Paul Mackay

Published: April 27, 2021

Issue for Business: The Equal Pay Amendment Act was passed on November 6, 2020. Prior to its passage a range of claims had been made in the state sector, these have been dealt with using the set of principles developed by the Pay Equity Joint Working Group chaired by Dame Patsy Reddy, and since enshrined in the law. Since the Act was passed a further claim has been made for Early Childhood workers. This is the first real challenge for the Act given the large number of employers working in a sector characterised by a lack of coordination between the various employers’ groups.

Action: The government has set up a Data Repository to capture claims data as claims are settled, providing a research base for future claims.

Outcome: BusinessNZ is a member of the governance group of the Repository, to ensure that data relating to claims in the private sector are managed with appropriate recognition of privacy and commercial confidentiality.