EMPLOYMENT EQUITY
Diversity of workforce and compliance with the Employment Equity Act are critical for the transformation of Woolworths. This is embedded and aligned to the business strategy, succession planning, talent management processes and employee engagement.
During the year Woolworths went through a Director General review of employment equity progress with the department of Labour, which highlighted the need to focus on African representation at senior management level and disability representation.
There has been extensive work done to ensure integrated and sustainable Employment Equity (EE) Act compliance across the business via diversity committees in all business units.
These committees are meeting, on average, on a monthly basis. The mandate of these committees has been well defined through ongoing training of diversity committee members; Let’s Talk! is a successful engagement methodology at all diversity committee meetings to ensure compliance with the EE Act. Some of the major benefits of the Let’s Talk! methodology are effective engagement, escalation of EE issues, driving accountability and ensuring a two-way feedback process. The continuous improvement of Integrated Performance Management (IPM) has now seen BEE and/or transformation included in individual employees’ performance goals. Individual goals coupled with an effective tracking and measurement capability, contribute in embedding BEE as a way of working that is integral to business strategy.