The ACTU warns the Coalition’s commitment to scrap work-from-home arrangements for public servants, eliminate the right to disconnect, wind back casual workers’ rights and end multi-employer bargaining, would worsen the gender pay gap. Unions believe weakening workplace protections would make it harder for parents, and especially women, to balance work and care.
Analysis of 7,800 employers and 1,700 corporate groups by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) reveals that men earn, on average, $28,425 more than women annually, with $11,204 of that gap stemming from additional payments such as superannuation, overtime and bonuses.
The WGEA data found that while 56 per cent of employers reduced their gender pay gap over a 12-month period, 72 per cent still pay men more, on average, than women. Just 15 per cent of employers have a pay gap within the agency’s target range.
Workplace rights such as the ability to request work-from-home and the right to disconnect are crucial to addressing these disparities, particularly for women who disproportionately shoulder unpaid care work. Women are also more likely to be in part-time and insecure work. The Federal Government’s stronger protections for workers misclassified as casuals, who are mostly women, are essential to giving women more choices.
Analysis by the Centre for Future Work found that since the right-to-disconnect laws were introduced in August 2024, the amount of unpaid overtime has fallen by about 100 minutes a week for the average worker – a 33 per cent reduction.
Work-from-home arrangements have boosted employment for women, according to a recent report from CEDA, putting more money in their pockets and benefitting employers and the economy as well. Workforce participation in jobs where people could work from home increased by 8.5% for women with young children, with the benefits to employers and the economy including participation and productivity gains, reduced absenteeism, improved employee engagement and mental health.
Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume has committed to requiring all federal public servants to work from the office for five days a week if they are elected.
Quotes attributable to ACTU President Michele O’Neil:
“All workers should be valued and paid properly, regardless of their gender. However, working women disproportionately have to juggle work and caring responsibilities, so workplace rights, like requesting work-from-home arrangements, are making it easier to keep their jobs.
“Government policies have a direct impact on the gender pay gap. Peter Dutton’s unwinding of workplace rights will lock in lower wages for women and force more women to work for free. It’s clear that Peter Dutton is siding with big business at the expense of working women.
“Peter Dutton has also said he will scrap multi-employer bargaining, which is necessary to unlock wage increases for women in sectors that have been locked out of enterprise bargaining.
“Women are also more likely to be in insecure work, so taking away their rights to have stable employment will further worsen the gender pay gap. Unions campaigned for these rights, and we will oppose efforts to take them away.”
