We note that in reports of early November, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), using ABS data, revealed that the national gender pay gap presently stands at 14.6%, the lowest in twenty years. The WGEA noted that the gap had hovered between 15% and 19% over the past two decades.
Personal Income Tax Cuts
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Budget Office has released information on the financial implications, with distributions by gender, of the outcomes of the personal income tax changes announced in the May 2018 Commonwealth Budget.
Fair Work Commission – 2018 Minimum Wage Decision
On June 1st 2018 the Fair Work Commission increased the minimum wage by 3.5%.
Dealing with Poor HR Data
Every organisation has data about its people in some form or another. In some cases, it is just payroll data; in others it is held in spreadsheets; some organisations are even lucky enough to have some form of HR information system (HRIS).
Superannuation Policy in Practice
The Australian on April 14, 2018 reported that Tony Shepherd, a highly respected executive with significant engagement in the private and public sectors and Chairman of the Abbot government’s cost-cutting taskforce, recently questioned whether Federal public servants and politicians should enjoy a 15.4% employer superannuation contribution when other workers receive only 9.5%.
Our Leaders’ Challenges and Stakeholder Expectations – A View Point
Australia is facing new challenges and opportunities within the shifting patterns of international trade and the security of its commercial foothold and viability both locally and globally.
The Agenda
The Agenda is the must-read summary of the latest issues influencing Boards of Directors and Government.
Call for IR Reform
Former Resources Minister and former Australian Council of Trade Unions President, Martin Ferguson, is pushing for a new round of Industrial Relations (IR) reform. The demand is for the right of workers to opt out of collective agreements and move to individual agreements. Further, the call is for restrictions on legal strikes, and a higher bar to prove unlawful employer actions.
ESS Tax Changes Passed
The Australian Senate passed changes to the taxation of employee share schemes (ESS) on 25 June with no amendments.
Federal Budget Snapshot
Our snapshot of the Australian Federal Budget from a remuneration and governance perspective.