BHP states the race is on for a gender-balanced boardroom, and importantly, a gender balance of employees.
The mining major emphasises flexible work to achieve greater workforce diversity, with almost half (46 per cent) of its workforce, both operational and office based, claiming they work flexibly.
A further 8.6 per cent indicated they would embrace flexible work over the next 12 months.
Flexible work arrangements are being used by BHP’s long-distance commuters and residential employees at its operations through rosters and job share arrangements.
This has challenged the prevailing mindset that flexibility is only available to office-based employees, according to BHP.
BHP promoted three women to its executive leadership team last February. The leadership team features six men and five women with the latest appointments.
“To better reflect the communities in which we work, we set an ambitious, aspirational goal to achieve gender balance across BHP globally by the 2025 financial year,” BHP said.
“Since 2016 when we announced our aspiration goal, overall female representation has increased from 17.6 per cent to 22.4 per cent and the number of women in the business globally has increased by over 2000, or 40 per cent.”
Internal reporting revealed those who were formally working flexibly reported a significant increase in wellness compared to the overall group average.
Haul truck operators at Western Australian Iron Ore’s (WAIO) Mount Whaleback operations have also reported a 60 per cent reduction in fatigue related events after adopting an even time roster. Whaleback operators have worked a two-day, two-night, four-day off roster – a short duration and rapid change from day to night shift – for the past 20 years.