Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission Gender Pay Gap Action Plan 2021–22

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17 November 2021

We lead the public sector in the service of our nation. We lead, we serve.

The action plan sets out our commitment  to leading by example through understanding, addressing and making substantial progress towards eliminating our own agency gender pay gap.

Te Mahere Mahi Rerekētanga Ira Tangata Gender Pay Gap Action Plan 2021–22

Our target

Our target is to be in the top quartile (lowest pay gap) for the Public Service.

Current snapshot (as at 30 June 2021)

  • We have made substantial progress in decreasing our gender pay gap in the last year, from 8.7% (June 2020) to 3.75% (June 2021)
  • We have exceeded the gender balanced leadership milestone with 70% women in tiers 2 and 3 in Senior Leadership roles as at June 2021
  • Although deeper analysis and modelling has been undertaken by workforce segments, due to our small size, to protect anonymity it is inappropriate to publish the detail of this
  • The Commission’s small workforce size means that our gender pay gap can be volatile, with senior appointments and business support appointments having the biggest effect on the data.

Gender representation

  • Females make up the majority of the Commission’s workforce at 72%. This is an increase of 3% from 2020/21
  • The key driver of our gender pay gap is due to representation and the larger concentration of women in business support and advisor roles compared to males, who have a higher representation in more senior roles, such as principals and 3rd tier managers.

Our role level categories are:

1. Tahi/2 Rua - Business support roles and Assistant Advisors

3. Toru - Advisors and equivalent

4. Wha - Senior Advisors and equivalent

5. Rima - Principal Advisors and equivalent

6. Ono - Managers and Chief Advisors

7. Whitu - Assistant Commissioners and equivalent

8. Waru/9 CEs - Deputy Commissioners and CEs on assignment

Employee Voice

We will continue to engage with our people through interactive workshops and staff talk sessions, employee-led networks and PSA delegates.

We will continue to engage staff representatives across the business, to progress aspects of our agency action plan.

Monitoring and reporting

  • The People Team will monitor progress and ensure the action plan is meeting its targets in 2021-22. Progress will be reported quarterly to the Commission’s Leadership Team.
  • Regular reporting will be provided to LT members for their respective groups via the People Team business partners, focused on gender representation.

Ō mātau aronga matua | Our focus areas, Ngā Tutukitanga| Achievements 2020/21 and Ngā Mahi hei Mahi | Actions

Ō mātau aronga matua
Our focus areas

1.  Flexible work by default

We will be an exemplar in flexible work and embed it as part of our ways of working at the Commission.

Why? Flexible options, equally available to men and women, and which don't undermine career progression or pay, support different patterns of workforce participation.
Ngā Tutukitanga
Achievements 2020/21

To progress this in 2020/21 we:

  • Implemented principles of “our ways of working” taking a team-based approach to flexible work practices
  • Built a suite of tools including updating internal policy based on best practice guidance and developed leaders’ toolkit
  • Began development of ‘our ways of working’ as part of our employee value proposition.
Ngā Mahi hei Mahi
Actions 2021/22

To embed this in 2021/22 we will:

  • Promote our employee value proposition, including ‘our ways of working’ flexibly, through advertising and recruitment processes
  • Ensure the application of our flexible working arrangements is highlighted in our induction and orientation programme.
  • Further enhance our flexible working arrangements based on staff experience as identified in Te Taunaki | Public Service Census.
Ō mātau aronga matua
Our focus areas

2. Our people practices

We will ensure our people practices are free from the effects of bias at the Commission

Why? Addressing bias and discrimination at all stages in the employment cycle will make working at the Commission fairer for everyone.
Ngā Tutukitanga
Achievements 2020/21

To progress this in 2020/21 we:

  • Rolled out addressing bias training across the Commission
  • Tier 1 to 3 leaders completed Inclusive Leadership module
  • Continued the enhancement of our recruitment policy, induction and orientation approach, best practice guidelines and kete.
Ngā Mahi hei Mahi
Actions 2021/22

To embed this in 2021/22 we will:

  • Introduce step-based progression where criteria are transparent, we recognise experience and minimise discretion
  • Continue to monitor and moderate starting salaries and remuneration rounds to ensure like-for-like gaps are not introduced
  • Ensure unconscious bias training completed by new employees within first month of employment
  • Obtain re-accreditation of Rainbow Tick, which includes a requirement for Rainbow specific bias training, and explore inclusive options for reporting nonbinary gender
  • Continue to monitor recruitment practices against best practice guidelines.
Ō mātau aronga matua
Our focus areas

3. Gender representation and career progression

We will focus on gender balance at all levels in the Commission and ensure clear and transparent career progression opportunities.

Why? The Commission’s gender pay gap is largely due to how men and women are represented in role level categories. Addressing this, and making pathways for progression transparent, will help reduce gender imbalances. However, this will take time.
Ngā Tutukitanga
Achievements 2020/21

To progress this in 2020/21 we:

  • Embedded ‘Whakatipu’ (career pathways) framework as a tool to engage in career development discussions and identify support requirements
  • Identified career development options for business support roles
  • Adopted best practice guidance on career breaks and progression from the Gender Pay Taskforce
  • Embedded enhanced and regular reporting at the business group level to Leadership Team members.
Ngā Mahi hei Mahi
Actions 2021/22

To embed this in 2021/22 we will:

  • Continue to support career development through ‘Whakatipu’ (including promotion criteria for technical-based roles) and the appointment of a learning and development broker
  • Review and further enhance progression and promotion practices based on continuous learning and improvement, and best practice guidance
  • Explore options to increase gender representation at all levels
  • Promote the New Professionals network to support early-in-career development and ensure effective buddying, mentoring and induction processes are in place.