The Department of Premier and Cabinet’s (DPC) Gender Equality Action Plan 2021-2025 provides us with a clear pathway for establishing a fair and respectful workplace for all staff.

As a central agency within the Victorian Public Service, our department has an opportunity to be a leader in promoting gender equality in every facet of what we do, including – but not limited to – considering how pay and conditions, recruitment policies, and career development can impact women differently and what we can do to remedy inequality.

This plan commits DPC to new and achievable objectives for the next four years. As we transition to a hybrid working model that supports flexibility and gives staff greater autonomy over how they structure their professional lives, the DPC Board of Management are committed to working with you to deliver the changes needed.

As a member of the Champions of Change Coalition, I also commit to working with leaders across government and industry to accelerate progress and deliver critical reforms.

The vision and actions set out here are a credit to the work of the Gender Equality Working Group, and the critical contributions from the DPC Enablers Network, Aboriginal Staff Network, LGBTIQ+ Network and VPS5 Network. In many cases, a person experiencing one inequality or disadvantage will also be experiencing another, so it is important such a diverse group of staff have had their voices heard. The comprehensive research underpinning this plan will ensure that it meets the values and expectations of our workforce, while also meeting our obligations under the Gender Equality Act 2020.

I encourage all of you to read this plan, reflect upon its findings and action items, and take proactive steps in your own work towards building a stronger and more diverse DPC.

Jeremi Moule
Secretary

I am pleased to introduce the Department of Premier and Cabinet’s (DPC) Gender Equality Action Plan 2021–2025. This plan lays the foundation for a range of work over the next four years to ensure everyone at DPC, including women and gender diverse staff, has safe and equal access to resources, opportunities, and leadership roles, and is always treated with dignity, respect, and fairness.

The social, economic and productivity benefits of gender equality are experienced by everyone. In workplaces, gender equality leads to improvements in organisational performance, employee engagement and wellbeing and the attraction and retention of talent and staff.

This plan builds on the success of our previous Gender Equality Action Plan 2018–2021, through which we introduced additional paid parental leave for secondary carers, developed a policy to support those affected by family or domestic violence, instituted a program to support employees as they become parents and then become working parents, and ensured at least half of our executive roles are filled by women. These were all major achievements that represented hugely positive steps towards gender equality.

This new plan renews our focus. Over the next four years, we commit to:

• recruiting and retaining a diverse, gender-balanced workforce
• supporting the career advancement of women, including into leadership roles
• growing a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace
• reducing the gender pay gap
• encouraging flexible/new ways of working
• supporting employees to balance work, family, and caring responsibilities.

I encourage all DPC staff to take up the challenge set by this plan and discover what opportunities are out there for you and your peers. It is within everyone’s remit to make DPC a more safe, more inclusive, and more equitable workplace.

Vivien Allimonos
Deputy Secretary, Cabinet, Communications and Corporate
DPC Executive Champion for Gender Equality

The Department of Premier and Cabinet (the department/DPC) values the diversity of our workforce and is committed to the principles of diversity, inclusion, and equality, so that all our employees, including women and gender diverse staff, have equal access to employment opportunities and outcomes. We are committed to taking positive action towards achieving workplace gender equality and have developed the Gender Equality Action Plan 2021–2025 in partnership with our people to acknowledge and reflect on the challenges and opportunities to achieve gender equality.

Our vision for DPC is a safe, inclusive, and equitable workplace where all staff, irrespective of gender, have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

While DPC has made considerable progress in creating a gender balanced, flexible and inclusive workplace, our current workforce data indicates that despite the gender composition of our workforce being 61% women, workplace gender inequality persists. A gender pay gap exists, in part due to the concentration of men within the more senior executive bands compared to women, and due to a degree of occupational segregation, where a higher proportion of women are employed at the VPS 1-5 level.

Our 2021 People Matter Survey measures also highlight opportunities for improvement to support women to reach their full potential at DPC. Women responded less favourably to questions about flexible working, family/caring responsibilities, and opportunities for promotion. Women also reported experiencing inappropriate workplace behaviours such as bullying, and violence or aggression at a higher rate than men.

We also acknowledge that we live in a society in which, despite considerable progress, women continue to experience inequality and discrimination in the workplace which limits the opportunities available to them. DPC supports the Victorian Government vision for gender equality under Safe and Strong, Victoria’s Gender Equality Strategy – that all Victorians live in a safe and equal society, have access to equal power, resources and opportunities and are treated with dignity, respect, and fairness. We understand that gender inequality may also be compounded by other forms of disadvantage or discrimination that a person may experience on the basis of their Aboriginality, age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, and other attributes. The experience of compounding or overlapping forms of disadvantage or discrimination is referred to as intersectionality. [1]

In developing the plan, DPC demonstrates our strong commitment to gender equality, in particular to providing equal pay for work of equal or comparable value, removing barriers to the equal representation and participation of women in the workplace, offering access to career development opportunities and promotion, including into leadership and non-traditional roles, and providing a flexible, safe, and inclusive workplace.

Legislative Framework: Gender Equality Act 2020

The Gender Equality Act 2020 (the Act) commenced on 31 March 2021, requiring defined entities to take positive action towards achieving workplace gender equality and to promote gender equality in their policies, programs, and services. Under the Act, DPC is required to:

• develop and implement a Gender Equality Action Plan
• promote gender equality in policies, programs and services that impact the public
• publicly report on progress in relation to workplace gender equality
• complete gender impact assessments.

The Act also enshrines a number of gender equality principles:

• All Victorians should live in a safe and equal society, have access to equal power, resources and opportunities and be treated with dignity, respect, and fairness.
• Gender equality benefits all Victorians regardless of gender.
• Gender equality is a human right and precondition to social justice.
• Gender equality brings significant economic, social and health benefits for Victoria.
• Gender equality is a precondition for the prevention of family violence and other forms of violence against women and girls.
• Advancing gender equality is a shared responsibility across the Victorian community.
• All human beings, regardless of gender, should be free to develop their personal abilities, pursue their professional careers and make choices about their lives without being limited by gender stereotypes, gender roles or prejudices.
• Gender inequality may be compounded by other forms of disadvantage or discrimination that a person may experience on the basis of Aboriginality, age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, and other attributes.
• Women have historically experienced discrimination and disadvantage on the basis of sex and gender.
• Special measures may be necessary to achieve gender equality.

Gender Equality Action Plan 2021 – 2025

As part of our commitment to gender equality and under the guidance of the Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector, DPC has now developed our Gender Equality Action Plan, which is guided by the results of a comprehensive workplace gender audit and consultation with a variety of stakeholders to develop evidence-based strategies for achieving workplace gender equality over the next four years.

Footnotes:

1. Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector.

DPC has developed a number of individual action plans that sit under our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2019–2021, which has five priority areas:

• Gender equality
• Aboriginal workforce
• Disability access and inclusion
• LGBTIQ+ inclusion
• Cultural and linguistically diverse (CALD) inclusion

The following diagram shows where the plan fits into the internal diversity and inclusion framework and how our focus on gender equality complements existing organisational strategies. The diagram also identifies the relevant legislation standards and guidelines considered in developing this plan.

A number of strategies contained in the plan align with the measures outlined in the individual action plans relating to People with Disability and DPC’s Aboriginal, LGBTIQ+, and CALD workforce. The individual plans however contain more focussed strategies to address gender inequality specific to the experiences of each group.

Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

• Gender Equality Action Plan 2021–2025
  • Gender Equality Act 2020 (Vic)
  • Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (Cwlth)
  • Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cwlth)
  • Fair Work Act 2009 (Cwlth)
  • Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic)
  • Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic)
  • Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement 2020
  • Safe and Strong, A Victorian Gender Equality Strategy 2016
• Aboriginal Workforce Strategy 2022–2026 (in development)
• Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2021–2025
• LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Plan (for review)
• Cultural Diversity Plan (for review)

The development of the plan provides DPC an opportunity to build on progress made towards achieving gender equality over the period 2018-2021, during which DPC delivered several initiatives to improve gender equality in the workplace:

• Maintained and exceeded the overall target of 50% of women in Executive roles.
• Developed a Family Violence Support policy outlining workplace support available to employees experiencing or impacted by family violence.
• Delivered mandatory family violence training for all managers and Executives and created the role of Family Violence Contact Officers.
• Implemented the Parental Transition Support Program which offers specialist coaching and on-line assistance to support the transition from worker, to parent, to working parent.
• Implemented a new entitlement of 12 weeks paid parental leave for secondary carers in addition to the four weeks of paid parental leave already available, under the provisions of the VPS Enterprise Agreement 2020.
• Implemented the DPC In Touch program to support women on parental leave to maintain contact and relationships with managers and peers.
• Updated the Prevention of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace policy and mandatory eLearning module.
• Continued to support career development for women by participating in and nominating women for leadership programs.
• Developed a Flexible Working policy and form to capture and monitor the uptake of formal flexible working arrangements.
• Completed a comprehensive workplace gender audit to inform the development of the Gender Equality Action Plan 2021-2025.
• Continued membership and participation in the Champions of Change Coalition, a global initiative in which men of power step up beside women leaders as ‘champions’ because they publicly commit to leading practical, constructive and disruptive actions to accelerate change to achieve gender equality and build respectful and inclusive workplaces.
• Celebrated a number of events to recognise and celebrate the achievements of women and our diverse staff including International Women’s Day, International Day of People with Disability, NAIDOC week, IDAHOBIT and Cultural Diversity Week.

Gender Equality data analysis

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

DPC’s 2021 workplace gender audit was based on annual workforce data as at 30 June 2021 and included 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 at Attachment A.

Consultation with stakeholders

The Gender Equality Act 2020 requires defined entities to undertake meaningful consultation and engagement with their governing bodies, employees, employee representatives and other relevant people to inform the development of their Gender Equality Action Plan.

1. DPC’s first round of consultation involved briefing the DPC Board of Management, Executive teams, Group Senior Advisers and People & Culture on DPC’s key obligations under the Gender Equality Act 2020.

DPC also facilitated a series of workshops with People & Culture, the Gender Equality Working Group, DPC managers and staff, Staff Network representatives, and CPSU representatives and delegates to discuss the results of the workplace gender audit and identify strategies and actions for improving workplace gender equality across the department. The staff workshops were supplemented by an anonymous online survey to examine employee perceptions and experiences of gender equality in the workplace.

2. The second round of consultation focused on seeking feedback on the proposed strategies and actions from the DPC Board of Management, Gender Equality Working Group, the CPSU and key business units responsible for implementing the action plan to seek feedback.

The clear priorities that emerged from consultation included workforce diversity, gender pay equity, managing unconscious bias, flexible working practices, career development opportunities and eliminating negative workplace behaviours.

Stakeholder consultation

• DPC Board of Management
  • DPC Executives
• DPC People & Culture
• DPC Gender Equality Working Group
• DPC Managers and Staff (including Staff Network representatives)
• CPSU Representatives and Delegates

Intersectionality

DPC mapped and analysed each workplace gender equality indicator, where possible, by Aboriginality, age, disability, cultural background, religion, and sexual orientation. DPC also engaged with members of key staff networks to participate in the consultation process including the DPC Enablers Network, the Aboriginal Staff Network, the LGBTIQ+ Network and the VPS5 Network.

The plan seeks to improve workforce diversity across all levels of the workforce, establish inclusive recruitment practices, create a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace, and improve our data collection to better understand and address intersectional gender inequality in the workplace.

DPC identified six key actions areas for improving gender equality under the plan based on the key findings of the workplace gender audit and the stakeholder consultation process.

The development of the plan also considered a review of suggested strategies by the Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector and examples of good practice gender equality action plans previously developed by defined entities.

Action areas

The plan outlines the key goals and strategies that underpin each of the six key action areas. DPC will align the plan with other diversity and inclusion plans as part the implementation plan and apply an intersectional lens to each workplace gender equality indicator where possible.

Accountabilities and timelines are assigned to each strategy including the relevant business owner(s) responsible for developing and implementing specific strategies. The key workplace gender equality indicators are also mapped against each strategy.

Gender Equality Action Plan 2021–2025

1. Visible leadership and accountability – Senior leaders demonstrate commitment to gender equality and visibly champion and drive gender equality strategies.
2. Reducing the gender pay gap – DPC proactively seeks to better understand the factors that cause the gender pay gap and develops strategies, actions, policies, and processes to achieve gender pay equity.
3. Attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse, gender balanced and talented workforce – DPC is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse, gender balanced and talented workforce and supporting the career advancement of women in the VPS.
4. Creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace – DPC is committed to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace that takes a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment, violence, bullying and discrimination and supports people experiencing family violence.
5. Facilitating and promoting a flexible workplace – DPC is committed to facilitating and promoting a flexible workplace that encourages new ways of working and supports employees to balance work, family, and caring responsibilities.
6. Measuring, monitoring, and reporting on gender equality – DPC demonstrates its commitment to making reasonable and material progress towards achieving workplace gender equality by regularly measuring, monitoring, and reporting on workplace gender equality.

Leadership and governance

DPC is committed to developing and implementing a Gender Equality Action Plan that is underpinned by strong leadership, governance, accountability, and reporting. DPC has established the role of an Executive Champion for Gender Equality at the Deputy Secretary level who is responsible for championing gender equality strategies and initiatives at DPC. The Executive Champion for Gender Equality will play an instrumental role in working with the DPC Board of Management to facilitate an enabling environment to advance gender equality at DPC.

A cross-functional Diversity and Inclusion Committee will be established to drive the implementation of the plan, comprising the business units responsible for implementing key strategies and actions under the plan and representatives from each Group who can progress and promote gender equality initiatives and report on progress at the Group level.

The Diversity and Inclusion Committee will also act as a formal consultation framework by ensuring gender equality advocates of all ages, gender identities, cultural backgrounds, sexual orientation, people with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and male allies, are represented to ensure an intersectional approach to consultation when developing and implementing gender equality strategies and actions. It is intended that representatives of the Gender Equality, Enablers, Aboriginal, and LGBTIQ+ staff networks will sit on this group.

Governance and resourcing

The implementation of the plan will be coordinated by the Senior Adviser Diversity & Inclusion, within People & Culture. The Manager, Organisational Development will provide day-to-day direction for gender equality strategies. The Chief People & Transformation Officer will provide oversight of gender equality strategies.

Responsible business owner(s) have been assigned to lead the development and implementation of key strategies and actions under the plan that are relevant to their respective functions and operation. The budget for funding key strategies and actions in the plan including training and resources will be sourced from the central corporate development budget.

The table below provides an indicative summary of the annual commitment, resources and time that will be required to implement the gender equality action plan over the next four years.

Governance and strategic resource plan

Measuring progress

DPC will undertake an annual workplace gender audit to help track progress against key actions and measures in the plan. This will help to monitor key metrics against the seven workplace gender equality indicators.

DPC will also develop a performance dashboard to help monitor and measure progress against the plan (and other diversity and inclusion plans). All Groups will be encouraged to use the dashboard to identify gender equality initiatives to include in their group’s strategic plan and monitor and report progress.

Reporting

Progress against the plan, including key achievements, areas for improvement and proposed strategies to address persistent issues, will be reported on annually to the Board of Management via the Executive Champion for Gender Equality. The Diversity and Inclusion Committee will also monitor progress against the implementation of the action plan via quarterly progress meetings.

As required under the Act, DPC will also report progress in relation to the strategies and actions set out in our plan to the Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector every two years. The reporting process will also include regular communication of progress against the plan to DPC groups, employees, and employee representatives.

Implementation

All strategies and actions will be set out in an implementation plan, a detailed internal monitoring and tracking document that will assist with monitoring and progress reporting. The implementation plan will outline the key timeframes for communicating, implementing, and reporting progress. The implementation plan will also outline the key measures that will help to report progress and outcomes against each workplace gender equality indicator.

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.