Multicultural policies and services program

Endeavour Energy’s corporate values commit the organisation to acknowledging and valuing cultural diversity across our stakeholder base. This commitment is evident in our delivery of customer service, management of employees and interactions with suppliers, communities and other stakeholder groups.

Customers

We strive to ensure that appropriate services are offered to our multicultural customer base and that customers are not disadvantaged because of their cultural backgrounds.

Data collected from the 2006 Census indicates that 29% of people living in our franchise area – Sydney’s Greater West, the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands and the Illawarra – were born outside Australia. Approximately 28% of the population in the area comes from non-English-speaking backgrounds. Other than English, the three most common languages spoken in the area are Arabic (3.7%), Vietnamese (2.0%) and Cantonese (1.8%).

We aim to provide the same level of service to our customers – any of whom may need to contact us. To this end we provide an interpreter service that allows customers to speak their own language. Arabic and Vietnamese-speaking customers are the main users of the service, which is supplied by the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.

As an electricity retailer (until 1 March 2011), this interpreter service number was printed on the back of customer bills and on the front page of the standard service contract.

Our Customer Consultative Committee also considers the ethnic and cultural needs of customers. The committee provides valuable feedback and advice about our policies and services. Its membership includes representatives of Aboriginal and other communities.

Employees

Endeavour Energy is committed to fostering an environment in which the diversity in the workplace is respected and valued as a source of new ideas and perspectives. Our commitment includes encouraging diversity across all areas of employment, including recruitment, remuneration, training, development and career progression and accommodating the needs of employees in their observance of religious duties and cultural obligations while at work.

To help strengthen employment opportunities for Indigenous people, we have implemented the PowerStart Program in conjunction with TAFE as a part of our ‘Bridging the Gap’ Indigenous Employment Strategy. This program resulted in two participants starting apprenticeships with us this year.

Focus for 2011–12

Assess key network documents and ensure critical documents are available on Endeavour Energy’s website for network customers in other languages.
Develop the Endeavour Energy Diversity Framework to formalise and integrate our work to entrench and celebrate diversity in the workforce, addressing cultural, disability, indigenous and EEO issues.
Continue with our ‘Bridging the Gap’ strategy to increase Indigenous participation in the workforce to 2.6% by 2015.

Public consultation on key projects

Customer consultative committee

Multicultural policies and services program

Investment in the community