Progress Reports

• Review applicable standards and good practice guidelines to determine minimum requirements and assessment criteria.
• Commenced desktop assessment of applicable standards and guidelines for CFA work locations.
• Liaised with industry regarding expectations for government facilities.
• Conducted initial location audits against identified criteria and compile a register for all CFA work locations.
• Commenced desktop assessment of CFA fire stations, focussed on toilet facilities as initial priority.
• Created central register of amenities at CFA fire stations related to equitable access to facilities.

• Wellness room
• Prayer room
• Parents room
• End of trip facilities for change and shower facilities.

We have introduced Executive metrics for gender balance in internal and external recruitment shortlists.

We have launched the Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP) in 2021-2025 and our Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Strategy 2023-2025. These strategic pieces of work are being delivered in conjunction with the Behavioural Standards and Culture Review work at CFA. We are in the early stages of implementation and engagement in creating a more inclusive across our staff and our volunteer.

We have undertaken gap analysis and researched actions against the indicators.

As a result, we have undertaken the following actions:

• Developed a checklist on unconscious bias, stereotyping, inclusive language and psychological safety for selection panels.
• Developed gender-focused attraction strategies towards advertising in sectors like automotive, specifically targeting women. Further, we are leveraging gender decoders to ensure our outreach is gender-neutral, broadening our appeal to potential talent.
• Integrated an intersectional lens into our recruitment and selection procedure. This progressive shift ensures our hiring is both diverse and meets global standards of inclusivity.
• Designed and developed Inclusive Language guide.
• Finalised recruitment and selection procedure with intersectional lens.
• Currently reviewing how we conduct interviews and creating a new guide to allow more conversation based interview processes.
• Introduced an advanced interview guide with a comprehensive checklist. This tool ensures that every interview process is free from bias, promotes inclusivity, and upholds the psychological safety of all participants.
• Have strategically pivoted towards advertising in sectors like automotive, specifically targeting women.
• Revamping recruitment advertisements to spotlight CFA's inclusive culture including more diverse imagery and written content.

Our employee value proposition is being refined to convey that CFA is not just a workplace but a community that values and celebrates diversity.

CFA is delivering against Priority Initiative 1.2 Design and implement people development programs, including sponsorship and mentoring programs through three key programs:

1. CFA Women in Leadership Mentoring Program - Designed and implemented a pilot Women in Leadership Mentoring Program, now in it's second year due to the success of the pilot.
2. EMV Sponsorship of Diverse Talent Program - CFA was part of a Emergency Management Victoria working group that that designed, implemented, delivered and participated in a pilot sponsorship program of diverse talent across the sector. The program is in its second year.
3. The Behaviours at CFA E-Learn - CFA have launched this introductory module that supports members to contribute to a safe, inclusive and respectful CFA.
4. Behavioural Standards - CFA designed and delivered is a key piece of work that sets out the required standards of behaviour for all CFA Members, Officers and Contractors which helps create and promote a safe and respectful environment within CFA.

Executives now have key performance indicators (KPI’s) to ensure that D&I principles are embedded in People Manager performance metrics with a focus on implementing strategies that assist in eliminating biases in the hiring process to promote inclusion and diversity.

The key outcomes are:

• provide a working environment in which team members feel appropriately informed, supported to do their work, safe to speak up and valued for their individual differences and
• team members are actively encouraged to complete diversity and inclusion foundation learning modules and to participate in D&I awareness events.
• Objective: Provide strategic leadership that empowers and motivates the workforce, fostering a culture of high performance, inclusion, safety and continuous improvement.
• Measurement - Diversity and Inclusion: Champion diversity and inclusion efforts, promoting a diverse workforce by ensure recruitment for leadership positions includes shortlisted candidates of diverse genders.

All People Managers are assigned the common People Leader Objectives within the online Performance and Development Plan System. They automatically receive the common People Leader Objective which includes:

• Objective - Providing a working environment in which team members feel appropriately informed, supported to do their work, safe to speak up and valued for their individual differences.
• Measurement - Team members are actively encouraged to complete the SBS diversity and inclusion foundation learning modules and to participate in D&I awareness events.

The release of the Behavioural Standards is a key piece of work that helps create and promote a safe and respectful environment within CFA. This includes an improved complaints management process for raising concerns and issues.

As part of CFA’s vision to become a modern, inclusive emergency service organisation, it is committed to creating an environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying or violence where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Encouraging this culture means taking a strong stance on unacceptable and inappropriate behaviours. The Standards provide a clearly defined set of expectations and highlight that we all have a part to play in its success. It is by knowing what the minimum standards are, demonstrating them through our actions and expecting the same standards of everyone at CFA will afford us to hold ourselves and others to account.

Behavioural Standards - During the development of the Behavioural Standards, which apply to all CFA members (employees, secondees and volunteers), CFA consulted with members, unions, and VFBV. CFA commenced the roll-out of Behavioural Standard session in 2022. Roll-out included both employees and volunteers and consisted of a face-to-face workshop with tailored real-life (de-identified) scenarios that members have experienced to facilitate and support brigade and work unit conversations about how the Behavioural Standards apply. This is now a business as usual package.

Up until the end of the reporting period we have delivered 217 sessions and reached 3621 members ( 1088 staff and 2533 volunteers). This ongoing program, integrated into our business as usual, has demonstrated early positive outcomes.

Notably, we have observed a reduction in sexual harassment complaints signalling a positive impact on our workplace culture. The program's emphasis on fostering a respectful and safe environment for individuals to speak up has contributed to these encouraging results. The continuous integration of this initiative is instrumental in promoting a culture of awareness and respect within CFA.

CFA had developed a "Behaviours at CFA" e-learn module during the reporting period and recently launched this to all employees. It is an introductory module that supports members to contribute to a safe, inclusive and respectful CFA. It replaces the current Equal Opportunity elearn module, ensuring CFA members receive up-to-date information about policy and legislative changes related to the CFA Behavioural Standards which includes Respect at Work component. These changes include the Federal Government's Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Act 2022 (Respect@Work Act), which introduces a new requirement on employers and business owners to eliminate workplace sex discrimination and harassment.

We have commenced actions with the following:

• Scoped specifications and engage external provider.
• Identified and agreed on business drivers in consultation with senior leaders.
• Held interviews and focus group sessions to inform the development of success profiles for volunteer roles.
• Determined priority leadership capabilities.

Leaders including CEO/CO, consistently encouraged completion, with portfolio and departmental leadership doing the same. This engagement included the following:

• Completion of People Matter Survey was promoted through All Staff meetings in May, June and July 2023.
• 10 May, information session and encouragement to participate on 10th May. Reminders were circulated to the organisation in on 13th and 19th June.
• On 26th June, after the close date, an email was sent to staff advising participation rates and next steps.
• Individual Managers met with their teams to provide results.
• The overall results were announced at an All staff briefing.

The People Matter Survey results indicate a positive trend, the 2% increase demonstrates a positive trend in participation. This underscores the effectiveness of our ongoing initiatives and highlights the impact of our commitment to fostering a secure and inclusive workplace environment.

Examined current datasets, undertaking a gap analysis.

BAU to enhance diversity-related data as it becomes available, aligning with initiatives aimed at fostering a culture of inclusivity and safety disclosure mechanisms.

We have made progress in identifying key systems and mechanisms that facilitate the monitoring and reporting of critical demographic data on a scheduled basis. Our commitment to data transparency and inclusivity is evident in the capture of intersectional data through the People Matter Survey.

CFA is undertaking a review of all people resource systems and a collection of more diversity information will be included as requirements for any future changes.

We have reviewed our existing dashboards through a gap analysis, leading to the incorporation of D&I data into our Board reporting.

Quarterly reporting on progress against the GEAP and D&I Strategy is consistently provided to the CFA Board and Executive Groups.

We are continually reviewing our dashboards and enhancing them. We believe there is value in collecting and maintaining additional data elements to further enhance reporting and will continue to evaluate this on an ongoing basis.

Reviewed existing dashboard, conducted gap analysis.

D&I Data now included in Board reporting.

BAU to enhance diversity-related data as it becomes available, aligning with initiatives aimed at fostering a culture of inclusivity and safety disclosure mechanisms.

CFA has also launched the Behaviours at CFA e-learn module, a mandatory employee module that supports members to contribute to a safe, inclusive and respectful CFA. It replaces the current Equal Opportunity module, ensuring CFA members receive up-to-date information about policy and legislative changes related to the CFA Behavioural Standards which includes Respect at Work component . These changes include the Federal Government's Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Act 2022 (Respect@Work Act), which introduces a new requirement on employers and business owners to eliminate workplace sex discrimination and harassment.

Initiated the development of a mandatory eLearning module procedure which is currently working its way through CFA's internal consultation and policy/procedure approval processes. This marks notable progress toward reinforcing Behavioral Standards by clarifying CFA's policy position for mandatory learning.

Behavioural Standards sessions targeted at new staff are run on at least a quarterly basis to ensure that compliance rates remain high, and People Experience team have an annual program of Behavioural Standards workshops targeted at volunteers, with specific brigades/localities prioritised for attendance in consultation with local operational leadership.

The new recruitment and selection procedure was informed by an external desktop review, legislation, changes in the public sector and similar policies and procedures in other public sector organisations. Recommendations implemented in new procedure.

Developed checklist for hiring managers and selection panel members that addresses unconscious bias, stereotyping, inclusive language and psychological safety. Intent provide prompts to hiring managers to have better conversations.

The new recruitment and selection procedure was informed by a desktop review of legislation, changes in the public sector and similar policies and procedures in other public sector organisations. Recommendations implemented in new procedure.

Developed checklist for hiring managers and selection panel members that addresses unconscious bias, stereotyping, inclusive language and psychological safety. Intent provide prompts to hiring managers to have better conversations.

Work currently being undertaken for the review process.

We are looking at including a broader leadership KSC that includes this and other important leadership aspects.

Developed checklist for hiring managers and selection panel members that addresses unconscious bias, stereotyping, inclusive language and psychological safety.

We are in the process of developing training for leaders to further enhance their understanding and application of the checklist. We anticipate positive results from this training initiative in the next reporting period, demonstrating our commitment to ongoing improvement and an inclusive and bias-free recruitment environment.

Checklist complete and included in interview guide.

Family Violence Leave draft procedure has been completed and currently going through internal approval process.

Parental Leave policy has been approved.

The draft procedure for Family Violence Leave has been completed and is currently undergoing the internal approval process. Simultaneously, the Parental Leave policy has been approved and implemented.

Family violence training has been provided to HR Business Partners, HR Services and the Wellbeing team ensuring they are well placed to support and respond to an employee experiencing family violence.

An internal Family Violence leave and support page has been established to support access to trained contact points.

Parental Leave procedure developed, approved and promoted.

The proposed DMO/TO Agreement will align parental leave with the provisions in the PTA Agreement which match the VPS entitlements.

In our ongoing commitment to D&I, we have established opportunities for employees to participate in sponsored secondments for non-traditional roles.

We have engaged with local TAFEs to actively market apprenticeships, promoting opportunities for diverse gender groups. Additionally, we advertise all District Mechanical Officer roles in 'Women in Automotive.' CFA had three female apprentices, two have since left due to personal reasons that were not related to their sense of belonging.

Improved diversity of campaign and promotional materials are being developed to enable us to better target specific demographics and encourage applications.

We have completed a desktop review and initiated unconscious bias and gender awareness education for hiring managers and selection panels. To enhance our outreach, we are developing improved campaign and promotional materials, aiming to better target specific demographics and encourage diverse applications.

While these initiatives are in the early stages, we anticipate positive movement in future reporting periods.

GIA work has addressed gendered and intersectional issues for the Head Office Refurbishment. Internal collaboration processes are underway to ensure progress in promoting gender equality and inclusion for our staff and volunteers.

In the CFA Headquarters refurbishment at Burwood includes a prayer room and parents' room which has resulted in fit for user fit-out. This project also included the provision of an accessible toilet facility.

To ensure ongoing improvement, we are committed to conducting an annual audit of facilities and prioritising key upgrades, especially focusing on gender requirements.

In the reporting period between 2021 and 2023 CFA have made progress in the retention of women in the workforce. We launched our Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Strategy in 2023. The gender composition of the workforce maintained at 59% female in 2021 to 61% in 2023. Of our total workforce in fulltime employment, we have seen a steady composition of women in fulltime employment from 2021 (57%) to 2023 (58%), this is in line with the overall composition of the workforce indicating little gender variation for full time employment. For part-time employment, CFA has also seen a steady distribution for 2021 and 2023 at (88%) to (89%) respectively. This means that more women are choosing to take up part-time employment than men. There has been an increase in the percentage of women in casual roles from 2021 (47%) to 2023 (53%).

There has been an increase in the number of women in leadership roles at CFA and overall the gender composition across the organisation has remained steady throughout the reporting period, In 2021, looking at PTA Levels 1 to 5 we had 64.6% women of the total staff body, and for PTA 6 and above (leadership roles) we had 41.3%. In 2023 for PTA level 1 to 5 we had 67.6% women and for PTA 6 and above (leadership roles) we have had a 9.8% increase to 45.8% women.

This progress has been as a result of the these actions below:

Policy Development
We now have policies in place - flexible work, personal and parental leave and family violence leave that will assist in encouraging men to take on more family and caring responsibilities.

Behavioural Standards Training
From the commencement of reporting on 28/02/2023 until 30/06/2023 we had 1088 staff and 2533 volunteers undertake the training. This training has seen a positive shift in the psychological safety of the workplace to enable retention of women and people of diverse genders across the organisation.

Leadership Development
We are currently developing leadership training that will embed diversity and inclusion principles across the organisation. We expect this to empower our leaders to create greater retention and promotion of women and people from our key diversity areas (LGBTIQA+, First Nations, People with Disability, Culturally Diverse, Older and Younger Persons along with Women)

Active Recruitment Processes
We have begun specific recruitment campaigns to bring women into non-traditional roles into CFA. We have advertised in "Women's Automotive". We are developing a volunteer driver training program to assist and promote medium and heavy rigid licences for women and people of diverse genders.
We have developed a checklist on unconscious bias, stereotyping, inclusive language and psychological safety for selection panels.

In this reporting period, the Gender Composition of the Governing bodies has remained steady with 5 women and 6 men represented.

The Board is appointed under the CFA Act. We operate with a constant 40-40-20 rule in our governing body.

CFA’s gender pay gap in mean total remuneration experienced a slight increase from 9.1% in 2021 to 11.8% in 2023. Similarly, the mean base salary pay gap rose marginally from 10.3% in 2021 to 11.5% in 2023. These statistics highlight a slight rise in the average total remuneration for men within CFA. Upon investigation into the reasons behind the gender pay gap, we found that it is primarily driven by a higher proportion of women in junior roles, as 78% of CFA’s three most junior levels are occupied by women (270/345 PTA1, 2 and 3 are women – this represents 33% of the employee workforce). 44.5% of CFA's senior roles (PTA 6 and above) are occupied by women, indicating that upward mobility is not the main driver of the gap.

When analysing the gender pay gap on a level-by-level basis, we noted minimal variation between the average pay for men and women. Notable discrepancies emerged at the PTA 1 and PTA 2 level, where women received an average of 8% more than men, and at the Executive 1 level, where women also received 8% more than men on average. At all other levels, which constitute the majority, only minor variations were observed, ranging from -2% to +3%, indicating equal remuneration for work of equal or comparable value across nearly all levels of the workforce, irrespective of gender at CFA.

The work being done with Behavioural Standards, D&I Strategy and GEAP are having a pronounced and measurable positive effect on the culture to report.

People Matter Survey
In the 2021 reporting period for the People Matter Survey, 9% of women and 2% of men reported encountering sexual harassment at work, with figures improving to 8% and 3% respectively in 2023. People Matter Survey in 2023 reports. 1 person lodged a formal complaint.

Behaviours Standards
From the commencement of reporting on 28/02/2023 until 30/06/2023 we had 1088 staff and 2533 volunteers undertake the training. This initiative, coupled with clarified expectations for leaders, is fostering a positive shift in our organisational culture and enhancing the safety for reporting incidents. The introduction of the new Sexual Harassment Policy is poised to further solidify our commitment to creating a safer and more inclusive environment for both staff and volunteers. According to the People Matter survey, the percentage of individuals who refrained from making a complaint due to feeling unsafe to report dropped from 17% in 2022 to 8% in 2023. This decrease aligns with the implementation of the Behavioural Standards training and falls below the public sector average of 9%, indicating progress in our efforts to promote a supportive reporting environment.

Culture Review
As part of our Culture Review improvements have been made to complaints process including anonymous reporting.

In the last reporting period we have had 2 secondments into fulltime permanent positions both were filled by women. We have had 57 internal secondments to higher levels - 34 for women and 23 and men.

Our employee value proposition is being refined to convey that CFA is a workplace that values and celebrates diversity.

Targeted recruitment
We have begun targeted recruitment campaigns to place women and people of diverse genders in non-traditional roles.

Review Selection Criteria for Senior Roles
Executives now have D&I KPIs to ensure that we are building a more inclusive CFA with visible leadership across all major portfolios.

Since the last reporting period we have introduced the following to support diversity recruitment and promotion:

• Developed a checklist on unconscious bias, stereotyping, inclusive language and psychological safety for selection panels.
• Developed gender-focused attraction strategies towards advertising in sectors like automotive, specifically targeting women.
• We are leveraging gender decoders to ensure our outreach is gender-neutral, broadening our appeal to potential talent.
• Integrated an intersectional lens into our recruitment and selection procedure. This progressive shift ensures our hiring is both diverse and meets global standards of inclusivity.
• Designed and developed Inclusive Language guide.
• Finalised recruitment and selection procedure with intersectional lens.
• Currently reviewing how we conduct interviews and creating a new guide to allow more conversation based processes.
• Introduced an advanced interview guide with a comprehensive checklist. This tool ensures that every interview process is free from bias, promotes inclusivity, and upholds the psychological safety of all participants.
• Have strategically pivoted towards advertising in sectors like automotive, specifically targeting women.
• Ensuring recruitment advertisements highlight CFA's inclusive culture including more diverse imagery and written content.

Availability and utilisation of terms, conditions and practices relating to:

• family violence leave; and
• flexible working arrangements; and
• working arrangements supporting employees with family or caring responsibilities

We have had 4 women and 2 men access family violence leave during this reporting period.

We have developed a Family Violence leave policy, Flexible Work Arrangement policy and Parental Leave policy which have been implemented across the organisation. We are also currently consulting on the Sexual Harassment Policy. These policies included consultation and have had Gender Impact Assessments conducted to ensure that we are taking an intersectional lens to our approach. These policies are significant developments in CFA's journey to gender equality.

Our HR Business Partners, HR Advisors and members of the wellbeing team have been trained as contact points. The family violence leave and supporting procedure was developed to include provisions for paid leave, flexible work arrangements, and a commitment to fostering a workplace culture that prioritises the safety and well-being of all employees.

Our position has remained steady across managerial and professional roles from 2021 to 2023.

We have developed and implemented a checklist on unconscious bias, stereotyping, inclusive language and psychological safety for selection panels.

We have developed gender-focused attraction strategies towards advertising in sectors like automotive, specifically targeting women. Further, we are leveraging gender decoders to ensure our outreach is gender-neutral, broadening our appeal to potential talent.

Women continue to outweigh men in clerical and administrative roles at 77% in 2021 and 80% in 2023.