Equal pay matters for everyone in Victoria, regardless of sex, gender, race, age, abilities or care-giving status. Equal pay for work of equal or comparable value is a basic human right.

With about two in three Victorians employed by small and medium businesses, shifting the equal pay mindset of businesses can make a big difference to the day-to-day realities of many Victorians.

Research has shown that equitable workplaces are more productive, have less staff turnover, higher morale and are more profitable. Making progress towards pay equality is both good for employees and good for business.

The Pay Equality Toolkit has been developed from recommendations in the 2020 Equal pay matters report. It is designed to support Victorian businesses to help close the gender pay gap with practical tools that can meet a range of different needs.

Equal pay isn’t just about when someone has been hired. These tools address equal pay practices across all stages of the employment life cycle and will help businesses make it part of their everyday practices.

Who can use the toolkit?

All businesses, no matter their size, are required by Victorian and national law to treat employees and applicants equally and without discrimination. The Pay Equality Toolkit is designed for any business (including not-for-profit organisations) with between 2 and 50 employees to help them achieve an equitable workplace.

How will the toolkit help?

The Pay Equality Toolkit provides practical tools that can help businesses meet their legal obligations, improve employee satisfaction and make their business an ideal place to work.

It gives business owners, hiring managers and leaders advice and templates they can use to address any gender pay gaps within their business.

For example, the Pay Equality Compass can help assess the strengths and opportunities of a business, while other guides and templates assist with creating equal pay policies. There are also resources for handling pay complaints and conducting gender pay audits.

How do I use the toolkit?

The Pay Equality Toolkit offers 8 different tools for businesses to use.

There is no right way to move through the toolkit, and not all tools will be relevant to every business, so you can use the tools that suit your needs to help you take steps towards achieving equal pay in your business.

Start using the Pay Equality Toolkit

To get started using the Pay Equality Toolkit and for more information, visit the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission website.