Diversity and inclusion policy

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

We are a global company, and wherever we operate, and across every part of our business, we strive to create an inclusive culture in which difference is recognised and valued. By bringing together men and women from diverse backgrounds and giving each person the opportunity to contribute their skills, experience and perspectives, we believe that we are able to deliver the best solutions to challenges and deliver sustainable value for Rio Tinto and its stakeholders.

What diversity and inclusion means for Rio Tinto

• Embracing workforce diversity - age, gender, race, national or ethnic origin, religion, language, political beliefs, sexual orientation, physical ability.
• Valuing diversity of perspective - leveraging the diverse thinking, skills, experience and working styles of our employees and other stakeholders.
• Building a flexible organisation - providing opportunities for work arrangements that accommodate the diverse needs of individuals at different career and life stages.
• Respecting stakeholder diversity - developing strong and sustainable relationships with diverse shareholders, communities, employees, governments, customers and suppliers.

Why diversity and inclusion are important

We believe that being a diverse and inclusive organisation improves business outcomes and will help Rio Tinto to achieve its vision to become the sector-leading mining and metals company. Specifically it helps us to:

• Make good decisions about how we organise and optimise resources and work by eliminating structural and cultural barriers to working together effectively;
• Protect and enhance our licence to operate by recognising, respecting and taking into account in our decisions, the needs and interests of diverse stakeholders;
• Deliver strong performance and growth by being able to attract, engage and retain diverse talent;
• Innovate by drawing on the diverse perspectives, skills and experience of our employees and other stakeholders;
• Adapt and respond effectively to changing societal expectations.

How we support diversity and inclusion at Rio Tinto

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion aligns with our values of accountability, respect, teamwork and integrity and is reflected in our global code of business conduct, The way we work, in Group policies, including the Human Rights Policy, Employment Policy and Communities Policy and in our People Strategy.

Diversity and inclusion are sponsored at the highest levels in the Group, by the Board and the Executive committee. The board has established this policy and, together with the Executive committee, guides the development of diversity and inclusion strategy and reviews progress against measurable objectives and key programmes of work. The Group's Diversity and Inclusion Council is chaired by a member of the Executive committee and its membership includes senior leaders from across our business. The Council provides direction for diversity and inclusion programmes, promotes an inclusive workplace culture and facilitates sharing of best practice across the Group.

Leaders across Rio Tinto are expected to build diversity into their teams and to demonstrate, through their behaviours and actions, commitment to fostering workplaces where people feel included, valued and able to contribute their best. In accordance with our values, all of our employees are expected to demonstrate respect for their colleagues and teamwork.
 
We work to educate employees about the benefits that diversity and inclusion bring to our business and we sponsor and participate in research that aims to further understanding of and improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We comply with international, national and local regulatory requirements in reporting our performance on diversity and inclusion.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We employ on the basis of role requirements, and in keeping with local laws, we select people to roles based on their qualifications, skills and experience. We do not discriminate unfairly on grounds of age, gender, race, national or ethnic origin, language, religion, political beliefs, sexual orientation or physical ability.  

Our recruitment, deployment, reward and development practices, and our approach to working arrangements, are designed to attract and retain diverse talent and to accommodate individual needs at different career and life stages.

Wherever we operate we are committed to developing productive, mutually beneficial and long-term relationships with diverse groups of stakeholders. We work to accommodate the different cultures, lifestyles, heritage and preferences of local communities; we have a broad customer base; and we create opportunities for local suppliers to provide goods and services to our business.

Our measurable objectives for diversity and inclusion

We set measurable objectives for achieving diversity and inclusion for the board and the Group. The board and the Executive committee review the objectives and our performance against them each year. We disclose the objectives and our performance in each annual report. We also include in each annual report the proportion of women on the board, in senior executive positions and in the whole organisation.

Individual Group businesses may also set measurable objectives that are relevant to their particular operating contexts.