27 February 2007

Pay and employment equity improves choices

Closing the gender pay gap gives men and women greater choice about when and how they work, said Labour Minister Ruth Dyson at the opening of a pay and employment equity workshop today.

"We know that on average women currently earn less than men. However, the flipside is that men experience less employment flexibility and are expected to work longer hours, as a recent Department of Labour work-life balance report shows."

The issue of gender bias is the focus of a day-long Department of Labour workshop to give HR practitioners in the public service, public health and public education sectors guidance about how make workplaces fairer and more productive.

"New Zealand is experiencing wide-ranging skill shortages which are forecast to remain. It’s no accident that the areas of greatest skills shortages – in professions and trades – are also the most sex segregated. Improving equity means a wider pool of people from which to recruit.

"Pay and employment equity needs to be a partnership of employers, unions and employees – so a clear understanding of the problems and the answers can be reached by all parties and sustainable change can be achieved."

Achieving pay and employment equity brings benefits for men and women, for business, and for the economy. It provides incentives for women and men to continue in employment and start work again after parental leave and other career breaks.

"Both men and women will have greater choice around caring and working responsibilities - without gender predetermining their choice. This is not solely about pay, it’s about valuing different kinds of jobs and ensuring people have workplace conditions which support their other responsibilities."

ENDS

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