Visual
A green background unrolls itself across a white screen. White text appears: ‘What is Pay Equity?’ In the top right corner is a logo of three triangles above two parallel wavy lines over the words: ‘Ministry Of Education, Te Tāhuhu O Te Mātauranga’. The green background rolls itself up again, leaving the screen white. Two purple circles appear side by side, each containing a green cartoon figure. The circle on the right contains a male figure wearing a hat and a tool belt. They use a hammer on a wall. The female figure in the circle on the right has long hair and wears a skirt. They hold a book and stand in front of a board with ‘ABC’ written on it. One by one, symbols with text underneath them appear between the two circles: a dartboard with a dart in the bullseye above the word ‘Skills’; a checklist on a notepad above the word ‘Responsibilities’; a lightbulb beside a profile of a person’s head above the word ‘Experience’; and an image of a gauge with a needle pointing at an angle above the word ‘Effort’.
Audio
Pay equity recognises that on the surface two jobs may look very different. However, they actually require the same or similar skills, responsibilities, experience and effort of employees.
Visual
A green panel sweeps across the screen. Two new purple circles appear side by side. The one on the left shows a bearded male green figure driving a transport truck. The circle on the right shows a female green figure with curly hair working at a computer. Arrows appear around the circles. The arrow around the truck driver points up, and the arrow around the figure at the computer points down. The word ‘Value’ appears between the circles.
Audio
For some jobs, women’s wages have been lower than men’s because of perceptions and prejudices about the value of ‘women’s work’.
Visual
The arrows and the word ‘Value’ disappear. The two circles move closer together and a green figure eight winds its way around both circles. Equal piles of coins appear at the sides of both circles.
Audio
Comparing the work of female-dominated occupations with male-dominated occupations helps make sure that female workers receive pay that properly recognises the value of the work they do.
Visual
A green panel sweeps across the screen, leaving a white background. Purple text appears, reading ‘Pay Equity’, then an equals sign followed by the text ‘Pay Parity’. In a paler purple colour, a slash is drawn through the equals sign.
Audio
Pay equity sometimes gets confused with pay parity, but they aren’t the same thing.
Visual
The other text vanishes and the words ‘Pay Parity’ move to the top of the screen. Two purple circles appear side by side. A green male figure in the circle on the left wears a chef’s hat and apron. A chef’s hat and apron appears on the female green figure in the circle on the right. A smaller circle with a dollar sign inside it appears between the two larger circles and connects to them with thin purple lines.
Audio
Pay parity means the same pay for the same job, regardless of who your employer is or what sector you work in.
Visual
White text appears on a green background: ‘Process for assessing a Pay Equity Claim’. On a white background purple text reads: ‘Raising the claim’. A purple circle appears beside the text. A green hand holding a blank piece of paper appears inside the circle. The blank document slowly fills with thin lines and rectangles.
Audio
A claim can be raised by anybody working in the sector. However, usually a union will raise a claim on behalf of a workforce. For example, the administration support staff pay equity claim in schools.
Visual
A green circle with a tick inside it appears at the bottom of the document. The green hand and document are replaced inside the circle by a new document titled ‘Terms of Reference’. An animated green pen draws a looping signature at the bottom of the document.
Audio
Once the employer accepts that the pay equity claim is arguable, the parties then develop Terms of Reference and start the pay equity bargaining process.
Visual
A line extends from the bottom of the circle, and the screen appears to scroll down with it until it connects to a new empty circle beside purple text reading: ‘Investigating the claimant’s role’. An animated image appears inside the circle showing two green figures sitting at a table with steaming mugs and a pile of books. Dark green speech bubbles containing three dots appear and disappear next to the figures.
Audio
The Ministry and the union together select a random sample of the claimant workforce and talk to the employees and their supervisors to learn more about the work they are doing, including their skills, responsibilities, working conditions and the demands.
Visual
A line extends from the bottom of the circle, and the screen appears to scroll down with it until it connects to a new empty circle beside purple text reading: ‘Investigating comparator roles’. A male green figure with short hair and wearing a shirt and tie appears in the circle. They hold a briefcase in one hand and a pair of blank documents in the other. Under the purple text, three symbols appear over words: a dartboard over the word ‘Skills’; a bar graph over the word ‘Demands’; and a checklist on a notepad over the word ‘Responsibilities’.
Audio
A comparator is a person who is doing work that may be of a similar value but in a role that is mostly performed by men. We look at what skills, demands and responsibilities are needed for the comparator roles and look at their working conditions, including pay.
Visual
A line extends from the bottom of the circle, and the screen appears to scroll down with it until it connects to a new empty circle beside purple text reading: ‘Assessment of evidence’. An image of two documents appears in the circle, and an animated green magnifying glass passes over them.
Audio
The work and remuneration of both claimants and comparators is analysed and assessed. The purpose of this assessment is to find out whether the claimant is being paid less than the comparator because of their gender.
Visual
A line extends from the bottom of the circle, and the screen appears to scroll down with it until it connects to a new empty circle beside purple text reading: ‘Settlement’. An image of a document appears inside the circle. A red X inside a small red circle appears in the corner of the document.
Audio
If the assessment finds there is no gender-based discrimination, the claim is denied.
Visual
The red X is replaced by a green tick that radiates with a sunburst of lines. The image of the document is replaced with an image of two green shaking hands.
Audio
If it finds there is gender-based undervaluation, the parties will negotiate a settlement.
Visual
A purple circle appears in the centre of a white background. Inside the circle is a set of animated scales of justice that tip up and down as they try to balance.
Audio
There is a lot of work that goes into investigating a pay equity claim to make sure the outcome is fair.
Visual
White text on a green background reads: Contact [email protected]. Panels in different shades of green swoop past, leaving behind a black background.
Audio
If you have any questions about a pay equity claim, you can contact the Ministry of Education at [email protected].
