| Issue 62 (WAIS 2) Contents
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Workshop 3A
Equality - Professional
Recognition
Margaret
Hartley
Session Chair
What do women face in terms of advancement and recognition in employment?
Sarah Ryan presented data from CSIRO’ staff survey and other sources on the various drivers of professional recognition. The survey data showed two main categories of drivers which may be seen as those “in the public view” and those intrinsic to the job. On the public elements she reported that:
• women were underrepresented in CSIRO in scientist, technical and management positions but well represented in support jobs.
• of the CSIRO medals awarded since 1987, 0 had gone to women as individuals or team leaders, cf. 49 to men
• of CSIRO staff in 2000/01, compared with their male peers, women were underrepresented in Australian and international awards and absent from Australian honours.
• of the 25 Federation Fellows awarded to date only 2 are women
• women are underrepresented as CSIRO spokespersons for media releases, on thegoverning bodies of professional societies (except plant science) and on boards.
Sarah presented data from the CSIRO staff opinion poll which found little or no significant difference between men and women in their perceptions of intrinsic aspects of recognition. She identified a women’s factor of optimism – women in CSIRO were 10% more optimistic than men about the future of CSIRO, that may be influencing their responses to the other questions.
Jan Tennent, from CSL Limited, talked about her own scientific progression from a student doing basic microbiology to a post-doc in Europe of her own choosing, to CSIRO, to a CRC and then to private industry. She had managed to maintain her career across the various sectors while having a family. Jan emphasised the importance of transferability of her skills and knowledge so that she was able to move from one sector to another and the importance of being able to take up opportunities as they arise, including things like involvement in professional societies. Jan placed a high value on her overseas post-doctoral experience, although she felt that local postdoctoral experience would have had the same impact.
Meg Smith, from UWS, presented data on gender pay equity in Australia. She noted that the two principal measures for assessing gender equity are:
• the difference in ordinary time earnings for full-time adult employees, currently 15.3%; and
• the difference in total earnings, for full adult employees, currently 18.2%.
The gap is ~12% for professional work and is lower in the public sector than in the private sector.
Women receive lower returns on the same level of experience and qualifications than men. This is influenced by how feminised work is valued and occupational segmentation/segregation. Pay rates for women are affected by their access to enterprise agreements, over-award payments, bonuses and performance pay. Other dynamics include casual and part-time employment, low levels of unionisation and work and family policies. Meg presented the history behind why cases for equal remuneration in tribunals have effectively been restricted to a workplace by workplace basis and are required to meet the test of discrimination.
Industrial tribunals in NSW and Queensland have recently held inquiries into pay equity and from this new principles have been developed to provide guidance on the issue. The NSW principle established that gender based undervaluation is the key test and discrimination is not required to be shown. Meg reported on the Librarians’ case that resulted in an average of 16% pay increase being awarded.
Straw Poll The workshop then undertook a straw poll on what participants thought were key drivers for professional recognition using the various categories of drivers identified by Sarah Ryan in her analysis of the CSIRO staff survey data. WAIS 2 participants were asked to identify five priority factors of professional recognition as they saw them and to further identify the three key factors for which they believed their own workplace needed to provide priority efforts in addressing. (See Table 1)
The top 5 drivers for professional recognition, as identified by women in the workshop were:
• Job satisfaction (including consultation and thanks)
• Development opportunities
• Promotion
• Pay and conditions (including tenure)
• External representation (e.g. boards)
The top areas where participants thought priority efforts are required now were:
• Promotion (fairness possibly a better driver than equality)
• Pay and conditions (including tenure)
• Consultation/influence
• Development opportunities and jobs
Discussion of the workshop outcomes at plenary identified the need to develop data sets on/consideration of:
• Public vs. private sector differences, if any;
• Organisational culture influences (e.g., what we do vs. the way we do it); and
• Factors that affect mobility (i.e.: recognition of women’s professional work and potential, not just qualifications), to aid in better targetting strategies to allow women to enjoy equality in professional recognition.
WORKSHOP 3A PANELLISTS
Dr Margaret Hartley
Margaret Hartley is a respected regulatory scientist and policy expert. She is the Director of the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS), the Commonwealth’s chemicals regulator for human health and environmental safety, and the Director of the Centre for Chemical Safety, leading the chemicals assessment and safety policy issues within the Department of Health. Margaret serves as an advisor to the World Health Organisation and is a Board member of the Australian Academy of Science’s Australian Foundation for Science.
Ms Meg Smith
Meg Smith is currently researching a PhD at the
University of Western Sydney. Following a ten-year period
with the National Research Centre of the
Amalgamated Metal Workers’ Union, Meg has undertaken
a number of research projects for government, unions
and the community sector on the labour market
position of women. These projects have examined the
impact on women of enterprise bargaining, training
reform and changes to industrial relations institutions
and practice. Utilising this research, she has appeared
before industrial tribunals as an expert witness in cases
concerning equal remuneration and casual employment.
Meg’s current research interests include the elusiveness of
gender pay equity and the increasingly pervasive nature
of precarious employment.
Dr Jan Tennent
Jan Tennent is responsible for Project Evaluation and International Development with the Animal Health division of CSL Limited. With a background in molecular microbiology and vaccine technology, Jan has undertaken research at Monash University and CSIRO Livestock Industries, including 11 years with the Animal Health division. She was Acting Director of the CRC for Vaccine Technology in 2000.
Dr Sarah Ryan
Sarah Ryan is Strategic Adviser to
the Chief of CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems.
Her polyglot career has spanned a degree and
PhD in agriculture from the University of Western
Australia; postdocs at the University of Illinois
and at CSIRO Plant Industry; human
resources policy and international relations
in CSIRO Corporate Centre; a Graduate Diploma in
Development Studies from Deakin University and a
long association with education through a
range of advisory roles at Canberra Institute of
Technology. Developing compelling written and visual
communication about sustainability issues is a
current passion; watching organisational
statistics on the status of women, an enduring
passion.
Drs Jan Tennent & Sarah Ryan