Parliament Passes the Gender Pay Gap Bill

On 30 March 2023, the Federal Parliament passed the Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Gender Pay Gap) Bill 2023, which aims to address the gender pay gap in Australia.

Starting 2024, employers with 100 or more employees in the private sector and Commonwealth public sector will be required to: 

• Collect and report data on the gender gap within their organisation. 
• Identify any significant gender pay gaps and take action to address them. 
• Develop a strategy to promote gender equality and diversity within the organisation. 
• Provide regular updates on progress made towards closing the gender gap.  

The information will be published on the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) website so employees can have to access to their employer’s gender pay gap data. This will allow job seekers to evaluate a prospective employer’s commitment to gender equality, while current employees can assess their employer’s progress in this area. The publication of this data is expected to increase the value placed on jobs that support gender quality and encourage more employers to prioritize this issue.  

Employers who fail to comply with the requirements of the Gender Pay Gap Bill may face penalties and fines. Additionally, they may be subject to negative publicity which can impact their ability to attract and retain top talent.

For more information about wages, call our HR team on 07 3273 0800.