Parental Leave

The highest paid men in Australia are being paid at least $162,000 more than the highest paid women, but women could be on par with men in most management roles within the next two decades, a new report shows. 

Australia’s cumulative retirement system means women continue to retire with roughly half the superannuation of men, with the overall gender difference in superannuation balances standing at 38.8%.

The 2018-19 leading employers understand the importance of parental leave and flexible work as key drivers to lowering the gender pay gap.

The latest WGEA data confirms that when Australian employers take action- the gender pay gap declines. Five years of WGEA data shows that year-on-year employer action to address pay equity has increased and year-on-year the gender pay gap has decreased.

Today, alongside the launch of WGEA’s fifth year of data, we have also launched a brand new way for you to explore WGEA’s archives of individual employers’ data. The WGEA Data Explorer has been updated and is now a one-stop shop for all public data collected by the Agency.

The 2017-18 data is in and it shows that access to paid parental leave has stalled for carers of both genders. This is a disappointing result, as employees of both genders try to combine work with their caring responsibilities as a normal part of life.

Today, 1 June, is the Global Day of Parents, a day to recognise the pivotal role mothers and fathers play in our families, communities and workplaces. 

This Mother’s Day, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) is calling on employers to recognise and celebrate the value of mothers in workplaces and across the economy.