Closing gender pay gap prioritised

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A new educational resources to help small and medium-sized businesses better understand how they can act to close the gender pay gap has been released by the state government.

Industrial Relations minister Tim Pallas recently launched a range of materials developed by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) with funding from the government to help support businesses in their understanding of equal pay.

The materials include three videos with interactive features and three short e-learning modules are tailored to the characteristics and needs of small and medium-sized businesses.

Data from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency indicates the national gender pay gap continues to widen, now sitting at 14.1 per cent, an increase of 0.3 percentage points over the past six months.

“On average, women must work 60 days more to earn the same salary as a man – which is disgraceful,” industrial relations minister Tim Pallas said.

“By supporting small and medium-sized businesses with information and resources, it will help to reduce the gender pay gap and boost fairness across the economy.

“It’s a win for everyone – research shows that equitable workplaces are more productive, have less staff turnover and higher morale and are more profitable.”

Details: humanrights.vic.gov.au.