General Publications
Department of Labour Annual Report 2006
Effectiveness in reducing inequalities report
Fair pay and no artificial barriers are central to achieving the best outcomes for New Zealand
Equal opportunities for all
Equal pay for equal work, regardless of race or gender, is a measure of a fair and equitable country that values all of its people.
Pay and Employment Equity
The Department established a Pay and Employment Equity Unit in July 2004 to implement the Government’s pay and employment equity five-year plan of action and to support organisations to achieve equity. Phase one of the plan addresses pay and employment equity in the public service, public health sector and public education. The tripartite Pay and Employment Equity Steering Group comprises an independent chair and representation from public sector employers and unions.
Two pay and employment equity pilots, at the National Library and Auckland University of Technology, have been completed and reviews are currently under way in seven public service agencies. Several other agencies are actively preparing to conduct reviews. District health boards and the compulsory education sector are also in the earlier stages of preparing for reviews.
In 2004 the Cabinet agreed that the Department should develop a gender-neutral job evaluation tool and processes for applying the tool. The Cabinet also agreed to the development of guidelines for pay investigations. The development of a voluntary New Zealand standard for gender-inclusive job evaluation is ongoing. The standard will assist in identifying and addressing gender bias in job evaluation schemes.
A $1 million contestable fund administered by the Department supports capacity and systems for pay and employment equity processes. Two rounds of funding have been approved. Applications for the third round of funding, which closed in April 2006, have been considered and prioritised so that the Secretary of Labour can make recommendations to the Minister.
A communications strategy for the pay and employment equity five-year plan of action is being developed. It aims to reach and engage with a wide range of audiences. Research has been commissioned on ways to identify skills in service occupations.
Paid Parental Leave
Paid parental leave for employees has been available since 2002 and has now been extended to self-employed people.
To be eligible for paid parental leave, self-employed mothers or adoptive parents will need to have been working an average of 10 hours a week or more for either six or 12 months before the expected date of birth of their child or the date they started caring for a child they intend to adopt. Like employees, self-employed parents will be able to transfer part or all of their paid parental leave to their eligible partners. Their eligible partner may be either self-employed or an employee. Self-employed parents will have to stop working while receiving payments, but will be able to maintain a reasonable level of oversight of their business, which means they can complete occasional administrative tasks in their business.
Maori Labour Market Outcomes reporting
During 2005/06 the Department developed a six monthly update report that focuses on changes in the Maori labour market in the past six years and prospects for the next two years. Data for the report comes from Statistics New Zealand’s quarterly Household Labour Force Survey.
Building relationships with regional stakeholders
As part of the Department’s labour market knowledge work, our regional staff engage with regional organisations on labour market issues and lead teams in addressing specific regional labour market constraints and opportunities. This work includes considering and promoting the benefits of greater job market participation for disabled people.
Building relationships with Ngati Awa
An example of the Government helping to reduce Maori unemployment is the Department of Labour working with Ngati Awa communities in the Bay of Plenty. This work involves exploring scenarios for developing Ngati Awa’s human and capital resources, and helping to improve their understanding of relevant New Zealand labour market outcomes and economic trends. This work has the potential to be rolled out to other communities in the future.