DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices are crucial to ensure a diverse range of perspectives, enhance employee engagement and foster innovation. At CDL Group, women make up a significant 45% of our global workforce, representing 44% of our HODs. The Group also has a diversified workforce across all age groups. At the Company’s corporate office, women make up 69% of its workforce and 52% of its HODs.

Employee Demographics

Breakdown of global workforce according to gender and management positions

Employee type Total no. of employees Total no. of female employees Total no. of male employees % of females
Total workforce 8,083 3,624 4,459 45
Junior Management 823 372 451 45
Middle Management 1,317 592 725 45
Senior Management 53 22 31 42
Revenue-generating departments 2,476 1,031 1,445 42
STEM 988 125 863 13

Note: The percentages do not add up to 100% due to rounding of decimals

Pay Parity

A fair and inclusive workplace is one where employees are remunerated equally for the same role, regardless of gender. CDL Group’s breakdown of our global workforce according to gender pay is as follows:

Gender pay gap across employee categories Mean salary of female employees to male employees (%)1
Non-management 98
Executive 90
Management 112
Gender pay gap Mean salary of female employees to male employees (%)2
Mean gender pay gap 94
Median gender pay gap 95
Mean bonus gap 127
Median bonus gap 125
1 Calculated as the mean salary of female staff over the mean salary of male staff. Executives: executives to Assistant Vice Presidents, and secretaries; Non-management: officer grades and below; Management: Vice Presidents and above
2 Calculated using bonus earned in FY2022 and received in FY2023. Computation of FY2023’s bonus will only be available in 1H 2024

CDL Diversity and Inclusion Task Force

Creating and expanding opportunities for women are fundamental to the Group’s sustainable growth and beneficial to society. The Company’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force was established in 2017 to promote diversity and inclusion within our workplace and the wider community. Under the leadership of CDL’s Group CEO, the Task Force is co-chaired by the Company’s Sustainability and HR departments.

Women4Green Network

The Women4Green network, Singapore’s first women network in support of sustainability, is a CDL initiative launched at the opening of the Singapore Sustainability Academy on 5 June 2017. The network aims to inspire and empower women to adopt and champion the SDGs at home, at work and at play. More information about Women4Green and its programmes can be found on here.

Public Commitment to Women Empowerment

In 2017, CDL’s Group CEO Sherman Kwek joined over 1,600 leaders globally in pledging CDL’s support for the Women’s Empowerment Principles. Developed through a partnership between the UN Women and UNGC, the principles offer practical guidance to the private sector on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community.

In 2022, CDL’s CSO Esther An became an advocate for the G20 Alliance for Empowerment and Progression of Women’s Economic Representation. The G20 Empower aims to accelerate women’s leadership and empowerment in the private sector. With a workforce that is majority female at the Company, empowering women and supporting their pursuit of career and personal development is fundamental to our corporate sustainability strategy.

Global Recognition for Gender Equality

For the sixth year running since 2018, the Group’s efforts in advancing gender diversity in the workplace has earned our inclusion in the sector-neutral Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index. The Group is one of six Singapore companies to be listed the 2023 index, which serves as a touchstone for companies seeking to track their progress in gender inclusion and how the implementation of diversity policies shape company performance. The Company was also ranked as one of the top three Singapore companies for gender equality on Equileap’s 2024 Gender Equality Report & Ranking – Developed markets edition.

For Bloomberg GEI 2024, CDL’s FY 2022 Gender Equality-related information in accordance with GEI 2024’s exhaustive list of key performance indicators can be found here.

RACIAL AND DISABILITY INCLUSION

The Group embraces an inclusive workplace with a multi-racial workforce from diverse backgrounds globally. Where possible, we also provide fair employment opportunities for the less physically-abled. As the end of 2023, the Company has one wheelchair-bound employee who has been with the company for 15 years.

Racial Diversity

CDL Group’s breakdown of global workforce according to ethnicity

Ethnic Groups Total no. of employees % No. of employees in management (including junior, middle and senior management^ positions) %
Asian 5,152 64 1,564 71
Caucasian 1,596 20 396 18
Hispanic/Latino 530 7 44 2
African American 147 2 17 1
Others 658 8 172 8
^ Includes the Company’s ExCo, senior management and key executives from business units

Anti-bullying and Anti-harassment

The CDL Workplace Anti-Harassment and Anti-Bullying Policy communicates the Company’s stance for all employees to be treated with respect and dignity. No employee shall be subject to any physical, psychological, verbal or sexual abuse. The Company’s employees are encouraged to be culturally sensitive, tolerant and respectful towards one another at all times. This policy also extends to dealing with incidents involving external customers and stakeholders who conduct themselves in a manner that constitutes harassment, within and beyond company premises. To reinforce our stance on anti-harassment and anti-bullying, a compulsory workshop on professional workplace boundaries was launched in January 2021 for all staff, including a session for management. In 2023, the Company recorded one case of discrimination within our workforce. Immediate actions were taken to investigate the incident. This resulted in the cessation of employment for the offending employee.