Perth, March 5, 2026, 14:43 (AWST)
PLS Group Limited (PLS.AX) reported its median total remuneration gender pay gap in Australia widened to 15.2% for 2024–25, up from 11.1% previously. The lithium producer attributed the shift, which followed job cuts in corporate roles and the decision to put one processing plant into care and maintenance, to changes in workforce composition. The company said the average total remuneration gap came in at 14.1%, adding that most of the gap stemmed from mix, not disparities in pay for equivalent jobs.
On March 3, the company released its statement in conjunction with the Workplace Gender Equality Agency’s (WGEA) report covering April 2024 through March 2025. PLS pointed to ongoing efforts to boost the number of women in technical and site roles, and it’s focusing on developing routes into management.
The WGEA release lands on company radar because it places employer pay gaps in a public database—one that workers, job seekers, and investors all access. Government attention on pay and promotion practices just keeps growing. WGEA noted that both private and Commonwealth public sector employer gender pay gaps were published together for the first time on March 3.
The gender pay gap tracks how much less, on average or at the median, women earn compared to men, expressed as a percentage of men’s pay. That’s separate from the concept of “equal pay” for identical roles. WGEA factors in not just base salary but also superannuation, bonuses, overtime, and allowances when calculating total remuneration. wgea.gov.au
PLS Group, previously known as Pilbara Minerals, ranks among Australia’s largest listed lithium miners. The company runs the Pilgangoora hard-rock project in Western Australia, and is building out the Colina project in Brazil. PLS also partners with South Korea’s POSCO on battery-grade lithium hydroxide through a joint venture.
The new figures from WGEA span 10,500 employers, impacting almost 5.9 million Australian workers. Over half of those employers report an average gender pay gap above 11.2% favoring men. “The split in who holds the top-paid and bottom-paid roles should offer a reality check,” WGEA chief executive Mary Wooldridge said. wgea.gov.au
Discretionary pay—bonuses, overtime, and extras—remained a stubborn factor in pay gaps, WGEA’s analysis found. The agency’s 2024–25 report pegged the median gender pay gap for discretionary payments at 29.7%.
The next stage of the regime could dial up pressure on bigger employers, with targets and new commercial impacts yet to be finalized. Innes Willox, chief executive of the Australian Industry Group, argued businesses are “already delivering progress without the need for heavy handed mandates”, but cautioned that new rules could hit their eligibility to supply goods and services to government. australianindustrygroup.com.au
PLS last changed hands at A$4.81, edging up from its prior finish at A$4.74, Investing.com data showed.
