UPDATED: According to research from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), only one in five businesses have eliminated gender pay gaps.
The research found that nearly three-quarters of all employers have a gender pay gap in favour of men. Higher-paying employers are more likely to favour men and have a larger gender pay gap.
On average, men earn A$28,245 more than women, with $11,204 coming from payments beyond salary like superannuation, overtime and performance bonuses.
WGEA CEO Mary Wooldridge said each employer has a different set of circumstances that impact the size of their gender pay gap and that it’s encouraging to see 15% of businesses sitting in the +/- 5% pay gap range for both measures.
“Where an employer’s gender pay gap is beyond the target range of +/-5%, it indicates one gender is more likely to be over-represented in higher paying roles compared to the other,” Wooldridge said.
“This can be a sign of structural or cultural differences for one gender within an occupation, organisation, or broader industry.
“For employers that haven’t made progress, it’s time to ask why – dig into the data to find out what’s causing any gender differences and use evidence-based solutions to address them.”
While the gender pay gap is far from being eliminated, it has been significantly narrowed as 56% of employers have reduced their pay gap in the past year.
Wooldridge said this increase has been promising and that equal pay experiences could benefit both men and women in different ways.
“For men, a more equal experience could mean their employer is providing access to paid parental leave, paying superannuation on that leave and actively supporting a flexible return to work from parental leave,” Wooldridge said.
“For women, it could mean their employer is redesigning manager roles that will enable those roles to be undertaken on a part-time basis or as a job share.
“This action can create new pathways to career progression for employees with caring or other responsibilities outside of work, or by actively broadening the pipeline of talent across occupations and job roles.”
Around the same time the report was published, the Coalition announced plans to require all public service workers to work in the office five days a week.
The plan has been slammed for disadvantaging women by Finance Minister, Katy Gallagher on ABC’s Radio National Breakfast.
In response to the backlash, Dutton said the plan wouldn’t discriminate against women and that the coalition would work to close the gender pay gap.
Wooldridge said that the flexibility to work from home is an important “enabler” in moving towards equal pay.
"Flexible working arrangements are quite broad, it includes working from home but it also can include job share, variable shift hours … but there is no doubt that enhanced flexible working arrangements enhances access to participation in the workforce."
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