Birdon is proud to announce the results of the 2023-24 Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) reporting. These results highlight Birdon’s ongoing commitment to gender equality and provide valuable insights into our progress.
Understanding the Gender Pay Gap (GPG)
The gender pay gap represents the difference in average or median earnings between women and men in the workforce. It is a crucial measure of gender equality across a nation, industry, or organisation. Closing the gender pay gap is essential for Australia’s economic future and reflects our aspiration to be an equal and fair society for all.
The WGEA’s Gender Equality Scorecard
The WGEA’s Gender Equality Scorecard offers an annual overview of the status of gender equality in Australian workplaces. It incorporates data and insights from WGEA’s annual Employer Census into an interactive Data Explorer dashboard, allowing Australians to search and compare gender pay gaps of more than 9,200 employers. The 2023-24 report captured data from 7,800 private sector employer groups, covering over 5 million employees.
Birdon’s Results
Birdon is pleased to share our results from the 2023-24 WGEA report. Our average (mean) total remuneration Gender Pay Gap (GPG) is -23.4%, compared to the Industry Comparison Group’s 14.5%. Our median “mid-point” total remuneration is 4.0%, while the Industry comparison is 12.4%. A positive percentage indicates men are paid more than women, and a negative percentage indicates women are paid more than men.
While the ultimate goal is to achieve a GPG closer to 0%, this result reflects a positive outcome for Birdon, demonstrating our commitment to gender equality in remuneration within our organisation.
Progress and Comparisons
The graph below depicts our gender pay gap compared to other employers within our industry. We have seen significant improvement in closing the gap for median remuneration, coming down from 8.2% to 4.0% in favor of men, getting closer to the optimal target range of -5% to +5% as considered by the WGEA.
| Year | Birdon 2022-23 | Birdon 2023-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Average (mean) total remuneration | -8.6% | -23.4% |
| Median total remuneration | 8.2% | 4.0% |
Birdon’s average total remuneration is a great result for women, as in Australia overall, women earn 78 cents for every dollar men earn, which adds up to a yearly difference of over $28K. The WGEA recently included the median result as another data point, as the average total can be skewed by “extreme” values (e.g., CEO, Head of Business).
Promoting Gender Equality at Birdon
Reducing the gender pay gap is essential for promoting equal opportunities, attracting a diverse range of talent, complying with legal standards, fostering a positive workplace culture, enhancing organisational performance, and aligning with global industry standards. It reflects our commitment to fairness, equality, and maintaining a progressive and responsible corporate image.
Birdon has inclusive policies and strategies spanning recruitment, retention, performance, pay equality, and training to champion gender equality. We prioritise diversity in our governing board, consult employees on gender issues, conduct payroll analyses to rectify gaps, and offer flexible working arrangements and support for those facing family or domestic challenges.
Ongoing Efforts and Future Goals
Despite continual industry-wide progress, such as men now taking 17.0% of employer-funded paid primary carer’s parental leave, 90% of employers having a policy or strategy to support gender equality in the workplace, and 56% of employers reducing their average gender pay gap from the prior year, there remains room for improvement.
There was not a significant improvement in the national snapshot, with the total remuneration gender pay gap at 21.8%, and women holding only 22% of CEO roles. This highlights the ongoing need for gender equality efforts, as women make up 51% of the National Australian Private Sector workforce.
For those who would like to review the dashboard and compare industry results in more detail, please visit the WGEA Data Explorer.
