Attachment A: Analysing Gender Equality at DPC

The Gender Equality Act 2020 requires DPC to collect and report data on gender equality in the workplace against seven key indicators, which represent the areas where workplace gender inequality persists and where progress towards gender equality must be demonstrated.

1. Gender composition of the workforce
2. Gender composition of the Board
3. Gender pay equity
4. Workplace sexual harassment
5. Leave and flexibility
6. Recruitment and promotion
7. Gendered work segregation

Key findings and insights

DPC’s 2021 workplace gender audit was based on annual workforce data as at 30 June 2021 and includes relevant results from the 2021 People Matter Survey. The audit included gender-disaggregated data analysis mapped against the seven workplace gender equality indicators, and considered intersectionality where possible. A summary of the key findings and insights from DPC’s workplace gender audit is presented below.

Indicator 1: Gender composition of the workforce

• Women are over-represented at DPC with 60.6% of staff identifying as women, 39.2% as men and 0.2% as self-described.
• A higher proportion of men (93%) work full time compared to women (81%), while a higher proportion of women (18%) work part-time compared to men (6%).
• There appears to be a gendered difference in the proportion of survey respondents who agreed with the statement: ‘There is a positive culture within my organisation in relation to employees of different sexes/genders’ – 90% of men agreed with this statement, compared to 86% of women and 74% of staff who identify as non-binary (or prefer not to say).

Indicator 2: Gender composition of the governing body

• There is a good representation of women on the DPC Board, with 43% of board members identifying as female and 57% as male.

Indicator 3: Gender pay equity

• DPC’s annualised median [2] base salary pay gap stands at 1.8%, which means women on average earn $1,983 per year less than men.
• DPC’s median total renumeration pay gap stands at -0.2%, meaning women on average earn $194 per year more than men.

Indicator 4: Workplace sexual harassment

• The 2021 People Matter Survey identified that 2% of men, 2% of women and 1% of people who identify as non-binary (or prefer not to say) experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. [3]

Workplace sexual harassment

• Women and staff who identify as non-binary (or prefer not to say) were less favourable to the following statements:
  • ‘My organisation encourages respectful workplace behaviours’
  • ‘My organisation takes steps to eliminate bullying, harassment and discrimination’
  • ‘I feel safe to challenge inappropriate behaviour at work.’

Indicator 5: Recruitment and promotion

• Women and staff who identify as non-binary (or prefer not to say) were less favourable to the following statements:
  • ‘My organisation makes fair recruitment and promotion decisions, based on merit’ – 62% of women and 45% of staff who identify as non-binary (or prefer not to say) agreed with this statement compared to 72% of men.
  • ‘I feel I have an equal chance at promotion in my organisation’ – 45% of women and 23% of staff who identify as non-binary (or prefer not to say) agreed with this statement compared to 58% of men.
  • There appears to be a gendered difference in how people responded to the statement: ‘Gender, Aboriginality, cultural background, sexual orientation, disability and age is not a barrier to success in my organisation’ – a higher proportion of women and staff who identify as non-binary (or prefer not to say) were largely less favourable than men that these factors were not a barrier to success in their organisation.

[Factor] is not a barrier to success in my organisation

Indicator 6: Leave and flexibility

• The main types of formal flexible working arrangements accessed by staff at DPC include flexible start and finish times, working part time and working more hours over fewer days. A higher proportion of women and staff who identify as non-binary (or prefer not to say) reported using these flexible working arrangements compared to men. [4]
• A higher proportion of men (38%) and staff who identify as non-binary (or prefer not to say) (34%), reported using no flexible working arrangements compared to women (29%).

Flexible working arrangement

• A higher proportion of women (78%) than men (22%) took parental leave during the reporting period. [5]
• There appears to be a gendered difference in how people feel about flexible working arrangements, family and caring responsibilities, and support for taking family violence leave at DPC.
  • A higher proportion of women (87%) agreed with the statement: ‘My organisation would support me if I needed to take family violence leave’ compared to men (84%) and staff who identify as non-binary (or prefer not to say) (76%).
  • Staff who identify as non-binary (or prefer not to say) (84%) were less favourable than men or women (90%) with regards to the statement ‘I am confident that if I requested a flexible work arrangement, it would be given due consideration.’
  • Staff who identify as non-binary (or prefer not to say) (77%) were less favourable than men (89%) and women (90%) with regards to the statement ‘My organisation supports employees with family or other caring responsibilities, regardless of gender.’

Indicator 7: Gendered work segregation

• The gender composition of ANZSCO code [6] major groups [7] indicates that a higher proportion of men (24%) occupy Management roles than women (21%).
• A relatively equal proportion of men (50%) and women (49%) occupy Professional roles; however men dominate ICT professions (19% men, compared to 10% women) and women are over-represented in Business, HR and Marketing roles (74% women, compared to 64% men).
• A higher proportion of women are employed in Clerical and Administrative roles (29%) compared to men (18%).
• There is an overrepresentation of men (8%) who work as Machinery Operators and Drivers compared to women (1%).

Footnotes:

2. The median is considered to be a more accurate measure of the gender pay as it is not skewed by the lowest and highest rates of pay or ‘outliers’.
3. DPC is unable to provide the number of formal sexual harassment complaints made (<10) to protect privacy and confidentiality of complainants.
4. DPC does not currently collect workforce data on formal flexible working arrangements. The different types of formal flexible working arrangements utilised by staff are captured in the People Matter survey.
5. DPC is unable to provide the number of people who exited the organisation during parental leave (<10) to protect privacy and confidentiality of staff who took parental leave.
6. ANZSCO is the skill-based classification used to categorise all occupations and jobs undertaken for profit in the Australian and New Zealand labour markets. 7 DPC employs very few or no Technicians and trades workers, Community and personal service workers, Sales workers, and Labourers.