Govt moves to close gender pay gap

Paula Bennett.
Women's Minister Paula Bennett. Photo: File

Women's Minister Paula Bennett has today launched the first step of a plan to close the gender pay gap in New Zealand, which is the same as it was a decade ago.

The national gender pay gap is 12% the same as 2006. Around 20% of that can be explained by differences in education, occupation or industries or women being more likely to work part-time. However, the majority of the gap is down to what researchers call unexplained factors, such as conscious and unconscious bias, and the gap is wider and more attributable to unexplained factors at the top end of wage distribution - the "glass ceiling" effect.

The government has made seven recommendations for employers to close the gender pay gap in their organisations.

They are: leading from the top by communicating and taking responsibility for change; making a plan with measurable objectives; analysing data, taking into account ethnicity disadvantages and discretionary benefits; being aware of unconscious bias; redesigning talent management processes; maximising female talent; and normalising flexible work and parental leave for men and women.

"If New Zealand organisations identify and address their gender pay gaps, we can create fairer workplaces and raise incomes for women, families and communities throughout New Zealand," Bennett said.

"It's good for business too, diverse companies are more successful. Companies need a plan to close the gender pay gap in New Zealand workplaces. This is just the first step and the Ministry will soon release guidance to assist employers on how to measure their gender pay gap."

The Ministry for Women spoke to 26 large companies about their experiences and what they're doing to close the gap, with twelve companies releasing their profiles publically to accompany today's guidance.

Comments

Instead of the ongoing demands from the females in the workforce to attain the higher salary levels enjoyed by males,i suggest the salaries of males are reduced to the level females are offered.
Or why aren't the companies who employ males and females with salary disparities,named in the media?,or are those companies and the media,knowingly guilty of this public-interested topic and fear being outed.

There is some excellent work being done by Diversity Works NZ in the area of understanding unconscious bias. They also have advice for businesses wishing to tackle the gender pay gap and reap the benefits of a more diverse workplace. Diversity Works NZ (formerly the EEO Trust) have been working with NZ businesses in equal employment opportunity for years.