Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Australia’s multicultural society is reflected in Avant’s membership and the diverse communities they serve. We seek for a culture of inclusivity and diversity to be fostered across the healthcare industry, and to provide a leading example of a diverse and inclusive workplace.
We are committed to diversity and inclusion in our own workplace and are forming targets on the inclusion of several minority groups within our employees, including Indigenous Australians, people with disabilities and differing gender identities. 40% of our senior managers are female, which reflects the steps already taken on gender equity.
United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals are used to guide us in delivering greater inclusion and diversity
In May 2024, Reconciliation Australia approved Avant’s Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan – a 12-month program of work that sees Avant join a network of more than 2,500 corporate, government, and not-for-profit organisations that have made a formal commitment to reconciliation through the RAP program.
Avant is an equal opportunities employer with over half of our workforce being female, including our Group CEO. Of the elected doctor members on the Avant Mutual Board half are female.
Our employees supported International Women’s Day (IWD) with messages amplifying the 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign and we spoke at the Royal Australian College of Surgeons IWD breakfast in Hobart, focused on Celebrating Women in Medicine.
Avant lodges a report with the Workplace Gender Equality Agency each year to ensure transparency on Avant’s situation and demonstrate progress made against stated goals. The report notes gender splits, paid parental leave and support for carers along with other information on Avant’s policies and tables on workplace profile tables.
Our Parental Leave Policy offers paid leave entitlements for both primary and secondary carers. Primary carers are eligible for 16 weeks paid parental leave and secondary carers up to 6 weeks.