ABC still outside the target range for gender pay equity

Commonwealth public sector employers including the ABC, crime agencies, and energy and transport regulators, have been named and shamed for paying men more than women. See the list.

The ABC, crime agencies, energy and transport regulators are among Commonwealth public sector employers named and shamed for paying men more than women in a new scorecard.

Workplace Gender Equality Agency data released on Wednesday reveals the gender pay gaps across 120 employers and 2 corporate groups in the public sector.

Half of the Commonwealth employers had a median total remuneration gender pay gap lower than 4.8 per cent, compared to 8.9 per cent in the private sector.

But National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority was the worst with a massive gap of 50.4 per cent.

Other Australian Public Service employers with large gaps include the Australian Transport Safety Bureau at 29 per cent, the Australian Crime Commission at 25.6 per cent,

the National Anti-Corruption Commission at 15.2 per cent, and Department of Home Affairs at 9.3 per cent.

Non-Australian Public Service employers outside the target range of plus or minus of 5 per cent included the ABC, which had a median total remuneration gender pay gap of 9.8 per cent.

Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher and Workplace Gender Equality Agency CEO Mary Wooldridge. Picture: Martin Ollman

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority and Australian Maritime Safety Authority both had gender pay gaps greater than 30 per cent, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation had a gap of 24.6 per cent, Tourism Australia 16.5 per cent, Australian Federal Police 12.2 per cent, and the Reserve Bank of Australia had an 11.5 per cent gap.

Snowy Hydro Limited was the worst of corporate groups with a 38.4 per cent median total remuneration gender pay gap, followed by Australian Postal Corporation at 9.7 per cent.

The average total remuneration gender pay gap was 6.4 per cent across all employees in the sector. This means women are earning up to $8200 a year less than men on average.

The analysis was based on figures from the 2023 reporting period.

Workplace Gender Equality Agency chief executive Mary Wooldridge said the Commonwealth public sector had achieved gender-balance in the composition of the workforce, at managerial level and in the upper quartile of remuneration.

Ms Wooldridge said this was a critical driver of the lower gender pay gaps, compared to the private sector. But she said there was “still work to do”.

This includes on governing bodies, where men were still more likely to hold the position of chair, and that men account for just 11 per cent of all primary carers leave taken.

“With changes in access to parental leave now enacted, Commonwealth public sector employers need to work deliberately and strategically to drive cultural change that removes real or perceived penalties for taking time out for caring roles and ensure more men have confidence to take primary carer’s leave,” Ms Wooldridge said.

Originally published as ABC still outside the target range for gender pay equity