Podcasts about pay equity

Rebecca Davis joins John Maytham each week to reflect on just how strange the news can be. From the most important to the very strange, John and Rebecca offer their view of what is happening in our world that makes it at times infuriating, at times inspirational but always fascinating. Presenter John Maytham is an actor and author-turned-talk radio veteran and seasoned journalist. His show serves a round-up of local and international news coupled with the latest in business, sport, traffic and weather. The host’s eclectic interests mean the program often surprises the audience with intriguing book reviews and inspiring interviews profiling artists. A daily highlight is Rapid Fire, just after 5:30pm. CapeTalk fans call in, to stump the presenter with their general knowledge questions. Another firm favourite is the humorous Thursday crossing with award-winning journalist Rebecca Davis, called “Plan B”. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Afternoon Drive with John Maytham Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 15:00 and 18:00 (SA Time) to Afternoon Drive with John Maytham broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/BSFy4Cn or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/n8nWt4x Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Green Party is criticising government ministers for not getting advice on what the pay equity changes would mean for specific claims in their portfolios. Giles Dexter reports.

We've had a case of conflicting polls over the last twenty-four hours, with two completely different Governments predicted. But if there's one thing you can take from these polls, which they both agree on, it's that the pay equity revamp hasn't turned into the circuit breaker that the left clearly thought it was going to be. The polls are almost identical in the proportion of people who oppose the revamp. The One News poll had 45 percent, the RNZ poll had 43 percent. That is not big. It is absolutely a plurality - in both polls, more people oppose it than support it. I've seen polls where 70 percent, 80 percent of people oppose something. Someone pointed out to me the polls that were done after Hekia Parata used Budget 2012 to announce class sizes would change - about 80 percent hated it. So 45 percent is nothing. It certainly isn't the circuit breaker and make-people-hate-the-Government moment that Labour and the Greens and the unions were hoping it would be. Why? I don't know. I thought it was a slam dunk for the opposition to run home but maybe people didn't understand it enough to care. Maybe the Government managed to claw back the narrative when it started properly explaining what it was doing, maybe Labour completely ballsed it up, maybe Andrea Vance distracted everyone by calling female ministers the c-bomb. Or maybe people are just ideologically entrenched and not wanting to oppose anything the Government does because they voted for the Government - and so on. I don't know. But what is clear is that it's not the moment it could've been - or was expected to be. And the Government has not been damaged by this as badly as it could've been. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

RNZ asked voters in its latest Reid Research poll: do you support the government's recent changes to the pay equity regime? Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch has more.

The government may be keen to move on from the pay equity overhaul and the uproar it caused - But a cross-party group of former MPs is not letting it go quietly. Dame Marilyn Waring is leading the group which will hold its own unofficial 'people's select committee' process. The former National MP said women have become collateral damage in pursuit of balancing the budget. Political reporter Russell Palmer has the details.

Dame Marilyn Waring says a high-powered committee of 10 former MPs has the know-how to lead debate on the Government's revamped pay equity system. Waring's established the 'people's select committee' to do the job she says Parliament failed to carry out by passing impactful pay equity law changes under urgency. That includes receiving submissions, and interviewing oral presenters. She says it'll be in the interests of both the Government and the opposition to have the proper evidence going forward. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has been accused of taking money out of women's pockets - to make its Budget work. The Prime Minister has previously disputed this suggestion, saying changes to pay equity is about having legislation that is workable and not complex. Paula O'Kane is an Associate Professor in the Department of Management at the University of Otago and speaks to Mihi.

Opposition leader Chris Hipkins wouldn't confirm his party's commitment of returning the $13 billion taken from pay equity schemes by the National Party. Half of the new spending in the budget came from these cuts. His colleague Barbara Edmonds, however, says Labour's committed to finding the money. Political Editor Jason Walls talks to Heather du Plessis-Allan about the confusion. LISTEN ABOVE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In its budget the coalition's clawed back money from three main areas - Pay equity, Kiwisaver and Best Start payments. The bulk of the 5.3 billion dollars saved - in fact about half of it - has come from the pay equity overhaul. 2.7 billion dollars a year, re-distributed to other priorities. Deputy Political reporter Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.

It's likely, and indeed forecasted, that if this Government is re-elected next year it will end its second term in 2029 having never run a surplus. Now, that either means they spent too much, or they inherited a gargantuan mess. The latter we know to be a fact. But the former is a bit debatable. Depending on how you measure things, the forecast surplus in 2029 is so thin it might be less than nothing, and that's the optimistic way of measuring things, which the Government now favours. I wonder why? The traditional way of measuring things still has a $3 billion hole by 2029. The pay equity money turns out to be about $2.5 billion a year, which shows you how hopelessly loose pay equity became. Primary teaching is not a pay equity issue, the same way nursing isn't. It's a union pay grab. The opposition will still try and convince you otherwise, but they're wrong. What we do know is the Government found $5 billion a year from savings and equity, which is a lot of money, but money that still allegedly needs spending, hence the ongoing deficits. The dept-to-GDP keeps going up. It's too high. But under my way of doing things, the little there was handed out, or redistributed, yesterday wouldn't have even been there. But I suspect the politics of an approach that austere was too much to stomach. But here is their issue; a conservative Government can only run things in the red for so long before the public quite rightly asks whether they actually know what they're doing. Getting rid of KiwiSaver freebies for the so-called wealthy is a good move. Getting rid of Best Start freebies for wealthy families is also a good move. Means testing wealthy families on jobless teenagers is common sense. It's already done on student allowance. Depreciation for business assets is a good move. It encourages people to spend and take a punt - more of that please. In the end it was a simple document because the Government has limited room to move and Governments should not be the home of all good ideas, bum wiping and problem solving. They should set the mood and clear the run way. It's a classic centre-right Budget written in tough times. What they need politically is people to understand just how tough it is and to give them leeway and some patience to ride this out. As for those who dug us this hole in the first place - the less we hear from them the better.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Tuesday Wire... For Dear Science, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman chats with us about personalised gene therapy treatment, using molecules to crack passcodes, and Olympic pool bombing.  In our weekly catchup with the National Party's Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about Pay Equity in light of the government's recent changes.  They also spoke to Professor Terryann Clark from the University of Auckland about social media use among young people.  Producer Faith spoke to the Dr Chanelle Duley, an economics lecturer at the university of Auckland, about how financial technology can be used for good, and what we need to be cautious of. She also spoke to Professor Frederique Vanholsbeeck from the university's physics department about deep tech, and how NZ can better utilise it. 

Just under two weeks ago the government passed the pay equity amendment bill under urgency. This bill would change existing pay equity legislation to make it more restrictive, which the government says will save billions of dollars.  The process was originally introduced to address issues of pay inequity between sectors. While the Equal Pay Act mandates that people working the same job are paid the same regardless of gender, Pay Equity is meant to ensure industries dominated by women are not paid less than similar industries dominated by men. The process has worked by allowing applicants to compare their positions with positions in other sectors with similar workloads, skills, or experience.  The government's changes will limit the criteria for comparators, allow only industries with over 70% women in the workforce as opposed to the previous 60%, and removing the ability for the authority to award back pay, among other changes.  These changes have been met with criticism from rights organisations, advocacy groups, and opposition parties. In our weekly catchup with National's Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about the government's reasoning behind the Pay Equity Amendment Bill. 

Coverage of the outcry sparked by the sudden change to legislation for pay equity claims - and how one rude word in one newspaper column derailed the debate. Also - AI at the BBC: how the world's biggest broadcaster is using AI in news and programmes. Read more about this episode of Mediawatch on the RNZ websiteThe sudden change to legislation for pay equity claims sparked a huge political outcry pumped up when one columnist used one very rude word in one newspaper column. How did the media sift the facts from all the political friction?Also: this week the BBC's top boss said social media platforms and disinformation endanger democracy – but the world's biggest broadcaster could help reverse this.Cutting-edge AI technology will be blended with BBC journalism for “a healthy core of fact-based news” that could benefit the world.The BBC boss tasked with looking into the future of technology tell us how the BBC already puts AI into news and documentaries in ways you might not expect.In this episode:01:10 – Hayden Donnell on coverage of pay equity legislation sidetracked by the party political spin.12:17 – Colin Peacock on the so-called c-bomb in the Sunday Star Times also derailing the debate. 20:00 – Laura Ellis tells us how the BBC is deploying AI for news and programmes.Learn more:Mediawatch: Political rows and newspaper column blur focus on pay equity | RNZ NewsMediawatch: AI and the BBC | RNZ NewsGuests:Laura Ellis - BBC head of technology forecastingIf you have any thoughts for us - or ideas for us to follow up - get in touch. E-mail mediawatch@rnz.co.nz. You'll also find us @MediawatchNZ on X.Follow Mediawatch and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.Find more RNZ Podcasts at the new section of the RNZ website at rnz.co.nz/podcastsGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Labour's leader says he would reverse the Government's pay equity changes - but that doesn't mean going back to how things were before. Laws passed under urgency last week halted 33 existing pay equity claims, and increased the threshold for future filings. Chris Hipkins says he can't be specific about which settings Labour would reinstate if returned to Government next year. He explained they don't want to do what National did - and again halt claims that might be 18 months down the track. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the Build A Vibrant Culture Podcast, where clarity, energy, and results collide! This week, Nicole Greer dives into the world of compensation with Jason Smith, Principal Compensation Consultant at Gallagher's Compensation and Rewards Consulting practice. With a career journey that started behind the bar at Applebee's and led to becoming a recognized expert in compensation strategy, Jason is here to pull back the curtain on the complex world of pay structures, transparency, and fairness.In this high-energy conversation, Jason shares how to balance internal equity with market competitiveness, the critical difference between pay equity and pay equality, and the evolving trends in compensation strategy post-pandemic. Whether you're an HR leader, business owner, or team leader, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you pay your team right.Highlights from this episode:[00:09:52] Pay Equity vs. Pay Equality Explained: Jason clearly defines the difference between pay equity (eliminating wage disparities) and pay equality (ensuring no discrimination). Understanding these concepts is critical for fair compensation practices.[00:19:08] Evolution of Compensation Strategy Post-Pandemic: Jason discusses how compensation strategies have evolved over the last five years, from remote work challenges to pay transparency becoming an industry standard.[00:27:41] Navigating Pay Transparency Laws: Jason provides practical advice for HR professionals preparing for pay transparency regulations, including the importance of maintaining accurate and up-to-date salary ranges.[01:03:31] Don't Try to Do It All Yourself: Jason's closing advice to HR professionals is powerful—don't be afraid to ask for help. Whether navigating compensation strategies, compliance, or pay transparency, experts can provide the support you need.Connect with Jason:Email: jason_smith@ajg.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/compenjason/Listen today at www.vibrantculture.com/podcast or your favorite podcast platform!Learn more about Nicole Greer, the Vibrant Coach: https://www.vibrantculture.com/

The government's lightning blitz on pay equity claims has left whole sectors devastated, and the public confused about what just happened The opposition, unions and media have all been accused of scaremongering on the pay equity legislation. But the issue's been clouded by the government's actions, which left no time for debate.…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

First, a small update on what I said yesterday on pay equity. My gut says it won't damage the Government. Don't get me wrong – if I was the opposition I would be prosecuting this as hard as I could, the way they are, because they have a genuine issue and ongoing issue, at least until the Budget, that they quite rightly believe is there for the taking in terms of points, headlines, and moral high ground. I don't think that ultimately is true. But I fully get they think it is. The tide turned yesterday though in Question Time. Not because Brooke van Velden dropped the c-word. Watching it live, it was quite the moment. Question Time has become dour, there is limited talent on display, and the Speaker is cantankerous and ruins the fun. But yesterday was alive with frisson. Brooke van Veldon's mic drop moment was pointing out that Jan Tinetti, the questioner, a former Woman's minister, a woman who railed against misogyny, was using misogyny by quoting a misogynistic article, authored by a woman to make her point. That led to applause and rightly so. It further exposed the Labour Party, and in fact most of the opposition benches, as frauds who are arguing the pay equity issue using bogus material and fake facts. The more this is debated the more hope you have that a wider grouping of us will tune in and get into the detail, because it is in the detail the truth lies. The equity laws, or rules, were a shambles and being milked by unions. But the tide turned because there seems genuine anger within the Government over what Andrea Vance was allowed to do. When I say allowed, I assume she is edited and therefore cleared. The odd thing for me is I struggle to get upset at being attacked. Being a public figure, you are open for this sort of stuff, and I have received more than most. It's water off a duck's back, especially from an angsty journalist. But van Veldon, Collins and, as Vance calls them, the "hype squad" seem genuinely outraged and it is that outrage that turned, or at least will turn, the dial. If they argue on fact, and the other side argue on emotion using lies, bogus material, and foul language, they will eventually lose. Hence the dent so many thought was coming for the Government will never arrive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Slam Dunc from S4 Episode 70: C-Bomb Catastrophe: Is this the Last Straw for Journalism? Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/N6n3HOWnKgY PLUS… New episodes 7pm weekdays! Website: https://www.rova.nz/home/podcasts/duncan-garner---editor-in-chiefInstagram: @DuncanGarnerpodcast TikTok: @DuncanGarnerpodcast

Both National and Labour are accusing the other of lying about the government's pay equity overhaul. The tit-for-tat surrounds the opposition's claim that the coalition is cutting women's pay - National says that's a lie. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch reports.

Labour says the government's move to quash thirty-three pay equity claims is rough economic justice for half the population. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Government's conceded it'll likely miss its November target for 500 new police. Under the National-NZ First coalition agreement, it aimed to reach the recruitment target within its first two years in office. Police bosses say they've been facing challenges, with more trainees failing training and more people leaving the force. Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking they're not going to get hung up on the target. He says they're going to deliver the 500, but standards matter, and they won't compromise. Labour's Ginny Andersen told Mike Hosking that the closer they can get to what they promised the better, but they're currently only sitting at 17 extra officers from when they started. She says getting to 500 by November is virtually impossible. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here is another example of the way the pay equity game is played by the media. If you choose not to call a minister the c-word, you run a headline like this - "Ministers set to take big pay rises right after wiping 33 pay equity claims". That's the headline in Newsroom. It is dishonest in its inference. It's emotive and it misrepresents what is happening. In that is the Government's battle to try and convince the casual observer there is merit in what they have done in changing the law. First, a minister's pay and an equity claim are two completely different things. Second, a minister's pay is not equity based because a woman minister gets what a male minister gets. Always has, always will. Making it slightly more complicated, is a minister's pay is not merit based. They all get the same no matter how hard they work, how many portfolios they have and how good they are, or aren't. Third, although the 33 equity claims were wiped, it doesn't mean they were stopped from going ahead under new rules. It doesn't mean they won't succeed under new rules. We have yet to see how that unfolds. Fourth, and part of the reason for the rule change, is a lot of the claims were not equity claims. They were bargaining, masquerading as equity from unions. Fifth, the fact a minister gets a pay rise is not of a minister's doing. It's an independent body, over which a minister has no control. Like an equity claim, the body looks at similar work to a minister's and makes a call based on those numbers. The irony is, who can you compare to a minister? You can't of course. A Prime Minister is also unique, so it's a muddle. It's a system that is okay, only because we can't think of another one. But at no point is it about equity. The emotion of the debate overtook the rationale of the debate the moment Brooke van Velden made the announcement and it's gone downhill ever since. Sixth, the headline uses the word "claim". In ministerial pay there is no claim, just an occasional decision, independently reached. So overall in terms of discourse around a detailed, if not complex, issue, apples and apples is what you might hope for, not immaturity and muddied waters. Which is what we've got. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Chris Luxon says Labour is spreading lies about Government pay equity changes. Legislation rushed through under urgency last week cancels ongoing claims of gender-inequity in pay - and raised the bar for applying. Opposition leader Chris Hipkins spoke on social media saying the Prime Minister's taking money out of women's pay packets. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls says Chris Hipkins has dug his heels in over his position - but it feels like a leap. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's talk about the elephant in the room: MONEY.

The Prime Minister has hit back at critics of the coalition's pay equity shake-up - saying some of the reaction has been out-of-line and unacceptable. A law change - pushed through under urgency last week - has raised the threshold for workers to prove they've been poorly paid due to their gender. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Finance Minister's keeping a cool head, despite being the subject of some colourful language in yesterday's papers. The Post's Andrea Vance wrote a column on Sunday levelling the c-word at Nicola Willis - as well as Judith Collins, Louise Upston, Nicola Grigg, Brooke van Velden and Erica Stanford in response to the Government's pay equity changes. Nicola Willis says she's used to criticism and insults as part of politics, but she's voiced concerns about the implications for other women. "I always think about other young women who want to go into politics, and I don't want them to think that it's okay to have their gender weaponised against them - and I don't want any young women to think there's a difference between girl maths and boy maths. It's called maths." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National has announced it is stepping up its commitment to pursue a ban on social media for under-16s. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon spoke to Corin Dann.

This Sunday edition of the House is a compilation of the week's reporting, including: coverage of the Government's surprise Equal Pay Amendment Bill, and the farewell of retiring Labour journeyman David Parker. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Hundreds of people from Dunedin to Auckland took to the streets this week to protest the government's new Pay Equity Amendment Bill. It was pushed through parliament this week under urgency. 

Angry women who rallied around the country on Friday say they're under attack from the government's sudden change to pay equity laws. The changes, rushed through parliament this week, make it harder for workers in woman- dominated professions to make a case for their pay to increase in line with equivalent jobs done by men. They've stopped 33 claims in their tracks - and many of those affected took to the streets. Rowan Quinn reports.

In Focus on Politics, RNZ Deputy Political Editor Craig McCulloch breaks down the government's shock shake-up of the pay equity regime - the changes, the fallout and what's next. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

One of the country's leading experts on pay equity has described the government changes in one word - appalling. 

The government on Wednesday rushed through controversial law changes that raised the threshold for proving work, that's mainly been done by women has been historically undervalued when compared to male dominated jobs, that require similar skills. It means that more than 30 claims that were part way through the process must start over. Jo-Chanelle Pouwhare spoke to Lisa Owen.

Nationwide protests are taking place on Friday in response to the government's controversial pay equity law change. Political reporter Lillian Hanly reports.

A kick in the guts and a blatant shameful attack on women. That's how critics have described changes to pay equity legislation that have been rammed through parliament. The changes put an immediate stop to more than 30 claims that are currently underway - they'll have to start over. It's also now harder to meet the threshold for an equity claim. An eligible industry has gone from needing 60 percent to 70 percent of women for at least ten years. The minister responsible for the changes, Brooke Van Velden spoke to Lisa Owen.

The government's radical overhaul of pay equity laws is having its final reading in Parliament, with opposition parties fuming that the controversial reforms are being rail-roaded through under urgency. Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden on Tuesday announced the government will raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued when making a pay equity claim. Nick James filed this report from Parliament.

This week, the New Zealand government has pushed through with urgency, the introduction of a Pay Equity Amendment Bill which makes changes to the Equal Pay Act 1972, making the criteria for pay equity claims stricter, and discontinuing thirty three existing claims, which were representing thousands of workers. While coalition party politicians say the amendment would benefit women and could save ‘billions', opposition parties and community commentators reject these notions and have expressed disappointment and frustration at the lack of opportunity for public engagement on the issue. Producer Sara spoke with University of Auckland teaching fellow Simon Schofield about the issue. She began the interview by asking why this bill is so problematic

The Government has rushed through changes to the Equal Pay Act that will make it harder for workers to make claims of unfair pay based on gender discrimination They claim it save billions. Hawkes Bay care worker Crissie Chaplin got in touch with the panel to tell us how pay equity changed her life...

Opposition parties and protestors have come out in force - quite literally on the steps of Parliament - within hours of the coalition announcing a law change that will make it harder to pursue a pay equity claim. The furore over the government's decision to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued as part of a claim, has forced ministers to go on the defensive. Nick James has been following developments from Parliament.

John Maytham is joined by economist Ihsaan Bassier from the University of Surrey to unpack the deeper forces driving South Africa’s persistent gender pay gap. Based on a major study co-authored with Leila Gautham, Bassier explains how nearly half the wage disparity between men and women isn’t about unequal pay for equal work — but about women being concentrated in lower-paying firms. Follow us on:CapeTalk on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CapeTalkCapeTalk on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@capetalkCapeTalk on Instagram: www.instagram.com/capetalkzaCapeTalk on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567CapeTalk on X: www.x.com/CapeTalkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister says changes to the pay equity law could save the government billions of dollars, but the motivation isn't to pay for the budget. Employers and Manufacturers Association head of advocacy, finance and strategy Alan McDonald spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Powerful education union NZEI Te Riu Roa has members involved in a pay equity claim which will now be scrapped, with no settlement reached. Auckland teacher aid and NZEI support staff negotiation leader Ally Kingi spoke to Corin Dann.

Kristine Bartlett was, to many, a hero. She was a very likeable woman. She was a caregiver who argued her work was undervalued and she deserved more. The Labour Party who love “feels” and are not exactly unfamiliar with the unions leapt all over it and the Equal Pay Act 2022 was born. The downside was how to compare this so-called "underpaid work" like in nursing homes, where women dominate and a comparable profession dominated by men. They decided at the time comparing mechanics to rest home workers made sense, even though it didn't, and doesn't. That's why Brooke van Velden has announced pay equity is going to be, quite rightly, tipped up and sorted out. Now, whether you can sort it out sensibly is your next issue. Under current law the job must be performed by at least 60% of the same sex. That will rise to 70%. On grounds that lead you to believe that the work is historically and currently undervalued you will need evidence, and they are looking at comparators. That's your apples and oranges, or rest home workers and mechanics. The trouble with the Bartlett issue was twofold. 1) Part of the argument was if you paid people more you would recruit more easily. Turns out that's wrong as after huge pay rises rest home gaps are still a disaster 2) The bill to reach this so-called equity was $2b. That's a lot of money then and a lot of money now. I wish van Velden well. But the simple truth is the moment you try to engineer something, you tend to strike trouble. Work is worth what work is worth, no matter who does it. Some work pays more than other work. It's based on demand, or skills, or sales and revenue, or scarcity, or demand, or a combination of them. Given no one makes anyone work in any given area, you strike extraordinary complexity in trying to gerrymander it. It also singles out just one element of work —money— as being the sole reason for work. Which it isn't. What we have doesn't work, hasn't solved anything and was done for poor reasons. So reform is good. But reform to what is a bigger trick than they may realise. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 7th of May, Brooke van Velden talks improving the pay equity process and why it isn't, apparently, all about the Budget. And we've got a National bill that wants to ban social media for under 16s. Possible or not? Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen talk pay equity and the feasibility of the social media ban – and can we get through a whole segment without Mark putting himself on mute? Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MPs across the political spectrum are fired up over the latest proposal to overhaul —under urgency— rules around pay equity. The proposed law, which would lift the threshold of pay equity claims of gender-discrimination, is expected to have its third reading this morning. Labour's Ginny Andersen told Mike Hosking the Government was boasting about savings. She says the women in these jobs need to know their wages have been undercut to pay for the Government's budget. Mark Mitchell says it's not that simple. He says taxpayers are the ones funding the pay equity system, and so they need to ensure it's sustainable. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says its new tough rules for pay equity claims will result in major taxpayer savings. The proposed law, which would lift the threshold of pay equity claims of gender-discrimination, is expected to have its third reading this morning. It's caused an uproar, with many women and union groups opposed to the idea. Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden told Mike Hosking she can't yet disclose the exact financial impact. However she says the Crown will save billions of dollars, if passed. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the demand for Career Tech education continues to grow in Ohio, Career Tech programs continue to struggle to attract and retain educators to serve students because of problems with the way most salary schedules are structured. Career Tech educators often have years or decades of prior experience in the private sector - and the expertise they can share with their students is invaluable as a result - but many do not have the advanced degrees that other educators who took a more traditional path to the classroom often do, so Career Tech educators' salaries often don't reflect the value they bring to our schools. The Greene County Career Center Education Association recently bargained a new kind of salary schedule and new contract language to change that, and now they're hoping other local associations will follow their lead.SEE THE GCCCEA COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT AND SALARY SCHEDULE | Greene County Career Center Education Association President Doug Picard is happy to show other local leaders what his association accomplished in its latest negotiations and share his insight about how it could be replicated for other educators across the state. You can reach Doug by email at douglaspicard@gmail.comLISTEN TO OUR PREVIOUS CONVERSATION | Regular Public Education Matters listeners may recognize Doug Picard from a previous episode this season. Doug reached out with the follow up discussed in this episode after an earlier conversation about the Growing Demand for Career Tech in Ohio. Click here to listen to that conversation in Season 5, Episode 17.  SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Public Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to listen on Spotify so you don't miss a thing. You can also find Public Education Matters on many other platforms, including YouTube. Click here for links for other platforms so you can listen anywhere. And don't forget you can listen to all of the previous episodes anytime on your favorite podcast platform, or by clicking here.SOCIAL SECURITY FAIRNESS | For too long, the federal Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provisions of the Social Security Act have unfairly hurt Career Tech educators, who often enter the education profession after private sector careers. At the end of 2024, Sen. Sherrod Brown's Social Security Fairness Act passed in Congress. Click here to read OEA's statement on the landmark legislation.Featured Public Education Matters guests: P.R. Frank, Greene County Career Center Education Association memberAn educator for 31 years, P.R. Frank came to CTE in 2007 after 15 years as a public school educator. He helped to start three successful Dayton schools, has led teacher professional development, and has taught in classrooms ranging from elementary to post-secondary education. Prior to joining a career technical school, P.R. enjoyed developing his own small business as a digital media creator in his spare time. He champions great curriculum design, excellent teaching, and giving students a step up in life pursuits.Doug Picard, Greene County Career Center Education Association President Doug Picard is in his sixth year as a manufacturing and engineering instructor at the Greene County Career Center (GCCC) in Xenia, Ohio. Before joining GCCC, he served 21 years in the U.S. Air Force, where he taught in classrooms, developed avionics test programs, and authored technical policies. At GCCC, his teaching emphasizes human-centered design and adaptive technologies to support underrepresented communities. Picard has also collaborated with the University of Dayton and Central State University as a research mentor for their Global STEM Research Experience for Teachers where he studied engineering in developing areas in Ecuador and India. Over the next three years, he will work with these universities, along with Wright State University, on a National Science Foundation-funded Research Experience for Teachers focused on electronics and semiconductors.Connect with OEA:Email educationmatters@ohea.org with your feedback or ideas for future Public Education Matters topicsLike OEA on FacebookFollow OEA on TwitterFollow OEA on InstagramGet the latest news and statements from OEA hereLearn more about where OEA stands on the issues Keep up to date on the legislation affecting Ohio public schools and educators with OEA's Legislative WatchAbout us:The Ohio Education Association represents nearly 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio's schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio's children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio's schools.Public Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May 2020, after a ten-year career as an Emmy Award winning television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband and two young children. The interview for this episode was recorded on April 14, 2025.

Why has the gender pay gap stalled, and what does it take for women to break into leadership? In this episode of Comp & Coffee, Ruth Thomas sits down with Payscale's Chief People Officer, Lexi Clarke, and Chief Customer Officer, Kate Peter, to explore the latest findings from the 2025 Gender Pay Gap Report. They discuss the challenges women face in leadership, the role of pay transparency, and what businesses can do to close the gap. Grab your coffee and join us for this important conversation!Key Highlights• Discussion of the persistent gender pay gap and the role of pay transparency in addressing this issue.• Insights from Lexi and Kate on navigating leadership roles as women and overcoming challenges in male-dominated industries.• Analysis of factors contributing to the stalling of pay gap improvements since 2022, with a focus on systemic issues and political influences.• Examination of the motherhood penalty and its impact on women's career trajectories.• The importance of having a "personal board of directors" and being authentic in leadership roles.Quotes• "I want to show her what strong looks like. I want to be messy in front of her and show her that you can lead authentically." – Kate Peter• "You can't unsee the data once you have it, and then you want to act on it." – Ruth Thomas• "Being authentic is my way of making sure I'm doing my best work." – Lexi ClarkeReferencesPayscale's 2025 Gender Pay Gap Report