Workforce capability

The ATO’s workforce capability requirements are diverse and varied, with roles that span entry‑level administration and customer service, through to professional specialist roles. We have invested in developing our employer brand to attract and retain the very best candidates with a mix of expertise. Our employee value proposition positions us as offering meaningful and rewarding work, competitive conditions, and a culture that appeals to people who will lead us into the future.

We have a highly engaged workforce supported by a robust performance and recognition framework and front‑line human resource advisers who provide timely, tailored and tangible solutions to people and workforce challenges.

The ATO invests in contemporary, flexible learning solutions that build staff capabilities to complete priority work now and into the future. We continue to broaden our reach by offering staff a variety of ways to learn, beyond traditional classroom learning. Through technology‑assisted products, including webinars, short learning events and online learning platforms, we provide staff with access to anywhere, anytime learning. This supplements our focus on ‘on the job’ learning, coaching, secondments to public and private sector organisations, tuition assistance and graduate development programs.

Our capability framework is integrated across the people system and reflected in our recruitment, talent management, performance and capability development strategies. The framework was refreshed in 2018 to balance our current and future workforce needs. We use enhanced capability appraisal processes to inform workforce planning activities, including learning and development investment strategies. These activities will continue into 2019–20.

Our performance and development framework and other employment arrangements are outlined in the ATO Enterprise Agreement. This guides our application of human resource principles and best practice.

Statistics on our employees

Along with our legislative obligations, we need to understand the size and make‑up of our workforce, including working patterns, employment types, diversity, skill sets, work distribution, accommodation requirements and employee retention rates.

Our workforce

All employees

The next table shows our staffing profile for the current financial year. It shows the numbers of employees by substantive classification level, employment type and working pattern, at 30 June 2019. The subsequent table shows the same information for the previous financial year.

All employees - current year - by level and employment type

All employees - previous year - by level and employment type

NOTE

(a) ACNC and TPB employees were not included in the corresponding table in the Commissioner of Taxation annual report 2017–18.

Ongoing employees

The next table displays our ongoing workforce by substantive classification level, gender and working pattern for the current financial year, at 30 June 2019. The subsequent table shows the same information for the previous financial year.

Ongoing employees - current year - by level and gender

NOTES

(a) Excludes casual employees.

(b) There were no part-time ongoing employees who identified as indeterminate gender as at 30 June 2019.

Ongoing employees - previous year - by level and gender

NOTES

(a) ACNC and TPB employees were not included in the corresponding table in the Commissioner of Taxation annual report 2017–18.

(b) Excludes casual employees.

(c) There were no ongoing employees who identified as indeterminate gender as at 30 June 2018.

Non-ongoing employees

Non-going employees are engaged for a specified term or for the duration of a specified task in accordance with the Public Service Act 1999, whereas casual employees are engaged to perform duties that are irregular or intermittent.

The next table shows our non-ongoing workforce by substantive level, gender and working pattern for the current financial year, at 30 June 2019. The subsequent table shows the same information for the previous financial year.

Non-ongoing employees - current year - by level and gender type

NOTES

(a) Excludes contractors and others paid through a third party.

(b) There were no non-ongoing employees who identified as indeterminate gender as at 30 June 2019.

Non-ongoing employees - previous year - by level and gender

NOTES

(a) ACNC and TPB employees were not included in the corresponding table in the Commissioner of Taxation annual report 2017–18.

(b) Excludes contractors and others paid through a third party.

(c) There were no non-ongoing employees who identified as indeterminate gender as at 30 June 2018.

Diversity

The ATO strives to have a workforce that reflects the diversity of Australia’s population. A diverse workforce provides a broader range of skills, experience and opportunities for innovation. As a measure of our success, we were awarded gold employer status at the LGBTI+ Inclusion Awards for the third year in a row.

In our Diversity and inclusion plan 2017–19, we recognise six diversity groups that face unique barriers to inclusion. The plan also outlines the four diversity and inclusion principles, for which all employees share responsibility. Our diversity and inclusion plan is complemented by our Reconciliation Action Plan 2018–20. In 2018–19, we:

• facilitated deaf awareness training across six sites
• organised accredited AUSLAN training for staff
• delivered Indigenous employee secondment program
• launched Indigenous employee ally network ‘Kawutilin’.

For more details about our diversity plans, see ato.gov.au/diversity.

The next table shows the proportion of our employees in diversity groups. The subsequent table shows the numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees by employment type. Information on gender equality (the sixth diversity group) is provided in the subsequent table.

NOTES

(a) ACNC and TPB employees were not included in the corresponding table in the Commissioner of Taxation annual report 2017–18.

(b) We provide staff with the opportunity to self-identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, having a disability, or being culturally and linguistically diverse. The LGBTI+ results were obtained from the 2018 and 2019 Australian Public Service Employee Census.

(c) Information on gender equality (the sixth diversity group) is provided under Ongoing employees - current year - by level and gender.

(d) In the Commissioner of Taxation annual report 2017–18:

• the LGBTI+ result was rounded from 3.5 to 4.0
• the mature age result was based on all staff, not ongoing only.

Indigenous employees

NOTE

(a) ACNC and TPB employees were not included in the corresponding table in the Commissioner of Taxation annual report 2017–18.

Job streams

We use job streams and families to categorise particular roles. While some roles lend themselves to particular work areas, others are found across the ATO.

NOTES

(a) ACNC and TPB employees were not included in the corresponding table in the Commissioner of Taxation annual report 2017–18.

(b) Includes ongoing, non-ongoing and casual employees but excludes external contractors.

NOTES

(a) Includes ongoing, non-ongoing and casual employees but excludes external contractors.

(b) Includes entry level program participants (graduates, cadets, apprentices, the Evergreen Indigenous Advancement Program and the Executive Assistant Advancement Program).

Locations

We are located in 36 sites across Australia, which includes 14 shopfronts. We actively manage 25 buildings as the head leaseholder and are tenants in our other sites. The ATO property portfolio is managed in accordance with the Commonwealth Property Management Framework.

Our locations, as at 30 June 2019NOTE Does not include overseas staff

The next table shows our workforce by location and employment type for the current and previous financial years, as at 30 June. Some regions are made up of multiple locations. In the following tables: Brisbane includes Brisbane CBD, Chermside and Upper Mount Gravatt; Melbourne includes Melbourne CBD, Dandenong, Box Hill and Moonee Ponds; and Sydney includes Sydney central business district (CBD), Penrith and Parramatta.

All employees - by location

NOTE

(a) ACNC and TPB employees were not included in the corresponding table in the Commissioner of Taxation annual report 2017–18.

Ongoing employees

The next table shows our ongoing workforce by location, gender, and working pattern for the current financial year, as at 30 June 2019. The subsequent table shows the same information for the previous year.

Ongoing employees - current year - by location and gender

NOTES

(a) Excludes casual employees.

(b) There were no part-time ongoing employees who identified as indeterminate gender as at 30 June 2019.

(c) There were no ongoing employees in the Northern Territory as at 30 June 2019.

Ongoing employees - previous year - by location and gender

NOTES

(a) ACNC and TPB employees were not included in the corresponding table in the Commissioner of Taxation annual report 2017–18.

(b) Excludes casual employees.

(c) There were no ongoing employees who identified as indeterminate gender as at 30 June 2018.

Non-ongoing employees

The next table shows our non-ongoing employees by location and gender, at 30 June 2019, further broken down by working pattern. The subsequent table shows the same information for the previous year.

Non-ongoing employees are engaged for a specified term or task. In some circumstances their engagement can be extended up to three years. The term ‘non-ongoing’ does not include casual (irregular/intermittent) employees, contractors or others paid through a third party.

Non-ongoing employees - current year - by location and gender

NOTES

(a) Excludes contractors and others paid through a third party.

(b) There were no non-ongoing employees who identified as indeterminate gender as at 30 June 2019.

Non-ongoing employees - previous year - by location and gender

NOTES

(a) ACNC and TPB employees were not included in the corresponding table in the Commissioner of Taxation annual report 2017–18.

(b) Excludes contractors and others paid through a third party.

(c) There were no non-ongoing employees who identified as indeterminate gender as at 30 June 2018.

Employee retention and separation

The following tables provide information on our ongoing employee retention rates and separations.

The next table shows the numbers of ongoing employees by years of service, at 30 June 2018 and 30 June 2019.

NOTE

(a) ACNC and TPB employees were not included in the corresponding table in the Commissioner of Taxation annual report 2017–18.

The next table shows the numbers of ongoing employees that left the ATO during the year, grouped by reason for separation, for 2017–18 and 2018–19.

Our employment arrangements

The policy outlining remuneration and conditions for Australian Public Service (APS) agencies is set by government. The guiding principles are:

• enterprise agreements and other workplace arrangements are not to contain restrictive work practices, unduly limit flexibility, or otherwise impede workplace reform
• remuneration increases are to be modest and to remain within agencies’ existing budgets, reflecting the need for wages restraint in the current economic circumstances
• public sector terms and conditions are to be reasonable, reflecting community standards
• freedom of association is to be respected.

More information about remuneration in the APS is available in the APSC's Remuneration report, available at apsc.gov.au.

The ATO's remuneration policy is in accordance with the government parameters that apply across the APS.

Workplace agreements

The majority of our staff are employed under the ATO enterprise agreement 2017, which sets out our employment conditions. The agreement commenced on 3 August 2017 and runs for three years. The next table shows the numbers of staff covered by the enterprise agreement, and those employed under other arrangements.

Remuneration

Base rates of pay and other remuneration arrangements are set, for the majority of non-SES staff, in the ATO enterprise agreement. The agreement includes provision for individual salary advancement subject to satisfactory performance, including some other assessment factors for EL2 employees. The rates for all ATO staff for 2018–19 are shown in the next table.

The APS executive remuneration management policy sets out arrangements for the management of executive remuneration, including an approval process for remuneration proposals above a notional amount. Total remuneration for staff in the senior executive service (SES) includes a notional component for provision of a motor vehicle and parking, and for superannuation calculated at 15.4% of 101% of base salary.

The Remuneration Tribunal sets the remuneration and conditions for the Commissioner. The Tribunal issues the Guide to the Principal Executive Office (PEO) structure, which is used by the Commissioner to determine remuneration and conditions for Second Commissioners. Second Commissioners and those who have acted in a Second Commissioner role for three months or more are also eligible for performance pay under the guidelines. The remuneration of our key management personnel, including performance pay, is shown under Key management personnel.

Salary ranges

NOTE

(a) Public affairs officer salary ranges apply to employees engaged or promoted to these classifications on or before 30 June 2006 only. At 30 June 2019, there were no public affairs officers at grade 1 or 2.

Key management personnel

The Commissioner and other members of the ATO Executive are considered key management personnel as they have responsibility and authority for planning, directing and controlling the activities of the ATO. Details about the responsibilities of the ATO Executive are in Part 1 of this report.

NOTES

(a) Totals may differ from the sum of the components due to rounding.

(b) Staff are not offered long-term benefits other than long service leave. Only Second Commissioners are eligible for bonuses. No termination benefits were paid to key management personnel in 2018–19.

(c) Figures reported for Jeremy Hirschhorn reflect the period he occupied a key management personnel position which commenced part way through the year.

Senior executives

Under the PGPA Act, we must provide summary information about the remuneration of senior executive officers who are not listed as key management personnel. For the ATO, this comprises our SES Band 1 and 2 officers. The information is provided in the next table.

Other highly paid staff

Other highly paid staff are those officials who are not listed as key management personnel or senior executives, and whose total remuneration in 2018–19 exceeded $220,000.

The ATO has 29 staff in this category. Details are provided in the next table.

NOTES

(a) Totals may differ from the sum of the components due to rounding.

(b) Staff are not offered long-term benefits other than long service leave. Only Second Commissioners are eligible for bonuses.

(c) There was more long service leave taken than was accrued or paid out within the year, resulting in a negative amount.

Non-salary benefits

The ATO provides its staff with a range of non-salary benefits.

SES officers are entitled to:

• cash in lieu of a motor vehicle
• parking at work or cash in lieu of parking
• an airline lounge membership if eight or more return trips are planned for the year.

Executive Level 2 employees are entitled to:

• a taxable annual allowance ($1,723 in 2018–19) to assist with the purchase of items and services that help maintain or increase their level of professionalism, such as membership of a professional association
• airline lounge memberships if they are likely to undertake eight or more return flights in the following year.

We offer our staff non-salary benefits in some circumstances:

• Our executive officers are offered an iPad or iPhone for work use, along with other employees who frequently travel, work remotely or manage a large number of staff.
• Fees will be reimbursed for employees who must be a member a professional body or require an annual licence or professional practising certificate in order to perform their duties.
• We provide support for approved employees to undertake eligible part-time studies, which may include time off work and/or financial assistance.
• All employees who are likely to undertake 12 or more return flights in the following year can apply for airline lounge memberships.

We also offer salary packaging to all ongoing employees, and employees with an individual agreement. We outsource salary packaging administration and novated leasing arrangements to an external company called Smartsalary. Our employees have access to salary packaging of the following items:

• cars and utility vehicles (novated lease), with fringe benefits (FBT) applicable
• car parking, with FBT applicable
• superannuation, self-only, exempt from FBT
• airline lounge membership, exempt from FBT
• professional association membership fees and subscriptions, exempt from FBT.

Around 3,400 employees had salary packaging arrangements in place in 2018–19.

Work health and safety

The ATO has a number of obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act) and our own enterprise agreement. We take these obligations seriously, as the health and wellbeing of our workforce is critical to supporting engagement, productivity and serving the community. We were a finalist in the Comcare Awards for our work in the Early Intervention category in 2018–19.

Our vision for health and safety is a healthy, engaged and productive workforce. We have a range of initiatives to support us in achieving this outcome and to eliminate or minimise work health and safety risks. Examples include:

• a structured consultation program with our staff and their representatives about health and safety matters
• regular work health and safety inspections in all ATO sites
• a bespoke IT program on all ATO computers that enables staff to self-manage and monitor keyboard use, encouraging regular recuperative breaks and stretches/exercise
• first aid services at all sites
• annual flu vaccinations.

NOTE

(a) Figures for previous years in this table may vary from those reported in past annual reports as Comcare may continue to accept claims for past years.

Details of work health and safety investigations

The WHS Act requires that we provide information about any investigations conducted during the year that relate to us, including details of all notices given to us during the year under Part 10 of the Act.

During 2018–19, we:

• investigated no incidents
• received no notices under Part 10 of the Act – enforcement measures.

Carer recognition

The ATO is not responsible for the development, implementation, provision or evaluation of care supports and, therefore, section 8(3) of the Carer Recognition Act 2010 does not apply.

We support carers in the workplace through our employment policies, including flexible hours, access to carers leave, and our network of Carers, Helpers and Interested Others in the ATO (CHIATO). Flexible working arrangements in the ATO have increased significantly in the last 12 months. The types of flexible working arrangements available to ATO staff to support carers include:

• part-time work agreements
• breastfeeding/lactation breaks
• non-standard working hours
• work from home/remote work arrangements
• job share arrangements
• individual flexibility arrangements
• purchased leave schemes
• career break or sabbatical schemes
• flex leave.