Review of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 – Submission
Sydney Airport
7 October 2009
Dear Minister,
I refer to your recent letter in September concerning the public consultation phase associated with the review of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999.
SACL is pleased to provide our submission as part of that consultation process.
Further, we note your reference to a survey of reporting organisations and look forward to participating in that as well.
If you have any questions concerning our submission, please contact Rod Gilmour, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Planning & HR (ph. 02 9667-6179) or rod.gimour@syd.com.au.
Yours sincerely,
Russell Balding AO
Chief Executive Officer
Submission by Sydney Airport Corporation Limited
This submission covers the following topics:
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Current status of women in Australian workplaces
- 3. Overview of the EOWW Act and EOWA
- 4. Relationship of the EOWW Act and EOWA to other legislation
- 5. Measuring the success of the EOWW Act and EOWA
1. Introduction
Efficient airports are an essential part of the transport networks for all successful modern economies. Sydney Airport is Australia's international gateway and connects to other global cities and to other parts of Australia.
As one of Australia's most important pieces of infrastructure, the $8 billion of economic activity Sydney Airport generates annually is equivalent to 6% of the NSW and 2% of the Australian economy. This substantial economic contribution translates into well-paid jobs for Airport employees. Sydney Airport provides or generates more than 75,000 jobs and about 131,000 jobs indirectly, making a total of around 206,000 jobs.
Sydney Airport is situated eight kilometres south of Sydney's Central Business District on a 907 hectare site owned by the Australian Government and leased to the Sydney Airport Corporation Limited (SACL) known as the airport-lessee company under the Airports Act 1996.
SACL is currently bound as an employer to the Airport Employees Award 1999 and will be subject to a new Award from 1 January 2010 as part of the current award modernisation process.
SACL directly employs 308 people as at 30 September 2009, of which 91 are women who are directly employed by the organisation (ie 29.5%).
In preparing this submission, SACL has been mindful of the "Questions for Consideration" posed in the Issues Paper released in relation to the Review of the Review of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 (the Act). We have used the headings provide in the Issues paper to frame our response.
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2. Current status of women in Australian workplaces
2.1 Barriers to equal employment opportunity
The proclamation and implementation of the Act has expectedly improved the relative employment prospects and terms and conditions relating to women within the Australian work-force. The focus brought about by both the reporting and regulatory requirements, in conjunction with community perception and scrutiny applied to the issue, has engendered an enhanced environment for both employment prospects and improved conditions.
The factors posed in the Questions for Consideration relating to greater opportunity and scope for shared responsibilities across both men and women in their respective parenting roles would seem to be at the core of any remaining obstacles to impeding women form making further progress towards equal employment opportunity. To that end, measures to augment the scope for men to increase their share of care/parenting activities would assist.
Such measures could include increased parental leave provisions (including 'parental career break' options), flexible work-arrangements and the provision of subsidised on-site child care facilities (where the father works). The implementation of any of the measures would need to consider the impact of the cost on business and any additional subsidisation or government support to offset these costs.
The current regulatory role played by government is considered sufficient.
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3. Overview of the EOWW Act and EOWA
3.1 Objects and coverage of the EOWW Act
3.1.1 Objects of the EOWW Act
The objects of the EOWW Act remain entirely relevant and appropriate to the workplace represented at SACL, and from our perspective the Act has been effective in meeting its objectives.
In terms of the Act's effectiveness in improving women's employment opportunities, the points raised in 2.1 above are relevant. Similarly the comments in the same section relating to the role of men as fathers and carers also apply and could well be acknowledged in the Act by way of any amendment.
3.1.2 Coverage of the EOWW Act
It is SACL's view that the current coverage of the Act is entirely appropriate and relevant without the need for further enhancement to the identification or disclosure of reporting organisations.
3.2 Workplace programs, reporting and compliance
3.2.1 Preparation of workplace programs
SCAL finds that the process for preparing, implementing and monitoring a workplace program as specified by the Act to be straight-forward and effective. The reporting mechanism as specified within the Act and exemplified by our Annual EOWW reports has seen such outcomes as:
- Compilation of our workplace profile data
- Analysing our activities during the reporting year to identify equal opportunity issues for women vis a vis the SACL EEO Policy.
- identification of relevant issues and consultation resulting in (for
example):
- Weekly meetings with Senior Managers to discuss organisational issues and how to address them
- Regular Occupational Health and Safety meetings with the OHS Committee to discuss current hazards and risks within the organisation. This meeting include both Senior Managers and employees as representatives for the company.
- One on one meetings with Human Resources and women wishing to take maternity leave to maintain a positive working relationship.
- Both formal and informal feedback from Managers regarding staffing performance issues.
- Quarterly orientations continue to educate new employees on current policies. This includes Managers from various departments explaining how their department operates to new employees.
- One on one first day induction advising new employees of company guidelines and employee responsibilities.
- Human Resources maintain an open door policy where employees are able to raise any concerns they have to any Human Resources member.
- Additionally, the following activities also occur on a regular basis:
- Monthly Human Resources statistics that are reported to the board which include absenteeism, turnover, workers compensation, overtime, maternity leave and part time work.
- Exit interviews are conducted for every employee that has resigned to enable the organisation to evaluate the reasons for resigning and formulating methods of improving company policies on a continual basis.
- Sydney Airport (SACL) evaluates quarterly orientation feedback and use employee comments and suggestions to improve work processes.
- These issues in turn are the applied against the relevant 'checklist of major items as specified by the "Seven Employment Matters".
3.2.2 Reporting obligations
- The reporting requirements under the Act are clear, succinct and straight-forward. SACL has found this to be the case of several annual reporting periods.
- SACL finds that the reporting requirements are readily complied with and do not involve an onerous effort although the process might be streamlined to an even greater extent by the use of e-forms and other on-line web based applications.
- We find that the Report so generated will give us potential opportunities to review and restrategise our development and resource planning needs.
3.2.3 Compliance and enforcement
- We do not have a specific view on the enforcement mechanisms, nor has SACL undertaken a cost benefit analysis of compliance with the Act.
3.3.3 Key activities
- SACL is comfortable from our experience that that the functions of the EOWA and the Act sit well with the Act's stated objectives. The functions that are most effective concern the detailed guidelines, regular reporting and above all the identification of leading initiatives and ideas in fostering EEO for women in the workplace.
- From our experience, the public profile for the Act itself and the activities of the EOWA provide an appropriate focus of attention and direction for enhanced workplace and employment opportunities for women in Australia. The Issues Paper, the call for the submissions and the companion survey are all good examples of this.
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4. Relationship of the EOWW Act and EOWA to other legislation
- We do not have a specific view on the efficacy of the Act and the EOWA to other legislation, reporting requirements or other agencies.
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5. Measuring the success of the EOWW Act and EOWA
- From our experience, the EOWA data set provides useful measures and outcomes to assess and provide ideas to enhance women's participation and equality in employment. By continuing to act as a comprehensive, authoritative and contemporary benchmark of 'best practice' (or otherwise) of the EEO activities for women in Australia, the EOWA and the Act supply an important service to business and its workforce.
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