The Government has accepted recommendations of a Joint Working Group to legislate how pay equity claims can be raised and resolved.
More than a year ago the Government set up a working group to address the pay gap between men and women. It delivered its recommendations to Cabinet earlier last year and the Government has agreed to all 21 recommendations.
This means that the Equal Pay Act and Employment Relations Act will be updated to make it easier for employees to file pay equity claims with their employers, rather than having to go through the courts. The updates will also assist employers to decide how to assess and resolve claims.
The Government has also decided to supplement the working group’s recommendations with additional clarification of how employees should choose an appropriate job for comparison when making their pay claim. This may mean that employees have to find a comparative job within their own business, industry and/or sector, to compare their work and the value of that work to.
We expect the Government to introduce a Bill to amend the Equal Pay Act and Employment Relations Act this year.