Gender diversity
In 2020 we announced our new gender target of 40:40:20 (a minimum of 40% women; a minimum of 40% men; and 20% flexibility to be truly inclusive of all genders).
This ratio forms the basis for a range of gender metrics, including overall partnership, management committees and leadership roles (including client relationship partners and business services leaders), partner promotions, external partner candidates and senior business services hires.
We aim to be the employer of choice for women in legal services in Australia and we work hard to ensure that everyone has the same amount of opportunity to thrive in our business.
We have a strong pipeline of talented women and to ensure we create an even playing field and reach our 40:40:20 target we have developed programs such as our global Career Strategies program for senior women lawyers in addition to our annual gender pay equity audits. Through our unique online unconscious training program Active Inclusion we are constantly challenging how and where decisions are made in our firm.
We were again named an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).
“Our focus on gender equality and reaching our 40:40:20 target is an integral part of our business strategy. It is essential for the success of our firm, and it also increases our ability to innovate, to lead complex client matters and to be a destination of choice for diverse talent. Our inclusive culture celebrates difference, we acknowledge the power of diverse teams and we want our people to thrive at Norton Rose Fulbright regardless of their gender.
“I am proud of the work we do to eliminate gender pay gaps, to support equal pay, and to offer truly inclusive parental leave and family friendly policies. We have maintained our modern approach to flexible work, giving people choice about where and how work is performed when circumstances allow.
“Another important focus has been to shine a light on behaviour such as harassment, sexual harassment and bullying. Through our mandatory Respect at Work training, we ensure that our people understand that we have zero tolerance of behaviour of this kind. We also make clear what constitutes sexual harassment, harassment and bullying and how to be an active bystander. This training is an essential part of our gender equality strategy and plans and we have Respect at Work 2.0 in the making.”
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Alison Deitz, |
Gender pay gap (as of March 2024 - as reported by WGEA in March 2025)
Our firm wide reported median gender pay gap (GPG) for total remuneration is 11.2% (down from 12.8% in 2023) and our average GPG is 6.3% for total remuneration against an Australian average of 21.8%. The GPG is the difference in average earnings between all men and women irrespective of job role, seniority and location. The data used by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) to calculate the GPG is from 30 March 2024, our compliance reporting date to WGEA.
This year WGEA are also sharing information about the gender pay gaps as they relate to each entity under the Norton Rose Fulbright Australia umbrella. The NRFA Partnership reports a median GPG for total remuneration of 10.5% in favour of women against an industry median of 9.8% in favour of men and an average GPG of 3.9% also in favour of women against an industry average of 11.7% in favour of men. The Norton Rose Fulbright Services Trust reports a median GPG for total remuneration of 6.7% in favour of men against an industry median of 9.8% in favour of men and an average GPG for total remuneration of 9% also in favour of men against an industry average of 11.7% in favour of men.
It is important to note that while we support transparency and reporting on the GPG to interrogate the gender profile of any organisation, we also know it to be equally important to perform annual gender equity review analysis to assess the remuneration of men and women with comparable roles, known as equal pay for equal work.
How does gender pay gap reporting differ from equal pay?
Equal pay means men and women being paid the same for carrying out the same or similar work. This is a legal requirement and is very carefully monitored in the firm through our annual gender pay equity review process. The analysis considers factors such as performance, location and years of experience. We are confident in our processes and thorough analysis to ensure we are paying equitably when we cut these results by gender. We also monitor factors such as periods of absence including parental leave and those choosing to work part time to ensure no barriers exist for particular cohorts.