WGEA CEO Mary Wooldridge and Capacity Building executive manager Dr Samone McCurdy unpack the opportunities of the WGEA Gender Pay Gap Employer Statement in this webinar, recorded on November 12, 2024. 

An Employer Statement is an effective tool employers can use to communicate with key stakeholders about their gender pay gap and the actions they undertake to address it.

Organisations can maximise the positive impact of an Employer Statement when they:

• highlight progress on their gender pay gap from the previous year
• share relevant insights and actions from their own gender pay gap analysis
• draw attention to the critical inputs and endorsement of their executive leadership and governance teams to forward plans.

Together, these elements create a whole of enterprise view of gender equality. This can be even more important to existing and potential employees, customers, shareholders and the community than the gender pay gap alone.

Providing an Employer Statement is voluntary. However, feedback from both employers and employees who opted to develop an Employer Statement during the first year of gender pay gap publication considered this an effective way to deepen understanding of their gender pay gap and the analysis and insights that influenced their plans and strategies to improve it.

• builds key stakeholder’s knowledge of the nature and importance of gender and pay equality to the organisation’s remit.
• demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to taking purposeful action on gender equality and to materially contribute to narrowing the gender pay gap.
• contributes to a compelling employer value proposition, helping to attract and retain a diverse workforce.
• encourages collective action amongst industry peers to address industry-wide challenges and opportunities to support gender-equal outcomes.

Employer Statements have broad appeal across a range of key stakeholders to gender equality including:

• board/governing body
• employees and prospective employees
• shareholders and investors
• employee organisations, peak bodies and industry groups
• customers and clients
• the media.

The process can begin at any time, but ideally starts when your organisation generates your Executive Summary and Industry Benchmark Report.

This will ensure your Statement considers the broader scope of your results and the actions associated with your progress and improvement over time.

Drafting your Employer Statement is one of several critical steps employers can take to prepare for the publication of their gender pay gap.

The steps and resources set out below will assist employers at all stages of development, with further information and resources provided via the WGEA Take Action page.

Prepare your inputs to your Employer Statement

1. Undertake a Gender Pay Gap Analysis

A gender pay gap analysis is the foundation of an effective Employer Statement because it is the gateway to your broader action planning process and the foundation of your key messaging for ‘taking action’.

A gender pay gap analysis thoroughly examines the drivers contributing to gender inequality in your workplace and reveals where to focus your actions for maximum progress.

WGEA resources that can help:

• Gender Pay Gap Analysis Masterclass: Learn how to analyse workforce data and understand the experiences and outcomes in a workplace that may be contributing to the gender pay gap. (90 minutes)
• Gender Pay Gap Analysis Guide: Supports employers in planning a gender pay gap analysis
• Employee Consultation Guide: Guidance to enable effective consultation within the gender equality action planning process. 

2.  Engage in evidence informed gender equality action planning

 Your gender equality action plan can be a key pillar of your employer value proposition and by extension, your commitment to a diverse workforce and narrowing the gender pay gap.

WGEA resources that can help:

• Gender Equality Action Planning Masterclass: Learn to choose, prioritise and plan gender equality actions uniquely targeted to your organisation to effectively narrow your gender pay gap and contribute to gender equality. (90 minutes).
• WGEA Action Planning Playbook: Guides employers seeking to develop and implement effective workplace gender equality action plans.
• WGEA Action Planning Tool: Helps employers who report to WGEA identify actions they can take to improve gender equality in their workplace.

Draft your Employer Statement

1. Key components of an Employer Statement

Change and progress on gender pay gap from the previous year

Highlighting your progress over a sustained period demonstrates your understanding of gender equality as a long-term commitment. Linking to statements and plans previously communicated reflect a commitment to accountability and sustained effort.

Elements to include:

• statement of commitment to gender equality and aims for long-term progress.
• actions taken in the last year and their outcomes.​​​​​

Share relevant insights from your own gender pay gap analysis

Accelerating progress on your gender pay gap relies on understanding why and how gender differences have emerged in your workplace. This will greatly assist you in selecting fit for purpose actions that will have the most impact on your gender pay gap.

Elements to include:

• key drivers of your gender pay gap or ‘hot spots’.
• relevant industry or policy influences on your performance. 

Connect your insights to evidence informed actions

One of the biggest opportunities of publishing gender pay gaps is the transparency it creates for linking your current state to your intentions and pathway forward.

Elements to include:

• the ways you will measure progress.
• the actions and inputs relating to your executive leadership and governance teams. This sends a strong signal to stakeholders on commitment to gender equality. 

WGEA resources that can help:

• Employer update: WGEA publishing gender pay gaps | WGEA
• Webinar: Understanding and using your WGEA reports for 2023-24

Seek Executive and Board/governing body endorsement

1. Gain visibility and input for to your Employer Statement

Share your Employer Statement with governing body and authorising executives

Relevant employers are required to share their WGEA Executive Summary and Industry Benchmark Report with their Board or governing body.

Key considerations:

• The Employer Statement will be a public-facing document. Giving visibility of your Statement to your Executive and Board/governing body along with your Executive Summary and Industry Benchmark Reports will allow adequate time to consider any impacts, material risks and opportunities the gender pay gap and gender equality action plans may have.

This process will also ensure any gender equality strategies and action plans noted in your Employer Statement are viewed as endorsed as part of a cohesive, enterprise-wide response to your WGEA data and reports and gender equality performance.

Provide your Employer Statement link to WGEA

1. Share your link to WGEA

• A link to your Employer Statement will be made visible on WGEA Data Explorer when your gender pay gap is published. It will be situated next to your gender pay gap.
• Reporting contacts can supply these links via the WGEA Reporting Portal. You must supply a new link every year.
• The link can be uploaded any time from 3rd February 2025. However, to ensure your Employer Statement is published on the Data Explorer at the same time as your Gender Pay Gap, you must have uploaded a link by COB 24th February.

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