At the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) Limited (the ALS), we are committed to supporting our employees and fostering an equitable workplace where they are compensated fairly, regardless of gender.
While the ALS compares favourably to our counterparts in the legal services industry and the national average, we recognise the existence of our gender pay gap and are working to proactively address it. As an organisation founded on values of justice and equity, this is important to us. We know it matters to our staff, clients, community and supporters, too.
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) annual reporting provides valuable insights into the gender pay gap, equipping us to build on the work we have already undertaken to provide an equitable workplace for all employees.
Mean and median gender pay gap
For the 1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023 reporting period, the ALS recorded a median gender pay gap of 9.8% for total remuneration.
This places us well below the legal services industry median of 22.9% and the national median (for all industries) of 19%.
We note that:
-
72% of the ALS workforce are women, including:
- 100% of the executive team aka key management personnel (the industry average is 38%)
- 64% of managers (the industry average is 50%)
- The ALS board is made up of 33% women (the industry average is 24%)
Additionally, the following mean figures are negative, meaning women are paid more than men in these categories:
- Managers: -6.7%
- Senior managers: -11.2%
- Clerical and administration staff: -4.4%
The average gender pay gap for non-manager roles is 5.8% (the industry average is 15.4%) and we will work towards reducing this gap.
Our commitments
We are committed to gender pay equity and continue our work in this regard through the following:
- Flexible work arrangements for all employees and support for employees with family and/or caring responsibilities;
- Employer-paid parental leave;
- Supporting our employees’ career advancement through opportunities for secondment and higher duties, practical experience and training, and internal recruitment avenues;
- A formal policy on preventing and responding to sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace;
- Ongoing gender pay gap reporting throughout the year, including during the annual salary review process;
- More frequent reporting of ALS gender pay gap data to the board for consideration and action if required; and
- Bringing our salary scales in line with industry benchmarks and organisations providing similar services and programs.
We value the diversity of our people and respect their cultures and lived experience. These values are integral to achieving our goal of delivering culturally safe legal services and programs to our clients and the communities we serve.
We commit to continuing our efforts towards gender pay equity for all ALS staff.
Karly Warner
Chief Executive Officer
