This page contains key dates and timeframes to assist employers with Gender Equality Reporting.
Reporting period
When preparing and lodging a Gender Equality Report with WGEA, you will provide information covering a 12-month period. This is known as the reporting period.
Private sector reporting period
1 April to 31 March
Commonwealth public sector reporting period
1 January to 31 December
How do the reporting documents relate to the reporting period?
| Section | Reporting period |
|---|---|
| Reporting Questionnaire | The Reporting Questionnaire relates to the full 12-month reporting period |
| Workforce Management Statistics (WMS) | The WMS reflects employee movements over the full 12-month reporting period |
| Workplace Profile (WPP) | The WPP reflects all employees employed on a single snapshot date, which is any date an employer chooses within the reporting period |
Snapshot date
The Workplace Profile (WPP) provides a snapshot of an organisation’s workforce on any one day during the 12-month reporting period. Employers can choose any snapshot date within the reporting period when preparing the WPP.
We recommend employers try to keep the same snapshot date year to year. This ensures the data is captured at regular intervals.
For further information, refer to Workplace Profile.
Lodgement period
1 April to 31 May
The Reporting Program will be open each year for 2 months for employers to lodge their Gender Equality Report via the Employer Portal. This is known as the lodgement period.
Important: employers must resolve any data quality issues and lodge the report within the lodgement period (or an approved extension period), or risk being non-compliant.
Extension period
1 June to 31 August
If you experience any difficulties preparing and lodging your report within the lodgement period, you can apply for an extension.
- We offer an automatic one-month extension period on application.
- Longer time periods require you to demonstrate reasonable grounds for the extension.
- An extension must be applied for within the lodgement period.
- You can only apply for one extension within the lodgement period.
| Extension | Lodgement date |
|---|---|
| 1 month | 30 June |
| 2 months | 31 July |
| 3 months | 31 August |
Additional key dates
Topic or term
| Event | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Scorecard data cut-off | 31 August | Employers must lodge their report by 31 August to meet the data cut-off and be included in the WGEA Gender Equality Scorecard. |
| Compliance certificates | September – October | WGEA completes compliance checks and starts to issue certificates of compliance to relevant employers who have complied with their reporting obligations. You can contact us once you have reported if you are tendering for a contract or are in an active contract and need to demonstrate compliance with the Act. |
| Industry Benchmark Report available | TBC | Available up until 21 March. This means that the Industry Benchmark Report for Gender Equality Reports submitted for one lodgement period is only available until 10 days before the next lodgement period opens. The CEO of the organisation must share this report and the Executive Summary with their Governing Body to be compliant with the Act. |
| Reporting data cut-off | 31 October | Employers who do not lodge within the lodgement period (or within an approved extension period) will be non-compliant with the Act. However, WGEA still encourages employers to lodge their reports by 31 October to:
|
| WGEA Scorecard published | November | WGEA publishes its annual Gender Equality Scorecard. |
| Publication of non-compliant list | January | WGEA publishes the non-compliant list on the WGEA website. |
| Employer gender pay gap statement links | Refer to Employer Statement Guide | Employer gender pay gap statement links can be uploaded in the Employer Portal. |
| Publication of employer gender pay gaps | February – March | WGEA publishes employer gender pay gaps on the Data Explorer. |
What happens if the deadline is missed?
Employers who fail to lodge their report within the lodgement period (or an approved extension period) will be non-compliant with the Act and may be named as non-compliant in our annual report and/or on our website.
Important: if the employer is part of a corporate structure and a subsidiary (employing ABN) is non-compliant because they do not lodge their report, that subsidiary’s non-compliance will impact compliance for the entire corporate structure.
For information about your reporting and additional compliance requirements, as well as consequences of non-compliance, refer to Reporting compliance.
Editing a report after lodgement
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.
- If changes are made, the edited report must be re-signed by the CEO or equivalent before re-lodgement.
- You will not be able to edit your report after 31 August.
Important: If your report is re-opened within the 28-day review period, you must repeat the declarations and consents process and lodge your report.
For more information, refer to Document generation and CEO sign-off.