Workforce profile

At 30 June 2019, the department had 164 employees—123 ongoing, 8 non-ongoing and 32 casual.

The department’s workforce is 62 per cent female, 38 per cent are aged over 50 years and 1.16 per cent identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

Employee statistics

Tables 8 to 12 show the department’s workforce statistics for 2018–19, including whether staff are in ongoing, non-ongoing or casual positions. The tables provide information on the substantive classification of staff, as well as their gender and geographical location.

Employee engagement

Investors in People standard

Investors in People is an international quality framework that benchmarks the effectiveness of leadership and management practices. The standard defines what is required to lead, support and manage people well with sustainable results. The department has held accreditation against the Investors in People standard since 2002, and was awarded ‘Investors in People Silver’ in 2018 against Investors in People’s improved framework.

The achievement of the standard recognises the strong commitment of departmental employees to ensure the highest possible standards of service. One of the requirements for retaining accreditation is to be reassessed against the standard every three years by an independent assessor. As recommended in the accreditation report, the department has established a working group to identify and carry forward areas of future improvement.

Staff survey

In June 2019, the department conducted its annual staff survey to measure employee sentiment, views about leadership and observations about the broader working environment.

The results of the survey are used to inform improvement initiatives and to further develop the culture of the department. Ideas and feedback from employees are an essential element when seeking to deliver sustainable change across the department and to sustain a high-performance culture.

The department has established three internal benchmarks based on the results of the survey. These benchmarks, or index scores, correspond to the total percentage of staff selecting ‘strongly agree’ and ‘agree’ in response to specific sets of questions. The three benchmarks are as follows:

• The ‘core elements’ satisfaction index measures the extent to which the department provided the core elements needed to attract, focus and keep the most talented staff (satisfaction rate of 81 per cent in 2019 and an average of 82 per cent over the past five years).
• The ‘leadership’ satisfaction index measures the level of satisfaction of staff with their managers against the department’s leadership statement (satisfaction rate of 79 per cent in 2019 and an average of 82 per cent over the past five years).
• The ‘benefits’ satisfaction index measures the level of staff satisfaction with pay and working conditions (satisfaction rate of 77 per cent in 2019 and an average of 82 per cent over the past five years).

Figure 6 shows the performance of the satisfaction elements in the past five years.

People strategies: planning and delivery

Recruitment

The department advertised to fill 21 ongoing vacancies during 2018–19 (compared with 30 in 2017–18), of which nine were filled by external applicants.

Retention

Twenty-four ongoing and 15 non-ongoing staff left the department in 2018–19. The turnover rate was 13 per cent for ongoing staff (compared with 8 per cent in 2017–18).

Exit interviews with staff leaving the department continued to be conducted by SES managers. Fifteen such interviews were conducted during the year.

Alumni

The department formed an alumni association of former staff in 2008. On 30 June 2019, it had 247 members. The association issued one newsletter during the year, and its board met once. On 21 November 2018, the association held its annual general meeting and two co-chairs were elected.

Graduate placement program

Together with the Department of the Senate and the Parliamentary Budget Office the department participates in, and administers, the Parliament of Australia Graduate Program. The purpose of the program is to expose graduates working in Australian public service departments and agencies to how their home department or agency interacts with the parliamentary departments in their support of the parliament.

The program involves three-month placements of people from the graduate programs of Australian Government agencies and the staff of those agencies. Graduates develop the necessary knowledge and skills to make a significant contribution to the department and broader parliamentary service. The program continued to draw a high level of interest from graduates from a range of agencies. Four graduates undertook placements in the department in 2018–19.

Feedback from graduates confirmed that the program is highly successful and that the objectives of the placements were met.

Learning and development

In 2018–19 the department delivered 109 face-to-face training and development sessions to employees, based around the core themes of critical thinking, writing skills, management capability and fostering high performance. Priority skills training focused on leadership development, and the department has engaged a range of external providers to deliver specialised training to staff.

Table 13 compares the average attendance of staff attraining courses in 2017–18 and 2018–19. It also shows the staffing level and total number of training days attended in 2018–19 for each classification.

Studies assistance

The department’s study assistance scheme allows employees to complete relevant tertiary study to improve their professional skills and knowledge. Six employees accessed studies assistance during the year (compared with seven in 2017–18). Collectively, financial assistance of $7,874 was administered (compared with $22,595 in 2017–18), along with a total of 47 days of study leave on full pay.

Performance assessment

All eligible staff participated in the annual work performance assessment cycle, which was completed on 31 October 2018. The cycle consists of setting individual work objectives, conducting performance assessments, preparing individual development plans and providing feedback to supervisors. Information from the individual development plans is used to formulate the training program for the next calendar year.

Diversity and inclusion

The department’s workplace diversity program aligns the department’s workplace diversity strategies and actions with the Parliamentary Service Values. It outlines the department’s commitment to increasing workforce participation rates in different diversity groups.

New staff continued to receive training in the prevention of discrimination, bullying and harassment and all staff were required to attend a training update in relation to these important aspects of workplace behaviour. The department is committed to actively building a diverse and inclusive workplace that promotes gender equality and harnesses the skills and experiences of people from all backgrounds. The department’s diversity and inclusion program has a significant focus on increasing workforce participation rates across all diversity groups.

The department continued to support the commitments outlined in the Australian Parliament’s Reconciliation action plan 2016–18.

The department continued its commitment to graduates from the Indigenous Australian Government Development Program through the department’s Indigenous Secondment Program. Graduates were invited to participate in three-month placements with the department. This is the second year of the Indigenous Secondment Program and it is a significant part of the department’s commitment to provide opportunities for the career progression and professional development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. At the completion of the program, participants return to their home departments with valuable experiences of parliamentary operations. In 2018–19, two graduates were placed with the department through the Indigenous Secondment Program.

Employment arrangements

The Department of the House of Representatives Enterprise Agreement 2017–2020 came into effect on 6 December 2017 with a nominal expiry date of 29 November 2020. The agreement provides non-SES staff with competitive remuneration and employment conditions. There is no provision in the agreement to remunerate staff based on performance. The Clerk did not make a determination under section 24(1) of the Parliamentary Service Act in 2018–19 to pay staff a monetary bonus.

Employment conditions for SES staff are set out in individual determinations made under subsection 24(1) of the Parliamentary Service Act. Many of these conditions are aligned with the department’s enterprise agreement. Table 14 provides a breakdown of staff under the department’s employment instruments.

Remuneration

Salary ranges under the 2017–20 enterprise agreement, as at the end of the reporting period, are summarised in Table 15.

In 2018–19, departmental salaries and allowances totalled $19.325 million (compared with $19.410 million in 2017–18).

Executive remuneration

The PGPA Rule requires the reporting of executive remuneration information for specified officials of Commonwealth entities on an accrual basis. Table 17 summarises the remuneration of key management personnel and senior executives. There are no other highly paid staff for whom remuneration details are required to be provided. During short absences of SES staff, parliamentary officers may be provided with an opportunity to act in the position of the absent SES staff member. These short acting opportunities are not included in Tables 16 or 17.

In accordance with the PGPA Rule, information about the remuneration and benefits of key management personnel is set out in Table 17.

Other senior executives

During the reporting period ended 30 June 2019, the department did not have any senior executives who did not meet the definition of key management personnel. All key management personnel are included in Tables 16 and 17.

Other highly paid staff

During the reporting period ended 30 June 2019, the department did not have any highly paid staff who did not meet the definitions of key management personnel or senior executives, and whose details are therefore not reported in Tables 16 and 17.

Work health and safety

The department is committed to fulfilling its responsibilities under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act), the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 and the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988. During the reporting period, all reasonably practicable measures were taken to protect the health, safety and welfare of employees while at work, in line with the department’s work health and safety policies.

The department aims to achieve high standards of work health and safety in its operations and to fulfil its duty of care by providing and maintaining a safe and healthy work environment. There are a number of shared work health and safety risks across Parliament House that are the responsibility of all parliamentary departments. During the reporting period, a joint risk assessment was completed with the other parliamentary departments. The department’s internal auditors also conducted a review of the department’s work health and safety as part of the department’s strategic internal audit plan 2018–21 which found that the department’s overarching work health and safety framework substantially aligns with requirements of the WHS Act and better practice. The review produced six recommendations which have been substantially addressed at the time of reporting.

The department is responsive to the individual work health and safety needs of its staff. Workstation assessments are conducted for staff on request. These include education on the correct set-up of workstations—for example, the height of the desk at both sitting and standing positions. Workstation information is provided in orientation sessions for new staff.

In 2018–19, the department continued to apply an evidence-based risk management approach. The department aims to deliver high-quality and timely outcomes, establishing a safety culture through leadership, direction, capability and governance. Through the Rehabilitation Management System the department enhances positive early intervention outcomes that have supported injured or ill workers to achieve an early, safe and sustainable return to work. There has been a strong focus in providing and fostering a flexible workplace to take account of employees’ health and wellbeing.

The department’s Comcare premium rate for 2018–19 was 0.23 per cent of payroll, a decrease from 0.27 per cent in 2017–18.

No workers’ compensation claims were lodged during the reporting period.

During the year, there were no dangerous occurrences requiring notification under section 37 of the WHS Act, no investigations were carried out, and no directions or notices were received by the department under section 191 of the Act.