About | LGBTQIA+ inclusion at Aurecon

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Advancing social sustainability and LGBTQIA+ inclusion

At Aurecon we are proud advocates of LGBTQIA+ inclusion and are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace where we value, respect and support all employees regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

We are building a culture that rejects harassment, bullying, discrimination, and stereotypes and actively supports difference, builds connections, and provides psychological and cultural safety. A culture where everyone feels supported and encouraged to be their best self is something we value across all our offices.

Here are some of the ways in which we are advocating for change across our industry.

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Our initiatives

Our awards and recognition

Aurecon Pride

Aurecon Pride is a network for leaders and employees who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender intersex or queer and other members of the community (LGBTQIA+) – in Australia and New Zealand. Aurecon strategically drives LGBTQIA+ inclusion through its Aurecon Pride Action Plan, developed with guidance from Pride in Diversity.

Pride in Diversity is Australia's first and only not-for-profit workplace programme designed specifically to assist Australian employers with the inclusion LGBTQ employees. Pride in Diversity publishes the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI), Australia’s national benchmarking instrument for LGBTQ workplace inclusion from which Top Employers for LGBTQ people is determined.

Aurecon participates in the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) and uses the Index to monitor progress and help improve workplace practices.

Aurecon also participates in other benchmarking indexes to monitor its progress and improve workplace practices, such as those run by the Diversity Council of Australia.

The Aurecon Pride action plan for Australia and New Zealand focuses on activity to increase LGBTQIA+ inclusion and aims to:

Create a safe and inclusive environment where people can be their true selves

Increase staff engagement in a work environment that is respectful and inclusive of individual difference

Mitigate harassment, bullying, and discrimination risks, be compliant, and promote a genuine duty of care to our people

Build the Aurecon brand, enhancing our reputation and communicating our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion

Become an employer of choice in competitive markets by attracting, retaining and engaging the top talent

LGBTQIA+ in STEM

Aurecon is playing a broader role in addressing the significant underrepresentation of LGBTQIA+ members in STEM. We are doing this by being co-founders and founding members of:

LGBT+ in STEM – a New Zealand professional networking group and support platform for LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) individuals, established in 2018 and aimed at improving the visibility of LGBTI in workplaces
InterEngineer in Australia for LGBTI+ individuals and allies working in the engineering sector
Pride in Water – a network created for LGBTIQ+ people and allies who work in the water industry throughout Australia

In January 2019, Aurecon became the first consulting engineer in New Zealand to be Rainbow Tick certified. We maintained our accreditation in 2020 and 2021. The Rainbow Tick is a quality improvement cycle designed to make an organisation a safe, welcoming, and inclusive place for people of diverse gender identity and sexual orientation.

We are creating a culture inclusive of all sexes, genders, gender identities and sexual orientations.

InterEngineer

In November 2020, Aurecon, along with engineering peak body Engineers Australia, led the establishment of InterEngineer, a network of representatives from 14 organisations in the engineering sector.

InterEngineer is a network of LGBTQIA+ engineering professionals and allies from metro, regional and remote Australia. Created by organisations across the engineering sector to support LGBTQIA+ professionals and allies in the workplace through networking, leadership, and advocacy for greater inclusion practices.

InterEngineer’s mission is to bring together the LGBTQIA+ community across the engineering profession. With the aim of increasing visibility and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ people and groups currently in the industry and providing a conduit to engage with students, remote/regional populations and other underrepresented communities.

In December 2021, Aurecon enabled the option to add pronouns to office email signatures across locations in Australia and New Zealand.

Our awards and recognition

Our commitment to LGBTI+ inclusion has seen us awarded with:

Bronze Employer in Pride in Diversity’s Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) 2023–2026. Silver Employer status in 2021 and Bronze Employer status in 2019, 2020, and 2022.
Highly Commended in the Partners Life Emerging Award category at the 2019 New Zealand Rainbow Excellence Awards