WGEA Gender Equality Targets: What Commonwealth Public Sector Employers Need to Do Before 31 October 2026

Is your organisation ready to set its Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) gender equality targets before the 31 October 2026 deadline?

For Commonwealth public sector employers with 500 or more employees, gender equality obligations have moved beyond reporting workforce data. Amendments to the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (Cth) require Designated Relevant Employers (DREs) to select three gender equality targets and meet or demonstrate measurable progress against them over a rolling three-year target cycle.

The target selection window for the Commonwealth public sector runs from 1 September to 31 October 2026.

 

 

Who needs to set WGEA targets?

The requirement applies to Designated Relevant Employers (DREs) that directly employ 500 or more staff under a single Australian Business Number (ABN).

• Headcount Rules: Full-time, part-time, casual, and fixed-term employees are included when calculating the 500-employee threshold. Independent contractors are excluded.
• Baseline Year: For Commonwealth public sector employers selecting targets in 2026, the 2024 reporting period serves as the baseline reference.

 

What does an employer need to do?

Designated employers must select three targets from WGEA’s legislated Targets Menu (containing 19 options: 9 numeric targets and 10 action targets).

• Mandatory Numeric Target: At least one of the three selected targets must be numeric, nominating a specific percentage-point improvement over the baseline.
• Action Targets: Action targets require introducing a new policy, benefit, or framework (e.g., expanded employer-funded parental leave or pay transparency). Actions already fully in place during the baseline year cannot be selected.
• No Custom Targets: Custom targets created outside the prescribed menu are not permitted. The WGEA Employer Portal automatically filters available menu options based on your baseline data.

 

What happens after targets are selected?

Target selection initiates a three-year target cycle.

• Numeric Targets: Employers must meet the target or demonstrate positive progress (e.g., if a target is a 5% increase, an increase of 0.1% to 4.9% demonstrates partial improvement).
• Action Targets: The specified initiative must be fully implemented within the three-year window.

 

Non-Compliance Risks:

Employers that fail to select targets, or fail to meet/demonstrate improvement without a reasonable excuse accepted by WGEA, face:

1. Public Naming: Being publicly listed as non-compliant on the WGEA portal.
2. Procurement Ineligibility: Potential disqualification from Commonwealth Government procurement contracts above $80,000.

 

Action Plan Before 1 September 2026

1. Review Your Baseline Data: Audit existing WGEA reporting data (gender pay gap, workforce composition, governing body makeup, and parental leave utilization).
2. Identify Priority Areas: Match workforce gaps against the 19 menu options to select realistic, meaningful targets rather than default options.
3. Draft an Operational Roadmap: Develop multi-year strategies covering recruitment practices, remuneration reviews, flexible work policies, and harassment prevention.
4. Engage Senior Leadership: Ensure executive teams, HR, and board members understand the selected targets, as commitments will be published on WGEA’s Data Explorer.
5. Establish Tracking Cadence: Implement internal reporting mechanisms to monitor progress quarterly across the 3-year cycle.

 

NB Employment Law can assist organisations with reviewing workplace practices, employment policies, gender equality obligations and compliance strategies.

Need help preparing for your WGEA gender equality obligations? Talk to NB Employment Law about getting your organisation ready for the 2026 target-setting requirements.