Answers to the most common questions about WGEA's gender equality targets requirements including eligibility, target selection, compliance and what happens if your organisation changes.
About targets
Why have targets been introduced?
The Australian government introduced gender equality targets to accelerate progress towards workplace gender equality by encouraging employers to take action.
The legislative reforms came after a 2021 review of the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 found that progress on gender equality was too slow. It identified an action gap, with employers reporting information to WGEA progress on improving gender equality stalling.
Gender equality targets are designed to bridge that gap by supporting employers to take measurable action and track progress over time.
Are other countries doing this?
Australia is among one of the first countries in the world to require large employers to select and meet gender equality targets as part of a mandatory reporting framework. This builds on Australia's already world-leading approach to workplace gender equality data collection and reflects our ambition to be a global leader in this space.
Do targets make a difference?
Yes. Targets help organisations turn their commitment into measurable action by providing a clear objective, supporting accountability, and enabling progress to be monitored over time.
Research also shows that organisations that undertake a gender pay gap analysis and set gender equality targets are associated with higher rates of women being hired and lower rates of women leaving. Organisations that fail to implement such strategies experience higher rates of women leaving.
WGEA and Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre research found that organisations with higher levels of maturity in their approach to gender equity achieved larger reductions in gender pay gaps, greater increases in the representation of women in management and on boards, and better retention outcomes. Organisations that improved their level of maturity over time also achieved enhanced gender equality outcomes.
Dr Leonora Risse's research paper Target Setting for Gender Equality: A review of the literature summarises the evidence behind setting targets for improving workplace gender equality.
Eligibility
How do I know if targets obligations apply to my organisation?
Targets obligations apply to designated relevant employers (DREs) - employers who directly employ 500 or more employees in Australia. Each employing ABN is assessed individually. It includes full-time, part-time and casual employees. It does not include independent contractors.
This includes:
Private sector employers who directly employ 500 or more employees
Commonwealth public sector employers who directly employ 500 or more employees
Australian subsidiaries of global organisations who directly employ 500 or more employees in Australia.
This does not include:
employers who directly employ fewer than 500 employees
State and territory government employers.
For further detail on who counts as an employee for WGEA reporting purposes see Who needs to report? | WGEA
We are part of a corporate group. Can we select targets as a group?
Each ABN is assessed individually. Only the entities within a corporate group that directly employ 500 or more employees are required to select targets. A subsidiary or parent company will not be considered a DRE if it would need to be combined with other entities in the corporate group to employ 500 or more employees.
For example, a corporate group may include both DREs and non-DREs:
Employer A directly employs 600 employees → targets required
Employer B directly employs 350 employees → targets not required
Employer C directly employs 520 employees → targets required
Employer B is not required to select targets even though it is part of the same corporate group as Employers A and C.
If some or all of your corporate group have the same or similar gender equality policies, strategies and actions, you may report to WGEA as a ‘submission group.’
Each DRE in a corporate group or submission group may select:
the same action targets, provided the targets are relevant and appropriate for each DRE
the same targets with different details (for example, the same numeric targets but nominate a percentage point improvement or reduction that reflects their workforce)
completely different targets.
Each DRE must formally select its own targets and meet or demonstrate improvement against them, even if those targets are the same across the group.
We provide labour hire services. Do targets apply to us?
If your organisation provides labour hire services and directly employs fewer than 500 employees in your own workforce, you may not be required to select targets. On-hired workers are not counted for targets purposes, as they are placed in workplaces that are operated and controlled by client organisations under labour hire arrangements.
Labour hire arrangements typically involve a triangular employment arrangement, which includes 3 parties:
the on-hired worker, who supplies labour,
the host organisation, where the work is performed, and
the intermediary, such as a provider of labour hire services, who employs the on-hired worker and supplies their labour to the host organisation.
If this applies to your organisation, contact targets@wgea.gov.au to confirm whether targets apply, and, if applicable, request to be unenrolled from the Target Program.
Do we need to select targets for agreement or award-covered employees?
Yes. Targets apply to your workforce as reported to WGEA, regardless of whether employees are covered by an enterprise agreement, award, or individual employment contract.
You may choose targets that address gender equality issues that are particularly relevant to award-covered roles, such as representation in non-manager categories or pay quartiles.
Our head office is overseas. Do targets apply to our Australian operation?
Yes. If your organisation directly employs 500 or more employees in Australia, the targets requirements apply regardless of where your head office is located. This includes subsidiaries of global organisations that directly employ 500 or more employees in Australia.
We are a small or medium employer. Can we still use the targets framework?
Absolutely. While targets can only be formally selected in WGEA’s Employer Portal by DREs, any employer can use the Targets Menu and methodology to set and measure internal gender equality goals. Many smaller employers find this a useful structure for driving progress.
Our employee count fluctuates around 500. What happens?
You will no longer be required to select targets if your employee count falls below 400 for a continuous period of 6 months. If you previously reported 500 or more employees and your employee count has dropped below 400 for at least 6 months, please email us using the link below. If you later report 500 or more employees, you will need to re-establish your baseline and start a new target cycle.
Selecting targets
How do we select our targets?
The targets you select are contained in a menu of 9 numeric and 10 action targets.
Each target has been included because it is backed by evidence that it can help improve gender equality in workplaces. In some cases, there are additional choices within a target.
You will select your 3 targets in the Employer Portal when you complete your Gender Equality Report. See How to select targets in the Employer Portal for step-by-step guidance.
Not all targets are available to all employers. Your eligible targets depend on factors such as your organisation's workforce composition and baseline results. The Employer Portal will only display the targets that are available to your organisation.
How do we choose which 3 targets to select?
The best targets for your organisation are likely the ones that address your biggest opportunities for improvement. WGEA recommends:
Completing a comprehensive gender pay gap analysis first. This will help identify where gender inequalities exist and supports the selection of relevant and evidence-based targets. If your baseline shows that a comprehensive gender pay gap analysis hasn’t been completed in the past 2 reporting periods, it can also be selected as a target if it is undertaken to prepare for selecting targets.
Building an action plan. Targets should connect to the actions you will take to address your hotspots.
- Checking your eligibility. Each target has its own eligibility requirements, and you cannot select a target you are not eligible for.
Selecting the 3 targets that you can meet in 3 years. At least one selected target must be numeric.
WGEA's Targets Selection Guide walks you through this process in 6 steps.
What is a numeric target?
Numeric targets improve representation, composition, or pay gaps. They require a percentage point improvement against your baseline. When you select a numeric target, you nominate the specific percentage point change you commit to achieve.
For example: if 10% of your managers are from the under-represented gender in your baseline year and you select to increase this to 15%, your nominated change is 5 percentage points. In the Targets Menu this is noted as ‘_pp’.
You must select at least one numeric target. You can select 2 or 3 numeric targets if you wish.
When selecting numeric targets, the degree of precision you can nominate is:
for gender pay gap targets: round to one decimal place
for all other numeric targets: whole numbers only (no decimals).
WGEA will assess improvement against numeric targets to one decimal place.
What is an action target?
An action target requires you to undertake new actions or introduce new entitlements or things that were not in place in your baseline year. Eligibility for action targets is based on your organisation’s baseline year data. You cannot select an action that your baseline shows is already in place.
For example, if your organisation has an employer-funded parental leave scheme for primary and secondary carers in the baseline year, you cannot select the target to introduce such a scheme.
Action targets are a great option for organisations that have already made strong progress on workforce composition but want to drive cultural and systemic change through policy improvement.
Why can't I see all the targets in the Portal?
Each target has specific eligibility requirements. These requirements determine whether can you can select each particular target. Eligibility is based on your baseline data.
The Employer Portal will only display targets that an organisation is eligible to select. If a target does not appear in the Employer Portal, it means that the organisation does not meet the eligibility requirements for that target.
Information on eligibility requirements and how baseline data is used can be found in the Finding Your Baseline Guide.
The Targets Menu doesn't seem to have any action targets relevant for our organisation. What do we do?
This is uncommon but can happen for organisations that have already implemented most of the action targets and have very small gender pay gaps. In this case, you would select 3 numeric targets focused on improving your strong performance.
Book a Direct Advisory session to get help identifying the most meaningful targets for your organisation.
Can we select the same target more than once in the same cycle?
No. Each target can only be selected once per target cycle.
If you select one category in a numeric target, you cannot enter another numeric value within that same target for a different category. For example, if you select the ‘Increased representation by pay quartile’ target, you cannot select to increase the representation of the under-represented gender in the upper pay quartile and the lower pay quartile.
In the next target cycle, you can re-select:
a numeric target, provided the new target is an increase or reduction compared to the new baseline year
an action target, provided it is an improvement from the new baseline.
You also cannot select both the 'Introduce employer-funded parental leave' target and the 'Improve employer-funded parental leave' target at the same time. These targets are mutually exclusive.
Once we have selected our targets can we change them?
No. Once targets are submitted through the Employer Portal, they cannot be changed for the duration of the 3-year cycle. It is important to think carefully before submitting.
What if my organisation already sets internal targets? Can we select targets not on the Targets Menu?
You cannot design your own targets.
If you already set internal targets that align with the Targets Menu, you can select them as your formal WGEA targets, provided you are eligible to do so and they represent an improvement from your baseline. Internal targets you have already set are separate from the WGEA requirements but the 2 can and should work together.
For example, if your organisation already tracks gender composition in management roles and aims to improve it, you may select the corresponding numeric target from the menu and nominate a percentage point improvement above the baseline.
In the annual Reporting Questionnaire, WGEA asks whether organisations voluntarily set gender equality targets. If you have previously reported that you set internal numeric targets, you can still select the corresponding numeric target from the menu. You will just need to nominate a specific percentage point improvement from your baseline.
Timing
What is the targets timeline?
You select 3 targets at the start of each target cycle when you lodge your Gender Equality Report.
At the end of the 3-year target cycle, WGEA assesses whether you have met or demonstrated improvement against your targets and establishes a new baseline for the next cycle.
You will select targets for the subsequent cycle the following year.
You only need to select targets once for each target cycle.
What is my baseline?
Your baseline is the information you report to WGEA in the year before you select targets. It serves 2 purposes:
It determines which targets you are eligible to select
It sets your starting point - at the end of 3 years, WGEA compares your final year results to your baseline to assess whether you have met or demonstrated improvement against your targets.
Baselines for employers selecting targets in 2027:
Private sector: 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026
Commonwealth public sector: 1 January – 31 December 2025.
If you become a DRE in a later year, your baseline will be the first year you report to WGEA as a DRE.
Where do I find my baseline data?
Your baseline data is in 3 WGEA documents available in the Employer Portal:
Your Public Report
Your Executive Summary
Download the Finding Your Baseline Guide for step-by-step instructions on where to locate your baseline data and how to determine eligibility for each target.
Compliance
Where will WGEA publish our selected targets?
WGEA will publish the 3 targets you select on the Data Explorer.
WGEA will also include your organisation’s selected targets and progress each year in your Executive Summary, which your CEO must provide to the governing body.
You will have the opportunity to include commentary on your selected targets in your Employer Statement. This may include rationale for the target selection, how the targets align with broader organisational values and strategies, and context around progress or challenges.
What if we achieve our targets before the 3-year cycle ends?
That is a great outcome. There is no requirement to modify your targets if you achieve them early. The aim is to support lasting change, so early achievement provides a strong foundation for your next target cycle.
As compliance is assessed in the final year of the cycle, you must make sure you can demonstrate that the target outcome has been maintained and that your organisation continues to meet the requirements of the target at the end of the cycle.
What happens if we don't select targets?
If you do not select 3 targets in the year after your baseline, you will be non-compliant. WGEA may name non-compliant employers who do not have a reasonable excuse. Non-compliant employers may not be eligible for government contracts.
You will have the opportunity to provide WGEA with a reasonable excuse for non-compliance. If WGEA accepts the excuse as reasonable, your organisation will still be non-compliant but will not be named as non-compliant.
What happens if we don't meet our targets at the end of 3 years?
At the end of the 3-year cycle, you need to meet or demonstrate improvement against each of your 3 selected targets. If you do not meet your targets or demonstrate improvement, you will be non-compliant.
WGEA may name non-compliant employers who do not have a reasonable excuse. Non-compliant employers may not be eligible for government contracts.
You will have the opportunity to provide WGEA with a reasonable excuse for non-compliance. If WGEA accepts the excuse as reasonable, your organisation will still be non-compliant but will not be named as non-compliant.
You do not need to have fully met a target to be compliant, as long as you can show measurable improvement against each target from your baseline. WGEA will assess whether you have met or demonstrated improvement by comparing the baseline information to the information reported at the end of the cycle. WGEA will assess improvement against numeric targets to one decimal place.
Unlike the consequences of failing to lodge a Gender Equality Report, only the DRE will be non-compliant. The compliance status of other related entities in the corporate structure, including the parent company, will not be affected.
Examples of meeting and demonstrating improvement
The assessment of meeting or demonstrating improvement varies based on the type of target you select.
Gender equality target | When target is met
| Demonstrated Improvement
|
Increased representation (managers) Representation of [under-represented gender] in [one manager category or for managers overall] increased by [_pp]. Manager category options: • Key Management Personnel • Other executives and general managers • Senior managers • Other managers | Nominated percentage point change specified by you has been achieved at the end of the target cycle | This could be any percentage point improvement from the baseline. For example, if you nominated a 10pp change, a demonstrated improvement could be anywhere between 0.1 – 9.9pp.
|
Equal remuneration and gender pay equity policies Add at least 2 of the following to your policy: a. remuneration review processes without gender biases b. transparency about pay scales and salary bands c. managers being held accountable for gender pay equity outcomes.
| Your policies now provide for the 2 specified things at the end of the target cycle. | Your policies now provide for one of the specified things at the end of the target cycle. The requirement under this target is that your policies provide for the specified things. It would not be sufficient for you to be in the process of developing and implementing a policy. |
Introduce employer-funded parental leave Create an entitlement for employer-funded [primary parental leave OR parental leave that does not distinguish between primary/secondary carers].
| You provide the specified entitlement at the end of the target cycle. | Demonstrating improvement would not be relevant in the context of this target. Either you provide one of the specified entitlements at the end of the target cycle, or you do not. |
What counts as a reasonable excuse?
WGEA assesses reasonable excuses on a case-by-case basis considering your organisation's circumstances, size and compliance history. Significant business changes such as mergers, acquisitions or restructures that genuinely affected your ability to meet targets may be considered.
See WGEA's Compliance Strategy for more detail on how compliance is assessed.
What if we miss lodging our Gender Equality Report?
If you do not lodge your Gender Equality Report in your baseline year you cannot establish your baseline to select targets. You will be non-compliant for not lodging your Gender Equality Report and for failing to select targets. When you lodge the following year that becomes your new baseline and you will need to select targets the year after.
Do we have to submit additional data to WGEA?
No. You are only required to report your target selection to WGEA, including the percentage point change for your numeric targets and the specific actions for action targets. You can monitor progress for each target against the information you lodge in the annual Gender Equality Report. This limits the additional reporting requirement and allows you to direct your effort towards actions that progress gender equality in your workplace.
Who should approve our targets?
The CEO is required to sign off on the WGEA Gender Equality Report, which contains the selected targets. Getting key decision-makers involved early, including the Board, is also highly advisable.
Can we meet an action target requiring a policy by having a strategy instead?
No. If an action target requires a policy, having only a strategy does not meet the target.
Examples of targets that require a policy include:
Equal remuneration and gender pay equity policies.
Improve flexible work offerings for employees.
Improve policies regarding preventing, reporting and responding to sexual harassment.
If you have a strategy but do not have a policy in place in your baseline year, you may still select the target. However, you will need to develop a policy that includes the required target options.
If you already have a policy in place, but it does not include the required target options, you may select the target and update the policy to include those options.
Corporate structure and change
Our organisation is going through a restructure. What happens to our targets?
Targets are selected at the individual ABN level. Where your organisation undergoes an organisational restructure, change in business operations, or an acquisition, merger or divestment, what happens depends on the nature of the restructure:
If your ABN stays the same, your baseline and targets stay with that ABN
If a new ABN is created and it is a DRE, new targets will need to be selected after the new baseline year
If an acquired or merged business is consolidated into your existing ABN, your existing baseline and targets remain with that existing ABN.
We are planning a restructure. Should we factor this into our target selection?
Yes. WGEA recommends avoiding targets that may be affected by the restructure until the situation is resolved. Targets cannot be changed once they have been formally selected in the Employer Portal.
Additional guidance
Are there ANZSCO/OSCA implications?
WGEA’s transition from ANZSCO to OSCA will occur during the first 3-year cycle. Some targets require organisations to improve their gender composition or gender pay gap based on manager or occupational categories.
You should consider the following when selecting these targets:
Targets are based on ANZSCO major groups (e.g., Managers, Professionals). OSCA introduces changes to some lower-level occupations, but the overall major group structure remains consistent with ANZSCO.
Most occupations remain in the same major group when mapped from ANZSCO to OSCA. However, a small number of occupations shift to a different major group under OSCA.
If you have a high proportion of employees in these reclassified occupations, you may find it more difficult to track progress consistently over time. You should select different targets for the first targets cycle.
Are there industry-wide targets?
There are no industry-specific targets, but you can use WGEA’s Data Explorer to compare your performance with others in their industry. These insights may help to guide the development of relevant and appropriate targets.
Will my manager or non-manager gender pay gap data be published if I select the reducing the gender pay gap for managers or non-managers target?
If you select this target, WGEA will publish the baseline data on the Data Explorer. Only the specific type and category of data selected will be published.
For example, if you select the target to close your median total remuneration gender pay gap for managers, only that figure will be published. The average total remuneration gender pay gap for managers and non-managers would not be published.
What WGEA resources are available?
WGEA offers a range of resources to help you prepare for targets and improve workplace gender equality.
Book into a free masterclass to learn how to take effective action to narrow your organisation's gender pay gap.
Use the Action Planning Playbook to find evidence-informed actions that can address inequality in your workplace.
Learn how to conduct a gender pay gap analysis of your workplace to find any areas of imbalance.