Gender Equality Target: A Massive Undertaking in Social Engineering

Commentary

The Australian government recently released a report containing incomplete and potentially misleading information to justify claims about a supposed gender pay gap. It now declares that companies without a plan to achieve gender pay equity will not receive contracts.

As previously discussed, the report is oversimplified and misleading, merely comparing the median earnings of employees of different genders without delving into the underlying reasons for discrepancies. Vital questions about job choices and work hours remain unexplored.

As part of Labor’s national strategy, Senator Gallagher has stated that big businesses must set and achieve goals to address gender inequity, including achieving gender pay parity and offering flexible work arrangements to be eligible for government contracts.

Companies failing to meet these targets will be publicly identified and denied contracts due to insufficient data. This approach can be seen as significant social engineering.

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The government may promote certain workforce demographics, but it should do so based on reliable and objective evidence.

A laudable objective is now becoming a political necessity under the Albanese government, refusing to acknowledge the diverse choices individuals and families make in balancing work and family life.

The paradoxical scenario now emerges where a company predominantly employing women, all paid equally to male counterparts as mandated by law, could still fall short of the agency’s pay equity criteria.

Consider the numerous aged and disability services in Australia, often led by female CEOs with a mix of male and female senior executives, but a predominantly female care workforce.

Despite many services offering above-award wages to attract workers amidst a competitive labor market, they may still not meet gender pay targets due to the agency’s flawed criteria.

Is the Labor government prepared to penalize these services based on an erroneous assessment of equity?

Most businesses prioritize hiring the best-suited individuals for the job, irrespective of gender, particularly in the current labor shortage where both male and female employees are in high demand.

Business owners are primarily concerned with competent, dedicated employees, regardless of their gender. The government should allocate its time and resources to more pressing matters than enforcing an ideological agenda on struggling businesses facing rising costs and taxes.

Views expressed in this article are solely the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of The Epoch Times.