CFMEU women's networks have objected to construction division administrator Mark Irving's plan to invest $5.4 million in a men's construction-industry behaviour change program, accusing him of failing to consult women members.
The Minns Government has passed major reforms that establish anti-bullying and s-xual harassment jurisdictions in the IRC and allow workers to seek preventative orders and up to $100,000 in damages, while also significantly lifting the small claims cap.
The FWC has backed the sacking of a worker who shoved and swore at a woman as they rode an elevator towards his office, rejecting his claims of self-defence and that the employer's code of conduct did not apply because his shift had not started.
The Federal public sector gender pay gap has more than halved in a year, falling from 13.5% to 6.4%, but employers could still improve on men's uptake of paid parental leave, according to a new WGEA report that includes individual agencies' remuneration disparities for the first time.
Workers in NSW will need to secure a ruling from the State IRC that bullying or harassment has occurred before they seek compensation for a related psychological injury, under draft legislation that will also add gender equality as an object of state workplace laws.
Workplace Relations Minister Senator Murray Watt will weigh into a gender undervaluation award review case to make it clear the wages of affected workers must not go backwards, after the ASU warned proposed changes to the community and disability sector award might leave some workers up to $700 a week worse off.
The WGEA has published a menu of gender equality targets that employers with 500 or more employees can draw from in preparation for next year's lodgement deadline, along with a "workflow" timeline, selection guidance, and list of frequently asked questions and their answers.
Pharmacists will receive a 14.1% pay boost after a much-anticipated ruling by a FWC expert panel that scrutinised gender undervaluation, while employees under four other awards covering health professionals, disability services and daycare will have to wait for increases of up to 35% as questions of funding and new classifications are further investigated.
Australia "remains a global laggard" on work/family benefits and the next federal government should extend paid parental leave to 52 weeks, split carers and personal leave into separate 10-day entitlements, and investigate extending personal/carers and annual leave to casual workers, according to an academic group's report.
The UK Government is considering introducing reforms to stop employers using labour-hire arrangements to short-change women, as part of a suite of changes aimed at ending workplace pay discrimination.
