Diversity in all of its forms improves our workplace. The business case for this is clear.

We’ve observed that our most inclusive and gender diverse teams perform better than the BHP average in areas such as safety, production, cost efficiency, employee engagement and mental health. Flexible working is also an important factor in attracting the best and most diverse mix of people to BHP.

So we’re working to make flexible work part of the everyday experience of all our people. As of FY2018, almost half of our people were working flexibly – and another nine per cent have indicated that they plan to work flexibly in the next 12 months.

Our Queensland Coal mines are leading the way with a site-based flexible work program. Employees at our Coal operations can take advantage of a job share register to find other employees who are interested in setting up a job share arrangement, even if they’re from different crews.

Billy Brant and David Kerr are both Maintenance Superintendents at Caval Ridge and work part-time, job sharing. Six months have passed since Billy and Dave started job sharing and Tony Ladewig, a Maintenance Superintendent at Caval Ridge, says that, from his perspective, the flexible work arrangement is working really well.

‘Both Billy and Dave return supercharged, and this gives me a lift as well – by simply being around their positive energy,’ said Tony.

Given the success of the Coal job share register, the program is now being considered by other BHP sites around the world.