Australia changes gender-equality reporting: public-sector employers move to April–March, large employers get a gap between target cycles

Australia changes gender-equality reporting: public-sector employers move to April–March, large employers get a gap between target cycles

28 September 2026 — Australia's Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) said on 28 September 2026 that the Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2026 has passed Parliament and makes two changes to workplace gender-equality reporting. HCAMag reported on 29 September that the bill amends a series of Acts, including the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012.

Change 1: one reporting period for everyone

Commonwealth public-sector employers with 100 or more employees move to the same reporting period as private-sector employers: 1 April to 31 March. This starts with 2027 reporting, which covers 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.

Change 2: a gap between target cycles

Employers with 500 or more employees, which must set gender-equality targets, get a 12-month window between target cycles. Employers that selected their first targets in 2026 will choose their next ones in 2030 reporting. WGEA is explicit: "It is not a pause. Employers should keep acting on gender equality during this time."

What comes next

WGEA will update its guidance for employers before reporting opens in April 2027. Until then, the existing guidance applies to the data employers are already collecting for the 2026–27 period, so the practical work — aligning payroll and HR data to the right dates — can start now.

Who is affected

Commonwealth public-sector employers with 100 or more staff; private employers with 500 or more staff planning their target cycle; and the payroll, HR information and workforce-analytics systems that produce WGEA data.

What to do

• Public-sector HR and payroll teams: re-point the data extracts for your 2027 report to the period 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
• Large employers: re-plan the target-setting calendar, and keep action plans running through the gap year.
• Ask your payroll and HR-software providers to confirm their WGEA reports follow the new period.
• Watch for WGEA's updated guidance before April 2027.

Sources

• Workplace Gender Equality Agency: Statement — Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2026 — 28 September 2026
• HCAMag Australia: Parliament passes bill updating gender equality reporting duties — 29 September 2026