I’m not sure if the Workplace Gender Equality Act Data Explorer information about the gender pay gaps for 5000 odd Australian companies was deliberately released the week before International Women’s Day but in lieu of having a studio to storm out of, I did need to take my dog for a long walk upon reading some of the figures.
I’m going to start slightly outside the radio industry with Spotify.
These astonishing figures in Australia show there is roughly a 25% pay gap between women and men. Despite women making up more than half their workforce, the lowest quartile of pay was 8o% dominated by women. I additionally need to add that they stated that they do have policies in place to achieve gender pay equality. I’ll leave that one there or I’ll need to take the dog for another walk.
The two metrics include the median pay gap between men and women for their base salaries and then the median difference for the total amount of pay, including bonuses, super, overtime, and other perks.
It also includes policies the company may have implemented to address inequalities. The below is Southern Cross Austereo‘s because I was surprised, with them having one of the lower pay gap percentages, that they didn’t have a policy in place to achieve that.
I am aware that for all of Jackie O‘s quite correct indignation over the Australian Radio Network (ARN)‘s pay gap for total remuneration, these figures may have been collected before Kyle and Jackie O‘s record breaking 10 year contract was signed with the network.
ARN’s gender pay gaps
The base salary pay gap was worst for Nine Radio’s 2GB, 3AW, 4BC and 6PR.
Nine Radio – 2GB, 3AW, 4BC & 6PR
WIN Radio has more female employees but a significant percentage being paid in the lowest quartile.
WIN Radio
While Nova Entertainment had one of the best results for total remuneration, despite a larger percentage of women being paid in the lowest quartile they did have parity in the upper quartile, the only network to do so.
SCA had the best results for base and total remuneration pay gaps.
And while the Ace Radio Network had the best result of all in median base salary parity, their upper quartile salaried staff were 80% male.
I couldn’t find the Super Radio Network or SEN and am not sure how they weren’t included as both surely have more than 100 employees. Only ARN, Nova and Spotify of the above said they had policies in place to achieve gender pay equality.
While the ABC is not included in the corporate commercial statistics, the national broadcaster published its gender pay gap statistics in its 2021/22 Annual Report:
Women make up 54.9% of the ABC’s workforce… A gender pay analysis was conducted in 2021 across the ABC workforce to identify meaningful pay gaps (defined as +/− 3%) unfavourable to women at any level in the ABC. There is only one meaningful pay gap of 3.9% at Band 9, and this is favourable to women. This gap has significantly reduced from 7.9% in 2020 and is closing. Based on these results, the ABC believes its pay practices are equitable and that it pays fairly for roles at each level in the organisation.
