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Reference

Assessment Criteria

These are the criteria WWEC assessors apply when reviewing a WWEC Women-Centred Workplace™ Certification application. Applicants can use the same criteria to prepare their evidence before applying.

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Basis of assessment

Four tests applied to every requirement.

Each requirement is examined against the same four tests, so that judgements are consistent between assessors and between applicants.

  1. STEP 01

    Existence

    Is there an approved, current instrument — policy, standard or documented process — covering the requirement across the declared scope?

  2. STEP 02

    Implementation

    Is it operating in practice, with records showing it is used rather than held in reserve?

  3. STEP 03

    Consistency

    Is it applied across all locations, functions and employment types inside the certification scope, without unexplained gaps?

  4. STEP 04

    Effect

    Is the outcome measured, reviewed and acted upon, including through employee experience evidence?

Evidence

What counts as evidence.

Every dimension requires evidence across all four categories. A policy alone never satisfies a requirement.

CategoryTest appliedTypical evidence
PolicyApproved, dated and in forcePolicy documents, standards, codes of conduct, board or committee approvals.
ProcessOperating in practice, not only on paperProcess maps, workflow records, case-handling logs with identities removed.
PracticeApplied consistently across the scopeTraining records, communications, meeting minutes, manager guidance, sample records.
OutcomeMeasured and reviewedMetrics over time, employee experience results, action plans and review notes.

The eight dimensions

What is examined in each dimension.

The assessment covers the same eight dimensions used throughout the WWEC framework.

Dimension 01 — Safe & Respected

Safety, Dignity & Freedom from Harm

Can people work, speak and raise concerns without fear?

Assessed focus: Respectful workplace behaviour; prevention and response to harassment; safe reporting; retaliation protection; dignity; fair handling of concerns.

Dimension 02 — Fair & Included

Equality, Inclusion & Opportunity

Do people experience fairness, belonging and meaningful access to opportunity?

Assessed focus: Fair recruitment; inclusive practices; equitable participation; respect for different perspectives; career access; inclusive decision-making.

Dimension 03 — Rise & Lead

Women's Growth, Advancement & Leadership

Can women realistically progress, influence decisions and reach positions of leadership?

Assessed focus: Leadership pipeline; sponsorship; mentoring; visibility; high-impact opportunities; leadership development; succession; progression; accountability.

Dimension 04 — Thrive & Balance

Wellbeing, Flexibility & Sustainable Work

Does the workplace support sustainable performance and real-life responsibilities?

Assessed focus: Workload sustainability; flexible work; caregiving support; wellbeing resources; burnout prevention; manager support; life-stage support.

Dimension 05 — Grow & Belong

Learning, Career Development & Mobility

Can employees see and access realistic opportunities to grow?

Assessed focus: Learning access; career conversations; mentoring; skills development; internal mobility; feedback and performance development.

Dimension 06 — Govern & Deliver

Policies, Accountability & Implementation

Are workplace commitments governed, implemented and reviewed?

Assessed focus: Policy architecture; ownership; communication; training; implementation controls; monitoring; review; management accountability.

Dimension 07 — Heard & Acted Upon

Employee Voice, Trust & Organisational Response

When employees speak, does the organisation listen, respond and demonstrate action?

Assessed focus: Feedback channels; listening systems; surveys; speak-up culture; response to feedback; experience measurement; action tracking.

Dimension 08 — Prove & Progress

Impact, Measurement & Continuous Improvement

Can the organisation demonstrate measurable progress and sustained improvement?

Assessed focus: Measurement; targets; improvement plans; corrective action; progress reporting; continuous review; sustainability.

Self-assessment

Check each dimension before you submit evidence.

Use the same four tests the assessors apply. For each dimension, confirm you can point to an approved instrument, records showing it in use, consistent application across the scope, and a measured outcome. Anything you cannot evidence is an improvement priority, not a barrier to applying.

Dimension 01Safe & RespectedShow self-assessment checks

Can people work, speak and raise concerns without fear?

  • Respectful workplace behaviour — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Prevention and response to harassment — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Safe reporting — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Retaliation protection — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Dignity — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Fair handling of concerns — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
Dimension detail
Dimension 02Fair & IncludedShow self-assessment checks

Do people experience fairness, belonging and meaningful access to opportunity?

  • Fair recruitment — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Inclusive practices — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Equitable participation — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Respect for different perspectives — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Career access — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Inclusive decision-making — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
Dimension detail
Dimension 03Rise & LeadShow self-assessment checks

Can women realistically progress, influence decisions and reach positions of leadership?

  • Leadership pipeline — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Sponsorship — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Mentoring — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Visibility — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • High-impact opportunities — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Leadership development — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Succession — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Progression — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Accountability — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
Dimension detail
Dimension 04Thrive & BalanceShow self-assessment checks

Does the workplace support sustainable performance and real-life responsibilities?

  • Workload sustainability — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Flexible work — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Caregiving support — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Wellbeing resources — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Burnout prevention — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Manager support — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Life-stage support — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
Dimension detail
Dimension 05Grow & BelongShow self-assessment checks

Can employees see and access realistic opportunities to grow?

  • Learning access — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Career conversations — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Mentoring — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Skills development — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Internal mobility — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Feedback and performance development — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
Dimension detail
Dimension 06Govern & DeliverShow self-assessment checks

Are workplace commitments governed, implemented and reviewed?

  • Policy architecture — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Ownership — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Communication — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Training — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Implementation controls — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Monitoring — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Review — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Management accountability — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
Dimension detail
Dimension 07Heard & Acted UponShow self-assessment checks

When employees speak, does the organisation listen, respond and demonstrate action?

  • Feedback channels — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Listening systems — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Surveys — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Speak-up culture — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Response to feedback — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Experience measurement — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Action tracking — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
Dimension detail
Dimension 08Prove & ProgressShow self-assessment checks

Can the organisation demonstrate measurable progress and sustained improvement?

  • Measurement — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Targets — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Improvement plans — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Corrective action — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Progress reporting — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Continuous review — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
  • Sustainability — can you show policy, process, practice and outcome evidence across the full certification scope?
Dimension detail

Submitting evidence

Where your evidence goes.

Evidence is submitted through the WWEC evidence portal against the agreed assessment plan, within the evidence submission window. Each item is recorded against a dimension and reviewed with one of the outcomes below.

Go to the evidence portalApply for CertificationWWEC assessor login

Review outcomes

How each evidence item is recorded.

Assessors record one outcome per evidence item in the assessor portal, with notes explaining the judgement.

  1. STEP 01

    Accepted

    The evidence is current, in scope, verifiable and demonstrates the requirement as stated.

  2. STEP 02

    Insufficient

    The evidence is relevant but incomplete, out of date, or does not cover the full certification scope. Further evidence is requested.

  3. STEP 03

    Rejected

    The evidence does not relate to the requirement, cannot be verified, or contradicts other material in the file.

  4. STEP 04

    Not applicable

    The requirement does not apply to the applicant's scope, size or jurisdiction. The reason is recorded and the dimension is rebalanced.

Assessment criteria describe how evidence is examined. They do not guarantee an outcome — the certification decision is taken by the WWEC decision panel under the published decision rules.

Read Scoring GuideUnderstand the Certification Decision

Criteria clarification

Objective evidence, applied through controlled criteria.

Assessment criteria are maintained as controlled criteria and applied consistently across assessments.

Each judgement is based on objective evidence and is recorded so the basis of the assessment conclusion can be reviewed. Criteria describe how evidence is examined; they do not determine the certification decision.

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