“By promoting, respecting and embracing the diversity of our people, we are able to harness their creativity and their understanding of customers.”
What does diversity and inclusion mean to Swire Pacific?
OW: Being a conglomerate with businesses in different industries and geographical areas makes us naturally diverse.
We believe in equal opportunities for all our employees and that our businesses will benefit from the diversity of our people.
We understand that inclusion is a choice. We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive working environment for all our people, regardless of their age, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, relationships, family status, disability, race, ethnicity, nationality or religious or political beliefs.
How does building a diverse and inclusive culture at Swire Pacific create value?
OW: We need to ensure that our people reflect our customers and the communities in which we operate. By promoting, respecting and embracing the diversity of our people, we are able to harness their creativity and their understanding of customers. This enables our businesses to provide products and services that meet our customers’ needs and supports the communities in which we operate, by employing and developing a pool of talented people.
The Swire Pacific diversity and inclusion strategy focuses on five key areas of diversity. Why were these specific areas chosen?
OW: We have developed a diversity and inclusion strategic framework with three goals, five diversity focus areas and a five-year plan.
The three goals are to build a diverse and inclusive workplace environment, to be recognised and ranked as a diversity and inclusion leader in the areas where we operate and to use our influence to promote diversity and inclusion in our supply chains.
We have five diversity focus areas: gender and gender identity, ethnicity, age, disability and sexual orientation. These are considered to be primary diversity areas. They are tangible attributes or characteristics that everyone can identify with. In order to create an inclusive workplace, we need to ensure that we embrace, respect and encourage the differences that they represent.
We want to create an inclusive and supportive working environment for all our people, regardless of their age, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, relationships, family status, disability, race, ethnicity, nationality or religious or political beliefs. We believe in creating an environment where people feel comfortable at work and are able to realise their full potential.
Our people are diverse in age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and cultural and socio-economic background. Being inclusive is to accept differences. We need to make conscious decisions to embrace and respect people who might not be the same as us.
Innovation and creativity happen when people from diverse backgrounds work together. By promoting diversity and inclusion, we will be able to attract and retain people who can further our organisation. This benefits the individual, the communities in which we operate and society as a whole. These are the rewards of inclusion.
Our aim is for our workforce to be inclusive and to reflect the diversity of the communities in which we operate. This is to benefit our businesses, those with whom we engage and the aforementioned communities.
We want to be a responsible, respected and preferred employer. We aim to do this by promoting inclusion, diversity and respect. We safeguard health and safety, endeavour to offer equal opportunities and support an appropriate work-life balance. Our Code of Conduct supports these aims.
We are geographically diverse. Our approach to inclusion must take account of the different societies and cultures in the countries in which we operate. We must be sensitive to differences in values, traditions and religions and must respect local approaches to diversity and inclusion. Individual operating companies are encouraged to develop specific approaches to diversity and inclusion for local implementation.
In 2019, we introduced our diversity and inclusion strategic framework. It has three goals, five diversity focus areas and a five-year plan.
The three goals are to build a diverse and inclusive workplace environment, to be recognised and ranked as a diversity and inclusion leader in the areas where we operate and to use our influence to promote diversity and inclusion in our supply chains.
The five diversity focus areas are:
 Age |
We pledge to create an age-neutral and multi-generational workplace. |
 Gender |
We pledge to narrow the gender gap at all levels and to ensure that gender barriers and biases are eliminated. |
 Sexual orientation |
We pledge to create an inclusive environment where individuals are able to bring their full selves to work without fear of discrimination or recrimination. |
 Disability |
We pledge to increase the accessibility of the workplace to create a comfortable environment for everyone. |
 Ethnicity |
We pledge to build a workplace where people of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds are respected and encouraged to collaborate and contribute. |
Swire Pacific has set a target to have 30% of senior management roles held by women within five years. Following the launch, each operating company is looking at how they can support the Group in reaching this target. Swire Coca-Cola and Swire Properties are focusing on improving gender ratios in frontline roles.
Swire Coca-Cola has set a target to have 50% of leadership positions, manager level and above, and 30% of senior management positions, general manager level and above, held by women by 2030. Progress is monitored bi-monthly. Each bottling plant has its own steering committee which pursues these targets.
Cathay Pacific has joined the IATA’s 25by2025 campaign, which aims to improve female representation in the airline industry by 25%, or up to a minimum of 25%, by 2025. Cathay Pacific has set a target for women to account for 10% of pilots by 2023.
In 2018, we established a Diversity and Inclusion Development department and appointed a Head of Diversity and Inclusion Development, reporting to our Staff Director. Following this appointment, we formed the Swire Pacific Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee (DISC), which replaced our equal opportunities and diversity council and our gender diversity committee.
The Swire Women’s Network continues in existence and aims to enhance our ability to retain potential future female leaders, by supporting the advancement of women’s careers. It organises events, creates development opportunities, researches and develops policies and builds relationships with male allies and NGOs.
DISC reports to the Chairman and is jointly chaired by the Swire Pacific Finance Director and the John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Limited (JS&SHK) Staff Director. The other members of DISC are the staff department directors of Swire Properties, Cathay Pacific, HAECO, Swire Coca-Cola and Swire Pacific Offshore, a director in our Trading & Industrial division, the head of the JS&SHK staff department and the Group Head of Diversity and Inclusion.
DISC’s responsibilities are as follows:
Swire Properties, Cathay Pacific, HAECO, Swire Coca-Cola, Swire Pacific Offshore and our Trading & Industrial division have their own diversity and inclusion committees. HAESL has a women’s network. Cathay Pacific has women’s and LGBT+ networks.
The responsibilities of the committees include ensuring equal opportunities, advocating fair and bias-free processes for recruiting, developing and promoting employees and monitoring and reporting successes.
We have a Group Diversity and Inclusion Policy. The policy represents our commitment to creating an inclusive and supportive working environment for all our people, regardless of their age, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, relationships, family status, disability, race, ethnicity, nationality or religious or political beliefs. Under the policy, spousal employee benefits, such as medical, insurance and travel, have been extended to same sex spouses with valid marriage certificates.
We are an equal opportunities employer. We aim to treat people with dignity and respect to enable them to be themselves and work at their best. Individuals are unique and deserve respect for their individual abilities. We do not tolerate harassment, unlawful discrimination or other breaches of employment law. We have an equal opportunities policy. We provide training to help staff to understand their rights and obligations under Hong Kong anti-discrimination legislation.
To cope with the diverse challenges we face, our leaders must be diverse. This strengthens decision-making and makes us more agile and resilient. Our Board Diversity Policy is available here on our website. At the end of 2019, the percentage of women on our Board was 18%.
Everyone at Swire Pacific has a responsibility to raise concerns about harassment and discrimination. Such concerns can be raised by staff with their immediate superiors, their department heads and internal audit or staff departments.
If a substantive complaint is received, an impartial and prompt investigation is held. If the issue remains unresolved, it is raised to the head of the relevant business unit. Any material concerns raised through the head of the relevant business unit are reported to the Audit Committee, which ensures that appropriate investigative steps are taken.
We do our best to keep the identity of reporting members of staff confidential. Information received is used only for the purposes of investigating and resolving the complaint or concern raised. Swire Pacific Offshore has a confidential harassment and discrimination hotline.
In 2019, the NGO CareER conducted an assessment in offices at Taikoo Place and Pacific Place to evaluate their accessibility and ease of use. This was performed from the perspective of a wide range of potential users, including people with disabilities. CareER concluded that the office facilities provided reasonable accommodation for people with different needs and suggested some minor improvements. It was reported that Swire Properties’ building management team provided excellent support for differently abled people.
In 2019, women represented 36% of our workforce. Our gender diversity gap is widest at the most senior level. We must do more to build a pipeline of and support future female leaders.
(%)
(%)
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| Strategic leader | 89 | 11 |
| Operational leader | 76 | 24 |
| Team leader | 66 | 34 |
| Individual contributor | 62 | 38 |
*Permanent employee only
| % | |
|---|---|
| Female | 36 |
| Male | 64 |
We operate in some business sectors in which female participation in the workforce is low. Only 15.3% of employees in our Marine Services division are women.
(%)
(%)
| Swire Properties | Cathay Pacific Group | HAECO Group | Swire Coca-Cola | Marine Services | Trading & Industrial | Swire Pacific (Head Office) | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male (%) | 59.2% | 48.5% | 81.0% | 73.8% | 84.7% | 38.4% | 31.6% | 63.9% |
| Female (%) | 40.8% | 51.5% | 19.0% | 26.2% | 15.3% | 61.6% | 68.4% | 36.1% |
We publish our gender pay gap annually and report on what we are doing to improve diversity and inclusion in our businesses.
Deeply ingrained stereotypes can give rise to unconscious biases and so unintentionally affect our behaviour toward others. Unconscious bias training is an important step towards eliminating discrimination by exposing these unconscious biases.
At Swire Pacific, unconscious bias training has been given to those recruiting group management trainees.
Swire Coca-Cola is conducting unconscious bias training for managers in Mainland China, Taiwan and the USA. 715 managers in Mainland China and Taiwan have received this training. All 1,431 managers in Mainland China and Taiwan are expected to have received this training by the end of 2020. Supervisors and frontline sales representatives are starting to be trained.
At Cathay Pacific, nearly 700 employees involved in recruitment and promotion have received unconscious bias training.
Swire Properties has conducted unconscious bias training for all directors. The Trading & Industrial division will shortly hold unconscious bias training workshops.
We believe that flexible working can contribute to a more inclusive work environment, improved productivity and a better balance between work and personal life. In so doing, it improves the engagement of our employees and their ability to reach their full potential. This in turn benefits our businesses.
In 2019, Swire introduced a Group Flexible Working Policy. Flexible working practices within the scope of this policy are compressed working hours, part-time work, staggered working hours, sabbaticals and remote working. Swire Properties, Cathay Pacific, HAECO, Swire Coca-Cola, Swire Pacific Offshore and some companies in our Trading & Industrial division have flexible working arrangements.
Taikoo WIN is a business network established by Swire Properties and two of its Taikoo Place tenants. It aims to connect and create a community in support of women working for professional firms and companies based in the Taikoo Place area. It has more than 200 individual and 47 corporate members.
Taikoo WIN’s first events were named, ‘She Inspires’. Fireside chats were led by inspiring and pioneering women who shared their unique professional journeys. Taikoo WIN aims to invite role models to explain how gender stereotypes can be broken. Simone Storey, a captain at Cathay Pacific, was welcomed to talk about her career experiences.
UK employers with more than 250 employees have to report their gender pay gap. We performed a preliminary study of our gender pay gap, defined as the difference between mean male pay and mean female pay expressed as a percentage of the former. This is not the same as equal pay, which is when men and women are paid the same for the same work.
(basic salary)
(basic salary)
| 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|
| Strategic leader | 2% | -13% |
| Operational leader | -10% | -24% |
| Team leader | -45% | -34% |
| Individual contributor | -41% | -38% |
For Data 2018 or before, staff were categorised into the following levels:
- Top/Senior Management
- Middle/Junior management & supervisory
- Customer facing staff
- Non-customer facing operational/technical staff
- Others
In 2019, women in strategic leadership positions were paid 87% of the average pay of men. Women in operational management positions were paid 76% of the average pay of men. The corresponding percentages for team leaders and individual contributors (non-management) positions were 66% and 62% respectively.
We pay men and women the same for doing the same jobs, but the gender pay gap indicates that we need to do more to enable women to progress. Women are over-represented in junior and lower paid roles. We emphasis diversity and inclusion in the recruitment, management and promotion of our talented people.
The 2019 International Women’s Day took the theme, ‘Balance for Better’, launching a year-long campaign aimed at building a gender-balanced world.
To mark the occasion, the Swire Women’s Network hosted their biggest and most successful event to date at ArtisTree in Taikoo Place. Attended by representatives from across Swire Pacific, the event was a great opportunity for staff to come together to discuss the topic of gender balance and to understand how we can influence positive change, as a group and individually.
On the day, attendees heard from a range of speakers who talked about what ‘Balance for Better’ means to them on a personal and professional level. Guest speakers included Jane Morgan, Managing Director of PR agency, Golin, Lindsey McAlister, founder of the Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation, Kerry Peirse, Cathay Pacific’s General Manager, IT Infrastructure and Operations, and sponsor of the ‘Fly with Pride’ campaign and Clarence Yang, Chief of Staff and Head of Strategic Partner Programme at BlackRock.
Three talented female leaders, Candy Cheng, Chairperson of the Gai Wu Rugby Football Club, Theresa Chong, Swire Coca-Cola HK’s Human Resources Director and Carrie Lau, HAECO Strategic Procurement General Manager, then led a panel discussion on what it is like to work in a predominantly male environment.
Later, Swire Pacific operating company CEOs took to the stage to share their views on creating greater balance in the workplace and how they, as leaders, are focusing on diversity and inclusion. The event received overwhelmingly positive feedback from staff, with the take-home message from the day echoing the theme of International Women’s Day 2019 that ‘Balance drives a better working world’.
We are making progress in diversity, but we need to do better, and plan to do so. In 2019, we took the following actions:
Men play a crucial role in advancing gender equality. Men who embrace the need for gender equality see improvements in their own work and family lives as well as at the workplace. The positive impact of engaging male allies as supporters and drivers of change is indisputable.
In 2019, Swire Coca-Cola introduced its Male Allies initiative. Male Allies are male staff who use their influence and engage personally to advance and advocate gender equality. 14 bottling plants have Male Allies. Over 700 men have signed up to the role.
With our diversity and inclusion strategic framework in place, our 2020 goal is to work on an action plan.
Operating companies will treat diversity and inclusion as a priority and establish their own diversity and inclusion committees where they do not yet exist. Diversity and inclusion questions will be included in staff engagement surveys.
We will introduce a third-party platform for whistleblowing. We will review flexible working data and try to improve the way in which we operate flexible working. We will review our maternity and paternity leave policies and propose a parental leave policy that recognises different family make-ups. We are reviewing our staff policies to ensure they are inclusive in language and practice.
We will continue to support NGOs and events that promote diversity and inclusion.