Skip to Content
Department of Premier and Cabinet

Diversity and Inclusion Policy

Policy statement

The Tasmanian State Service is committed to building inclusive workplaces and having a workforce that reflects the diversity of the Tasmanian community. This commitment is informed by the following principles:

  • Our employment opportunities are accessible to everyone.
  • Our employees are valued and respected.
  • We support our employees to be the best they can be*.

Application

The State Service Diversity and Inclusion Policy (the Policy) outlines the State Service’s commitment to supporting workforce diversity and inclusion. The Policy is supported by the Diversity and Inclusion Framework 2017 – 2020 (the Framework), which sets out the initiatives that the State Service will champion between 2017 and 2020 to ensure that State Service workforce management practices and policies support people who work, or want to work, in the State Service.

Defining workforce diversity and inclusion

The Policy and the Framework are informed by the following definitions of workforce diversity and inclusion:

Workforce diversity is about recognising and respecting individual differences - including ethnicity, gender, age, race, religion, caring responsibility, disability, or sexual orientation, as well as characteristics such as people’s career path, life experiences, education, where they live, and their appearance. It is also about valuing how these differences can have a positive influence on problem solving, team dynamics and decision making within organisations.

Inclusive organisations focus on ensuring that the culture, values and behaviours of the organisation enable everyone to be respected in the workplace and to have equal access to opportunities and resources.

Requirements

All State Service agencies are required by the Employer** to endorse and support the Policy and the Framework.

Roles and responsibilities

Whole-of-service-level
  • Acting on behalf of the Employer, the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPAC)’s State Service Management Office (SSMO) has responsibility for ensuring the successful implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Policy and the Framework across the State Service.
  • SSMO will report annually on the application of the Policy and the progress of the initiatives of the Framework, including through the State Service Annual Report.
Heads of Agency
  • Heads of Agencies are required by the Employer to promote and support the Policy and the Framework within their organisations, in keeping with their responsibilities under the State Service Act 2000 and the State Service Principles.
  • Heads of Agencies will report on their support of the Policy and Framework to the Head of the State Service. SSMO will use this information to report against the Policy and the Framework.
Employees and officers
  • All employees and officers are required to demonstrate behaviours that are consistent with the Policy and the Framework, in keeping with their responsibilities under the State Service Act and the State Service Principles.

Legislative basis

State Service agencies are required to provide work environments that are free from unlawful discrimination, harassment, and which promote equal opportunity for all employees. In addition, the State Service legislative framework, including the State Service Act, includes requirements relating to workforce diversity and building inclusive workplaces.

Associated documents

This document should be read alongside the Framework and the associated toolkits.

* Please note that these principles are informed by, and aim to support, the State Service Principles, section 7 of the State Service Act 2000. More information is provided about these principles in the Framework.

** As outlined in the State Service Act 2000. The Premier currently acts as the Minister administering the State Service Act 2000, and is ‘the Employer’ of all employees and officers employed under this legislation. The Head of the State service (HOSS) has been delegated the Employer functions by the Minister.