Relevant employers must lodge their Gender Equality Report during the lodgement period (1 April - 31 May). If you cannot meet this deadline, you may apply for an extension before the end of the lodgement period.
To be eligible to receive a Certificate of Compliance, you must lodge your Gender Equality Report by 31 May (or within an approved extension period).
Available extension periods
If you experience any difficulties preparing and lodging your report by 31 May, you can apply for an extension. We offer an automatic one-month extension approval on application. Longer extension periods require you to demonstrate reasonable grounds for the extension.
- 1 month extension (report due 30 June) – if you apply with the required information, we will automatically approve the application and send you a confirmation email.
- 2 months extension (report due 31 July) – only available if you provide reasonable grounds for needing an extension of more than 1 month.
- 3 months extension (report due 31 August) – only available if you provide exceptional circumstances for needing a 3-month extension.
Important: To apply for an extension for more than 1 month, you must complete and return an 'Extension Application Form'. These applications are subject to approval.
Who can apply for an extension
- CEO or equivalent, or
- Reporting contact.
What to include in your application
Your extension request must include:
- organisation’s legal name
- organisation’s ABN
- length of extension needed
- reason for needing an extension (not required for 1 month extension applications)
Corporate groups - if you are part of a corporate group with more than one submission group, you must include the legal name and ABN of each organisation you need the extension period to be applied to.
How to apply for a 1 month extension
1 month extension application via the Employer Portal (recommended channel):
- log into the portal and select ‘Lodge a support request’
- select ‘General Enquiry’ as the case type
- provide the required information, as per What to include in your application.
1 month extension application via email:
- If you are unable to access the Employer Portal, you can apply for an extension by using the extension email template below.
How to apply for an extension of more than 1 month
To apply for an extension for more than 1 month, you must complete and return an 'Extension Application Form'. These applications are subject to approval.
- 2 months extension (report due 31 July) – only available if you provide reasonable grounds for needing an extension of more than 1 month.
- 3 months extension (report due 31 August) – only available if you provide exceptional circumstances for needing a 3-month extension.
The extension application form must be returned to WGEA by 31 May for your extension application to be considered for approval.
Important information
- Extension applications must be submitted to WGEA within the lodgement period of 1 April to 31 May – late applications will not be considered.
- Once an extension has been granted, you cannot apply for another extension.
- If your extension is granted, you must lodge your Gender Equality Report within the approved extension period to be eligible to receive a Certificate of Compliance.
- If your extension is not granted, you must lodge your Gender Equality Report within the reporting lodgement period to be eligible to receive a Certificate of Compliance.
- Processing time - allow up to 10 business days to receive a response to your extension application. Responses will be assessed using the date the request was received.
For information and instructions about accessing the WGEA Employer Portal, refer to Employer Portal access.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
How do I apply for an extension?
Refer to How to apply for an extension (LINK).
What is the cut-off date to apply for an extension?
The last date to apply for an extension is 31 May.
An extension application can only be considered if it was received during the lodgement period 1 April – 31 May.
Why can’t I apply for an extension after the lodgement period?
Under section 17 of the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (the Act), applicants must apply for an extension before the end of the current lodgement period (1 April to 31 May).
What if I need more than 1 month extension time?
If your organisation is experiencing extenuating circumstances that may require a longer extension than 1 month, refer to How to apply for an extension to download the extension application form.
Can I apply for more than one extension?
No, you can only apply for one extension each year.
Can I extend my extension period by another few weeks?
No. Once an extension has been granted, no further extensions can be considered for that year.
Can I lodge my Report before my extended due date?
Yes, you are able to lodge your Gender Equality Report (Report) as soon as it is prepared and there are no data anomalies. This might be before your extended due date.
Refer to Lodging your Report.
How do I know if my extension application is approved?
You will receive an outcome response to your extension application. If your application is approved, you will also be provided with the new due date for your Gender Equality Report.
If you applied for an extension by 31 May and we are unable to respond before the lodgement period ends, we will still honour your extension application.
What happens if I have submitted a request for help to WGEA and it is not resolved by 31 May?
If we are unable to respond to your request for assistance prior to 31 May, we will work with you to lodge your report as soon as possible. You will not be assessed as non-compliant while this process is underway.
Can I re-submit my report if I notice an error?
If you lodge your report by 31 May (or within an approved extension period), you will have 28 days to review, edit and re-submit your report.
Outside of this 28-day period, you cannot re-open or edit your report.
Will my organisation be made non-compliant if we do not lodge our Report before the end of the extension period?
Yes, you will be non-compliant if you do not lodge your report before the end of the extension period.
We encourage you to still lodge your report as soon as possible. If you lodge by 31 October, you will still be eligible to receive an Executive Summary, Industry Benchmark Report and have your data published on the WGEA Data Explorer. (LINK)
Will my organisation be named on the non-compliant list if we do not lodge our report by 31 May (or within an approved extension period), but report after this date?
WGEA considers many factors when deciding whether to exercise our discretion to name an employer on the non-compliant list. If you lodge your report by 31 October, you will be non-compliant, however this is strong grounds for the discretion to be exercised in your favour.
This means that you may not be named by WGEA on the non-compliant list due to failing to lodge a report.
Can I get a compliance certificate if I miss the reporting deadline?
No, you will not be eligible to receive a compliance certificate as you will be non-compliant with the reporting requirements of the Act.
Will applying for an extension reflect negatively on employers?
No, applying for an extension will not reflect negatively on employers. Once an extension is approved, employers have a new, approved extension period. Employers with approved extension periods must still meet all compliance requirements.