Reporting steps

This page provides a summary of the steps for reporting contacts to take to prepare and lodge a Gender Equality Report. Each step has a link to the relevant pages within this Reporting Guide.

StepAction requiredLinks to relevant pages
1

Compliance requirements

Know your reporting compliance requirements and important reporting dates.

2

Access the Employer Portal

  • Gender Equality Reporting is completed via our Employer Portal.
  • To access the portal, you must have a Digital ID with at least basic identity strength.
  • You must also be authorised to represent your organisation via a Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM).
3

Maintain organisation account and details

Ensure all organisation and contact details are up to date, so that:

  • we can communicate with your organisation throughout the reporting process
  • you can lodge a Gender Equality Report that reflects your organisation.​​​​

Maintaining your details includes informing WGEA of any changes to your organisation’s structure, CEO or reporting contacts.

4

Review the reporting changes

If you have previously lodged a report with WGEA, review any reporting changes to understand what is different this year.

5

Download templates and prepare your data

Download the latest reporting templates. 
 

6

Confirm organisation details

Before you can complete the reporting document, you must confirm your organisation details are correct. If they are incorrect, refer to Maintain your account for instructions on how to update them.
 

7

Complete the Questionnaire

  • You must complete the Questionnaire within the Employer Portal.
  • You can use the offline Questionnaire template to start preparing your data.
  • The offline Questionnaire template cannot be uploaded into the Employer Portal.
     
8

Complete the Workforce Management Statistics (WMS)

  • Complete and upload a WMS Excel worksheet for each employing ABN in the submission.
  • The WMS exists in two formats (with and without partnerships).
  • The offline WMS template can be uploaded into the Employer Portal.
     
9

Complete the Workplace Profile (WPP)

  • Complete and upload the WPP Excel worksheet.
  • Choose one type of WPP to complete. We recommend you use the Unit Level template as it is the default file for all users.
  • The offline WPP template can be uploaded into the Employer Portal.
     
10

Resolve any data anomalies

  • Pass all data quality checks on your uploaded files.
  • If any data errors, warnings or notifications are identified, follow the displayed instructions to resolve.  
  • Once the documents have been completed successfully, they will have a status of ‘Completed’ with a sub status of 'No issues'. 
11

Generate your Public Reports

Once you have successfully completed your Questionnaire, WMS and WPP, you must generate and download your Public Reports to share with your CEO (or equivalent) for sign-off before you can lodge the report:

  1. Public Report – Questionnaire: this document displays your responses from the Questionnaire.
     
  2. Public Report – Employee Data Tables: this document displays the data tables covering composition of your workforce and employee movements from the WPP and WMS (at either the ABN level, or corporate group–wide level).
12

CEO sign-off (approval)

  • Have your CEO (or equivalent) review your Public Reports and sign-off.
13

Lodge your report

  • Once you have CEO sign-off, complete the declarations and consents process.
  • Lodge your report within the Employer Portal.

Once your report has been lodged successfully, you will receive a confirmation email.

14

Review your report within 28 days of lodging

  • If you lodge your report within the lodgement period or an approved extension period, provided the extension period ends at least four weeks before 31 August, you will have 28 days to review and amend the report.

    • After this 28-day review period, no further edits can be made.

    • If you lodge your report less than 28 days before 31 August, you will only have the remaining days until 31 August for review. For example, if you lodge your report on 17 August, you will have 14 days to edit your report.

    • You will not be able to edit your report after 31 August.  

  • The reporting documents (Questionnaire, Workforce Management Statistics and Workplace Profile) cannot be edited once the 28-day review period has ended.

  • If changes are needed, you must log into the Employer Portal to:

    • update your reporting document/s (if you re-enter a section and make any edits to an uploaded file or answer, you will reopen your report)

    • resolve any outstanding data anomalies

    • obtain CEO approval for the edited report, and

    • re-lodge your report during the review period.

Important: 

  • The 28-day review period is only guaranteed to employers who lodge within the 2-month lodgement period or within an approved extension period, provided the extension period ends at least four weeks before 31 August.

  • The 28-day review period does not apply to selecting targets. Selected targets cannot be changed once they’ve been submitted.

15

Complete all notification and access requirements

Once you have successfully lodged your Report, you must complete the notification and access compliance requirements:

  • Make public reports accessible to employees and any shareholders or members of the employer.
     
  • Inform employee organisations that you have lodged a Report.
     
  • Inform employees and employee organisations of the opportunity to comment on the Report.
16

Reports to be given to governing body (if any)

The CEO (or equivalent) of a relevant employer is required to give a copy of the Executive Summary and Industry Benchmark Report to each member of the governing body (if any). 

17

Gender equality standards requirement

Designated relevant employers must have policies or strategies in place to support each of the six gender equality indicators (GEIs).

A designated relevant employer is any relevant employer that directly employees 500 or more employees in Australia. 

18

Gender equality targets requirement

Designed relevant employers must select and meet or demonstrate improvement against gender equality targets.

A designated relevant employer is any relevant employer that directly employees 500 or more employees in Australia.

19

Certificate of Compliance

When a relevant employer lodges its Gender Equality Report within the lodgement period (or an approved extension period) and meets all reporting compliance requirements, it will be deemed compliant with the Act and therefore eligible to receive a certificate of compliance.

 

 

 

 

 

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Related resources

Gender Equality Reporting

Technical Issues and Updates

Reporting glossary