In 2018–19, the department continued to focus on building the foundations that support staff to build their skills, strengthen their leadership and embrace new ways of working. This focus was guided by the principles identified in the People Strategy 2018–2022. A number of People Strategy initiatives were introduced in the reporting period to enable us to better prepare for and respond to workplace change, including:

• implementing a new Health, Safety and Wellbeing Initiative
• refreshing our performance management processes and tools
• developing a program to welcome and introduce new employees to the department
• creating an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural learning strategy.

The department also focused on maturing its approach to strategic workforce planning. This work included developing an Enterprise Workforce Plan, building workforce planning capability, and establishing a strategic workforce planning function. This enabled the department to build an evidence-based enterprise workforce plan that translates our strategic objectives into prioritised, practical actions for investment for the coming year.

In parallel with the Enterprise Workforce Plan initiative, the department reviewed its human resources (HR) service offer and business model and made progress on developing an HR data strategy. This included designing a continuous improvement framework to collate key HR metrics into a meaningful format to monitor, evaluate and review the implementation of the People Strategy.

Staffing statistics

Table 17. Employees by employment status, 30 June 2018 and 2019

Table 18. Employees by classification, 30 June 2018 and 2019

Table 19. Employees by location, 30 June 2018 and 2019

Learning and development

The department continued to invest in capability development for its people through a structured learning framework aligned to its Strategic Plan, leadership statement and organisational capability vision. A range of face-to-face learning programs designed to address identified areas for development and to further strengthen team performance were offered to staff. A total of 1,857 individual employees participated in face-to-face learning and development activities during the year (see Table 20).

Table 20. Participation in face-to-face learning and development programs, 2017–18 and 2018–19

A range of self-paced learning tools accessible via desktops and portable devices were also available to all staff through the department’s learning management system, Learnhub. These offerings include APS and department-specific e-learning modules and a large collection of e-books, videos and checklists available through content curation systems such as Lynda.com and Skillsoft (see Table 21 for participation rates).

Table 21. Participation in self-paced learning activities, 2017–18 and 2018–19

The effectiveness of learning and development activities offered in-house and via Learnhub was assessed through individual program evaluations and outcomes from the 2017 and 2018 APS Employee Census results.

The department supports the continuing development of leadership skills for senior executive service (SES) and Executive Level 2 (EL2) staff through participation in a range of externally delivered executive education programs. In 2018–19, 28 EL2 employees participated in seven management and leadership courses, and 30 SES employees attended 14 executive development programs. These high-calibre activities are selected for their alignment to individual development and the department’s vision to create a workforce for the future. Programs offered are delivered by organisations recognised as thought leaders, including the Australian Public Service Commission, the Melbourne Business School, and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government.

In addition to management and coordination of corporately funded learning and development for departmental staff, the department continued to be accountable for contract and stakeholder management of the Learnhub system on behalf of other government agencies. Fifty government agencies and sub-instances were subscribed to Learnhub as at 30 June 2019.

Remuneration and conditions of employment

All non-SES employees in the department are covered by the Department of Jobs and Small Business Enterprise Agreement 2019–2022. This new agreement took effect in March 2019. A key initiative was the introduction of the Serious Illness Register, which is available to employees in particular circumstances who have exhausted their other leave options. The agreement operates in conjunction with Commonwealth legislation and the department’s policies and guidelines to define the terms and conditions of employment for staff. The Enterprise Agreement’s nominal expiry date is 28 March 2022.

Figure 13. Employee agreement statistics, 30 June 2019

The department has 39 individual flexibility arrangements in place for non-SES employees; these recognise specialised capabilities and additional responsibilities. Remuneration and conditions for SES employees are determined under section 24(1) of the Public Service Act 1999. An SES remuneration package recognises all hours worked, including any reasonable additional hours. In 2018–19, all SES employees had section 24(1) determinations in place. The department’s remuneration framework does not provide performance pay for SES or non-SES employees.

Non-salary benefits

The department offers a range of flexible working arrangements to help employees balance their personal and professional lives. These include part-time working hours, flex-time, purchased leave, parental leave, cultural leave and community volunteer leave. The department has encouraged employees to have conversations with their managers about workplace flexibility and has supported and encouraged managers to accommodate flexible working conditions within operational requirements.

Salary ranges

Note: The Secretary’s salary is not included, because remuneration arrangements for departmental secretaries are assigned under section 14 of the Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973. Secretary salary levels are available from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet at dpmc.gov.au/who-we-are/accountability-and-reporting/secretaries-remuneration.secretaries-remuneration.

Secondment program

A number of secondments were supported during the year to enable the exchange of sta between the department, other APS agencies and private sector organisations. These arrangements foster collaboration across government, and build positive cultural change. They connect sta and expose them to new ideas, alternative leadership styles, diverse approaches to policy-making, and the challenges and practicalities of implementing policy decisions.

In 2018–19, there were six secondments into the department from other government agencies. Six employees of the department were seconded to government and non-government organisations.

Entry-level recruitment programs

The department builds its workforce through its graduate program, as well as through whole-ofgovernment initiatives such as the Digital Apprenticeship Program and the Indigenous Australian Government Development Program. These programs allow the department to develop and maintain capability and give participants the chance to gain specific skills and knowledge through on-the-job training and formal learning and development.

The 10-month graduate program offers workplace learning and development tailored to both the department and the wider APS. It allows graduates to experience two job placements in areas that will enhance their knowledge and capability. In 2018, 24 graduates successfully completed the program on 30 November. The 2019 graduate program began on 30 January 2019 with 23 participants.

The department recruited three APS1 digital apprentices through the Digital Transformation Agency’s digital entry-level Digital Apprenticeship Program and five digital apprentices through the Australian School Based Apprenticeship program in 2019. The APS1 digital apprentices commenced on 31 January 2019 and will remain in the apprenticeship program for two years. The school-based digital apprentices joined the department in February 2019 for one year to provide them with hands-on industry experience and the ability to work towards or complete a nationally recognised qualification while undertaking their secondary school certificate.

The department administers the Indigenous Australian Government Development Program (IAGDP). IAGDP is a targeted employment and development program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. New recruits join each year and are employed in various APS agencies. Participants are offered ongoing employment and the opportunity to undertake a Diploma of Government and engage in other professional and personal development activities. IAGDP attracted new APS agencies during the year, and a large number of participants. The 2017–18 program, which ended in December 2018, had 82 commencing participants placed in 23 APS agencies. Four participants were employed in the department.

For the 2018–19 intake, which began in September 2018, 63 participants commenced across 26 participating APS agencies. Two participants commenced with the department as part of the 2018–19 cohort.

Diversity and inclusion

The department is a place where employees feel included, valued and respected; have mutual respect for one another; and have access to opportunities that support full participation at work.

Diversity is about respect and acknowledging that everyone is different and brings something unique to the workplace. The way people work and think is shaped by our cultures, backgrounds, experiences and personalities. The department recognises the diversity of its existing workforce. It is committed to building and leveraging the depth of perspectives, experiences, knowledge and skills that diversity brings to the organisation.

Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

The department’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is outlined in our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2018–2020. This strategy and the supporting plans show how the department:

• achieves an inclusive and safe place for people to work
• embraces and celebrates diversity
• realises the vision of More Jobs. Great Workplaces.

The strategy acknowledges that employees may identify across a number of diversity groups. It addresses this by outlining the department’s commitments to action in the following employee plans:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment and Career Plan 2016–2018
• Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Employee Action Plan 2018–2020
• Disability Action Plan 2018–2020
• Gender Equality Action Plan 2016–2019
• Intergeneration Leadership Action Plan 2018–2020
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ+) Plan 2018–2020.

The Diversity and Inclusion Strategy is also complemented by the department’s Reconciliation Action Plan 2017–2020. Implementation of the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and its supporting plans was a focus for 2018–19. Progress made included:

• appointing pride, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and gender champions at the SES level
• establishing an Indigenous merit register, a pool of Indigenous candidates available for future vacancies in the department
• increasing the profile of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees and culture by increasing the number of staff completing the e-learning module Core Cultural Learning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia; through well-regarded activities to celebrate National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week; and through Indigenous staff sharing their stories on culture and country in the internal newsletter Wrap-up
• establishing a CALD employee network
• refreshing the Use of Interpreters Guidelines
• refreshing the online workplace adjustment request form and process.

The department will review implementation of the first 12 months of the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy in 2019–20.

Reconciliation Action Plan

The department is committed to achieving reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the wider Australian community. It is connecting Indigenous Australians to work and fostering its own Indigenous workforce at all levels.

The department’s Reconciliation Action Plan 2017–2020 reaffirms its commitment to reconciliation and sets out the steps it is taking in its reconciliation journey to:

• create an inclusive workforce that values and respects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and culture
• provide opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and suppliers to prosper
• deliver policy and programs that achieve stronger outcomes for Indigenous Australians
• connect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to careers in the department.

The department is committed to the target of increasing its Indigenous workforce to 3 per cent (currently sitting at 2.78 per cent) by 2019. The priorities and practical actions outlined in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment and Career Plan 2016–2018 provide the foundation for ensuring the department delivers on this promise. The plan supports and complements the Reconciliation Action Plan in helping the department remain an employer of choice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Table 23. Diversity statistics

Attendance

The department’s unscheduled absence rates compare favourably with those of other policy agencies, as reported in the Australian Public Service Commission’s State of the Service Report 2017–18. The department is proactive in addressing unscheduled absences and is committed to building employee engagement and removing barriers to participation in the workplace.

The department offers a range of training programs on giving and receiving feedback, appropriate behaviours in the workplace and how to have effective conversations.

It also has in place a range of early intervention strategies designed to help staff remain at or return to work as quickly as possible after an injury or illness. These strategies provide a sound platform for managing unscheduled absences.

Work health and safety

The department provides a safe working environment for all its workers and visitors. An audit of the department’s work health and safety management system conducted by Comcare in March 2018 confirmed that the department’s work health and safety management system provides the underpinning governance structure for a strong wellbeing culture. Initiatives offered to employees to promote health and wellbeing include early intervention, annual influenza vaccinations delivered to over 900 staff nationally, health and wellbeing seminars, and campaigns aligned with national health awareness days.

In 2018–19, the department’s Employee Assistance Program offered all employees and their immediate family members access to free counselling and other support services. During the reporting period 183 employees and their family members accessed this service, for a total of 422 hours.

The Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee is the primary mechanism for consultation and collaboration with departmental employees. It also covers other areas of the department responsible for work health and safety matters such as first aid, emergency management, and property and environment services. Work health and safety is a standing agenda item for the People and Capability Committee, allowing ongoing monitoring of organisational health and safety, and advice to the executive where required. The committee will exercise due diligence to ensure the department complies with relevant work health and safety duties and obligations.

Work health and safety incident reporting

The department made a concentrated effort to raise staff awareness of work health and safety incident reporting, which has led to eight notifiable incidents¹ being reported to Comcare pursuant to section 38 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.