Indigenous employees from across Australia and the opportunity to meet with leadership team members to openly discuss attraction, retention and promotion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees and how to promote cultural education and support across our organisation.
Tania Carlos, Co-Chair of the network, said, “When we started this network, I had been with Origin for five years and only knew five Indigenous employees. Thanks to the network, I now know more than 70! It is wonderful knowing we have so many Indigenous people employed across the business and that we have a way to connect with each other.”
Co-Chair of the network, Brigitte Bin Awel, added, “Meeting with the leadership team has provided a fantastic opportunity to discuss progress and help guide our executive on our Reconciliation Action Plan and on Indigenous issues more broadly. To have a voice amongst our senior leaders has enabled us to provide insights into issues impacting Indigenous employees at Origin, which has led to better decision making and the deployment of key initiatives to support all Indigenous employees.”
