Women, Work and Industrial Relations in 2008

Abstract

The year 2008 was a busy one for matters relating to women, work and industrial relations. The Labor Government introduced the Fair Work Bill with a new bargaining stream for low paid workers and new National Employment Standards, which include the right to request flexible working arrangements and extended unpaid parental leave. A number of public inquires on issues pertaining to women and work were also initiated. In this first annual review of women, work and industrial relations we focus on three topics highlighted in 2008 -pay equity, working hours flexibility and paid maternity leave -and assess the implications of the proposed policy changes for women and gender equity.

Gender wage gaps in Australian workplaces: are policy responses working?

“…As for policy reforms that support women in the workplace, the problem is that the more women are protected in the workplace, the more employers may hire men to avoid the impact of such policies, given the likelihood that many women may eventually take maternity and child care leave, and then adopt roles as primary carers, which could be perceived as detrimental to workplace productivity. These factors parallel perspectives that, current policy reforms can potentially exacerbate the wage gap and, in-part, explain the more than doubling of the pay gap between male and female graduates (Gradstats, 2012), which has coincided with a surge of policy relating to women and work since 2009 (Baird et al, 2012). Hence, further research is recommended, which could be undertaken by surveying employers or conducting workplace based case studies.…”

Australian industrial relations in 2018: Inequality, policy stagnation and a brewing storm

“…The authors argue that women continue to face inequality in the labour market. Despite policy and employment frameworks that have created a foundation on which to build gender equality (Baird and Williamson, 2009), progress has been sporadic. For instance, they find that, despite the introduction of legislation such as the Paid Parental Leave Act 2010 (Cth) and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency Act 2012 (Cth), the gender pay gap and undervaluation of feminised work are persistent.…”

Young Australian Women and Their Aspirations

“…While the occupation of multiple roles has been positively associated with women’s health (Lee & Powers, 2002), the advantages of occupying multiple roles depend largely on the quality of those roles (Ahrens & Ryff, 2006; Baxter & Alexander, 2008; Grzywacz & Butler, 2005; McMunn, Bartley, Hardy, & Kuh, 2006; Reid & Hardy, 1999; Tangri, Thomas, Mednick, & Lee, 2003; Verbrugge, 1987). And despite the influx of mothers into the paid workforce, considerable evidence (Baird & Williamson, 2009; Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission [HREOC] 2007; Jaumotte, 2004; Whitehouse, Baird, Diamond, & Hosking, 2006) suggests that Australian economic and industrial relations systems do not provide a supportive context for optimal quality of roles for women combining work and motherhood.…”