Equal Pay Day: maintaining our commitment during COVID-19

[Un]Equal Pay Day is held on 28 August and marks the extra 59 days it takes women to earn the same amount men do in a financial year.  

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) shows Australia’s gender pay gap remains at 14%. This means male full-time employees are making $253.60 per week more than full-time female employees. The pay gap persists across every industry and occupation – including female dominated ones. 

According to WGEA, the gender pay gap has multiple influences, including: 

• discrimination and bias in hiring and pay decisions 
• women and men working in different industries and different jobs, with female-dominated industries and jobs attracting lower wages 
• women’s disproportionate share of unpaid caring and domestic work 
• lack of workplace flexibility to accommodate caring and other responsibilities, especially in senior roles 
• women’s greater time out of the workforce impacting career progression and opportunities. 

Maintaining gender equity in times of crisis 

The COVID-19 crisis has worsened the situation. Women have been disproportionately financially impacted, with their long-term economic security and rates of workforce participation now surrounded by question marks. Some are even calling this the ‘pink-collar recession’ – the first to hit women’s jobs harder than men’s. 

During this global pandemic, employers must continue to focus on gender equity in their organisations. 

“Maintaining our focus on reducing the gender pay gap during the current economic situation is critical,” said UTS Vice-Chancellor Attila Brungs.   

“This pandemic poses long-term challenges for the health, economic security, safety and well-being of women. We know that family and carer responsibilities fall disproportionately to women and are key drivers of gender inequality in education and careers. That’s why I’m committed to doing everything I can to support flexible working arrangements for all our staff, so they can also manage their roles at home and continue to succeed in their careers.   

“It is more important than ever that we continue our commitment towards equal pay and gender equity,” he said. 

In June, UTS and nine other Australian universities publicly committed to addressing the gendered effects of COVID-19. We will continue to monitor and report on the gender equity impacts of COVID-19 within our own institution and maintain our efforts to increase the gender equity progress which has been made to date 

What else is UTS doing to address the pay gap? 

UTS has a long and proud history of commitment to gender equity. We have received the WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation every year since its inception in 2002 – one of only two institutions to do so. UTS’s gender programs and initiatives include: 

• increasing the representation of women in STEMM through the Athena SWAN program 
• equal parental leave for all primary carers, along with return to work and childcare support for parents 
• support for staff with carer responsibilities, including a wide range of options for flexible working 
• career development and leadership programs for women training for leaders and hiring managers to combat bias and ensure fair recruitment. 

In 2019, UTS committed $500,000 in additional resources to close the gender pay gap in faculties with significant gaps.