From reporting to real impact: What the 2026 WGEA changes mean for Australian workplaces

For many Australian organisations, the 2026 changes to the Workplace Gender Equality Act (WGEA) mark a shift in how they approach gender equality. Rather than focusing solely on reporting gender pay gaps, the challenge leaders see is how to respond in a way that is genuinely valuable for the organisation and its people.

The new framework represents a shift from disclosure to decision-making. Organisations are no longer being asked simply to report outcomes, but to make deliberate choices about focus areas, targets and how progress will be demonstrated publicly over time. These decisions shape internal accountability, external trust and whether gender equality becomes a compliance exercise or a driver to elevate inclusion to a strategic level, helping solve business and people challenges.

This article outlines how organisations can use the WGEA reporting as a foundation for making informed, strategic decisions. It explores how the new framework can help align gender equality with business priorities, workforce composition, organisational culture and long-term capability.

Understanding and using targets strategically

A central feature of the changes is the requirement for organisations with 500 or more employees – known as Designated Relevant Employers – to select three Gender Equality Targets from a suite of 19, spanning six Gender Equality Indicators (GEIs). At least one target must be numeric, such as reducing the gender pay gap or increasing underrepresented gender in leadership roles.

While this structure presents an opportunity for organisations to be action-oriented with their gender equality work and to focus on measurable, visible and continuous improvements, it also adds decision making accountability: the changes do not prescribe which targets to choose, placing responsibility on organisations to determine what will deliver meaningful sustainable impact.

Transparency and accountability

Compliance and transparency are inherent in the new framework. Private sector employers must lodge their Gender Equality Report and nominate their targets between April and May 2026, while Commonwealth public sector employers will do so between September and October. This reporting marks the beginning of a three-year, ongoing improvement cycle for all employers.

Employer-level gender pay gaps and target progress will be publicly available through WGEAs Data Explorer platform, with the next major release scheduled for March 2026. Non compliance will carry consequences: organisations may be publicly named or become ineligible for government contracts, creating both reputation and commercial risk.

Connecting gender equality to organisational performance

While this level of scrutiny may feel confronting, it is also a strategic opportunity.

1. The reforms enable organisations to tightly align gender equality with broader talent, culture and business strategies.
2. At a time when employees, investors, and customers expect meaningful action on diversity and inclusion, these reforms set a new benchmark, encouraging transparency and accountability.
3. By choosing targets that reflect genuine business priorities, organisations can embed gender equity into everyday decision-making and strengthen long-term resilience.
4. Leadership conversations are shifting. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are increasingly being viewed through the lens of workforce sustainability, innovation, and organisational performance rather than solely fairness or compliance.
5. The reporting process is an opportunity to align measures and reporting to broader goals related to access to talent, improved ways of working, the development of new or better products and services, and can potentially ensure access to new customer segments and markets.

Balancing numeric and action-based targets

Within this context, the role of targets is important:

• Numeric targets can provide clarity and accountability, enabling organisations to track progress and maintain momentum. For example, setting a target to reduce the pay gap or increase female representation in senior roles gives leaders and employees clear direction and standards to track progress.
• Action‑based targets, such as improving flexible work arrangements, strengthening anti‑harassment protections, or expanding parental leave, address the structural and cultural conditions that underpin equity.

When used together, these two types of targets create an approach that is both ambitious and achievable, driving progress across the three-year reporting cycle.

Governance and communication

Strategically, gender equality is becoming a differentiator in the employee value proposition. Organisations that visibly commit to WGEA targets can strengthen recruitment and retention, particularly in competitive industries where talent is scarce and diversity is tied to innovation and customer trust. Gender equity progress can also feed directly into ESG reporting, demonstrating transparency, responsible governance, and long-term value creation.

Communication plays a critical role in this process. Organisations that communicate openly about their current state, aspirations, and action plans are more likely to build trust with internal and external stakeholders and maintain momentum towards their targets. Many organisations are adopting cross-functional governance models that bring together HR, DEI, legal, data analytics, and communication teams early in the process. This ensures informed decision-making, shared accountability and consistent messaging. The use of employee communication and employer statements reinforce commitments to gender equality and help to build understanding and engagement.

Managing capacity and driving sustainable change

Capacity to meet WGEA reporting obligations is a common challenge, especially for busy HR teams. In response, WTW’s modular, workshop-based approach helps organisations:

1. Assess existing gaps: Optimise existing information and knowledge in the organisation while minimising the burden of preparing reports.
2. Prioritise targets: The workshop approach can focus primarily on reporting but is most effective when it is set in the broader context of the business and people priorities of the organisation, such that the WGEA targets are driving action against those priorities.
3. Plan communication and stakeholder engagement: By dedicating time to communication and engagement, we ensure stakeholders across the organisation are engaged, active and understand how compliance reporting aligns to the organisation’s broader DEI objectives.

This end-to-end structure aligns to the goal of moving beyond compliance to meaningful and sustainable change.

From compliance to real impact: The path forward

The 2026 WGEA reforms present an opportunity for organisations to develop or restate their leadership commitment and actions on inclusion. Organisations that begin early, engage the right stakeholders, and integrate communication from the outset will meet compliance requirements and position themselves at the forefront of creating an equitable, high-performing workplace. Those seeing these reforms as a shift from reporting to responsibility, from compliance to real impact, can see significant improvements across people, culture, reputation and performance.

For organisations ready to take the next step, the challenge is no longer what is required, but how to make it count.

Authors

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Emma Longmore

Communication & Engagement Solution Community Leader

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Hamish Deery

Managing Director, Employee Experience

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