Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency

Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency

1.1 Strategic direction statement 173

1.2 Agency resource statement 175

1.3 Budget measures 177

2.1 Outcomes and performance information 178

3.1 Explanatory tables 184

3.2 Budgeted financial statements 185

Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency

Section 1: Agency overview and resources

1.1 Strategic direction statement

EOWA’s stated outcome is Equality of Opportunity in Employment for Women.

It is EOWA’s objective that every working woman in Australia should have the same opportunities as her male counterparts.

The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 (the EOWA Act) requires relevant employers to ensure equal treatment for women with a particular focus in the following areas:

• 
  recruitment and selection
  
• 
  promotion, transfer and termination
  
• 
  training and development
  
• 
  work organisation
  
• 
  conditions of service
  
• 
  arrangements for dealing with sex-based harassment
  
• 
  arrangements for dealing with pregnancy, potential pregnancy and breastfeeding.
  

The EOWA Act requires relevant employers to lodge a yearly report with the Agency on their Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace program. It also requires EOWA to provide customised feedback and assistance to employers. The Agency assists these organisations by providing:

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  education programs and information to assist employers to improve equal opportunity for women in the workplace through linking equal opportunity outcomes for women with their human resource management and business priorities
  
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  on-line information and educative tools to assist employers to develop workplace programs and to comply with all aspects of the EOWA Act
  
• 
  recognition of leading-practice employers to inspire action.
  

Partnerships with business will enable the agency to conduct leading edge research and profile best practice, to provide guidance and practical solutions to equity issues to business, government and the community. Following a review of the Act and Agency in partnership with businesses, unions, industry groups and researchers, the Government committed to retaining and improving the Act and Agency. In March 2011 a detailed reform package was announced, aimed at strengthening the Act and Agency’s focus on gender equality, highlighting pay equity and caring and unpaid responsibilities as key dimensions in achieving equal outcomes in the workplace.

The Agency will focus on implementing the Government’s reform package. Its commitment to education, partnership with reporting organisations and community engagement will continue, with an emphasis on assisting employers to make the transition to the new arrangements, due to be in place for the 2013 reporting year.

The Agency has received additional funding over four years to implement these changes as shown in the measures table.

1.2 Agency resource statement

Table 1.1 shows the total resources from all sources. The table summarises how resources will be applied by outcome and by administered and departmental classification.

Table 1.1: EOWA resource statement—Budget estimates for 2011–12 as at Budget May 2011

Table 1.1: EOWA resource statement—Budget estimates for 2011–12 as at Budget May 2011 (continued)

Third-party payments from and on behalf of other agencies

All figures are GST exclusive.

1.3 Budget measures

Budget measures relating to the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency are detailed in Budget Paper No. 2 and are summarised below.

Table 1.2: EOWA 2011–12 Budget measures

Section 2: Outcomes and program performance

2.1 Outcomes and performance information

Government outcomes are the intended results, impacts or consequences of actions by the Government on the Australian community. Commonwealth programs are the primary vehicle by which government agencies achieve the intended results of their outcome statements. Agencies are required to identify the programs that contribute to Government outcomes over the Budget and forward years.

Each outcome is described below together with its related programs, specifying the performance indicators and targets used to assess and monitor the performance of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency in achieving Government outcomes.

Outcome 1 Increased influence over Australian employers to achieve equality for women in the workplace through regulation and education on eliminating discrimination and promoting merit based opportunity.

Outcome 1 strategy

EOWA’s vision is to achieve equal opportunity for women in Australian workplaces. The Agency’s mission is to lead Australian employers to create workplaces where women’s contribution is equally valued, recognised and rewarded by:

• 
  providing education and leading edge solutions
  
• 
  building sustainable partnerships
  
• 
  engaging community debate to increase the rate of change.
  

EOWA will work closely with relevant employers to improve awareness, understanding and action on issues impacting women’s workforce participation, particularly post an economic downturn. EOWA will focus on report assessment, training, research and communicating the business benefits of equal opportunity initiatives, including paid maternity leave, reducing the gender pay gap, innovation in retention strategies, creating a harassment-free culture, advancing merit-based opportunities at work and improving the quality of part time work at all levels and access to other flexible working practices.

The Agency assists organisations by making accessible leading-edge research, information and solutions which assist employers to take action and to promote understanding, acceptance and public discussion of equal opportunity for women in the workplace.

Outcome 1 expense statement

Table 2.1 provides an overview of the total expenses for Outcome 1, by program.

Table 2.1: Budgeted expenses for Outcome 1

Contributions to Outcome 1

Program 1.1: Equality of Opportunity in Employment for Women

Program 1.1 objective Increased influence over Australian employers to achieve equality for women in the workplace through regulation and education on eliminating discrimination and promoting merit-based opportunity.

Program 1.1 expenses The increase in program expense is a result of the announcement of the Government’s reform package aimed at strengthening the EOWA Act and broaden the Agency’s focus on gender equality, highlighting pay equity and caring and unpaid responsibilities as key dimensions in achieving equal outcomes in the workplace.

Table 2.1.1: Budgeted expenses for Equality of Opportunity in Employment for Women

Program 1.1 deliverables • Increase in women in management • Increase in paid maternity leave

Equality of Opportunity in Employment for Women deliverables targets

Program 1.1 key performance indicators • Workshop attendees agree or strongly agree that workshops are informative and valuable • Increase in women in management • Increase in paid maternity leave

Equality of Opportunity in Employment for Women key performance indicators targets

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