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Australia could soon have new pay transparency laws

Pay transparency

The federal government has introduced a Bill to bring in new pay transparency laws designed to address the gender pay gap.

Here’s how the proposed new laws would work…

Companies with over 100 employees would be required to disclose how much they are paying their workers, including the discrepancies between what they pay men and women workers.

Starting from 2024, federal government agency WGEA would start publishing companies’ gender pay gap on its website.

The facts and figures would be available for all the world to see, meaning companies could no longer keep their gender pay gap in the shadows.

When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke about the Bill he said: “Women should be paid the same as men. It’s as simple as that.”

It really is as simple as that.

 

Unions led the way on these changes

Union members have pushed for action on pay transparency for years, because we know it’s a key driver of pay inequity.

These proposed laws are the product of union campaigns.

They would make Australian workplaces fairer for women.

Transparency means workers would be able to spot discrimination straightaway.

It also places employers on notice.

We will no longer accept secretive, entrenched pay gaps!

The onus is now on parliamentarians to pass the Bill into law.

 

About Australia’s gender pay gap…

Australia’s current gender pay gap is 14.1%, with women taking home $263.90 less than men every week.

With the current rate of progress, it will take 26 years to close the gender pay gap.

This is why these new laws are so important to help turn the tide on gender pay inequity.

 

Friendly reminders about the gender pay gap

It is:

  • The difference between the average earnings for men and women, expressed as a percentage of men's average earnings.
  • A measure of how we value the contribution of men and women in the workforce.
  • Reflective of the difference between the average pay of women and men across organisations, industries and the workforce as a whole
  • Caused by a range of factors including gender discrimination, lower pay in women-dominated industries, the barriers women face in being promoted to leadership, the ‘’motherhood penalty’’ experienced by women who take time out of the workforce and the unequal distribution of family and domestic responsibilities.

It is not:

  • A comparison of pay for men and women who do the exact same job (equal pay for men and women doing the same job has been a legal requirement in Australia since 1969).
  • Made up.