How To Address Gender Inequality In The Workplace

To address gender inequality in the workplace you need levers that change outcomes, not statements that describe them. These are the ones with evidence behind them.

• Run a pay gap analysis by level, not organisation-wide. An aggregate figure hides where the gap actually sits.
• Publish pay bands internally. Opacity is what lets small differences compound over a career.
• Set measurable targets with owners and dates. An aspiration with nobody accountable moves nothing.
• Make parental leave equally usable by men. Uptake by fathers is one of the strongest predictors of a narrowing gap.
• Write promotion criteria down and assess against them. Discretion is where bias enters.
• Treat part-time and flexible roles as promotable. Otherwise flexibility becomes a career ceiling.

Employers with 100 or more employees report annually under the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012, and employer-level gaps are published. Workplace Gender Equality Agency data shows where you sit. This is general information rather than legal advice.

See Sentrient’s equal employment opportunity course and workplace compliance system.