The expansion in university places had advantages over previous policies that “severely rationed access”, but "results were mixed", says a new report from the Productivity Commission. Read More
One of the more interesting ideas that emerged from the Australian Public Service Review this week was a move towards “common pay”, but as excitement buzzed the review chair realised something was amiss. Read More
For International Women’s Day, Senator Marise Payne spoke to a packed Great Hall at Parliament House this week on women in public sector leadership, drawing… Read More
When it comes to reversing male dominance in public sector leadership roles, governments are choosing to start outside their own departments. Tasmania is the latest to see quick wins on public sector boards. Read More
New gender equality targets ask federal entities to give at least a quarter of all briefs for senior barristers -- either by number or by monetary value -- to women. When junior barristers are needed, the goal is at least 30% of briefs. Read More
All mainstream politicians profess to support gender equality, but federal opposition deputy Tanya Plibersek argues the government has not delivered. Labor promises to push harder for equal representation in parliament and the public sector. Read More
They say fortune favours the bold, but only if you're a man, according to a new survey. Economics researcher Leonora Risse says efforts to reduce bias at the organisational level might be more successful than individual women trying to be more confident. Read More
To attract and retain more millennials in the public sector, it’s not enough to reform slow, complex hiring processes and replace “archaic” technology, according to the head of the Canadian Public Service Commission. Read More
The first Australian Public Service Diversity and Gender Equality Awards were presented this morning, highlighting four examples of how individual public servants, staff networks and the leaders of organisations can contribute to more inclusive workplaces. Read More
Australia ranks second among G20 countries for women in leadership in the public sector, but is still behind many of Europe's smaller states. Progress is occurring but could be faster, says Martin Parkinson. Read More
A new infrastructure agency to be funded in the upcoming federal budget represents a major shift in thinking, which will bring new capabilities typically seen in investment banking and strategic business advisory firms into the public sector. Read More
Can positive discrimination co-exist with the merit principle? A Tasmanian deputy secretary believes it can and says it's entirely legitimate for employers to assess job candidates on the basis of intrinsic qualities like gender. Read More
Learning about how unconscious bias can affect recruitment and promotion decisions was "both confronting and rewarding" for Greg Johannes, the head of the Tasmanian State Service. In an extremely rare occurence, all secretaries and deputy secretaries took the same course. Read More
Staff shouldn't need a good excuse like caring responsibilities to go part-time or make use of other kinds of flexible work arrangements, argue researchers Meraiah Foley and Sue Williamson. This stigmatises those who do use them. Read More
New research tracking the APS gender equality strategy confirms flexible work isn't as easy for mid-level managers to implement as it is for senior leaders to champion the idea, and finds pockets of old-school sexism alive and well. Read More
