Australia just took the lead on closing the Gender Pay Gap!

Are you going to lead...or follow?

On April 16, the Fair Work Commission made history.

In a landmark ruling, it ordered significant wage increases—up to 35%—for over 500,000 workers across female-dominated sectors:

🧒 Early childhood education
🩺 Healthcare and pharmacy
🤝 Community and disability care

For the first time, gender equity was not just acknowledged, but legislated into wage-setting.

This isn’t just a back-office HR issue.

👉 It’s structural. It’s strategic. And it’s a national signal to all employers.

💡 If you are a Board or C-Suite Leader, you need to know these three things:

✔ The ruling applies to both award-covered and award-influenced employees—so your organisation may be impacted even if you think it’s not.

✔ It aligns with the 2022 “Secure Jobs, Better Pay” legislation, requiring gender equity to be a formal consideration in pay decisions.

✔ It sets a precedent—other industries could follow, especially in undervalued care, admin, education, or frontline roles.


📈 The Upside:
1. Reduced gender pay gaps
2. Stronger retention in critical sectors
3. Economic empowerment of an undervalued workforce

⚠️ The Challenges:
1. Funding and implementation pressure
2. Operational cost strain in healthcare and services
3. Risk of passing costs onto consumers without strategic planning

We’re starting to see real change happening—and it’s long overdue.

I’m proud to see Australia leading the charge on a topic that’s often ignored or under-prioritised in many parts of the world.

This is a moment to lead.

Not with a press release—but with policy, structure, and board-level commitment.

I’ve outlined exactly how to approach this shift in my guide: Closing the Gender Pay Gap: A Strategic Guide for C-Suite and Board Leaders. Message me if you would like a copy.

Let’s make this more than a ruling—let’s make it a turning point.