The ATO’s workforce is highly engaged and capable, leveraging its strength to deliver essential tax and superannuation administration related outcomes, for government and the community, while continuing to support the delivery of economic stimulus measures in response to COVID-19.

Our staff have continued to adapt and respond to the challenges of the pandemic which has caused significant ongoing disruption to the way we work. A wide array of technology, policy, health and other supporting solutions initially deployed in 2019–20 have been extended, refined and embedded in 2020–21 to enable ATO staff to continue serving the community, even when not working from an ATO office.

This year we embedded new ways of working in more business-as-usual circumstances, building on the lessons learned earlier in the pandemic. For example, we piloted hybrid working arrangements in locations not subject to lockdown to assess the opportunity they provide to enhance our business‑as‑usual operations. As part of this, we focused on building resilience, supporting mental health and enhancing the capability of our managers to work in a hybrid environment.

The ATO’s workforce capability requirements are diverse and varied, with roles that span entry‑level administration and client service, through to professional specialist roles. This year, we invested in assessing and developing capability, designing and implementing initiatives to support key professional streams – both internally and across the APS – particularly in the human resource management, data and digital professions.

Our capability framework is integrated across the people system and is reflected in our recruitment and talent management strategies, supported by a robust performance and recognition framework. We also continued to enhance the learning solutions we offer, supporting a variety of ways to learn in a hybrid working environment with improved access to anywhere, anytime learning.

In April 2021, the Commissioner of Taxation was appointed as Registrar of a range of Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) registry functions, in addition to his existing Australian Business Register responsibilities. To support the Registrar’s appointment and registry functions, we worked to integrate approximately 220 ASIC staff into the ATO’s workforce. Our key priority was to ensure ASIC and ATO staff were well-supported through the transition.

Our employee value proposition continues to position us to offer meaningful and rewarding work, competitive conditions, and a diverse and inclusive culture that appeals to people who will contribute and help us to achieve our objectives into the future.

In this section

• Statistics on our employees - including:
  • Our workforce (all employees, ongoing and non-ongoing)
  • Diversity
  • Job families
  • Locations (all employees, ongoing and non-ongoing)
  • Employee retention and separation
• Our employment arrangements
• Work health and safety
• Carer recognition

Statistics on our employees

Along with our legislative obligations, we need to understand the size and constitution of our workforce – including working patterns, employment types, diversity, skill sets, work distribution, accommodation requirements and employee retention rates. The following workforce statistics include staff working for the ATO, the TPB and the ACNC, unless noted otherwise.

All employees

The next table is our 2020–21 staffing profile, showing the number of employees by substantive classification level, employment type and working pattern at 30 June 2021. The subsequent table shows the same information for the previous year.

All employees – current year – by level and employment type

All employees – previous year – by level and employment type

Ongoing employees

The next table displays our ongoing workforce by substantive classification level, gender and working pattern at 30 June 2021. The subsequent table shows the same information for the previous year.

Ongoing employees – current year – by level and gender

Ongoing employees – previous year – by level and gender

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 at 30 June 2021. The subsequent table shows the same information for the previous year.

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

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

Diversity

The ATO recognises that a diverse and inclusive workforce improves the experience of staff and enhances our interactions with clients. Workforce diversity and inclusion builds organisational capability by promoting equity and bringing diversity of approach to the way we work, leading to greater creativity, improved productivity and better outcomes. We aim to improve the client experience by designing and delivering client services that address the diverse community we serve; enabling us to make a real difference to the lives of Australians by contributing to their economic and social wellbeing.

Our new 2024 Diversity and inclusion strategy represents our ongoing commitment to uplifting diversity and inclusion in the ATO. It outlines what we will do to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace and why it is important, not just for the organisation, but for the Australian community we serve.

Our new strategy builds on our significant success to date, with the ATO recognised as a Gold Employer at the 2021 Australian LGBTQ Inclusion Awards. The ATO also became the first Australian Government employer to qualify for Platinum recognition.

In 2020–21, we also:

• released the ATO’s 2024 Multicultural access and equity action plan
• increased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation to approximately 2.9%
• sustained female representation at the senior leadership level at approximately 50%.

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.

Notes

(a) 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.

(b) Information on gender equality (the sixth diversity group) is provided in the tables under the heading Ongoing employees.

(c) A new diversity indicator was introduced in 2021–22.

Indigenous employees

Job families

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

Locations

The ATO is located in 24 buildings across Australia and collocated with Services Australia in 10 staffed shopfront sites and 11 self-service shopfronts. The ATO property portfolio is managed in accordance with the Commonwealth property management framework.

Our workforce by location, at 30 June 2021

Note

Does not include overseas staff.

The next table shows our workforce by location and employment type, at 30 June 2021, compared to the previous year. Some regions are made up of multiple locations – and in the following tables:

• Brisbane includes Brisbane central business district (CBD), Chermside and Upper Mount Gravatt
• Melbourne includes Melbourne CBD, Dandenong, Box Hill, Moonee Ponds and Traralgon
• Sydney includes Sydney CBD, Penrith and Parramatta.

All employees – by location

Ongoing employees

The next table shows our ongoing workforce by location, gender and working pattern, at 30 June 2021. The subsequent table shows the same information for the previous year.

Ongoing employees – current year – by location and gender

Ongoing employees – previous year – by location and gender

Non-ongoing employees

The next table shows our non-ongoing employees by location and gender, at 30 June 2021, 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

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

Employee retention and separation

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

The first table shows the numbers of ongoing employees by years of service, at 30 June 2020 and 30 June 2021.

The next table shows the numbers of ongoing employees that left the ATO during the year, grouped by reason for separation, for 2019–20 and 2020–21.

Our employment arrangements

The policy outlining remuneration and conditions for Australian Public Service (APS) agencies is set by Australian Government Public Sector Workplace Relations Policy 2020.

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

Workplace agreements

The majority of our APS 1 to Executive level (EL) 2 staff are employed under the ATO enterprise agreement 2017, which sets out employment conditions. This agreement had a nominal expiry date of 3 August 2020.

In 2019, the ATO recommended to staff that the agreement be retained and future pay increases be provided by a determination made under subsection 24(1) of the Public Service Act 1999. This proposal was put to a staff poll in November 2019 where 94% of respondents were supportive. The determination commenced operation on 19 November 2019, with the final pay rise scheduled for 4 August 2022.

The determination will end at the earlier of the following:

• the day a new enterprise agreement is made in accordance with the Fair Work Act 2009
• the day another determination under subsection 24(1) of the Public Service Act 1999, which revokes the current determination, comes into effect.

The next table shows the numbers of staff covered by the enterprise agreement, and those employed under other employment arrangements.

There are 67 non-SES employees who have an Individual Flexibility Arrangement in place, which alters one or more specific aspects of the ATO Enterprise Agreement.

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 within set ranges subject to satisfactory performance, including some other assessment factors for EL 2 employees.

On 9 April 2020, the government announced an APS-wide deferral of non-SES pay increases by six months from the date they would have been due. As a result, pay rises for APS 1 to EL 2 employees were deferred until 4 February 2021. Additionally, there were no increases in remuneration, entitlements and allowances for SES employees from the date of the announcement through until 25 June 2021. The rates for ATO staff for 2020–21 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 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.

Salary ranges

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.

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 outlined in Part 1 of this report.

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, including those who may have acted through the year. 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 2020–21 exceeded $230,000.

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

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
• airline lounge memberships if eight or more return trips are planned for the year.

Executive Level 2 employees are entitled to:

• a taxable annual allowance ($1,740 in 2020–21) 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 of 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 tax (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
• portable electronic devices, exempt from FBT.

Around 2,700 employees had salary packaging arrangements in place in 2020–21.

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.

In 2020–21, the ATO was announced as a joint winner in the 2021 Comcare National Work Health and Safety Awards in the category of prevention. The ATO’s winning nomination ‘COVID-19 – the ATO’s response to ensuring a safer workplace’, reflected our leading contemporary approach in responding to safety matters.

Our vision is for a healthy and safe workforce as we adapt to a changing world. Our census results indicate the staff perception of wellbeing support is consistently higher than similar APS agencies. 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 are offered to all staff
• staff can access up to two hours of paid work time to receive a COVID-19 vaccination
• employee assistance program (EAP) available to all staff and their families
• implementation of an organisation-wide Mental Health Strategy.

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 2020–21:

• Comcare was satisfied with ATO action on notifiable incidents, therefore no incidents required investigation
• we 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 do however 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 continued to increase significantly over the past 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.

These elements support us in fulfilling our responsibilities to our stakeholders – ministers, parliament and the community – whether they come from legislation or community expectations.