Baker McKenzie is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive culture for all its employees, with equal opportunity for all to progress and have a meaningful career with our Firm. We are committed to improving gender equality outcomes in our Australian offices and equitable pay is a central element of both our global and our Australian Inclusion, Diversity & Equity strategies. This includes working towards eliminating gender pay gaps and continuing to increase transparency regarding pay outcomes, salary bands and market placement data.
Gender Pay Gap
Each year we report our Australian data to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), which calculates and reports on gender pay gaps across Australian professional and industry sectors.
A pay gap is the difference between the average or median pay of women and men across the whole organisation. It is not a measure of equal pay which looks at the salaries paid to different employees for the same (or comparable) roles.
Our 2023-24 Whole Australia Firm (Corporate group) gender pay gap was:
| All Australia Employees | Whole Australia Firm (Corporate group) |
|---|---|
| Average total remuneration | 12.4% |
| Median total remuneration | 15.4% |
| Average base salary | 12.6% |
| Median base salary | 14.7% |
Our gender pay gap data reflects that, like most law firms, we have a higher proportion of women in business support and administrative roles.
Initiatives to Close the Gap
1. Pay Equity Analysis
As part of our annual processes (performance, salary and bonuses), we conduct detailed pay equity analysis across all roles. Pay equity reporting is shared with the Australian Firm leadership and presented to all Australian staff.
2. Women in Leadership Roles
Baker McKenzie’s Australian offices have a commitment to supporting representation of women in our leadership positions, including equitable representation in our partnership. We continue to focus on ways we can support all our people to achieve their career goals.
3. Inclusive Programs and Initiatives
Baker McKenzie has a wide variety of programs and initiatives to support our gender equity strategy. Our Baker Women group, comprised of partners, associates and business professionals, is instrumental in driving these forward and identifying areas for continual improvement.
Some of the initiatives and programs which the Firm has implemented over recent years include:
- Implementing a 40/40/20 target for all partnership roles and key decision-making bodies, so that there are at least 40% women at senior levels.
- Providing 26 weeks paid parental leave with no distinction between primary and secondary carers, which can be taken by either women or men, any time within two years (instead of 12 months) in a block, or flexibly.
- Offering a comprehensive transition and support plan for parents (regardless of gender) as they move towards parental leave, keeping in contact while they are on leave and when coming back into the workforce.
- Having structured mentoring and development programs in place including for women at senior associate and partner level to support them as they build their careers and take on more senior roles in the Firm.