Australian women would need to work 50 extra days into the new financial year to earn the same as men, according to data released by The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) earlier this year.
WGEA uses this annual marker to highlight ongoing pay disparities and encourage workplace action, and the pay gap calculation is based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data comparing full-time base salaries between women and men. This year’s 50-day figure represents the national average, though individual workplace gaps vary significantly.
WGEA research identifies three main drivers of the gap: gender segregation across occupations and industries, unequal distribution of caring responsibilities and workplace discrimination. The agency’s data shows more than 8 out of 10 Australian employers (84.7%) still have gender pay gaps outside the target range of plus or minus 5%.
Mary Wooldridge, WGEA’s CEO, explained: “Every industry in Australia, including those that are women-dominated or gender-balanced, has a gender pay gap in favour of men.”
This year, WGEA launched a calculator allowing employees to determine their individual employer’s Equal Pay Day date using workplace-specific data.
The tool aims to generate meaningful conversations about pay equity within organisations and those using it are encouraged to explore their employer’s results through the agency’s Data Explorer – it provides detailed gender equality data by industry and individual employer.
It is worth noting, also, that recent legislative changes now require large employers to publish individual gender pay gaps and select specific gender equality targets. These measures are designed to motivate employers to understand their gaps and implement evidence-based solutions.