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Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity

Boral Media Contact Kylie FitzGerald General Manager Corporate Affairs & Investor Relations (02) 9220 6390 Organisational Background Boral’s strategic intent is to be a value(s) and market-driven, focused building and construction materials supplier operating in Australia and increasingly offshore. Boral Limited is a leading Australian building and construction materials company with operations that span Australia, the United States and Asia.  The group has an annual turnover of $4.9 billion, 15,400 employees and operates from more than 700 locations. Operating in Australia, the USA and Asia, we produce and distribute a broad range of construction materials, including quarry products, cement, fly ash, pre-mix concrete and asphalt; and building products including clay bricks and pavers, clay and concrete roof tiles, concrete masonry products, plasterboard, windows and timber. Boral produces and distributes a broad range of construction materials, including quarry products, cement, flyash, pre-mix concrete and asphalt; and building products, including clay bricks and pavers, clay and concrete roof tiles, concrete masonry products, plasterboard, windows and timber. We value our stakeholders - the people who buy and use our products, the people who invest their money in the Company, the people who live next door to us, locally and globally, and the people who help us operate - suppliers, regulators, government, contractors and employees. In addition to ensuring a healthy and safe work environment for our people, when it comes to managing human resources (HR), Boral’s strategic priority is resourcing for growth. This key sustainability priority, which supports Boral’s Perform & Grow strategy, incorporates effective workplace planning, recruitment and retention, training and development, succession planning, remuneration and benefits, performance management, workforce diversity and balancing work and family. Industry Information       Industry sector Building & Construction Materials     Number of employees 15,400 worldwide, 10,200 in Australia (As at 31st December 2008)     % of female employees 16%*     % of females in management 9%*     *Australian based statistics   Interesting EO initiatives and outcomes 1) We have an increased focus on EEO/Diversity and we will use the Employer of Choice for Women milestone to recognise the platform we have developed and will continue to build on this • Human Resources Management Committee issues on Diversity and EEO at each meeting, ensuring that EEO/Diversity is a key part of our Human Resources strategy.     • Our Foundation membership of the Diversity Council demonstrates our record and commitment to promoting EO and diversity across the organisation. In 1985, Boral was a founding member of the then Council for Equal Opportunity in Employment Ltd, and has maintained its membership of what is now the Diversity Council of Australia (DCA) since then and is an active and committed DCA partner. One of our senior Human Resources Managers has recently joined the newly created DCA Board of Advisors. 2) As part of Boral's perform and grow strategy, we have established initiatives that look at attracting women to our company • Boral’s Graduate Program recruits graduates throughout the year into 'real' roles. We have invested in developing some fantastic communication materials which try and stay away from the 'blokey' images of men in work gear and trucks. Instead we have utilised images of our graduates and a little girl with the tag line 'Born to Work with Boral' in order to assist with attracting more females. As part of our graduate program we also attend careers fairs across Australia.     • MBA program encourages the recruitment of MBA graduates and MBA qualified people into a variety of roles. Boral takes a long term view with MBA graduates. Boral is constantly looking out for female talent and when recruited graduates are generally hired directly into areas such as strategic planning/corporate development roles before moving into a line management position in any number of divisions. As part of our MBA program Boral also goes along to MBA schools and presents on Boral and MBA opportunities.     • Recruitment advertising and branding Boral ensures that we maintain consistent branding for all external advertising. We have detailed guidelines that help managers in the recruitment advertising process.  As part of our advertising we ensure that our advertisements are female friendly by the wording, photos and the look of the advertisement.  We have also increased our online presence which will be beneficial for females with family commitments who may not have the time to go through newspapers and a large number of positions vacant.     • Indigenous Employment Strategy has showed Boral's continued commitment to the employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In partnership with the Federal Government's Corporate Leaders Program, and managed by our Indigenous Employment Manager, this strategy has seen a continual increase in the number of indigenous people applying for and being successful in obtaining jobs with Boral. As a part of this program Boral has also supported Indigenous females through the Western Sydney Outward Bound Leadership Program. 3) We have established initiatives that promote flexibility in the workplace • Paid parental leave policy provides access to paid parental leave, ensures compliance with all legislative requirements and provides fair and equitable access to parental leave across Boral.  Our policy provides for 8 weeks paid maternity leave and 1 week paid paternity leave.      • Flexible working arrangements are encouraged around Boral businesses and quite often these arrangements have been created due to maternity leave, return to work, breastfeeding, career, work location, retirement, special circumstances around a sick employee or family member, memberships to different associations, e.g. Country Fire Association.     • Childcare Assistance An analysis of childcare assistance options for employees was undertaken in 2008 in conjunction with a large not-for-profit childcare operator.  As a result an online resource and referral service, available to all employees, is currently being implemented to help employees across Australia find childcare facilities more efficiently. 4) Underpinning our Values of Leadership, Respect, Focus, Performance and Persistence is a commitment to our people - to performance improvement, learning, coaching and development. Our Values are also the foundation of our approach to learning and development for all employees. Boral's learning program features more than 90 training programs. Some of the programs and initiatives that have assisted women include: • Springboard program is part of an international award winning program and is designed for female employees looking for direction, wanting to get started on a serious career or just need a top up on energy, motivation and inspiration.     • Diversity - Working with Respect program, has been designed to assist Boral and its employees to understand their roles and responsibilities in creating a workplace in which everyone is respected and treated fairly.     • Executive Development program, is designed for senior managers and others who directly influence the strategic direction of the business.     • Front line Leadership Development program, is designed for current high performing frontline leaders who want to develop and advance their leadership and management skills.     • Management Development Program is part of an overall development experience covering a wide diversity of requirements at middle management level. It is founded on Boral's values and covers real and practical business issues which can be used during everyday work life.     • Emerging Leaders program identifies and develops future leaders of Boral and is a strategy to grow and retain potential middle and senior managers.     • Outward Bound Leadership Experience is an outdoor experiential learning program that promotes personal growth and leadership development through an experiential journey.     • Multi skilling projects and secondments are discussed in an employees Step 1 development discussion, which is a part of Boral’s performance management process.     • Succession Planning and Employee Estimate of Potential (EEP) process enables us to identify talent. Our EEP process is key to career development and succession planning in Boral. 5) Creating an environment that supports a good work life balance • Boral Health and Wellness Program (BWell) was introduced in 2004 the program offers Boral employees a range of services available in the work place to assist and manage personal health and wellbeing.   The BWell program provides three core services: annual or biennial health assessments, well being awareness seminars and educational information on health issues which are easily accessible by employees and their families     • Community Partnerships assist with achieving work life balance across Boral. We recognise that it is increasingly challenging to find time outside of work for family and to give something back to the community.  As such, Boral’s community programs are designed to allow employees to combine community-giving activities within their work schedules and with their family life, providing an increased sense of balance. Boral community partners are:   • World Vision Australia • Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation • Taronga & Western Plains Zoo • Outward Bound Australia • Conservation Volunteers Australia • HomeAid • Bangarra Dance Theatre 6) Measurement of our human resources and sustainability performance • Employee Satisfaction surveys have been independently conducted across Boral in Australia and the USA. These surveys are very successful and give employees the opportunity to have their say on a number of issues including sustainability and the EOWA’s seven employment matters.  The survey results continue to indicate that employees have strong emotional engagement with Boral. Consistent with last year, 91% of Australian employees are engaged with 45% of employees highly engaged. Feedback sessions take place with our employees to discuss the results and likely actions in key areas. The employee survey includes a number of key sustainability and satisfaction measures which are relevant to the seven employment matters, some of these include: being able to balance work with personal life, having a workplace free from harassment and discrimination, management focus on developing individuals, building a supportive environment and fair pay for the work I do.     • Boral Sustainability Diagnostic Tool (BSDT) helps in monitoring the sustainability performance and progress of Boral’s businesses.  The sustainability performance of the business is captured by twenty elements in five main categories which collectively represent our current view of sustainable development.  A performance assessment against each of these elements is undertaken across Boral’s businesses every two years.  Following the BSDT review process businesses are asked to provide a minimum of two Sustainability Projects which are pertinent to sustainable development and potentially add value to the business. Details of people who are directly benefiting from these initiatives Boral has identified the individuals below and has provided profiles of them to be used in case studies. Please contact Kylie Fitzgerald for further information. Name Position Division Location Joined Boral Key Message Nicole C GM Queensland Girotto Precast Cement Geebung, QLD June 2004 Female promoted to a senior manager role, joined Boral as part of our MBA program Anne P Project Engineer ACM, Eastlink Project VIC March 2004 Working on Eastlink project and the main responsibilities of the role include Quality assurance and safety and environment. Started with Boral in WA managing the development of a Greenfield hard rock quarry in  Kalgoorlie. Top