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Human Resources

New gender pay gap equates to two months less pay for women

Health Industry Hub | February 24, 2023 |

Human Resources: Australia’s national gender pay gap equates to two months less pay per year for women than men.

The gender pay gap* has dropped to 13.3% – a return to where we were three years ago – showing no consistent, long term progress in the right direction.

The average weekly earnings data, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), shows that
women earn 87 cents for every $1 earned by a man.

Women’s average weekly full-time earning across all industries and occupations is $1,653.60 compared to $1,907.10 for men (November 2022 data).

In delivering on an election commitment to help close the gender pay gap, the Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Closing the Gender Pay Gap) Bill 2023 was introduced into Parliament on 8 February 2023. The Bill will publish gender pay gaps of employers with 100 or more workers – a key reform to drive transparency and action towards closing the gender pay gap.

As many Australians struggle with sharp increases in the cost of groceries, energy, fuel and housing, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) is calling attention to the disproportionate effect this persistent pay gap has for Australian women.

National Australia Bank’s latest Australian Wellbeing Survey found around 1 in 3 Australians are experiencing “high” levels of anxiety. The most common cause of that stress – for more than 1 in 2 respondents – is the cost-of-living, with women reporting much higher levels of financial stress than men. Meeting the costs of needs that are essential to daily life and financial security, like medical bills and healthcare, major household items and raising $2,000 for an emergency, were named as the most common causes of that stress.

WGEA Director, Mary Wooldridge, said “The gender pay gap is a handbrake on women’s ability to make ends meet. With inflation at 7.8%, and rising, everyday essentials are becoming increasingly unaffordable.

“Women are $253.50 worse off every single week as a result of their gender. Over the course of one year, the weekly difference of $253.50 adds up to $13,182. That’s income that could have gone towards meeting bills, mortgage repayments or additional contributions to superannuation funds for retirement.

Ms Wooldridge added “Gender pay gaps are a reflection of the way we value women’s and men’s contributions in the workforce. Employers who don’t make gender equality a priority will fail to attract and retain female talent and won’t benefit from the increased productivity, innovation and profitability that flows from embracing diversity in your workforce.”

In a recent interview with Health Industry Hub, Ms Wooldridge discussed the mindset shifts and policy changes required within public and private organisations to redesign the way we work and drive the necessary changes in reducing the gender pay gap.

She said “We have this disconnect, especially at senior leadership positions, between the expectation of how people are working in those roles [more than 90% full-time], and the reality where the majority of women either choose not to or are unable to work full-time.

“There is some progress but it’s glacial…We can’t just let it happen and let it fall where it falls because what we don’t want to see is that many women continue to work flexibly, men returned to the office and the whole valuing presenteeism kicks back in again in terms of differentials of mentoring, training, promotions and pay rises. Employers need to be intentional.”

Employers are encouraged to find and compare how their organisation is tracking using the Agency’s Data Explorer. Currently, only 38% of employers have set specific targets to reduce the gender pay gap in their organisation.

*What causes the gender pay gap?

  • Conscious and unconscious discrimination and bias in hiring, promotion and pay decisions.
  • Lack of workplace flexibility to accommodate caring and other responsibilities, especially in senior roles.
  • Women’s greater time out of the workforce for caring responsibilities impacting career progression and opportunities.
  • Women’s disproportionate share of unpaid caring and domestic work.
  • Women and men working in different industries and different jobs, with female-dominated industries and jobs attracting lower wages.

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