New Gender Pay Gap Calculator Empowers NZ Businesses to Tackle Wage Inequality

Minister for Women Unveils Online Tool to Support Employers in Closing the Persistent 8.2% Pay Gap.

In a landmark initiative to combat wage inequality, New Zealand businesses now have access to a new Gender Pay Gap Calculator, a comprehensive online toolkit designed to help companies identify and address gender-based wage disparities. Unveiled today by Minister for Women Nicola Grigg, the tool aims to tackle the enduring gender pay gap, which has hovered at 8.2% since 2017.

Minister Grigg emphasized the tool’s potential to make a meaningful impact. "Women earn, on average, 8.2% less than men, and reducing this gap is a key priority of mine," she said. The Gender Pay Gap Calculator toolkit, now available on the Ministry for Women’s website, enables businesses to calculate their gender pay gap using a standardized methodology and offers actionable resources for bridging that gap.

The toolkit’s development involved collaboration with industry leaders, including Spark, ANZ, the New Zealand Law Society, and Tonkin + Taylor, ensuring the tool meets the needs of businesses large and small. It was also refined through feedback from companies across various sectors, including Transpower, Port of Auckland, and diversity advocates such as Champions for Change and Global Women.

Key features of the toolkit include:

A Pay Gap Calculator using a consistent methodology to provide a clear snapshot of wage disparities within each organization.

A Tailored Action Plan downloadable for each organization, helping guide employers on next steps based on their specific results.

Guidance Materials that offer ongoing support throughout the pay gap analysis process.

"Addressing pay gaps can significantly boost productivity, which benefits not only employees but the business community as a whole," Grigg noted. The toolkit is designed not only for transparency but to guide meaningful change, encouraging companies to look beyond the numbers to understand and address the root causes of wage inequities.

Champions for Change Co-Chair Roger Chair described the calculator as a “positive step forward,” while fellow Co-Chair Antonia Watson highlighted the importance of tracking and reporting pay gap metrics as part of an ongoing commitment to gender equity.

Minister Grigg encouraged all New Zealand businesses to use the tool, regardless of their current pay gap status. "This is not about judgment; it’s a powerful tool that helps organizations make a real difference. By closing gender pay gaps, we’re investing in our people and fostering a fairer, more inclusive economy."

The Ministry for Women plans to continue working with businesses to refine the toolkit over time, with future updates expected to address additional factors, such as ethnic pay disparities.

For more information and to access the Gender Pay Gap Calculator, visit the Ministry for Women’s website.