Claire Purcell

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Achieving pay equity

Claire Purcell Principal Pay Equity Adviser Pay
Equity Unit Labour Relations Division Department
of Consumer and Employment Protection
Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
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What is the gender pay gap and pay equity?

• The gender pay gap is the difference in average
  earnings of men and women.
• Achieving pay equity is the process of narrowing
  the gap between male and female earnings.

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
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A quick question?

• For every dollar earned by full time male
  employee in Western Australiaa full time female
  employee earns ________ cents?

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
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The gender pay gap in WA

• The answer - 73 cents!
• WA has the largest gender pay gap in Australia at
  27.
• The national gender pay gap is approximately 15.

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
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Gender pay gap over time WA versus Australia
Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
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Gender pay gap by industry
Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
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Why does the gender pay gap exist?

• A lack of permanent part time jobs and flexible
  working arrangements
• Over-representation of women in casual and
  non-career part time jobs
• Gender segregation by occupation and industry
• Different education and training paths

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
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Why does the gender pay gap matter?

• Reduces the ability for women to balance work and
  caring responsibilities and participate in the
  workforce
• Fairness and social equity, including
  discrepancies in retirement incomes
• Less women participating means employers have
  more difficulty attracting and retaining staff

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
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The business case for pay equity

• The gender pay gap can make women less likely to
  participate in the workforce.
• Best practice employers view addressing pay
  equity as a key attraction and retention
  strategy.
• Flexible work arrangements make the skills and
  experience of women who cant work full time
  available to employers.

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
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Participation statistics

• Females 60.3 WA March 2008
• Males 76.4 WA March 2008
• Australia has low participation rates for women
  compared with OECD countries
• The level of remuneration women receive from
  working has a direct effect on their workforce
  participation

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
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Female workforce participation by age
Nappy Valley
Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
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What is being done to achieve pay equity?

• In 2004 the Minister for Employment Protection
  commissioned a review of the gender pay gap
• The State Government established the Pay Equity
  Unit in 2006
• The Pay Equity Unit is working with unions,
  employers and community organisations to raise
  awareness of pay equity issues

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
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What the Pay Equity Unit is doing

• Education and awareness raising with business,
  unions, government and the community
• Working with public sector agencies on pay equity
  issues
• Developing resources and tools for organisations
  to address pay equity at the workplace level

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
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Pay equity audits a key strategy

• The Pay Equity Unit is assisting organisations to
  conduct pay equity audits
• A pay equity audit is an analysis of payroll and
  human resource data to determine where gender pay
  differences and issues exist.
• Provides empirical data to support pay equity
  initiatives in the workplace

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
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How is a pay equity audit conducted?
Pay Equity Employer Toolkit
Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
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Questions?
Claire Purcell Pay Equity Unit 9222
7601 cpurcell_at_docep.wa.gov.au
www.payequity.wa.gov.au
Department of Consumer and Employment Protection