Equal Pay Day, 1 September 2011
Equal Pay Day 2011 will be held on 1 September, a date chosen for its significance as marking the additional time after the close of the financial year (63 days) that women have to work to match men’s earnings in that financial year. This calculation is based on ABS average full-time weekly earnings data that found that Australian women earn 17.2% less than men earn in a year.
The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) encourages you to get involved on the day and show your support for equal pay through promoting the adoption or review of pay equity policies, hosting an event such as a panel discussion or information session and talking about pay equity to staff members and managers, posting information on your website or intranet (including a link to EOWA’s website resources), issuing a media release or writing a letter to the editor or an article for your trade or professional magazine.
To help organisations address pay inequity, EOWA has developed a series of useful website resources including a pay equity audit tool and information relating to closing the gender pay gap. We have also developed an online interactive course “Mind the Gap”, designed to build understanding of pay equity issues and remedies and provide practical tools and resources, legislation, case studies, useful guides and checklists on remuneration and techniques for valuing work and setting pay rates.
EOWA is also working with Standards Australia and stakeholders to develop a voluntary standard on gender-inclusive job evaluation and grading. Currently open for public comment, we encourage you to make a submission on the draft Standard DR AS 5376 by the 19 September 2011 closing date. (Please see further details below.)
Attached are some EOWA resources you may find useful in preparing for Equal Pay Day on 1 September:
Attachments:
EOWA Website links:
- Equal Pay Day 2011 page on the EOWA website: http://www.eowa.gov.au/Pay_Equity/Equal_Pay_Day_2011.asp
- Gender Pay Equity section of the EOWA website: http://www.eowa.gov.au/Pay_Equity/Gender_Pay_Equity-Overview.asp
- Pay Equity Information links to related websites and resources: http://www.eowa.gov.au/Pay_Equity/Pay_Equity_Information.asp\
- EOWA News Alert: http://www.eowa.gov.au/Information_Centres/Resource_Centre/EOWA_Publications/Newsletters/2011/EOWA%20News%20Alert%20August%202011.htm
