Respect in the workplace

Companies For

Promoting A Respectful

Respect for underrepresented groups within Australia’s mining sector has been a huge focus for the industry following a number of high-profile workplace issues leading to a Parliamentary Inquiry.

Through this dialogue, it has become clear that embedding a culture where every individual, regardless of background, gender and sexuality, should be respected equally in the workplace, and feel respected, engaged and included is the key to ensuring the industry remains safe and attractive to all participants.

As a means of promoting a healthy, safe and respectful workplace, Gold Fields has commenced a movement called the Respectful Workplaces campaign.

Gold Fields is a truly global mining company. With headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa, the company’s Australian assets include a 100 per cent interest in the St Ives, Agnew and Granny Smith mines, and a 50 per cent interest in the Gruyere JV project with Gold Road Resources in the Yilgarn area of Western Australia.

Gold Fields’ Respectful Workplace campaign is one of four core elements of the company’s worldwide cultural program, the Gold Fields Way, which focuses on the goal of being ‘stronger together’

Safe to Work spoke to Gold Fields Australia’s vice-president, people and engagement Karen Bradshaw, who said the campaign is about encouraging and empowering the company’s people to have safe and respectful conversations with one another about what respect means to them.

“We know that conversations and regular dialogue build positive relationships between people and over time create an environment of psychological safety and trust,” Bradshaw said.

“When people know and trust each other, they feel much safer to speak up, to listen to each other and understand how their behaviour impacts others.”

Bradshaw said the campaign has been put together based on two years of listening-based consultations with Gold Fields’ employees and employees of business partners. These consultations helped shape a broad range of measures.

“These measures range from policy (such as) enforcing our zero-tolerance approach to disrespectful behaviours through to practical initiatives like providing a better standard of facilities to all employees and free sanitary products across our sites,” Bradshaw said.

Achieving a respectful workplace culture, Bradshaw said, requires a multifaceted approach.

“We keep front of mind that people need to speak, be heard and feel respected in different ways, and our campaign is flexible enough to accommodate these needs,” Bradshaw said. “It is also important to keep in mind that our workforce is diverse and that we look at all diversity attributes to address issues which impact our whole workforce, including bullying, discrimination and racism.”

In addition to a multi-faceted approach, the Respectful Workplaces campaign has taken a behaviourchange-based and leader-led approach that aims to prevent harm before it occurs.

“Our leaders are accountable for our culture. We are working with our leaders to improve their capability to lead culture, including equipping them with the tools and understanding to have more conversations around sensitive issues early before they escalate,” Bradshaw said.

“We would like to make our business a more open place for people to talk and listen to sensitive issues and to be able to let others know how they would like to be treated in our workplace.

“We know these issues can be difficult and uncomfortable for both leaders and team members. So we are also putting in place the support needed to create safe spaces designed with care so that people feel heard and supported.

“The more people we empower to speak up and listen to these issues, the safer and more inclusive our work environments will become.

“Ultimately, it is about creating workplace environments that people can be their best in.”

While in its early stages, Gold Fields’ Respectful Workplace campaign has so far had a positive impact. The company said it is seeing more people speak up about behaviour they find disrespectful, both in terms of those who are experiencing it themselves and bystanders who have witnessed poor behaviour towards others.

“We have created an education kit for leaders,” Bradshaw said.

“(This includes) 10 conversation modules, a handbook and supporting conversation cards that assist leaders in having conversations with their teams about respectful behaviour, unwelcome behaviour, the difference between intent and impact, how to speak up, and how to be an ally.”

A new visual campaign modelling respectful and disrespectful interactions for Gold Fields’ site villages has also been introduced, as has a series of training courses.

“Wrapped around this are all the physical changes we have made across the business and on our sites, like improving camp security, modernising ablution facilities and diversifying our range of personal protective equipment (PPE) clothing and equipment,” Bradshaw said.

Gold Fields is also collaborating with industry organisations such as Gold Industry Group and working closely with its business partners to share the messaging of the campaign.

“We know that behaviour change must be felt across our business and more broadly across the industry,” Bradshaw said.

“This is a long-term ambition which requires a long-term commitment and collaboration across the industry.

“Through our Respectful Workplaces campaign, and our wider work (in creating) a more caring, courageous and inclusive culture, we will get there.”