Ahoy

METL Retains Accreditation as White Ribbon Workplace

In 2013 METL was excited to take part in the pilot group of Australian organisations working towards gaining recognition as an accredited White Ribbon Workplace.

On the strength of METL’s demonstrable commitment to providing a safe working environment for women in a heavily male dominated industry, as well as its workforce’s dedication towards enacting social change, METL was successful in becoming the 8^th organisation in Australia to be accredited as a White Ribbon Workplace.

In the intervening time since accreditation METL has continued to support White Ribbon in word and deed. When the reaccreditation requirements were announced in 2016 METL once again put its hand up to take part and seek renewal of its status as a recognised White Ribbon Workplace.

METL CEO Simon Earle addresses students from the Woollahra Council area 2016

The process for reaccreditation followed a similar structure to the initial accreditation process. Organisations were invited to submit evidence in order to demonstrate that they meet 15 distinct criteria across 3 standards – Leadership and Commitment, Prevention of Violence Against Women, and Responses to Violence Against Women.

To fully demonstrate the breadth of METL activities, over 100 articles of individual evidence were submitted as part of the assessment process. These articles gave an overview of METL Policies & Procedures, examples of policy in action, executive staff involvement in White Ribbon activities, co-branding and promotion, and a host of further instances of METL living and breathing the White Ribbon message.

Submissions for reaccreditation were examined by objective third party assessors between December 2016 and March 2017. Last month the METL team was happy to learn that all criteria for reaccreditation had been met, with the final report showing several instances of the assessors judging METLs activities to be above and beyond the requirements laid out by White Ribbon.

METL CEO Simon Earle accepts the renewed accreditation certificate from Ronan Smyth,
Executive Manager of the White Ribbon Workplaces Accreditation program.

“Gender inequality, and the violence that often goes with it, are pervasive issues in our society. I think the workplace provides unique opportunities to address this, so as employers we have a responsibility,” says Simon Earle, METL CEO.  “I am proud of what the METL team do every day, and the re-accreditation shows us that we are contributing to a change.”

Posted in Ahoy at 13 April 17