Otago Branch Update

The newly named ‘Otago’ branch held two excellent events this month. Firstly, we explored gender pay equity with two excellent speakers. Dr. Helen Roberts from the University of Otago set the scene with stats from both New Zealand and worldwide which demonstrated the reality of the gender pay gap. She highlighted that women make $0.79 for every dollar a man makes, and worrying the pay gap increases with age. 80% of the gender pay gap is attributed to behaviour, attitudes, assumptions and unconscious bias about women in work. Catherine Fitzsimmons from Strategic Pay then provided supporting evidence and practical ways in which organisations could explore and address their gender pay equity.
 
We also hosted a HR Café exploring social media in HRM. After a brief overview of the topic by Dr. Paula O’Kane from the University of Otago, a very lively debate ensued around the role of social media in recruitment, selection and in the workplace more generally. A particularly relevant question posed by one of the participants was: ‘what advice would you give to young people on the job market?’ As a group we had quite difference ideas, from keep everything private through to carefully managing your public profile to being ‘real’. The discussion could have continued much longer. Thank you to all those who participated. 
 
Upcoming Events:
On 31 July Anderson Lloyd will host their popular Employment Law Update covering changes to immigration changes, probation periods for small businesses, recent social media cases in the workplace and recent employment law changes including domestic leave and vulnerable employees.  We look forward to seeing you there.