Today is Equal Pay Day
Today is Equal Pay Day, a day that puts the spotlight on the gender wage gap that currently exists all over the world – and is on the rise in Australia.
From the first day of their first job, women in Australia will fall behind their male colleagues. The gender pay gap has reached over 18% – its highest level in 20 years – and men are still nine times more likely to reach senior executive positions than women . Sadly, it seems the work of women is still being dismissed as ‘women’s work’.
This is despite a significant body of research into the gender pay gap illustrating the economic benefits of closing the gap. For example, a 2009 study concluded that if the gender pay gap was reduced by just 2 percentage points, to 16%, Australia’s GDP would grow by 0.5% ; and a 2009 KPMG study found that the introduction of more flexible work arrangements could potentially close the gap and increase our national GDP by up to 9% . So if the economics make sense, why does the gender pay gap still exist?
A number of historical and social factors play into its persistence. These factors include:
Direct discrimination
Although gender discrimination laws have greatly diminished bias against women in the workplace, discrimination against women – in hiring, workplace practices and salary arrangements – is still a real threat in some workplaces.
The devaluation of ‘women’s work’
Industries that are dominated by women, such as healthcare and education, are traditionally undervalued as ‘women’s work’ – and thus underpaid. We saw a great deal of discussion around this issue in 2012, when social and community sector workers – largely women – won pay rises in a historic equal pay decision by Fair Work Australia.
Underrepresentation in senior positions
Women are underrepresented in senior and executive positions. In 2013, only 10.1% of key executives in ASX200 companies were female . The processes of recruitment, appointment and the promotion of women into key senior roles still lags behind that of our male colleagues.
Work/life balance
Generally speaking, women do face greater challenges than men in balancing employment and family responsibilities. A lack of part-time work (especially in senior positions) and flexible work arrangements can create obstacles to women participating fully in the workforce if they choose to have children.
Much as there is no one true cause of the gender pay gap, there is not one solution, and work needs to be done on many levels. While our governments need to have gender pay equality high on their agenda and push through reform on a policy level, organisations have a lot of work to do on the ground. The Workplace Gender Equality Agency has identified that organisations need to:
Understand what the gender pay gap really means
You can’t fix a problem if you don’t know what it is! Leaders in organisations need to learn more about gender-based pay inequity and what it means for their staff… and their bottom line.
Conduct an audit
Reviewing payroll and establishing whether you have an internal gender pay gap is a vital first step. Is your organisation part of the larger problem?
Review internal attitudes
Gender discrimination is not always overt – it can be a hidden bias in areas like recruitment, the creation of position descriptions, management techniques and performance reviews.
Be accountable
When an equal pay policy is established, accountability is key. Organisations need to manage the implementation of policy, monitor its ongoing progress and report annually.
The gender pay gap is a much larger issue than one woman asking for a better starting salary… but that may well be a great place to start. In the face of this sometimes overwhelming social inequality, the need for women to feel empowered to improve their own circumstances has never been more important.
That’s why I love working with women, and also why Jennifer Morris and I wrote our latest book, 52 Ways To Break Through the Glass Ceiling: it’s a guide for women in the workforce to break free of the sticky floor and break through the glass ceiling. The structural biases against women can be subtle – maybe even invisible – but as more women encounter and overcome them, real change can be forged for the next generation. Let’s make some new rungs on that leadership ladder!
Find out more about Equal Pay Day at www.equalpayday.com.au.
Today is Equal Pay Day, a day that puts the spotlight on the gender wage gap that currently exists all over the world – and is on the rise in Australia.
From the first day of their first job, women in Australia will fall behind their male colleagues. The gender pay gap has reached over 18% – its highest level in 20 years – and men are still nine times more likely to reach senior executive positions than women . Sadly, it seems the work of women is still being dismissed as ‘women’s work’.
This is despite a significant body of research into the gender pay gap illustrating the economic benefits of closing the gap. For example, a 2009 study concluded that if the gender pay gap was reduced by just 2 percentage points, to 16%, Australia’s GDP would grow by 0.5% ; and a 2009 KPMG study found that the introduction of more flexible work arrangements could potentially close the gap and increase our national GDP by up to 9% . So if the economics make sense, why does the gender pay gap still exist?
A number of historical and social factors play into its persistence. These factors include:
Direct discrimination
Although gender discrimination laws have greatly diminished bias against women in the workplace, discrimination against women – in hiring, workplace practices and salary arrangements – is still a real threat in some workplaces.
The devaluation of ‘women’s work’
Industries that are dominated by women, such as healthcare and education, are traditionally undervalued as ‘women’s work’ – and thus underpaid. We saw a great deal of discussion around this issue in 2012, when social and community sector workers – largely women – won pay rises in a historic equal pay decision by Fair Work Australia.
Underrepresentation in senior positions
Women are underrepresented in senior and executive positions. In 2013, only 10.1% of key executives in ASX200 companies were female . The processes of recruitment, appointment and the promotion of women into key senior roles still lags behind that of our male colleagues.
Work/life balance
Generally speaking, women do face greater challenges than men in balancing employment and family responsibilities. A lack of part-time work (especially in senior positions) and flexible work arrangements can create obstacles to women participating fully in the workforce if they choose to have children.
Much as there is no one true cause of the gender pay gap, there is not one solution, and work needs to be done on many levels. While our governments need to have gender pay equality high on their agenda and push through reform on a policy level, organisations have a lot of work to do on the ground. The Workplace Gender Equality Agency has identified that organisations need to:
Understand what the gender pay gap really means
You can’t fix a problem if you don’t know what it is! Leaders in organisations need to learn more about gender-based pay inequity and what it means for their staff… and their bottom line.
Conduct an audit
Reviewing payroll and establishing whether you have an internal gender pay gap is a vital first step. Is your organisation part of the larger problem?
Review internal attitudes
Gender discrimination is not always overt – it can be a hidden bias in areas like recruitment, the creation of position descriptions, management techniques and performance reviews.
Be accountable
When an equal pay policy is established, accountability is key. Organisations need to manage the implementation of policy, monitor its ongoing progress and report annually.
The gender pay gap is a much larger issue than one woman asking for a better starting salary… but that may well be a great place to start. In the face of this sometimes overwhelming social inequality, the need for women to feel empowered to improve their own circumstances has never been more important.
That’s why I love working with women, and also why Jennifer Morris and I wrote our latest book, 52 Ways To Break Through the Glass Ceiling: it’s a guide for women in the workforce to break free of the sticky floor and break through the glass ceiling. The structural biases against women can be subtle – maybe even invisible – but as more women encounter and overcome them, real change can be forged for the next generation. Let’s make some new rungs on that leadership ladder!
Find out more about Equal Pay Day at www.equalpayday.com.au.
Today is Equal Pay Day, a day that puts the spotlight on the gender wage gap that currently exists all over the world – and is on the rise in Australia.
From the first day of their first job, women in Australia will fall behind their male colleagues. The gender pay gap has reached over 18% – its highest level in 20 years – and men are still nine times more likely to reach senior executive positions than women . Sadly, it seems the work of women is still being dismissed as ‘women’s work’.
This is despite a significant body of research into the gender pay gap illustrating the economic benefits of closing the gap. For example, a 2009 study concluded that if the gender pay gap was reduced by just 2 percentage points, to 16%, Australia’s GDP would grow by 0.5% ; and a 2009 KPMG study found that the introduction of more flexible work arrangements could potentially close the gap and increase our national GDP by up to 9% . So if the economics make sense, why does the gender pay gap still exist?
A number of historical and social factors play into its persistence. These factors include:
Direct discrimination
Although gender discrimination laws have greatly diminished bias against women in the workplace, discrimination against women – in hiring, workplace practices and salary arrangements – is still a real threat in some workplaces.
The devaluation of ‘women’s work’
Industries that are dominated by women, such as healthcare and education, are traditionally undervalued as ‘women’s work’ – and thus underpaid. We saw a great deal of discussion around this issue in 2012, when social and community sector workers – largely women – won pay rises in a historic equal pay decision by Fair Work Australia.
Underrepresentation in senior positions
Women are underrepresented in senior and executive positions. In 2013, only 10.1% of key executives in ASX200 companies were female . The processes of recruitment, appointment and the promotion of women into key senior roles still lags behind that of our male colleagues.
Work/life balance
Generally speaking, women do face greater challenges than men in balancing employment and family responsibilities. A lack of part-time work (especially in senior positions) and flexible work arrangements can create obstacles to women participating fully in the workforce if they choose to have children.
Much as there is no one true cause of the gender pay gap, there is not one solution, and work needs to be done on many levels. While our governments need to have gender pay equality high on their agenda and push through reform on a policy level, organisations have a lot of work to do on the ground. The Workplace Gender Equality Agency has identified that organisations need to:
Understand what the gender pay gap really means
You can’t fix a problem if you don’t know what it is! Leaders in organisations need to learn more about gender-based pay inequity and what it means for their staff… and their bottom line.
Conduct an audit
Reviewing payroll and establishing whether you have an internal gender pay gap is a vital first step. Is your organisation part of the larger problem?
Review internal attitudes
Gender discrimination is not always overt – it can be a hidden bias in areas like recruitment, the creation of position descriptions, management techniques and performance reviews.
Be accountable
When an equal pay policy is established, accountability is key. Organisations need to manage the implementation of policy, monitor its ongoing progress and report annually.
The gender pay gap is a much larger issue than one woman asking for a better starting salary… but that may well be a great place to start. In the face of this sometimes overwhelming social inequality, the need for women to feel empowered to improve their own circumstances has never been more important.
That’s why I love working with women, and also why Jennifer Morris and I wrote our latest book, 52 Ways To Break Through the Glass Ceiling: it’s a guide for women in the workforce to break free of the sticky floor and break through the glass ceiling. The structural biases against women can be subtle – maybe even invisible – but as more women encounter and overcome them, real change can be forged for the next generation. Let’s make some new rungs on that leadership ladder!
Find out more about Equal Pay Day at www.equalpayday.com.au.
Today is Equal Pay Day, a day that puts the spotlight on the gender wage gap that currently exists all over the world – and is on the rise in Australia.
From the first day of their first job, women in Australia will fall behind their male colleagues. The gender pay gap has reached over 18% – its highest level in 20 years – and men are still nine times more likely to reach senior executive positions than women . Sadly, it seems the work of women is still being dismissed as ‘women’s work’.
This is despite a significant body of research into the gender pay gap illustrating the economic benefits of closing the gap. For example, a 2009 study concluded that if the gender pay gap was reduced by just 2 percentage points, to 16%, Australia’s GDP would grow by 0.5% ; and a 2009 KPMG study found that the introduction of more flexible work arrangements could potentially close the gap and increase our national GDP by up to 9% . So if the economics make sense, why does the gender pay gap still exist?
A number of historical and social factors play into its persistence. These factors include:
Direct discrimination
Although gender discrimination laws have greatly diminished bias against women in the workplace, discrimination against women – in hiring, workplace practices and salary arrangements – is still a real threat in some workplaces.
The devaluation of ‘women’s work’
Industries that are dominated by women, such as healthcare and education, are traditionally undervalued as ‘women’s work’ – and thus underpaid. We saw a great deal of discussion around this issue in 2012, when social and community sector workers – largely women – won pay rises in a historic equal pay decision by Fair Work Australia.
Underrepresentation in senior positions
Women are underrepresented in senior and executive positions. In 2013, only 10.1% of key executives in ASX200 companies were female . The processes of recruitment, appointment and the promotion of women into key senior roles still lags behind that of our male colleagues.
Work/life balance
Generally speaking, women do face greater challenges than men in balancing employment and family responsibilities. A lack of part-time work (especially in senior positions) and flexible work arrangements can create obstacles to women participating fully in the workforce if they choose to have children.
Much as there is no one true cause of the gender pay gap, there is not one solution, and work needs to be done on many levels. While our governments need to have gender pay equality high on their agenda and push through reform on a policy level, organisations have a lot of work to do on the ground. The Workplace Gender Equality Agency has identified that organisations need to:
Understand what the gender pay gap really means
You can’t fix a problem if you don’t know what it is! Leaders in organisations need to learn more about gender-based pay inequity and what it means for their staff… and their bottom line.
Conduct an audit
Reviewing payroll and establishing whether you have an internal gender pay gap is a vital first step. Is your organisation part of the larger problem?
Review internal attitudes
Gender discrimination is not always overt – it can be a hidden bias in areas like recruitment, the creation of position descriptions, management techniques and performance reviews.
Be accountable
When an equal pay policy is established, accountability is key. Organisations need to manage the implementation of policy, monitor its ongoing progress and report annually.
The gender pay gap is a much larger issue than one woman asking for a better starting salary… but that may well be a great place to start. In the face of this sometimes overwhelming social inequality, the need for women to feel empowered to improve their own circumstances has never been more important.
That’s why I love working with women, and also why Jennifer Morris and I wrote our latest book, 52 Ways To Break Through the Glass Ceiling: it’s a guide for women in the workforce to break free of the sticky floor and break through the glass ceiling. The structural biases against women can be subtle – maybe even invisible – but as more women encounter and overcome them, real change can be forged for the next generation. Let’s make some new rungs on that leadership ladder!
Find out more about Equal Pay Day at www.equalpayday.com.au
