A leading advocate for pay equity says it's time for New Zealand to live up to its progressive reputation.
A leading figure in the fight for pay equity has called on employers to increase their efforts and live up to New Zealand’s progressive reputation.
“New Zealand prides itself on being the first country in the world to give women the vote and it prides itself on that socially progressive nationhood – but we need to do better,” says Monica Briggs, CEO of the YWCA Auckland.
“We can do better and people want to do better so it really feels like we’re at a tipping point where we can make things happen which would be so positive for so many women and so many generations,” she continues.
Briggs has headed up the organisation since 2012 and helped establish the YWCA Equal Pay Awards – an event she says was launched partly out of frustration.
“To be so vested in the progress and development in younger generations of women and then to know that they’re not entering a level playing field when they go into work prompted us to advocate strongly for equal pay,” she told HRM.
“We know from vast international research, surveys and information that when countries and economies invest in women and girls, it has a multiplier effect on productivity, efficiency and sustained economic growth,” she continues.
“We know that when you invest in women, it has a multiplier effect on their whanau and their communities – it’s such a sensible thing to do both socially and economically.”
The YWCA Equal Pay Awards are now among the most revered in the HR world and previous winners include ANZ, IAG, Westpac, Simpson Grierson, and SKYCITY.
“I have the privilege of seeing information that is submitted from organisations and I see incredible examples of companies really striving to do the right thing,” said Briggs.
For organisations that aren’t investing in equal pay, Briggs says the risk being rendered irrelevant.
“Millennials are researching employers in a different way to previous generations and value fit is now critical when they’re making employment choices,” she says. “If organisations want to attract the best talent, they need to start looking at these issues.”
