Sustainability, Agility, and Safety in the Workplace

Providing workplaces that are safe and
promote employee wellbeing, supported
by a sustainable industrial framework
that recognises and rewards capability.

WORKPLACE RELATIONS, AWARDS AND AGREEMENTS

The State Service Management Office (SSMO) supports agencies and provides advice on workplace relations matters to ensure a collaborative and cooperative approach to the management of industrial disputes, terminations and other matters affecting employees. SSMO also has responsibility for all State Service Awards and Agreements and represents the employer in the Tasmanian Industrial Commission for matters relating to the registration of new Agreements or the variation of Awards.

In the 2020-21 financial year, the final Agreements from the 2019 negotiation round were completed and registered with the Tasmanian Industrial Commission (refer to Appendix A for a full list of Agreements). The Firefighting Industrial Agreement was registered on 14 October 2020, followed by the Rural Medical Practitioners, Visiting Medical Practitioners and Salaried Medical Practitioners Agreements, which were registered on 23 December 2020.

Agencies have continued to implement relevant Agreement and non-Agreement commitments since the finalisation of the 2019 negotiation round.

SSMO also completed its work assisting the then Governor and her representatives to register a new Government House Award and Agreement. The finalisation of this process in early 2021 provided a fully modernised and consolidated Award and Agreement, and removed the link to salary increases under the Tasmanian State Service Award.

International and Domestic Hotel Quarantine Allowance

In December 2020, two Agreements were registered for State Service employees (and Police Officers)¹², which provide an allowance of $150 per day to employees engaged in the International Hotel Quarantine Program. The allowance is in recognition of the social restrictions advised by Public Health for employees engaged in Hotel Quarantine. In May 2021, a similar Agreement was entered into for State Service employees engaged in Domestic Hotel Quarantine. A further Agreement was entered into for Police Officers working in Domestic Hotel Quarantine.

Non-wage Agreement matters

Through 2020-21 negotiations have continued on several non-wages Agreements, including the Parks and Wildlife Agreement and Bushfire Suppression Operations Agreement within the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and the Environment (DPIPWE), and the Incident Management Operations Agreement in the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management.

The Fixed-term Review occurred between February 2020 and February 2021. Under the review, fixed-term employees within identified cohorts who met specified criteria were considered by their Head of Agency for a change of employment status from fixed-term to permanent. The primary cohorts considered were Allied Health Professionals, Teacher Assistants, Education Facility Attendants, Library Officers, Health Service Officers, Service Tasmania staff, and all employees within DPIPWE. A total of 330¹³ fixed-term employees were converted to permanent over the course of the review.

Employee Assistance Program

A procurement process to replace our whole-of-government Employee Assistance Program (EAP) was completed in 2021, ahead of the existing EAP agreement expiring on 30 June 2021.

As a result of the public tender process, Deeds of Standing Offer were entered into with four EAP service providers. This approach allowed agencies the flexibility to choose their own providers from a prescribed panel and supported a tailored approach to EAP services. Under the panel arrangement, agencies contract directly with their selected EAP provider and pay for those services independently. As at 30 June 2021, all agencies had contracted an EAP provider/s.

SUPPORTING EMPLOYEES EXPERIENCING FAMILY VIOLENCE

In 2019-20, support and assistance continued to be available to employees experiencing family violence in line with the provisions of Employment Direction 28: Family Violence – Workplace Arrangements and Requirements (ED28). Agencies train key staff in relation to workplace policies, employee leave entitlements, workplace safety planning processes and employee support referral options.

In 2020-21, a total of 64 applications for leave were made and approved under ED28, averaging 19.59 hours per application (approx. 2.7 days).¹⁴

Agencies also work to raise awareness of family violence issues and support employees who are experiencing family violence through agency-specific initiatives. These include family violence awareness training, guides for managers, access to flexible working arrangements, referral to external support services, the State Service Employee Assistance Program, development of Workplace Safety Plans, and a network of Workplace Contact Officers.

In 2020-21, 1,192 key staff¹⁵ across the State Service received training
to support employees who are experiencing family violence.

STATE SERVICE VACANCY MANAGEMENT

The Managing Positions in the Tasmanian State Service framework continued to support agencies to manage their employment needs according to current priorities. During 2020-21, a total of 17 Targeted and Negotiated Voluntary Redundancies were progressed, and a further 17 employees left the State Service after accepting a Workforce Renewal Incentive Payment.

SUPPORTING EMPLOYEES

In addition to the more than 2,500 employees who had a formal flexible working arrangement (including formal working from home arrangements) in 2020-21, employees also accessed a range of leave provisions as shown in the following table.

^{12. Sworn Police Officers are not State Service employees as they are appointed under the Police Service Act 2003, however the two agreements were managed and registered through the State Service Management Office.}

^{13. This is comprised of 43 employees in the 2019-20 financial year, and 287 in 2020-21.}

^{14. A decrease from 69 applications averaging 18.37 hours in 2019-20.}

^{15. Key staff are as defined in Section 7 of ED28. Training may have also been provided to other employees who do not fall into one of these categories, however Clause 9 of ED28 only requires agencies to report on training provided to key staff.}

^{16. http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/186054/ED27_WorkHealthSafety.PDF}

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