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Human Resources
Effective corporate support for delivery of all amsa
outputs
Division: Corporate
Human Resources Review
The comprehensive review of human resource management policies and procedures continued to be refined during 2002-2003 in consultation with senior management and work was undertaken on fully implementing the new service delivery and planning framework for human resource services. These policies and procedures supplement the terms and conditions of employment that are provided in AMSA's employment arrangements (Australian Workplace Agreements, management contracts and the AMSA certified agreement) and under relevant legislation.
An implementation strategy has been initiated involving extensive staff consultations and access to services documentation on the intranet. The new service framework is underpinned by the adoption of five service pathways focusing on the delivery of services to achieve key corporate objectives:
- The Framework pathway aims to achieve lawful, ethical and competitive employment arrangements. This includes the AMSA Code of Conduct and programs relating to remuneration, employment agreements, and workplace diversity.
- The Workforce Dynamics pathway aims to achieve availability of the right mix of people, skills and experience to assist AMSA to achieve its corporate objectives. This includes programs relating to recruitment, relocations, separations, and work experience.
- The Performance pathway aims to ensure that AMSA's staff contribute to the achievement of corporate objectives. This includes a policy on workplace harassment and programs relating to performance improvement, training and development, resolution of disagreements, misconduct/underperformance, and employee assistance.
- The Health and Safety pathway aims to ensure that AMSA provides a safe and healthy working environment. This includes AMSA's occupational health and safety policy and programs relating to safety management, rehabilitation and workers' compensation.
- The Administration pathway aims to achieve appropriate administration of employment arrangements (payments and records) to underpin the relationship between AMSA and its people. This includes programs relating to payroll services, record-keeping, access to information and benchmarking/reporting.
Workplace Relations
Negotiations commenced in May 2002
for replacement of AMSA's certified agreement, which then covered
38 per cent of AMSA staff and nominally expired in November 2002. Following
an extensive consultative process with staff and negotiations involving staff
representatives and unions, the new agreement was endorsed by 87 per cent
of staff voting in the formal approval ballot conducted by the Australian
Electoral Commission. At a hearing in December 2002, the Australian Industrial
Relations Commission certified the agreement with AMSA staff under section
170LK of the Workplace
Relations Act 1996.
The overall aim of the agreement negotiations was to achieve a closer alignment between the terms of the agreement and the employment framework applying to the majority of staff under individual employment agreements and to underpin AMSA's general employment policies. Features of the new agreement include:
- greater flexibility in determining remuneration with a minimum salary provided by the National Remuneration Centre's Jobscore remuneration system;
- enhanced flexibility in working hours to meet AMSA's needs;
- strengthened performance arrangements with streamlined mechanisms to address misconduct and underperformance;
Training and Development Programs
- adoption of a single "resolution of disagreements" procedure to cover industrial and personal disputes arising between AMSA and its staff and/or trade unions; and
- inclusion of specific employee requirements arising from confidentiality of official information and intellectual property rights.
AMSA's performance management system commits the organisation and its people
to training and development opportunities tailored to improvements in service
outcomes and personal effectiveness. This commitment is demonstrated by AMSA's
ongoing investment in education and training. A total of
$0.421 million or 1.8 per cent of actual salary costs was expended on training
and development activities during the 2002-2003.
Studies Assistance Scheme
The Studies Assistance Scheme provided support to 11 employees engaged in formal tertiary education in 2002-2003. Under the scheme, students are provided with a range of financial and other assistance, including payment of fees and charges and paid leave to attend classes, exams and complete assignments. Currently courses are being undertaken in the areas of maritime studies, business administration, science and technology, training and development and public policy.
The following tables illustrate AMSA's staff profile as at 30 June 2003.
Staff Profile
| Classification | Fixed Term | Ongoing | Overall Total | Total all staff | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time | Part-time | Casual | Full-time | Part-time | Casual | ||||||||||
| M* | F* | M* | F* | M* | F* | M* | F* | M* | F* | M* | F* | M* | F* | ||
| Chief Executive | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Executive Manager | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Senior Manager | 16 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 16 | 2 | 18 |
| AMSA 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 2 | - | 32 | 4 | - | - | 1 | - | 37 | 5 | 42 |
| AMSA 6 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 30 | 5 | - | 1 | 2 | - | 33 | 7 | 40 |
| AMSA 5 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 67 | 8 | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | 69 | 11 | 80 |
| AMSA 4 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 10 | 7 | - | 1 | - | - | 10 | 9 | 19 |
| AMSA 3 | 1 | 2 | - | - | 1 | - | 5 | 12 | - | 4 | - | 3 | 7 | 21 | 28 |
| AMSA 2 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | 4 | - | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | 8 | 10 |
| AMSA 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 24 | 9 | 1 | - | 3 | 1 | 146 | 40 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 178 | 64 | 242 |
*M=Male, F=Female
The following graph shows the movement in the number of employees in each AMSA classification over the last three years.
The following graph provides a breakdown of AMSA staff by gender and age.
The following graph demonstrates the number of employees engaged under the AMSA certified agreement, Australian workplace agreements or under contract.
Occupational Health and Safety Activities
As part of AMSA's review of human resource services a consultant, specialising in occupational health and safety related functions, examined AMSA's human resources service structure. The consultant's examination centred on AMSA's current and future business requirements and objectives and identified several changes, which would improve service delivery or better target AMSA's business objectives. The engagement of a specialist occupational health and safety officer in March 2003 was the first change effected by AMSA. Other structural changes in the management of occupational health and safety prevention activity and delivery of rehabilitation and workers compensation services, included:
- Strengthening the occupational health and safety consultative structure and supporting committees.
- Reviewing health and safety representation within operational areas of Marine Operations.
- Revising incident reporting systems and formatting of occupational health and safety data and reporting, including improved contractor reporting on occupational health and safety, to make it more useful.
- Reviewing occupational health and safety policy and guidance, together with its presentation and dissemination.
- Improving integration of occupational health and safety audits and monitoring structures within AMSA's quality management system.
- Adopting more pro-active intervention in AMSA's operational workplaces, including onsite operational observation/training and consultancy visits.
- Providing specialist occupational health and safety advice, in particular the risks of confined space entry and the potential impact of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome on the AMSA workforce, especially marine surveyors visiting foreign flag ships and staff undertaking business travel overseas.
- Better integration of security principles, guidance and practice into occupational health and safety systems.
- Developing, implementing and providing training for a national occupational health and safety audit/monitoring system.
- Facilitating application of risk management principles and practice in occupational health and safety practice and programs.
- Developing a 'Centre of Excellence for Occupational Health and Safety' concept throughout AMSA's national workplace, in keeping with its safety charter and industry leader status.
AMSA has continued to improve its record for reducing lost time through work-related injury and illness, with four lost time incidents reported in 2002-2003. The graph shown below illustrates the declining trend in average lost days per employee from work-related injury and illness.
In accordance with Section 68 of the Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991, four incidents were notified and reported to Comcare during 2002-2003. The following graph shows the total incidents reported each year.
The reduction in the number of occupational health and safety incidents is reflected in AMSA's workers' compensation premium experience compared to all Commonwealth agencies combined, as illustrated in the following graph.
Occupational Health & Safety Committees
The National Occupational Health and Safety Committee, comprising management, staff and union representatives, met quarterly during 2002-2003. A further Regional Occupational Health and Safety Committee has been formed to address strategic issues arising in the Canberra office following the adoption of greater strategic focus for the National Committee.
Health and Safety Representatives
In accordance with the Occupational Health & Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991, Health and Safety Representatives have been appointed and information about the selected representative and deputy, where applicable, placed in each workplace. A number of new representatives have been selected and trained as vacancies have arisen in Designated Work Groups.
Employee Assistance Program
AMSA provides an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that delivers free counselling services to staff and their families. The EAP was accessed by 14 AMSA employees and two family members during the year, with two initial telephone consultations provided. This represents an annual utilisation rate by staff of around 14 per cent.
Disability Strategy
During the 2002-2003, AMSA continued to support equity of access for people with disabilities in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) and the Commonwealth Disability Strategy (CDS). Following completion of the human resource services review, AMSA is refocusing its existing policies and procedures to address equity of access across Divisions and regional locations to meet the needs of people with disabilities. This includes improving organisational awareness, information gathering and analysis, in terms of best practice policies and initiatives and the Performance Reporting Framework under the CDS.Under the Performance Reporting Framework, AMSA has identified the roles of policy advisory, regulator and employer as being most relevant to its reporting responsibilities. AMSA has ensured that the underlying principles and philosophies of the DDA and the CDS are incorporated in its new human resources planning framework and, through the quality management system, in policy development and service delivery.
Of particular interest to AMSA's stakeholders is the issue of accessibility to information with ongoing work to ensure that no users are disadvantaged in accessing its online services. AMSA's web site is being progressively redesigned to conform with the World Wide Web Consortium's Priority 1 accessibility standards. Work is also underway to ensure high level conformance at later stages of the development of AMSA's online resources. AMSA is also ensuring that all development work on its web site takes into consideration difficulties of access for stakeholders, including senior citizens, clients in remote locations (including those who may be at sea) and physically or technically disadvantaged users.
AMSA's relationship with its employees and prospective employees is underpinned by the principles of workplace diversity and anti-discrimination. Accordingly, employment policies and practices comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Prospective employees have access to comprehensive information online and a 24 hour TTY unit for contact. All new employees attend a mandatory induction program that includes education on AMSA's workplace diversity and anti-discrimination policies. A network of accessible workplace harassment officers and open communication between managers, staff and corporate support areas assists in providing an attractive and supportive working environment.