Our Commitment

At Levande, we believe that gender equality is fundamental to our success and growth. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace where every individual, regardless of gender, has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to our collective achievements. We are committed to promoting equal opportunities, supporting work-life balance, encouraging diversity and inclusion, empowering our employees and addressing gender bias. We are dedicated to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued and empowered to succeed. Additionally, our remuneration framework is designed to ensure that employees in similar roles are paid within a defined salary range, ensuring fairness and removing any gender-based discrepancies.

Our Gender Pay Gap

In 2024, we participated in the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) reporting for the first time, in accordance with regulatory requirements.

Levande operates at the intersection of two complementary sectors within the retirement living industry, the development of new retirement villages and the operations of existing retirement communities. Our average total remuneration gender pay gap (GPG) is 12.4%. In comparison, the 2023/2024 average GPG for the Health Care and Social Assistance sector is 2.5%, and Real Estate Operations sector (2022/23), which has an average GPG of 33.6%.

Our workforce is composed of 60% women and 40% men. In comparison, the Health Care and Social Assistance sector has a workforce composition of 64% women and 36% men, while the Property Owners and Real Estate Operators sector is made up of 56% women and 44% men. As such, Levande's gender composition falls between both sectors.

Our Drivers

While we are unable to provide a comparison to previous years, due to this being our first year of reporting, we can identify key trends, challenges, and opportunities within our pay gap data, as it has been reported in our first reporting year.

Women represent more than half of our workforce; however, like many organisations in Australia, we have a higher proportion of men in senior roles and a greater representation of women in non-managerial positions and fewer women in Key Management Personnel (KMP) and Senior Leadership roles. As with many companies, the composition of our workforce is a significant factor influencing our gender pay gap.

Another factor contributing to our gender pay gap is our industry gender segmentation. The Health Care and Social Assistance sector has a higher proportion of women, many of whom are employed in award-based roles with fixed remuneration. In contrast, the Property Owners and Real Estate Operators sector has a higher representation of men in higher-paying roles, which has a substantial impact on our gender pay gap. Within property development, higher salaries are often associated with male-dominated roles, further exacerbating this disparity.

Levande has delivered a number of initiatives specifically in support of gender equality and reducing the pay gap including;

• A gender-neutral parental leave policy for 20 weeks paid leave, including the payment of superannuation on both paid and unpaid leave. Paying superannuation on unpaid parental leave is a powerful tool for closing the gender pay gap. It helps to counteract the financial disadvantages women experience due to career breaks for caregiving, ensuring that they don’t fall behind men in terms of superannuation.
• Participating in the Property Council's 500 Women in Property Program – this program aims to accelerate more women into leadership positions in the property industry, through sponsorship of high-potential talent. Levande sponsors 10 participants, ranging from salespeople, village managers and development managers, through to communications specialists, marketing managers and office administrators. Each participant is supported and mentored by a senior manager or executive, who identify and champion women in their organisation who would benefit from industry exposure and professional development opportunities.
• Inclusion of Respect@Work in our Workplace Behaviours policy we are committed to providing a safe, inclusive workplace free from harassment discrimination and any unlawful behaviours and our policy sets the foundation for our culture that is built on trust, inclusivity, and zero tolerance for inappropriate behaviour, ensuring that all individuals can thrive in a safe and supportive workplace.
• Flexible Work Practices - we are attempting to address some of the systemic barriers and challenges that disproportionately affect women in the workplace by offering flexible work practices. We strive to provide greater equality and support for employees, particularly women, who may face unique challenges in balancing work and carers responsibilities.

Our Action Plan

Our action plan is designed to address the key factors contributing to the gender pay gap at Levande. By focusing on leadership representation, advancing our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) strategy, ensuring pay equity, and implementing fair recruitment practices, we aim to create a more inclusive, equitable, and gender-balanced workplace. We will do this by;

Increase Representation in Leadership

• Talent Identification and Development: Establish targeted development programs for high-potential female employees, with a focus on leadership capabilities and preparing them for senior roles.
• Mentorship and Coaching: Implement mentorship and coaching support where senior leaders (both male and female) actively support and advocate for women’s career advancement, with an emphasis on women in underrepresented areas such as property management and KMP.
• Leadership Diversity Targets: Set specific, measurable company-wide diversity targets for leadership roles. Track progress towards achieving these targets regularly and integrate them into performance reviews and KPIs.
• Inclusive Succession Planning: Ensure succession planning for senior roles actively considers gender diversity, with a focus on placing qualified women in higher-paying leadership roles.

Evolve and Implement a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Strategy

• DEIB Training & Awareness: Provide ongoing DEIB training to all staff, with a particular focus on gender equity, unconscious bias, and inclusive leadership. Training will be tailored to different levels of the organisation, from front-line employees to senior leaders.
• Leadership Accountability: Integrate DEIB goals into leadership performance assessments, ensuring senior leaders have an active awareness for the role they have in driving gender equality within their teams.
• Inclusive Culture: Regularly survey employees to assess the inclusiveness of the workplace culture, using this feedback to refine the DEIB strategy and make necessary adjustments to our practices.

Remuneration Framework – Equal Pay for Equal Work

• Conduct Regular Remuneration Audits: Implement annual remuneration audits to identify and address any pay disparities between genders for equivalent roles. These audits will cover base salary, bonuses, benefits, and other forms of compensation.
• Remuneration Framework: We have created a well-defined remuneration framework which articulates gender-neutral pay bands for all roles, ensuring salaries are determined consistently across the organisation independent of gender.
• Adjustments and Corrections: In cases where pay disparities are identified, take corrective actions to ensure that women are paid equally for the same work, and where applicable, adjust salaries to meet equity standards.
• Ongoing Monitoring and Reporting: Track pay equity metrics over time, ensuring that adjustments are sustainable and progress is visible to both employees and leadership. Regularly report findings and actions taken to employees and relevant stakeholders.

Implement Fair Recruitment Practices

• Unconscious Bias Training for Recruiters: Provide training for all hiring managers and recruitment teams to address unconscious bias in the recruitment process. This training will cover the impact of bias on decision-making and how to mitigate it in practice.
• Standardised Job Descriptions: Ensure job descriptions and recruitment materials are gender-neutral, focusing on skills and qualifications rather than gendered language or requirements that may inadvertently exclude candidates based on gender.
• Inclusive Sourcing Strategy: Implement strategies to ensure a diverse pool of candidates for every role. This includes actively sourcing candidates from diverse backgrounds and networks to ensure women, particularly those from underrepresented groups, have equal opportunities to apply for all roles.
• Tracking and Reporting: Collect data on gender diversity at every stage of the recruitment process and regularly analyse trends to ensure that recruitment practices are equitable and effective in attracting and retaining diverse talent.

These efforts will not only reduce the gender pay gap but also contribute to a culture of fairness and opportunity for all employees.

We are committed to ongoing monitoring, assessment, and continuous improvement in these areas to ensure sustained progress and long-term success.