What we found
- Most of them found out by accident.
- When we asked men the same question, 12% knew they were earning more than a female colleague in the same role.
- 44% of men had no idea either way.
- Research proves that women negotiate about as often as men.
Most of them found out by accident.
If the only way to discover a pay gap is to stumble onto it, imagine how many people never find out at all.
When we asked men the same question, 12% knew they were earning more than a female colleague in the same role. 44% had no idea either way.
The gap doesn't just happen because of a lack of policy. It survives because of silence, and because many just assume it doesn't happen to them.
Found out by accident, looking for something on his desk and found his payslip. 30k more than me for same job title and same role. I had been qualified longer than him and had more qualifications too.
"Just negotiate harder."
Most people assume that "women need to negotiate harder". This just blames the problem on confidence, and the onus is on each woman to fix.
Research proves that women negotiate about as often as men. They're just turned down more often and judged more harshly for asking the same thing.
So many excuses...
Women are treated as a flight risk before having children, penalised while on leave, and downgraded after returning.
You just have to imagine this happening to your sister, your partner or your closest friend. In many cases, becoming a father is treated as a reason to pay him more.
It's likely to be happening to you
Always research the market range, compare notes with people you trust and keep a record of your wins. If it's not happening to you, you're the most useful person in the room.
The gap relies on people not talking about pay, so let's keep talking about it.
Your company can no longer stop you from discussing your pay.
This is our biggest survey yet and the more people who contribute, the harder it gets for anyone to be underpaid without knowing it.
Source: The Aussie Corporate community poll, data as at September 2026. Spotted an error? Correct something.
