Women leaving management roles due to home demands

Australian women are entering high-paid roles at similar rates to men but are leaving management positions more often, according to Christine Castley, chief executive of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

Castley said domestic expectations remain a major barrier to retaining women in senior roles, particularly in industries dominated by men. Women are more likely to move into part-time work, while most management jobs require full-time hours.

“That means people who are predominantly in the part-time workforce generally tend not to stick with it because they have to make choices about priorities,” Castley said. “That choice is usually falling on women, particularly when it comes to family responsibilities.”

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That means people who are predominantly in the part-time workforce generally tend not to stick with it because they have to make choices about priorities. That choice is usually falling on women, particularly when it comes to family responsibilities.

She said paid parental leave for both parents and flexible working hours could improve retention. Laing O’Rourke introduced six months of fully paid parental leave for all parents in 2022. During the 2024-25 financial year, women represented 14% of the company’s highest-paid employees in its construction arm, compared with less than 10% across the industry. Women also made up 30% of its construction workforce, against an industry average of 21%.

“This is about how we make workplaces function for people to have better lives at home and work, and that means both men and women,” Castley said. The agency will mark its 40th anniversary with an event at Government House.

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This is about how we make workplaces function for people to have better lives at home and work, and that means both men and women.