It has been more than ten years since the enactment of the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012, establishing the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), and Australian Government statutory agency. The WGEA was created as a vital entity in fostering and promoting gender equality within Australian workplaces.
Overall, Australian employers have made progress, but there is still plenty of work to be done.
In 2023, reforms were made to improve transparency, accountability and to motivate action to accelerate progress on gender equality in workplaces.
One of the most important changes from this reform is that employers with 100 or more employees must now provide a detailed report to WGEA in relation to the action they are taking to address their gender pay gaps.
Who cares?
Seemingly an obvious answer, but Workplace Gender Equality is important not only for ensuring and demonstrating equity and fairness of your current employees, but also anyone who may be considering working for your company in the future. It has a profound impact on your employer brand and being able to attract candidates in an already competitive market.
Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but is linked to a country’s overall economic performance. Many studies have shown that diverse workplaces have a positive impact on performance, productivity, creativity and innovation.
What does it involve?
Employers must provide detailed qualitative information about their HR policies, procedures, employee entitlements and benefits, recruitment practices, performance and promotion practices, succession planning, and even specific information relating to their Board.
In addition to this, employers must provide quantitative information about each and every employee’s pay, their role in the company, their industry classification, and information about their leave. Some of this information needs to be pulled for an entire 12-month period.
The WGEA portal
Not only do employers need to analyse and report on a lot of data, but they also need to upload it onto the WGEA platform, which has stringent formatting requirements. Leveraging the platform’s functionalities can yield invaluable insights and facilitate strategic decision-making in fostering workplace inclusivity.
My report has been submitted – now what?
It doesn’t just stop there – the whole purpose of the WGEA report is to identify gaps and take action.
Ready to navigate the complexities of WGEA reporting with confidence and ease? Contact our team today for tailored solutions.
