Insurance firm outperforms industry peers
Lenders mortgage insurer Helia Group has been recognised by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) for achieving gender pay equality for the second consecutive year.
The company has also maintained its status as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality for the 11th straight year.
“I am incredibly proud of this achievement,” said Pauline Blight-Johnston (pictured above), chief executive and managing director at Helia. “I am especially proud that Helia is again acknowledged for its leadership delivering equity and inclusion for our people.”
According to WGEA data, general insurance companies in Australia have an average gender pay gap of 24.8%, while Helia reported an average gap of -3.4% and a median gap of -2.5% in the 2023-24 period. These figures position the company as a leader in pay equity within its sector.
“We are focused on maintaining this position moving forward,” Blight-Johnston said. “Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have played a crucial role in this achievement, and it is through these initiatives that we foster an environment where everyone can thrive.”
The latest WGEA report highlights ongoing disparities in pay across Australia’s financial and insurance industries. The sector recorded a gender pay gap of 22.2% in average total remuneration, second only to the construction industry. Nationally, the gender pay gap stands at 21.8%.
The report, covering 5.3 million employees across 19 industries, found that while 56% of employers had reduced their gender pay gap over the past year, disparities remain widespread. Only 21% of companies with at least 100 employees have an average pay gap within WGEA’s target range of -5% to +5%.
“Just over the majority of employers are improving on their gender pay gap,” said WGEA chief executive Mary Wooldridge. “That’s really, I think, the challenge for employers to articulate: they’ve got a gap, what’s driving it and what are they doing about it?”
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