Clayton Utz Chief Executive Partner Rob Cutler has joined 31 business leaders this week in calling for employers to take action to close the pay gap between men and women in their organisations.
Mr Cutler has signed on with other chief executives to be a Pay Equity Ambassador as part of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency's (WGEA) "Equal pay is in your hands" campaign to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of pay equity in workplaces.
The campaign follows WGEA research pointing to an 18.2 per cent gender pay gap in Australia, the highest level in 20 years. WGEA data also indicates that only 26.3 per cent of Australian employers have ever undertaken a gender pay gap analysis.
Mr Cutler said the firm's commitment to gender pay parity was part of its broader focus on gender equality.
"Gender equality should mean pay parity," he said. "We have consistently maintained gender pay parity across different career levels. Where we have identified gaps, we have taken action to address them.
"In the same way that diversity makes good business sense, achieving gender pay parity should simply be seen as part of being a leading employer. That's why we've also committed to a target of 35 per cent of women in our partnership by 2025. We're taking direct action on gender diversity so we can effect positive change within our organisation."