What next?


The Commission believes that to push on with equality in workplaces and to assist employers and employees, the following needs to happen. These recommendations represent the top areas for action that will advance equal employment opportunities in New Zealand.

For the Commission
Recommendation 1: Monitor and report on the new equality indicators to track progress in achieving equality at work in New Zealand.

Recommendation 2: Promote the Pay Equality Bill with Government, other political parties, trade unions, employers and the broader public, and prompt political and public discussion about realising the right to gender equality in pay.

Recommendation 3: Promote the new equality framework with New Zealand businesses and employers to reinforce the case for greater equality, diversity and equal treatment at work.

Recommendation 4: Advocate for the promotion and protection of equality at work with trade unions and community/stakeholder groups.

Recommendation 5: Continue efforts to eliminate discrimination and barriers to employment for disadvantaged groups through increased monitoring, further development of guidelines and tools, and advocacy to prevent complaints.

For the Government
Recommendation 6: Develop a national youth-to-work strategy that includes a plan for every young New Zealander that has cross-party support and sufficient long-term funding security. The strategy must be responsive to the needs of Māori, Pacific and disabled youth.

Recommendation 7: Renew efforts to ensure that public sector departments exhibit exemplary EEO practice and are properly monitored. Urgently review the role the State Services Commission plays in providing ‘good employer’ advice to Chief Executives and monitoring EEO in the public sector.

Recommendation 8: Amend the Employment Relations Act 2000 to include a positive duty to be a ‘good employer’ to the private sector, in addition to the statutory obligation in the public sector.

Recommendation 9: Ratify the outstanding two core ILO standards 87 – Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise and 138 – Minimum Age; and support the development of new ILO standards including for domestic workers.

Recommendation 10: Improve labour market information at the regional and sub-regional level and the provision of labour market information for disabled people.