Te Kāhui Kāhu can provide oversight and support of Pay Equity claims for The Ministry of Social Development, Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora (MSD)
Pay equity is about women and men receiving the same pay for doing jobs that are different but are of equal value. While two jobs may look different to each other, they may involve similar skills, responsibilities, conditions, experience and effort.
Workforces composed of more women than men can bring pay equity claims against their employers under the Equal Pay Act 1972. The aim of these claims is to establish undervaluation of their roles and achieve a pay correction going forward.
The process for dealing with pay equity claims will be a new area for most employers. Te Kāhui Kāhu can offer oversight and support to Social Service Providers who have received a pay equity claim. Oversight and support is to give confidence to the parties and funders in the robustness of the claim outcome.
It involves following a sequence of steps (the “framework”) that includes everything that is relevant in a logical order. An employer receiving oversight and support must report to us on its progress with the pay equity claim at set stages. In turn, we provide feedback on whether the employer's process was in line with the framework. If it was not in line, we give advice on how to meet the requirements. We also provide advice and guidance on process matters between stages.
An employer can request oversight and support from us but does not have to. Parties can determine their own process as long as it complies with the Equal Pay Act.
Oversight and support is available for Social Service Providers:
It is an employer’s responsibility to run and manage any pay equity claim process with its employees.
We provide feedback on the process itself, not the conclusions reached. We cannot influence or enforce the outcome of the pay equity process. We do not provide bargaining strategies to the employer. We do not take part in bargaining.
There is no guarantee of any increase to the Social Service Provider’s funding at the end of the process.
For guidance material on each step of the process, please see the following link:
If you'd like oversight and support or would like to know more, please contact us.
