By completing it you will assist us in gaining valuable insight into measures that could help employers ensure that they have productive and equitable workplaces for all working women.

Complete this form if you are an employee

Complete this form if you are an employer

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 Key Messages for Equal Pay Day 2011
• EOWA OP-ED for Equal Pay Day 2011

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

Australian Government
Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency

Media Release:  22 May 2011

Today, the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) highlighted againthe serious issue of gender pay inequity. It announced that Equal Pay Day in Australia in 2011will take place on 1 September and called on business to take action to eliminate this discrimination.

Equal Pay Day, initiated by EOWA in 2008, is an annual event. Australian Bureau of Statisticsfigures released this week show that the average gender pay gap is 17.2%. To close this gap,women would have to work an extra 63 days to match what men earn. Symbolically, Equal PayDay is timed to coincide with the expiry of this extra period calculated from financial year-end.

“Women’s pay has remained between 82-85% of men’s pay since 1990. It’s completely unacceptable that, in 2011, this situation still prevails”

said the recently appointed EOWA Director, Ms Helen Conway.

Survey results released in 2010 of organisations reporting to EOWA1 revealed that less than40% of these organisations conduct an annual gender pay equity analysis. Of the organisationsthat do conduct some kind of analysis, just over half said that their analysis had resulted in anaction plan to address the gender pay gap in their organisation.

“I challenge businesses to step-up and use Equal Pay Day to drive action in their workplaces,”

Ms Conway said.

“Gender pay equity can be a difficult issue to address and EOWA iscommitted to assisting employers take action to achieve equity.”

As announced by the Minister for the Status of Women, Kate Ellis, in March, EOWA will have an enhanced focus on gender pay equity in the coming years under proposed new legislation.EOWA’s latest resource to assist business is an online gender pay equity course, titled “Mind the Gap”.

This course, along with other tools and information, can be found on the EOWA website.

eS4W has launched their International Women’s Day campaign – “Don’t be Short Changed”.

Kate Gunn, the Chair of eS4W, states:

This advertisement targets younger women, and asks them to work with their male colleagues to ensure they are being paid the same as other people doing the same role.

Read the Press Release for the Don’t be Short Changed campaign.

Kate Gunn, the Chair of eS4W, states “This advertisement targets younger women, and asks them to work with their male colleagues to ensure they are being paid the same as other people doing the same role.”

Read the Press Release for the Don’t be Short Changed campaign.

The PPL scheme:

• is government funded
• is for eligible working parents of children born or adopted on or after 1 January 2011
• can be transferred to the other parent
• is paid at the National Minimum Wage – currently $570 a week before tax*
• is for up to 18 weeks
• can be taken any time within the first year after birth.

Visit the Family Assist website for further information.

Australian women still earn 18% less than men. So ask for a discount on Equal Pay Day: September 4^th.

• Female graduates on entering the workforce earn $3,000 pa less than male graduates.
• Women executive managers in Australia Top 200 companies earn an average of 28.3% less than their mail peers.

Men = $1,330.60 per week

Women = $1,091.30 per week

Gender pay gap = $239.30

For more information go to eowa.gov.au.

Everyone is invited to sign onto the letter and to also send individual letters to your local MPS and state senators.

S4W have signed on to the Open Letter, you will and also send a copy with your full name and address to your local Member and all the Senators in your State or Territory. NFAW will present a copy of the Open Letter with all signatures as a petition to Party leaders in Canberra during the Budget Sittings.

A copy of the letter can be viewed by clicking here and send your endorsement to Marie Coleman at NFAW at:  mariecoleman@grapevine.com.au .  Or post your endorsement in the comment section and we will forward for you.