Flexible work pilots begin in the public service

The next step of the Gender Pay Action Plan was launched today by Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter, with seven public service agencies committing to flexible work pilots.

Seven government agencies have signed up to pilot ‘flexible-work-by-default’ approaches in the first in a staged roll-out across the whole public service by the end of 2020.

“More flexible working arrangements will enable a more diverse and inclusive state services. We know organisations that encourage flexible work have a stronger ability to attract and retain staff and it leads to a greater diversity of staff,” says Julie Anne Genter.

“Instead of asking why a role should be made flexible, employers should be asking why not.

“Flexible-by-default work practices will help close the public service gender pay gap by removing barriers to flexible options at all levels, and the career penalty often associated with working flexibly.

“We want to normalise flexible work for both men and women. Increasing flexible work in the public sector is part of the Gender Pay Gap Action Plan that Minister for State Services Hon Chris Hipkins and I launched in July this year.

“The Action Plan is a major step forward in eliminating the imbalance in pay between men and women in the public service – a key commitment between the Labour and Green Parties.

Key components are addressing equal pay, encouraging agencies to offer flexible work by default, no gender pap gaps for starting salaries, and women making up 50 percent of the top three tiers of leadership.

“These agencies are making sure we have the foundations right to create sustainable flexible workplaces to help in building a diverse and inclusive public service,” says Julie Anne Genter.

NOTE: The seven government agencies signed up for a flexible work pilot are: Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Ministry for Women, Ministry for Primary Industries, Ministry for Social Development (two business units), Ministry for the Environment, New Zealand Customs Service, and New Zealand Police.