In the past year, we continued to increase our workforce to ensure we can deliver quality services. We developed a Strategic Workforce Plan in 2019–20, which will be implemented along with operational plans throughout 2020–21.

Our performance expectations are consistent with the APS Employment Principles in the Public Service Act and the Australian Public Service Commissioner’s Directions 2016. In particular, the Principles require effective performance of each employee, support the concept of managers and employees having regular and honest discussions about performance, and provide for two formal reviews during an annual performance cycle.

Our People

We continued to onboard staff in our offices across Australia to support our operations in all jurisdictions except Western Australia (which is due to be established on 1 December 2020).

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Our workforce mix

Our workforce comprises ongoing APS, non-ongoing APS, and labour hire (contractor) employees. As at 30 June 2020, our APS employee headcount was 221.

The average staffing level (ASL) in the Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS) for 2019–20 was 237. The ASL for 2019–20 as at 30 June 2020 was 211.75. Our staffing level was managed below the ASL cap to the last quarter of 2019–20 to ensure positions were available to support the establishment of the WA office from 1 July 2020. The transition of WA was postponed to December 2020.

Our Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) employee count at the beginning of the financial year was 216.6, and this remained relatively consistent throughout the financial year. This does not include labour hire (contractor) staff.

Of our 221 employees, 99 per cent are ongoing employees with 1 per cent engaged on a non- ongoing basis. Approximately 71 per cent of our workforce is female.

Diversity

We aim to continue our focus on ensuring our workforce reflects the community we support by developing an inclusion approach that provides internal policies and strategies to eliminate barriers to inclusion. We support flexible working arrangements, and 9 per cent of our employees have part-time working agreements in place. We strive to source a quality workforce who have lived experience of disability. To date, more than 5 per cent of our employees have shared their disability status in our human resource system.

Enterprise agreement

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission Enterprise Agreement 2019–2022, was negotiated and approved consistent with the Workplace Bargaining Policy 2018 and came into effect on 15 October 2019. We engaged ORIMA Research to undertake the ballot and a ‘yes’ vote of 96.63 per cent was achieved. Our Enterprise Agreement provides the employment terms for our non-SES APS employees. More information about remuneration in the APS is available in the APSC’s Remuneration Report available at www.apsc.gov.au.

Remuneration

Senior Executive Service (SES) Remuneration

The Remuneration Tribunal sets the remuneration and conditions for the NDIS Commissioner. SES employees’ remuneration and employment conditions are provided via individual Determinations, which may deviate from standard salary ranges.

Total remuneration for SES employees includes salary, Executive Vehicle Allowance, and superannuation. Superannuation arrangements vary depending on whether an SES employee is in a Defined Benefits Scheme member or a member of an accumulation fund. In 2019–20, the salary ranges for SES employees are:

• SES Band 1: $174,710 – $203,042
• SES Band 2: $225,472 – $251,443

No SES staff received performance pay.

Non-Senior Executive Service remuneration

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission Enterprise Agreement 2019–2022 (the Agreement) provides salary entitlements and employment terms for non-SES employees. The Agreement includes provision for salary advancement subject to satisfactory performance and other factors and for the payment of a range of allowances such as Workplace Contact Officer Allowance, Higher Duties Allowance, and reimbursement of reasonable costs associated with relocations.

No non-SES staff received performance pay. The salary ranges for 2019–20 are shown in the following table:

The following salary ranges are for employees who work in the legal field:

Non-salary benefits

Non-salary benefits provided to employees include leave options, flexible working arrangements (which include part-time work and home-based work) and employer superannuation contributions paid to defined benefits schemes and paid to accumulation funds. Employees also have access to salary packaging, in particular, novated leasing arrangements and salary packaging of superannuation.

SES entitlements are specified in a Determination made by the NDIS Commissioner under section 24(1) of the Public Service Act. SES benefits other than salary include salary, parking, and payment of an Executive Vehicle Allowance.

13.6 per cent of employees had salary packaging arrangements in place as at 30 June 2020.