Sick of talking about the Gender Pay Gap? Do this instead
Whether it’s Equal Pay Day, International Women’s Day or simply a day ending in ‘y’, you don’t have to look far to know that we still have a way to go when it comes to gender equity in this country (and around the world).
There’s the fact that across all industries and in every state and territory in Australia, women continue to earn, on average, less than men. Or that there is a lack of intersectional data, which obscures that some are earning far less than others. Or perhaps it’s the ever-present and insidious threat of gender-based violence, a lack of representation in public office and senior management, or the over-representation of women in so-called ‘feminised’ industries.
You get the idea - it’s everywhere. Inequity is omnipresent. It’s embedded in nearly every aspect of society, permeating education, employment, healthcare, housing, and justice systems; influencing opportunities and outcomes based on gender, race and cultural background, socioeconomic status, and other intersecting identities.
These systemic and structural inequities are deeply woven into the fabric of our social, economic, and political systems, creating widespread and enduring disparities that must be addressed and dismantled to achieve true justice and equality. Fired up yet? Let’s channel that into meaningful action.
Despite significant progress at all levels of Australian workplaces, and recent reports that the gender pay gap is at the lowest it’s ever been — we know we still have a way to go. We must sustain our efforts to address systemic pay disparities, challenge damaging gender stereotypes, and create a more equitable and just society. But it can be hard to know where to start.
If your workplace is wondering what more it can do, and you’re sick of talking about the gender pay gap - leave the chat, and get to work figuring out why it exists, how big it truly is, and how to close it.
Three ways to ramp up efforts to close the gender pay gap in your organisation
Based on our extensive experience across Australian workplaces of every size and industry, here are three practical and actionable steps that organisations can take to meaningfully and tangibly close the gender pay gap once and for all.
1. Transparent Pay Audits and Reviews
It’s well-known that you can’t manage what you don’t measure. Closing the gender pay gap means conducting regular and transparent pay audits, and calculating the gender pay gap in your organisation. It also means collecting and reporting on data that considers our many intersecting identities, beyond gender.
Whether you are required by WGEA to report on this data or not, organisations who are serious about closing the gender gap must then analyse this remuneration data across different levels, departments, and job roles to identify gaps that may exist.
And what do you do if you find one? This is something we frequently get asked, and it’s a great question, because what’s needed to close the gender pay gap in one organisation is not necessarily what’s needed to close it in another. Therefore, it’s critical to get to an understanding of what your data is telling you about the state of gender equality in your organisation.
Questions like these can help to identify why a gap exists and indicate a pathway of action going forward:
How wide is the gap? Is it bigger or smaller than the last time we measured it?
Is there an underrepresentation of women in senior leadership or higher paying positions?
Are women in our organisation over-represented in part-time work?
How do we take part-time work into account when identifying talent for promotion?
What can we see about the opportunities for staff with other intersecting identities?
Are we transparent about role classification, salaries or bonus structures in the organisation?
It’s then about taking specific and measurable steps to rectify these gaps. This means adjusting salaries, bonuses, promotion pathways, and benefits. But it doesn’t stop there.
The real work is in also making sure that your executive and leadership teams understand what the data is telling you, so they can make bolder decisions (and deeper commitments) about tackling the more endemic and invisible organisational systems and structures that keep inequity alive and well.
Whether that means re-valuing or re-classifying certain roles, or prioritising part-time and flexible work opportunities at senior levels, there is so much that can be done (and needs to be done) beyond simply adjusting salaries. It is then about communicating the outcomes to your team to ‘walk the talk’ on your commitment to fairness and equality.
2. Equal Pay Policies and Guidelines
Sometimes organisations delay taking action on closing the gender pay gap because of fear of getting it wrong or not knowing where to start.
Undoubtedly, the pay gap and systemic financial inequality are complex issues, and a nuanced understanding of gender, intersectionality, and how power functions in the workplace is required in order to take concerted action, and not further entrench existing inequities (or create new ones).
However, the women and gender-diverse people in your organisation, and outside of it, cannot afford to wait for you to get comfortable. Instead, we encourage organisations to start taking action now, no matter how imperfect it may be to begin with.
A practical place to start is making sure your organisation has robust pay equity policy in place that outline the company's commitment to closing the pay gaps. Ensure that these policies explicitly prohibit pay discrimination based on gender, and include guidelines for fair compensation practices.
This can include clear criteria for determining salary levels, guidelines for promotions and raises, and mechanisms to address any grievances related to pay inequality. Train managers and HR personnel on these policies to ensure consistent implementation across the organisation.
While pieces of paper do not translate into action without effort, they do provide a useful place to start. By ensuring you apply an evidence-based and intersectional gender lens to all organisational policies from recruitment policies to flexible work, and family violence to sexual harassment, you can build a solid foundation for creating a more gender equal workplace.
3. Invest in Professional Development and Be Prepared To Do The Work
Providing opportunities for professional growth and advancement for women and gender-diverse people is a key way that workplaces can help close the gender pay gap. That’s because gender bias is pervasive at every stage of the employment cycle from recruitment to promotion. And this is backed up by decades of research about what is subtly (or not so subtly) influencing our decisions on who is the ‘right’ or ‘best’ person for the job.
Establishing meaningful mentorship and sponsorship programs that help women and gender-diverse people connect with and learn from senior leaders can help to close gender gaps and overcome internal biases. But it is not only leadership development programs.
Women and gender-diverse people should not be held responsible for climbing ladders, smashing glass ceilings, shattering mahogany walls, or closing any gaps. It's up to organisations to deliver workplace training programs that help to identify the structures and behaviours that uphold the gender pay gap, and bring everyone along on the journey.
Leaders at all levels must ‘do the work’ to understand and change their own behaviours, and be engaged participants in workplace training programs that focus on building organisational capability to promote gender equality.
Remember: closing the gender pay gap requires ongoing commitment, communication, and consistent monitoring of progress. Whether you manage the process internally, or bring in workplace gender equality specialists to help guide the way, now is the time to take concerted action.
GenderWorks Australia is a trusted and accredited provider of workplace gender equality training and programs.
Find out more about our services or get in touch about a quote.