Following the release of the Workplace Gender Equity Agency (WGEA) 2023–2024 gender pay gap data, Parlour has analysed the broader dataset to provide a more comprehensive picture of gender equity in the workplace – focusing on flexible work, employee support and policies addressing gender-based harassment across architecture and landscape architecture firms.
Parlour has published five articles summarising the data across key subject areas. These include: pay gaps and equal remuneration; gender equality at work; workforce composition; flexible work and employee support; and sex-based harassment and discrimination.
Parlour noted on their website that the reporting and presenting of data promotes transparency and highlights the role of data as a catalyst for action. “It benchmarks where Australia’s largest practices are and provides an excellent map of what else can be done – by practices of all sizes,” the website reads.
Below are snapshots from these articles and the key data they present:
This article presents median and average pay gap data for architecture and landscape architecture practices and organisations with more than 100 employees, along with the formal policies supporting equal remuneration between men and women. Among the reporting practices and organisations, 25 had a formal equal remuneration policy in place, while four – Cottee Parker, Grimshaw, HDR and Silver Thomas Hanley – did not.
Read the full Parlour article for detailed insights into the gender pay gap data, average total remuneration by pay quartile and equal remuneration policies.
This article shares data on the gender equity and equality policies and strategies being implemented across practices. Employees were asked to indicate whether their workplace had formal gender equity strategies or policies across nine areas, such as retention, succession planning, recruitment, performance management and so forth. Nine practices – including Bates Smart Architects, Cox Architecture, FJC Studio, Gray Puksand, Hassell, Hayball, the Buchan Group, Tract Consultants and Woods Bagot – met all nine criteria. Two of the 29 reporting practices and organisations – Silver Thomas Hanley and Clarke Hopkins Clarke – had no overall gender equity strategy or policy in place.
Read the full Parlour article for detailed insights on consultation with employees on issues concerning gender equality in the workplace.
Across the 29 reporting practices and organisations, the overall workforce is nearly evenly split, with 51 percent men and 49 percent women. However, Parlour notes in this article that a “significant factor contributing to the gender pay gap is the disproportionate representation of men in higher-ranking positions and, conversely, the over-representation of women in lower-paid roles.” The data shows that women make up 62 percent of the lower pay quartile and 56 percent of the lower-middle quartile. In the upper-middle quartile, men outnumber women at 54 percent to 46 percent, while in the upper quartile, men comprise 66 percent compared to 34 percent women.
Read the full Parlour article for detailed insights on gender workforce composition, including appointments, promotions and resignations by gender.
This article provides a comprehensive picture on the flexible work offerings, parental and carer leave, and family and domestic violence support offered by reporting practices and organisations. The data in this article reveals significant variation in the amount of leave offered to primary and secondary carers across reporting practices. The minimum weeks offered to primary and secondary carers varied among the reporting practices. Group GSA offers the longest period of primary carer leave at 20 weeks, followed by Tract Consultants with 18 weeks. Rothelowman and Designinc provide the shortest length of primary carer leave, both at six weeks. In the secondary carer category, HDR provided the longest leave at six weeks, followed by Architectus, Lyons and Populous at four weeks. The practice with the shortest length of secondary carer leave is Grimshaw, who provide a week.
Read the full Parlour article for detailed insights on types of flexible work and leave policies offered by reporting practices and organisations.
Reporting practices and organisations were requested to indicate whether their workplace had any sex-based harassment and discrimination policies or strategies across 14 areas, including monitoring of complaint outcomes, expectations of behaviour set out in recruitment contracts and so forth. All but one of the reporting practices and organisations – Hayball – had at least one formal policy or strategy in place relating to the prevention of sex-based harassment and discrimination. Four practices – Bates Smart Architects, Designinc Sydney, FJC Studio and Woods Bagot – met all 14 criteria.
Read the full Parlour article for detailed insights on the types of formal harassment policies and strategies implemented by reporting practices and organisations.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
