Auckland tradie tackles gender pay gap by giving female customers 12 per cent discount

Wednesday, 30 August 2017

An Auckland electrician is giving female customers 12 per cent off their bill in the name of pay equality.  

Brad Kul started charging female customers less than men a few months ago, in an act of solidarity to show them sexism and the gender pay gap is 'stupid'.

He posted a copy of a customer's invoice to Twitter on Monday in the hopes that other people would be inspired to take action.

'It's such a tiny and insignificant thing, but it might just encourage someone to do their own tiny and insignificant thing,' he said. 

**READ MORE:

* Report says women paid less even when as productive

* Gender pay gap 'a reality' for many in New Zealand

* Gender pay gap: New Zealand women share stories of bias at work**

The gender pay gap is an indicator of the difference between women's and men's earnings and compares the median hourly earnings of women and men in full- and part-time work.

Government figures show it is currently 12 per cent, down from 16.3 per cent in 1998.

Research from Motu Economic and Public Policy, released earlier this month, concluded sexism was to blame for the difference between women's and men's pay.

Kul chose to take the percentage off the price he charges female customers rather than charging male customers more, so he was effectively losing some money in his quest for equality. 

But it was not a loss, he said.

It wasn't a financial or business-minded decision: 'it's just me.

'[I'm] a self-employed, regular electrician who provides a good service for fair payment.'

Kul has been an electrician for more than two decades and has owned his own business for 14 years.  

He said he thought  giving female customers their 12 per cent discount was a 'tradesman-like' thing to do – service first and money second. 

'See a problem and do what you can to fix it.'