The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) has calculated that the national gender pay gap has reached its lowest level in 20 years at 14.6 per cent.
Director of the Agency, Libby Lyons hailed the discovery as “great news”.
As a result, WGEA has fixed Equal Pay Day for 31 August, marking the 62 additional days from the end of the previous financial year that women must work to earn the same pay as men.
Ms Lyons said the result was recognition of the work employers had done in addressing issues such as pay equity.
“By collecting and analysing data, employers know where their gender equality hotspots are and can take action to improve them,” Ms Lyons said.
“However, we cannot become complacent as there is still much work to do. All employers need to continue to ensure their employees are paid equitably and do a pay gap analysis.”
She said reports should be made to organisations’ executives and boards.
“Pay gaps close when leaders see the numbers,” Ms Lyons said.
“This improvement in the gender pay gap proves that actions speak louder than words.
“If every employer in Australia did a pay audit, analysed the results and then took action, we would eventually consign the national gender pay gap to the annals of history.”
She said the gender pay gap was a symptom of a broader issue.
“It reflects the fact that women’s work is traditionally undervalued and women are often paid less than men.
“Average full-time salaries are lower for women than men in every occupation and industry in Australia.”
Ms Lyons said women were under-represented in senior executive and management roles and female-dominated occupations and industries attracted lower pay than male-dominated ones.
She said the WGEA had launched a new video entitled Pay Gaps and Life Hacks.
It can be accessed (with sound) at this PS News link.
