The public service leads on the gender pay gap — but lags on parental leave
Men in the public sector are less likely than their private sector peers to take leave to look after their newborns.
The public sector is more gender balanced than corporate Australia on almost every measure — except one: parental leave.
The gender pay gap across the federal public service — including both Australian Public Service (APS) and non-APS employees — is 6.4% in favour of men. Around 45% of public sector employers fall within the target range of a 5% gap.
By contrast, the private sector has a median gender pay gap of 8.9%, with fewer than one-third of employers meeting the target.
However, in the public service, men account for only 11% of primary carer parental leave taken — 21% at non-APS agencies and just 7% at APS agencies. This is despite men comprising 38% of the APS workforce and 59% of non-APS public sector employees.
