Assessment Task 2: Report on Gender Pay Gap Case Study Analysis

This report analyzes the 'Apple and Oranges: Gender Pay Gap Worse Than You Think' case study, focusing on the gender pay gap in Australia. It explores the reasons behind the pay disparity, including part-time work, industry segregation, parental responsibilities, discrimination, lack of workforce flexibility, and women's disproportionate share in domestic work. The report examines potential solutions, such as governmental intervention, paternity leave enforcement, childcare subsidies, and salary transparency. It also outlines a plan for achieving reward equity, emphasizing equal base pay, performance-related rewards, and effective pay communication. The report concludes that companies must implement measures to ensure equal opportunities and benefits for female employees. The assignment is a case study report for a business development course at James Cook University.

Running head: Apple and Oranges: Gender Pay Gap Worse Than You Think
Apple and Oranges: Gender Pay Gap Worse Than You Think
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1Apple and Oranges: Gender Pay Gap Worse Than You Think
ABSTRACT
The current assignment focuses on highlighting the current issues on gender pay gap in
Australia. The report basically focuses on a case study that is apple and oranges: gender pay gap
worse than you think”. This case study is particularly about the growing gender inequality
reflecting in the compensation of Australian companies. Therefore, the study highlights the key
factors of the following issues and provides relevant measures on the issues. At last the paper
reflects effective genuine reward equity plan that can be put into practice in the organization.

2Apple and Oranges: Gender Pay Gap Worse Than You Think
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Discussion........................................................................................................................................3
Reasons for gender pay gap in Australia.....................................................................................3
Possible solutions for gender pay gap.........................................................................................5
Plan for achieving Reward Equity...............................................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
Reference.........................................................................................................................................8

3Apple and Oranges: Gender Pay Gap Worse Than You Think
Introduction
In the contemporary business world the principle of “equal pay for equal work” is highly
emerging across the workplace in Australia. In 1984, the anti-discrimination acts was legislated
on the basis of gender. The gender pay gap has remained significantly steady however drifting
between 14 to 19 percent over the past 20 years. The gender pay gap generally refers to the
difference between the average salary between women and men. The difference is considered as
the gap that is observed to be present in every country and their industry (Auspurg, Hinz & Sauer
2017). The current report focuses on examining the gender wage gap and its progressions over
the time. The paper predominantly focuses on a case study “Apple and oranges: gender pay gap
worse than you think”. The analysis of the study begins by comparing and measuring the female
and male pay percent in average over the years (Blau & Kahn 2013). Women are paid
comparably less than the men for the same job, mostly judging by the productivity of both the
genders. As of 2019, the Western Australia faces the broadest gender pay gap that is at 21.8%
(O'Neill, 2019).
Discussion
Reasons for gender pay gap in Australia
According to the case study “apple ad oranges pay gap is worse than you think”, women
tend to earn less than the men in workplace. Statically, the gap is found to be 18.8 percent
between the male and female (Blau & Kahn 2013). The gender pay gap is highly influenced by
many factors. The five possible reasons for continuing gender pay gap in Australia are:

4Apple and Oranges: Gender Pay Gap Worse Than You Think
Due to the part-time jobs, the women are consistently earning less than the men and are
likely to work in jobs as part-time. Around 75% of women work as part-time workers and are
also subsequently employed in lower-paying occupation. According to WGEA report, it is found
that in Australia the female-dominated organizations tend to pay low wages to women,
particularly in those industries where the workforce roles are gendered. This is specially seen in
social assistance and healthcare. This is also referred as “industrial segregation”.
The value of parenting, according to ABS Gender indicator data, it is evident that 62% of
employed women with child under five work under work in part-time whereas only 8.7% of men
do the same. It is also observed that women take more parental leave especially in the non-public
sectors. The parental leave somehow affect the wage structure of the women employee.
The third reason focuses on discrimination and biasedness, according to the report from the
National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling analyzed the data from the household, labor
dynamics and income of Australia. The survey indicated that due to gender discrimination even
in the 21st century the women are subsequently paid less than the men in the organizations.
The fourth reason for gender pay gap is due to the lack of workforce flexibility. There are
certain occupations with unpredictable and long hours and unsuitable working conditions. As the
working hours decision differ from men and women for mostly the reasons like household work
or childcare. This lead to change in their earnings. According to Valentin Bolotny Harvard
economic research in 2018 suggests that the pay gap is the result of how flexibility in workplace
interacts with the employee’s personal life and constraints. The workplace inflexibility affects
the women than men in the organization.

5Apple and Oranges: Gender Pay Gap Worse Than You Think
The last reason for gender pay gap is because of the women’s disproportion share in
domestic work. Along with the work in organization the women are also responsible for their
domestic work or household work. It is evident that 80% of women complete their household
work and head back to their work. It becomes difficult for them to maintain work-life balance
and therefore had to take more leaves than the men. Therefore, due to this reason the pay gap is
quiet in favor of men in economies worldwide.
While considering the following issues for gender pay gap, this reason are quiet
unreasonable for discriminating for pay in male and female (Kang & Kaplan 2019). This issues
can be solved with proper legislation and company policies in order to make women comfortable
in working in organization and can get the benefits of equal pay.
Possible solutions for gender pay gap
Governmental Interference
It is observed that although the Equal Pay Act is legislated in organization since, 1963 but
still there are issues with legislating the law. Government laws are the most effective solution
which can put an end to the gender pay gap (Dorling & Tomlinson 2016). This laws will become
compulsory to be abided by the companies and therefore there cannot be any statutory deduction
on discrimination in any private or public organization.
Enforce the Paternity Leave
If the companies make it easier for the women employees like allowing the male parent to
take paternity leave as well that is shared parental leave. This probably ensures flexibility in
workplace as well as opportunity for women employees to get back to work.
Subsidies Childcare

6Apple and Oranges: Gender Pay Gap Worse Than You Think
For women the most challenging part is taking care of both their domestic and professional
work in balance. The companies must have the policy of paid parental leave and work from
home for women employees. These strategy is implemented in countries like Europe- Denmark
and France, and this has shown positive result in the organization (MacRae 2010).
Salary Transparency
There must be transparency in the salary structure of the employees and the data regarding
salary and wages (Trotter Zacur & Stickney 2017). This is an approach of closing the practice of
gender pay gap. This enables allows not only the women employees, but all the employees for
equal and fair pay.
Plan for achieving Reward Equity
An effective plan for achieving for reward equity would aid the company for effective
reward management. Generally, the plan is based upon base pay, benefits, performance related
rewards and pay communication.
The base pay must be equal for both male and female in the organization. The equal pay for
equal work is the important of labor right. It is primarily in the concept of gender discrimination
in regards to gender pay gap. The act in 1963, is Equal Pay Act must be legislated in the
Australian organization. This is to abolish unequal pay to both men and women for the same job.
The performance related rewards such as bonus, profit-sharing and the stock options are best
way to use for rewarding the team or the group but reward on over-time must not be there as
very few women are able to cope. The pay communication must be done effectively by the
employees as wrong announcing may give the wrong details. The best way to deliver the pay
communication is by inspiring, informing and reinforcing. Proper information would provoke

7Apple and Oranges: Gender Pay Gap Worse Than You Think
transparency in the pay structure and there will be less discrepancies in the organizations. This
will motivate the employees to work effectively and focus on their job. As once they get to know
the proper information they are more likely to engage themselves into their work.
Conclusion
It can be deferred from the following study that still there is effect of gender pay gap in the
organizations of Australia. The mentioned factors are still a barrier for the women employees to
get proper benefit of their salary and are discriminate among the male employees. Therefore, he
companies must implement measures in order to end the practice of gender pay gap and must
provide equal opportunity and benefits to the female employees understanding their natural
obvious causes and responsibilities.

8Apple and Oranges: Gender Pay Gap Worse Than You Think
Reference
Auspurg, K., Hinz, T., & Sauer, C. (2017). Why should women get less? Evidence on the gender
pay gap from multifactorial survey experiments. American Sociological Review, 82(1),
179-210.
Bailey, J., Peetz, D., Strachan, G., Whitehouse, G., & Broadbent, K. (2016). Academic pay
loadings and gender in Australian universities. Journal of Industrial Relations, 58(5),
647-668.
Blau, F. D., & Kahn, L. M. (2013). Understanding international differences in the gender pay
gap. Journal of Labor economics, 21(1), 106-144.
Conley, H., Mattei, A., Torbus, U., & Joanna, N. M. (2019). National frameworks and the gender
pay gap in Italy, Poland and the UK: Comparing oranges with apples?
Dorling, D., & Tomlinson, S. (2016). The creation of inequality: Myths of potential and
ability. Journal of Critical Education Policy Studies, 14(3).
Gupta, G. R., Oomman, N., Grown, C., Conn, K., Hawkes, S., Shawar, Y. R., & Heise, L.
(2019). Gender equality and gender norms: framing the opportunities for health. The
Lancet.
Kang, S. K., & Kaplan, S. (2019). Working toward gender diversity and inclusion in medicine:
myths and solutions. The Lancet, 393(10171), 579-586.
MacRae, H. (2010). The EU as a gender equal polity: myths and realities. JCMS: Journal of
Common Market Studies, 48(1), 155-174.
O'Neill, S. (2019). Gender pay gap grows. New Scientist, 241(3223), 45.

9Apple and Oranges: Gender Pay Gap Worse Than You Think
Trotter, R. G., Zacur, S. R., & Stickney, L. T. (2017). The new age of pay transparency. Business
Horizons, 60(4), 529-539.