Contents
- Part 1 Executive Summary
- Part 2 Performance reporting
- Part 3 Corporate governance and accountability
- Part 4 Appendices
- Part 5 Financial Management
Annual Report 2007–2008
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Annual Report 2007–2008
Annual Report 2007–2008 » Chapter 10: Our people
People in FaHCSIA are valued, recognised and rewarded. We build a strong performance culture focused on developing staff capacity, including leadership and capability development. We respect and encourage diversity in our working environment.
The FaHCSIA Leadership Program provides a suite of development opportunities designed to accommodate varying learning styles and capability needs based on the Department’s five key leadership capabilities, as outlined in FaHCSIA’s Strategic Framework 2008–10 in Chapter 9.
The program is delivered through:
In Canberra, FaHCSIA hosted the annual Australia Day Awards ceremony at Tuggeranong Office Park. The highlight was the awarding of five Australia Day Medallions to FaHCSIA staff, the highest award the Secretary can present.
Before an audience of friends and family who travelled from across Australia, over 50 staff were recognised for their dedication and contribution to the Department at a presentation hosted by the Secretary, Dr Jeff Harmer.
In his speech, Dr Harmer highlighted the extraordinary diversity of work undertaken by the winners, in areas including disability assistance, autism spectrum disorder assistance, social housing, welfare reform, and the Northern Territory Emergency Response.
He emphasised the key criteria for selecting the winners as respect for peers, a drive for results, professionalism, collaboration and innovation.
One of the Medallion winners, Anne Pulford of the Legal Drafting Team said, ‘I thought that the efforts of our manager in supporting this award indicated a high level of support for the branch and group, and appreciation of individual efforts. It’s great to be part of a branch and group with such an actively supportive executive. I consider that we are only doing our job, but found the nomination and ceremony improved my sense of FaHCSIA’s identity as a whole.’
Craig Wallace, from the Social Housing Supply Request for Information Team also received an Australia Day Medallion. He said, ‘It’s a very real honour for us all to have received recognition on Australia Day. This was very much a team effort, so I was pleased to see members of the team reunite at the ceremony and celebrate together. It is also important to recognise the contributions that families make to supporting staff that put in long hours on specific projects.’
FaHCSIA has an Integrated Capability Framework that identifies and addresses both organisational and individual needs for capability development. It consists of 16 core capabilities that FaHCSIA has identified as necessary for a high-performing organisation. The 16 core capabilities are underpinned by a set of behavioural descriptors that define the desired behaviour of individuals by job classification level.
During 2007–08, the Department implemented a new online performance management system to allow for an integrated process of identifying, assessing and reinforcing positive work performance.
The FaHCSIA Individual Performance Management System has established a direct link between high‑level strategic aims and objectives, and the work of individual employees. Performance indicators measure how we do our work, as well as achieve key deliverables.
The principles underpinning the system are:
In December 2007, Australian Public Sector (APS) agencies were advised of the Government’s changes to arrangements for Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) within the APS. To be able to continue to attract, retain and recognise high performing staff, FaHCSIA responded quickly to the changes and established suitable alternatives to AWAs. From January 2008, the Department ceased to negotiate or offer AWAs and commenced using alternative arrangements.
Senior Executive Service employees can negotiate conditions using Section 24(1) determinations under the Public Service Act 1999. Non‑SES employees can negotiate additional conditions above the FaHCSIA Certified Agreement (CA) by using the flexibility clause contained in the CA.
In June 2008, FaHCSIA staff participated in a survey to indicate their preference for a Union Collective Agreement or Employee Collective Agreement. The majority of staff expressed a preference for a Union Collective Agreement. Negotiations between FaHCSIA, the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) and Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) commenced in June 2008, with a view to finalising an agreement by November 2008 (when the current certified agreement will nominally expire). There will be a number of opportunities for staff to be involved and through FaHCSIA’s network of Workplace Consultative Forum representatives, staff will be able to express their views on the content of the Union Collective Agreement.
Further information relating to the current certified agreement and staff profile, including non salary features, can be found in Appendix 1 of this report.
E‑learning is an online training system offered across FaHCSIA that provides staff with a flexible and accessible mode of learning. The system gives easy access to critical corporate training, particularly for FaHCSIA’s remote and regional employees. Some of FaHCSIA’s e‑learning products include: induction, recruitment, ICT security, disability awareness, communications, occupational health and safety, protective security, APS Values and Code of Conduct and eliminating workplace discrimination and harassment.
FaHCSIA’s staff recognition programs are designed to recognise staff contributions and achievements, both informally and formally.
Informal recognition usually occurs through the interactions between managers and staff through individual performance management processes. It can also occur through the use of the Department’s Recognise and Appreciate People Scheme (RAPS) at group, branch or team level. This use of RAPS may include a commendation at a staff meeting, a workplace certificate of appreciation, or a team function to celebrate an achievement. This is a critical level of recognition and one that is promoted throughout FaHCSIA.
Significant contributions are recognised more formally through: external award schemes; whole‑of‑government awards, such as the Australia Day Awards; and departmental awards, such as the Secretary’s RAPS Awards.
Anyone can nominate a person or team for a Secretary’s RAPS Award. All nominations are considered by the RAPS Committee, who then make recommendations to the Secretary. In conferring RAPS Awards, the Secretary has used a range of options, such as certificates, letters of thanks, personal visits or an invitation to an informal gathering.
FaHCSIA is committed to workplace diversity as teams achieve the best outcomes and results when staff draw upon their different views and backgrounds.
FaHCSIA aims to be the employer of choice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and staff with disability. To this end, FaHCSIA has committed to maintaining an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Coordinator and a Disability Access Coordinator.
In its commitment to a whole‑of‑government approach to diversity, FaHCSIA coordinates the APS Diversity Network.
The network meets quarterly and aims to provide APS diversity staff with both a networking opportunity and a venue for sharing information and minimising duplication of effort across the Australian Public Service.
An achievement of the network over the last year has been the establishment of a working group to provide recommendations on a whole‑of‑government assistive technology approach. The working group produced a paper, Better Management for Users of Assistive Technology, which was considered by the network, the Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO—Department of Finance and Deregulation) and Comcare.
The network, with the assistance and support of AGIMO and Comcare, has agreed on a course of action to ensure a whole‑of‑government approach is established to meet the assistive technology needs of staff with disability.
2009 will be the final year of the FaHCSIA three‑year diversity plan, Valuing Diversity—Making it Real. In 2007–08, a review of the FaHCSIA Diversity Plan commenced and it is expected to be completed during 2008–09.
FaHCSIA will work towards establishing an improved Diversity Plan that supports a workplace that values and benefits from the diversity of its people. The new plan will continue to use a framework that defines organisational, manager and staff responsibilities for a range of specific actions, with timelines to promote and support workplace diversity.
FaHCSIA remains dedicated to its statement of commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and has implemented a number of strategies to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff. A program has been developed, providing mentors with culturally appropriate training to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.
A network has also been established to provide a forum for staff to discuss issues of concern, foster goodwill and provide support for each other in a culturally appropriate way. FaHCSIA contributes to a number of forums that share information about Indigenous employment issues across the APS. The Department continues to partner with the Australian Public Service Commission and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations on entry‑level programs, including the National Indigenous Cadetship Program, Indigenous Australian Contract Management Development Program and the Indigenous Graduate and Traineeship programs.
FaHCSIA has implemented seven of the eight recommendations made by the Management Advisory Committee (MAC) in its 2006 report Employment of People with Disability in the APS.
The eight recommendations are:
* This recommendation has not yet been met, however, it is being actively pursued through the Employers Network on Disability and other APS member agencies.
FaHCSIA has appointed Deputy Secretary, Geoff Leeper, to act as a senior level advocate for employees with disability.
The Department continues to pursue strategies for employing people with intellectual disability by utilising special employment measures, such as providing work experience to a number of people with intellectual disability.
In accordance with the MAC report recommendations and the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, FaHCSIA has a centralised fund that is utilised to provide staff with disability with reasonable adjustments to meet their needs in the workplace.
In line with FaHCSIA’s commitment to being an employer of choice for staff with disability, the Department has a Diversity and Disability Team to manage the assessment and acquisition of a variety of assistive technology. The assistive technology is acquired through FaHCSIA’s centralised funds and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relation’s JobAccess program.
During 2007–08, 22 staff were provided with equipment and support through the use of these centralised funds, while five obtained their equipment through JobAccess. The JobAccess equipment is generally owned by the staff member and so travels with them throughout their career. Feedback from staff has indicated an appreciation of these practical measures of support.
FaHCSIA continues to maintain the cross‑agency network to pool and share information about assistive technology software, hardware and service providers. FaHCSIA is regarded as a leader in the APS in relation to its policy and approach to reasonable adjustments, such as assistive technology. In 2008–09, FaHCSIA will be finalising its assistive technology policy and guidelines. The policy and guidelines will define the level of service that staff can expect and will provide a quality assurance in the delivery of such services.
FaHCSIA has continued to be called upon to address conferences and provide its views and advice on issues of reasonable adjustment.
The Department’s people strategies are informed by regular data collection and analysis. A human resources metrics report is developed by People Branch and provided to both the Executive Management Group and the People Committee on a quarterly basis. The report provides numerical and trend data, with analysis to support decision‑making.
The information is also used by the human resources advisory team in People Branch to provide support to operational areas in:
The Department’s voluntary separation rate for 2007–08 was 13.17 per cent, which is not a significant change from our 2006–07 position relative to the rest of the APS. This rate excludes all staff that separated from the Department due to the end of their contract or redundancy. The InfoHRM target benchmark for APS agencies in 2007 was 9.73 per cent and the median was 12.83 per cent.
In 2007–08, unscheduled leave was 11.21 days per full time equivalent (FTE) employee. This included an average of 8.61 days sick leave, 1.72 days carers’ leave and 0.88 days miscellaneous leave per FTE employee.
The InfoHRM target benchmark for APS agencies in 2007 was 8.86 days per FTE employee and the median was 11.35 days per FTE employee.
Figures 3.4 and 3.5 compare FaHCSIA’s levels of unscheduled absences per FTE employee for the period 2004–05 to 2007–08.
Figure 3.4 Unscheduled absences per employee (FTE)
Figure 3.5 Unscheduled absences per employee (FTE) by leave type
In 2007–08, FaHCSIA continued to deliver the ‘Managing Depression in the Workplace’ workshops across Australia. These workshops are designed to equip managers with the necessary skills to respond appropriately and confidently to issues of depression in the workplace.
‘Awareness to Action’ workshops also commenced across Australia in September 2007. Designed to educate staff on recognising signs and symptoms of depression, the workshops also aim to help equip staff with the necessary skills to intervene early and respond appropriately to help others to help themselves.
FaHCSIA is continuing to work with beyondblue to translate these face‑to‑face workshops into an online e‑learning course.
FaHCSIA is committed to supporting a culture free from bullying and harassment.
The Department has in place a network of Harassment Contact Officers (HCOs), located in the National Office, state offices and Indigenous Coordination Centres. HCOs are trained in providing support and information to staff and management on harassment issues. In addition, FaHCSIA HCOs are often the first point of contact for staff or managers requiring assistance with workplace harassment and/or bullying issues.
In 2007–08, FaHCSIA has recruited and trained 20 new HCOs and several existing HCOs have undertaken refresher training. Furthermore, in 2008 the Department launched a new e‑learning course on eliminating bullying and harassment in the workplace.
FaHCSIA acknowledges its employer responsibilities under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991 (the OHS Act) and is committed to the health and safety of its employees. The Department recognises the importance of positive interventions aimed at improving employee health and safety.
In December 2007, FaHCSIA implemented Health and Safety Management Arrangements (HSMA) that were developed in consultation with staff. The HSMA has led to several new OHS procedures being implemented throughout the Department, including:
Other initiatives that were undertaken during 2007–08 to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of FaHCSIA employees and contractors were:
During the 2007–08 reporting year, there have been 100 accident and injury reports arising from undertakings by the Department or authority and requiring the giving of notice under section 68 of the OHS Act. FaHCSIA reported 10 incidents to Comcare, but none resulted in a Comcare investigation.
Two Comcare investigations, of which FaHCSIA was the subject, were conducted during 2007–08, including details of all notices given to the employer under sections 20, 46 or 47 of the OHS Act.
In September 2007, Comcare issued an Improvement Notice to the Department under section 47 of the OHS Act. The Improvement Notice requires the Department to address issues relating to meeting its obligations under the OHS Act. The Department has a prescribed number of days under the Improvement Notice to undertake the work necessary to meet the requirements. To date, the Department has made substantial progress against the requirements and continues to work cooperatively with Comcare to ensure the Department’s compliance with its obligations under the OHS Act. The Department anticipates meeting the requirements within the prescribed timeframe.
In February 2008, Comcare began a preliminary investigation under section 41 of the OHS Act. The investigation was in response to a risk assessment and letter from a staff member about conditions in an Australian Government staff container accommodation being used for the Northern Territory Emergency Response. This investigation is ongoing.
In April 2008, the Department was alerted to the presence of formaldehyde in the Northern Territory Emergency Response staff container accommodation. In response to the information, the Department removed all affected staff from the accommodation and arranged for independent testing of the containers to establish the levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (including formaldehyde) present in the accommodation. The Department is currently developing a remediation strategy that will enable staff to return to work in the departmental accommodation affected by the fumes as soon as it is safe to do so.
FaHCSIA recorded 25 injuries during 2007–08 that led to workers’ compensation claims being made to Comcare. This shows a reduction of 11 claims from the 36 that were made in 2006–07.
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