When Dave Hughes found out his long-time radio co-host and friend Kate Langbroek was getting paid a lot less than him, he was stunned.
“I had no idea what we get paid,” he told Langbroek during an on-air discussion in March this year. “Now I feel terrible.”
The experienced broadcaster was telling her co-host on Internation Women’s Day, that a year earlier – in 2016 – she had found out she was getting paid 40 per cent less than Hughes.
She immediately went to her bosses and asked for a pay rise. However, News.com.au reports, that in order for Langbroek to stay at pay parity in 2017, Hughes accepted a pay cut.
On air on Tuesday, the KIIS FM hosts (who are moving to the HIT Network next year) discussed Hughes' reaction to learning of the pay disparity, saying he was left "reeling".
"We’ve never discussed money over our journey together," he said.
Now, however, they're open about their salaries and together negotiated equal contracts with HIT Network for 2018.
Listen: Jessie, Mia and Holly talk about getting paid what you're worth on Mamamia Out Loud:
"When we go to our new job, we get pay parity," Langbroek said. "And we’re on parity now."
Hughes added, "And I couldn’t be happier, obviously. You deserve it."
The pair were discussing Lisa Wilkinson's decision to leave Channel Nine partly due to a pay disparity with her Today co-host Karl Stefanovic.
Langbroek said men can play a role in helping their female co-workers to achieve pay parity, with Hughes adding, "and sometimes that might mean men might get paid less than what they might have got to make sure that what’s fair is fair."
We couldn't agree more.
