Part-Time Bosses and Co-CEOs Can Close Australia's Gender Pay Gap 2026

Australia's gender pay gap persists, with women earning $0.79 for every $1 a man makes on average. But new research suggests that part-time bosses and co-CEO arrangements could keep women in leadership and help narrow that gap. The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) and Curtin University released findings on Tuesday showing that while women are reaching senior positions, they are more likely to leave, widening the pay gap and contributing to under-representation in high-paying roles.

Why Women Leave Leadership Roles

The report analysed WGEA data covering 5.4 million employees and found that full-time women were promoted more often than men in 2024-25. However, men were slightly more likely to be promoted to management positions. More tellingly, women who reached management roles resigned at a rate of 13.8%, compared to 12% for men.

WGEA chief executive Christine Castley points to uneven caring responsibilities and a lack of flexible work options as key culprits. "There is very much an embedded idea that management roles can never be part-time, and probably what flows from that is most flexible arrangements don't apply to management roles," she said. This rigidity forces many women to choose between career progression and family duties.

The Case for Part-Time Management and Co-CEOs

Embracing part-time management and co-CEO models could be a game-changer. By allowing senior roles to be performed on a flexible basis, employers can retain experienced women who might otherwise exit the workforce. Co-CEO arrangements, where two leaders share the top job, also offer a way to distribute responsibilities and accommodate diverse needs. The background to this story is set out in CEO Pay Gap Widens: UK Bosses Earn 130 Times Average Worker. A related thread runs through Earning an MBA as a Working Mum: A Practical Guide. Earlier coverage in Maresca Calls Man City a Work in Progress After Narrow Win shows how the argument developed.

According to WGEA, resistance to gender equality is growing, making it even more critical for employers to proactively redesign management structures. Flexible management not only supports women but also broadens the talent pool and can lead to better decision-making. A closer look at the same subject appears in Lloyd's Ex-CEO Breached Compliance Rules Over Close Relationship. Anyone following the wider picture can start with Corrections: Shell CEO's 60% Pay Rise Was Actually Vesting. The same theme surfaces in Shell CEO Pay Correction: Executive Compensation Under Review, which takes a different angle.

Key Takeaways for Employers

• Women in management resign at higher rates than men (13.8% vs 12%), often due to inflexible work arrangements.
• Part-time and co-CEO roles can retain female talent and reduce turnover.
• Embedded biases about management being full-time only must be challenged.
• Flexible work options should be extended to senior roles to narrow the pay gap.

Comparing Promotion and Resignation Rates

These figures highlight a leaky pipeline: women are promoted but then leave, often because the system doesn't accommodate their needs. Context on how this played out before sits in GCSE Results 2025: Girls Lead but Gender Gap Narrows. A companion piece, GCSE Results 2025: Gender Gap Narrows, Grades Show Resilience, approaches the same subject from another angle.

FAQ

Employers must act now to implement flexible management if Australia is to close its gender pay gap.