We strove to provide a workplace that offered fulfilling and challenging work, and promoted the professional and personal development of our staff. As the national expert in both privacy and FOI regulation, we relied on a team of highly skilled and competent staff.

In 2018–19, we continued to build the capacity of existing staff, to develop the necessary skill sets to meet the heightened demands for privacy and information management for the Australian public, government agencies and wider industry.

Our people

As a small agency in a competitive market, we continued to face challenges in recruiting and retaining skilled people. We used a number of strategies to attract talent including online and social media advertising.

During this reporting period, we had an average staffing level of 85.3. Our staff turnover was approximately 24% for ongoing staff. This involved 19 ongoing staff resigning, retiring or transferring to other Australian Government agencies. We had 20 ongoing staff join us during 2018–19. As of 30 June 2019, we had 89.7 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, including ongoing and non-ongoing employees.

Table 3.1: Staffing profile as at 30 June 2019

Employment statistics

Learning and development

We are committed to ongoing learning and development of our staff, recognising the importance of building and developing capabilities to meet current and future needs.

Our work is increasingly becoming more technical as the digital environment becomes more complex, and we are also seeing more complex and substantive complaints and investigations compared to previous financial years.

Staff can access a range of learning and development opportunities in line with the Australian Public Service Commission’s 70:20:10 model of learning.

We provided the following components of our learning and development program for staff.

Talking about performance

Our Performance Management and Development scheme ‘Talking about performance’provided regular and formal assessment of staff members’ work performance and identified learning and development needs.

Professional skills development

Staff undertake specialised training to ensure they are continuously building on their subject-matter expertise and able to access the latest information from industry and government.

During this reporting period, relevant staff attended specialist training in decision writing, administrative law, conciliation and investigations, auditing skills, leadership and management, plain English, mental health and managing unreasonable complainant conduct.

Study and professional membership assistance

We encouraged staff to undertake study to develop their knowledge and skills in relevant areas. Study assistance provided skilled and knowledgeable staff for our current and future requirements and supports staff in meeting their learning and development needs.

Benefits

We offer our people the following non-salary related benefits:

• flexible working arrangements including home-based work where appropriate
• employee assistance program
• extended purchased leave
• maternity and adoption leave
• parental leave
• leave for personal compelling reasons and exceptional circumstances
• access to paid leave at half pay
• Flextime (APS staff)
• study assistance
• support for professional and personal development
• healthy lifestyle reimbursement
• screen-based eyesight testing and screen-based prescription glasses reimbursements
• influenza vaccinations.

Workplace relations

The Fair Work Commission approved our Enterprise Agreement 2016–19 on 5 May 2016. On 7 March 2019, the Commissioner issued the Public Service (Office of the Australian Information Commissioner Non-SES Employees) Determination 2019 made under s 24(1) of the Public Service Act 1999. The determination commenced on 13 May 2019 and staff covered by the enterprise agreement received an increase to their existing salary and specified allowances, and will receive further increases in 2020 and 2021.

In 2018–19, no staff received performance pay. Six staff had an individual flexibility arrangement.

OAIC Consultation Forum

The OAIC Consultation Forum provides an opportunity for our staff and their representatives to meet and consider issues relating to working at the OAIC.

Statutory office holder and SES remuneration

The Remuneration Tribunal determined the terms and conditions of our statutory office holder. Remuneration for the Senior Executive Service (SES) officers is governed by determinations made by the Commissioner under s 24(1) of the Public Service Act 1999.

For information on executive remuneration, see Appendix B.

Workplace diversity

In 2018–19, 31% of staff had a non-English speaking background and 1% identified as Indigenous.

Our Diversity Committee, during this reporting period, was led by an Assistant Commissioner and included representatives from the Regulation and Strategy Branch, Enquiries Line and Dispute Resolution Branch. The Diversity Committee was responsible for driving our wider diversity strategy and coordinating our obligations under Multicultural Access and Equity Reporting.

Work health and safety

We shared expertise and resources on work health and safety (WHS) issues with the AHRC. Our WHS representatives were members of the joint agencies’ WHS Committee. We conducted regular site inspections as a preventative measure and there were no significant incidents reported by staff during this reporting period. All new staff are provided with WHS information upon commencement and ongoing support and assistance is offered to our people.