Phuc Khang secures GEARS certification for gender equality efforts

At the Vietnam Business Coalition for Women’s Empowerment (VBCWE) Business Forum 2023, with the theme “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - ESG Key Factors in Sustainable Development”, organized on June 14, the Phuc Khang Corporation made a statement that it aims to boost and focus on human development, improve internal human resources capabilities, and attach great importance to the building of a corporate culture to create an efficient, fair, safe, and happy living and working environment.

The Corporation was among the first Vietnamese enterprises to secure a certificate for workplace gender equality using the Gender Equality Assessment, Results and Strategies (GEARS) tool.

The green project developer passed three strict assessment rounds, including having a personnel database, a policy and reality questionnaire, and a staff survey conducted and analyzed by Australian appraisal experts.

GEARS is a tool developed by Investing in Women, an initiative of the Australian Government catalyzing inclusive economic growth through women’s economic empowerment in Southeast Asia, to assess gender equality policies and reality at workplaces, based on a study of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency under the Australian Government.

Four Southeast Asian countries - the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam - have applied the tool. The Phuc Khang Corporation conducted a GEARS survey at the end of 2022.

 

Leadership and accountability in ensuring gender equality in workplaces

This is a key focus of the Phuc Khang Corporation. The survey results showed that this criterion was the most important among the ten criteria. In particular, the leadership of the corporation, especially the General Director, frequently makes commitments to gender equality in the workplace during high-level meetings.

The General Director and directors of units in the corporation have reached gender equality objectives and criteria during their meetings. Leaders and managers of the units later promoted these objectives and criteria among their subordinates.

Objectives include prioritizing the recruitment of female workers to ensure gender balance in its workforce, increasing the number of female leaders, and recruiting the disabled so they account for 2 per cent of its total employees. With these foundations, the green project developer will take more specific action to make gender equality at workplaces as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion become the custom at the company.

 

Applying flexible working rules to improve productivity and support employees

Another key focus at the Phuc Khang Corporation is the application of flexible working rules to increase work efficiency and facilitate employees.

The GEARS survey indicated that the corporation has developed flexible working policies during and after the Covid-19 pandemic with its Announcement No. 13 on adaption to Covid-19, allowing infected employees to work from home on full pay for seven days.

The company provided technical instructions about the work-from-home mode and monitored the situation via a timesheet. It also offered welfare policies not required by the government to all employees. In the future, Phuc Khang will enhance the support of employees who are parents in taking care of their families and children.

It will also offer more benefits to female workers. In particular, it will provide consultancy for workers, and support parents returning to work after days off and taking care of their family members.

Positive indicators for equality in recruitment and promotion

The Phuc Khang Corporation’s GEARS survey showed that its leaders play a positive role in boosting gender equality and integration among its employees. In particular, during the recruitment process, it ensures that all dossiers are considered and assessed in an equal manner.

It has also employed various recruitment channels to attract talent. Leadership has proactively encouraged the recruitment, promotion, and training of its workforce.

Based on the practical survey, the report on workplace gender equality using the GEARS tool showed that “Phuc Khang Corporation is among the prestigious enterprises in the real estate sector in Vietnam. The company aims to boost and focus on human development, improve internal manpower capability, and attach much importance to the building of corporate culture to create an efficient, fair, safe, and happy living and working environment.”

Phuc Khang is a green project developer with over 14 years of development. With a mission of “pioneering in and encouraging the creation of better lifestyles for the public health and the sustainable human and ecological environment in line with the global green standards,” the company has mapped out strategies to cement its internal force and focus on people.

The receipt of a certificate for workplace gender equality using the GEARS tool is a milestone in the company’s sustainable development journey towards a green future.