Employers We were heartened that the employers with whom we engaged during the Inquiry were open to further understanding the Pacific Pay Gap and taking action to address pay gaps. Many believed they paid their Pacific workers fairly. However, none routinely collected or had accurate ethnicity data on their workforce to know for certain. Some employers told us they had difficulty convincing their workers to provide this information. In some cases, there was lack of alignment between governance or senior leaders and management on commitment to, how to enable and how to monitor progress on pay equity. While committed to their own pay equity values, large companies said they had little control over what third-party labour hire firms paid Pacific staff. Employers identified twin drivers of the Pacific Pay Gap: the personal characteristics of Pacific workers as well as institutional barriers. Some felt that values cherished by Pacific workers such as loyalty may be holding them back from taking full advantage of opportunities. They noted the lack of diversity in applicants for senior roles and the impact of occupational segregation where Pacific workers are concentrated in particular occupations and at certain levels. Pacific-owned organisations noted the pressures of securing adequate funding to deliver the holistic services appropriate for Pacific communities. Competition for their talent on pay was especially difficult for subcontracting firms, especially beyond the tier 2 level. What ideas for change did people share during the Inquiry? Pacific workers shared with us what they wanted to see in their workplaces and their ideas for how to make that happen. They wanted fair remuneration, work/life balance, supportive managers who care, respect, honour and value Pacific peoples and safe and inclusive workplaces with strong health and safety practices. Their ideas for change included mentorship, pay transparency, raising the minimum wage to the living wage, pay scales, progression pathways and incentives for employees to take action on pay gaps. Employers and unions shared their ideas for change with us. Employers also thought there were both systemic and personal drivers for the Pacific Pay Gap. 12 They commented on the difference that some collective bargaining could make to reducing pay gaps and suggested Pacific workers could take collective action where possible. Most employers did not actively monitor ethnic pay gaps in their organisations and shared with us some of the issues they faced in trying to do so. Unions said that their campaigning work on pay equity needed to include an ethnic lens.

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