The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Amendment Bill 2012 has been introduced into Parliament.

 

The principal objects of this Act are:

  • to promote and improve gender equality (including equal remuneration between women and men) in employment and in the workplace; and
  • to support employers to remove barriers to the full and equal participation of women

in the workforce, in recognition of the disadvantaged position of women in relation to employment matters; and

  • to promote, amongst employers, the elimination of discrimination on the basis of gender in relation to employment matters (including in relation to family and caring responsibilities); and
  • to foster workplace consultation between employers and employees on issues concerning gender equality in employment and in the workplace; and
  • to improve the productivity and competitiveness of Australian business through the advancement of gender equality in employment and in the workplace.

 

The Bill amends the name of the Act to the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 , to emphasise the focus of the Act on gender equality. It increases the coverage of the Act to include men, as well as women.

 

The name of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency is also changed to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

 

The Bill introduces new functions for the Agency, including to develop, in consultation with relevant employers and employee organisations, benchmarks in relation to gender equality indicators.  Benchmarks are intended as a way for the Agency to collect, analyse and express the data collected from public reports in a useful and meaningful way for relevant employers to consider their workplace outcomes and practices in relation to their industry peers and compared to their own performance from year to year.  The Agency will also offer targeted and additional advice and assistance to relevant employers if they fail to meet a minimum standard.  The improved coverage of the Act will enable the Agency to extend its advice and education functions to all employers, not just those who are required to report.

 

The Bill introduces a new reporting framework in which relevant employers are required to report against gender equality indicators.  The changes to the new reporting requirements will be phased to allow relevant employers time to transition to the new reporting framework. 

 

Employers subject to the reporting requirements in the Act include higher education institutions that are employers and non-public sector organisations with 100 or more employees.

 

The Amendment Bill and the Explanatory Memorandum are available here.