Today on Equal Pay Day Western Australia Equal Opportunity Commissioner Allanah Lucas has encouraged employers state-wide to reflect on what the state can do to decrease its 26 percent pay gap, still the largest in the country.
“All employers based in WA, across all industries, should use Equal Pay Day as a day of reflection on what they can do better in the area of gender equality in their organisations.
”Collecting data in their own organisations and reporting on it would be a good start,” Ms Lucas said.
She said although there were CEOs out there doing an outstanding job, everyone needed to be involved in decreasing WA’s rating as the State with the highest pay gap.
“The CEOs for Gender Equity are making progress within their own organisations to decrease the pay gap and increase female representation and participation in positions of influence.
“However they are only a group of 18, and many more need to address this critical matter,” she said.
She said there was clear evidence that the majority of women did not have the sustainable levels of security, savings or superannuation for independent living in their elderly years, and this would have significant impact on our community in the future.
Ms Lucas’ comments follow the recent Committee for Perth’s Filling the Pool report documenting a ‘blokey’ culture holding Perth women back from reaching their potential and the recent release of Workplace Gender Equality Agency data showing the gender pay gap in WA widening despite a national decrease.
“We have equal opportunity laws in place at state and federal level, so all the infrastructure for gender equality is already there, we just need a shift in workplace culture,” Ms Lucas said.
She said failure to embrace change in workplace flexibility was holding us all back not only in terms of equity but also economically.
“It is time for employers to cast off outdated working models and start embracing a workplace that allows men and women to reach their full potential, and what better day to give it serious consideration than Equal Pay Day!” she said.
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