Government vows to close public service gender pay gap

Thursday, 26 July 2018

The then Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter announced a flexible work pilot in December 2018 to help address the gender pay gap.

By the end of 2020 all government agencies will have closed any gender pay gaps within the same roles, said Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter.

Genter, about to go on maternity leave, unveiled an ambitious government plan to close the roughly 12.5 per cent gender pay gap in the public service.

The plan also included making flexible work normal in government agencies, which it hoped would lead to change from private sector employers.

The government's pay equity plan was announced at the Auckland War Memorial Museum where an exhibition on women and equality is being held.

By 2020 all government agencies would be 'flexible-by-default', said Genter, speaking at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

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An arresting image from an exhibition on women's rights and equality at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

And, by the end of this year there would be no gender pay gaps in starting salaries for the same roles, she said.

There would also be a big shift in the gender split of public service leadership.

By the end of 2019 women would hold at least 50 per cent of leadership roles in the top three tiers of leadership in government agencies, Genter said.

Agencies that failed would have to answer to minister, said State Services Minister Chris Hipkins.

The government expected government departments to manage the shift within their current baseline spending, but Hipkins admitted some might ask the government for more money in their next funding round.

'Sometimes that results in them asking the government for more money,' he said.

Genter said women had waited too long for the gender pay gap to close.

For too long women's chances at advancement had been hindered because employers had not embraced flexible working, which she said was good for productivity.

The evidence showed flexible workplaces were more productive workplaces, she said.

'Government has a leadership role to play to ensure that women are treated fairly. As responsible employers, government can demonstrate what works and get the private sector on board,' said Genter.

'This plan sets the direction of travel for government departments to start fixing the pay imbalance.'

The plan would accelerate action across the public service to address the underlying workplace culture issues that drive the gender pay gap, Hipkins said.

He reflected on the importance of gender equality to his own family.

'In a couple of months we are going to be having a baby girl,' said Hipkins. 'As you have probably picked up, we are a very fertile government.

'I don't want her to grow up in a world where her value as a citizen, as an employee would be in any way determined by her gender.'

The government chose the museum to launch its plan because it is currently holding the Are we there yet? Women and Equality in Aotearoa exhibition.