People strategies: planning and delivery
Organisational reviews
The department conducts organisational reviews as required to ensure that workloads in all areas are matched with the number of staff required to perform the work, and that the classification levels or work value requirements of individual jobs are appropriate to the work being conducted.
Recruitment of staff
The department advertised to fill six ongoing vacancies during 2013–14 (two in 2012–13), of which three were filled by external applicants.
Retention of staff
A total of 16 ongoing and 25 non-ongoing staff left the department in 2013–14—a turnover rate of 9.7 per cent of ongoing staff (10.7 per cent in 2012–13). Appendix 11 includes details of separations.
Exit interviews with staff leaving the department continued to be conducted by Senior Executive Service managers. Five interviews were conducted during the year.
Graduate placement program
The parliamentary graduate placement program continued in 2013–14. The program involves three-month placements of staff from the graduate recruitment programs of Australian government agencies. An objective of the program is to promote the work of the parliament to agencies and the staff of those agencies.
The Department of the Senate was again involved with the program, and the Parliamentary Budget Office became involved in the 2014 program. The program continued to draw a high level of interest from individual graduates and from a range of agencies. We had six graduates on three-month placements in the department in 2013–14.
Feedback from graduates has confirmed that the program is highly successful and that the objectives of the placements have been met.
Alumni
The department formed an alumni association of former staff in 2008. On 30 June 2014 there were 196 members. The association issued one newsletter during the year.
The board of the alumni association conducted a survey of members to gather information on their expectations of the association. Some members volunteered to assist with the Parliament House Open Day on 24 August 2013.
On 22 October 2013, the annual general meeting of the association was held and was attended by 14 association members. At the meeting, two co-chairs were elected and the membership of the alumni board was increased by self-nomination of attendees.
A reception for members of the association and staff was held on 29 November 2013.
The board met once in 2013–14.
Training and development
Table 12 shows the department’s training and development expenditure as a percentage of expenditure on salaries in 2012–13 and 2013–14. It also shows the average number of person-days spent on training, and the average staffing level in both years. The average number of training days for staff increased from 4.1 to 4.3 days of off-the-job training per person per year. The increase was due to training conducted during the election period and at the start of the new parliament. During the election period, staff were able to undertake mobility placements of three months or less.
Table 12 Expenditure on training and development programs, 2012–13 and 2013–14
| |
2012-13 |
2013-14 |
| Expenditure as percentage of annual payroll |
1.0% |
1.14% |
| Average training days per person |
4.1 |
4.3 |
| Average staffing level |
161 |
155 |
Table 13 compares the average attendance of staff at training courses in 2012–13 and 2013–14. It also shows the average staffing level and total number of training days attended in 2013–14 for each classification.
Table 13 Average staff attendance at training courses, 2012–13 and 2013–14
| Classification |
Average staffing level |
Total number of training days attended |
Average number of training days attended |
| |
2013-14 |
2013-14 |
2012-13 |
2013-14 |
| Senior Executive Service |
5.6 |
15.0 |
5.8 |
3.0 |
| Executive Band 2 |
19.2 |
60.0 |
4.1 |
3.1 |
| Executive Band 1 |
40.5 |
131.4 |
3.2 |
4.6 |
| Parliamentary Service Level 6 |
25.6 |
111.7 |
3.4 |
4.6 |
| Parliamentary Service Level 5 |
7.6 |
21.3 |
4.0 |
2.8 |
| Parliamentary Service Level 4 |
27.8 |
139.3 |
3.6 |
5.0 |
| Parliamentary Service Level 3 |
10.6 |
63.9 |
2.4 |
6.0 |
| Parliamentary Service Level 2 |
18.4 |
74.4 |
1.5 |
4.0 |
| Not specified |
– |
55.7 |
– |
– |
| Totals |
154.7 |
672.6 |
4.1 |
4.3 |
Leadership development
The department has invested in leadership development with a range of external providers for over a decade and has trend data from staff surveys on leadership for the entire period.
The Executive and Executive Band 2 staff participated in leadership programs designed for each level. Leadership programs for Executive Band 1 and Parliamentary Service Level 6 staff continued. A new program for Parliamentary Service Level 4 and 5 staff is planned for next financial year.
Knowledge management
The Knowledge Management Steering Committee met three times during 2013–14. The committee comprised staff from all areas of the department and was chaired by the Clerk Assistant (Committees). During the year the membership of the committee was refreshed.
The committee continued to monitor the records management program, including the project to implement e-Trim across the department. The committee also monitored the progress of the Parliament of Australia website enhancements project and web governance board, and the project to develop the Table Offices Production System. It kept a watching brief on emerging technologies, including social media and presentation tools, and encouraged the department’s commitment to knowledge management processes.
Studybank
A total of 17 staff participated in the department’s Studybank program during the year (compared with 10 staff in 2012–13). Collectively, they received financial assistance of $18,236 (compared with $15,753 in 2013), along with 136.4 days study leave on full pay.
Performance assessment
All eligible staff participated in the annual work performance assessment cycle, completed on 31 October 2013. The cycle consists of setting individual work objectives, conducting performance assessments, preparing individual development plans and providing feedback to supervisors. The individual development plans are compiled and the development requirements of staff are reviewed. These then form the basis for the training program for the next calendar year.
Enterprise agreement
The Department of the House of Representatives Enterprise Agreement 2012–15 covers all staff except Senior Executive Service staff. The department’s Senior Executive Service staff are covered by determinations made under section 24(1) of the Parliamentary Service Act.
Staff salary scales under the agreement are summarised in Table 14.
Table 14 Salary scales of staff covered by the 2012–15 enterprise agreement, at 1 December 2013
| Classification |
Salary scale ($) |
| Executive Band 2 |
128,746–136,417 |
| Executive Band 1 |
99,473–110,954 |
| Parliamentary Service Level 6 |
80,165–90,980 |
| Parliamentary Service Level 5 |
74,097–78,406 |
| Parliamentary Service Level 4 |
65,508–70,874 |
| Parliamentary Service Level 3 |
59,266–63,666 |
| Parliamentary Service Level 2 |
52,669–57,509 |
| Parliamentary Service Level 1 |
46,559–50,944 |
Salaries expenditure
In 2013–14, departmental salaries and allowances totalled $18.10 million ($18.18 million in 2012–13).
Workplace diversity
The department’s workplace diversity program aligns our workplace diversity strategies and actions with the Parliamentary Service Values. The workplace diversity program was reviewed in 2013–14 and is pivotal in our formal commitment to a workplace culture that builds respect, fosters inclusiveness, promotes diversity and embraces the unique skills and qualities of all our employees.
New staff continued to receive training in the prevention of discrimination, bullying and harassment as soon as practicable after their commencement. The harassment contact officers received further training, which was also attended by staff and union representatives.
Work health and safety
The department’s aim under the health and safety management arrangements is to create and maintain a safe and healthy working environment.
Workstation assessments are conducted for staff on request. Included in the workstation assessment is education on the correct set-up of workstations including the correct height of the desk at both sitting and standing positions. This information is also included in orientation sessions for new staff.
In March 2014, influenza vaccinations were offered to staff, and 94 staff were vaccinated.
The department’s Comcare premium rate for 2013–14 was 0.69 per cent of payroll, a decrease from the 2012–13 rate of 0.82 per cent.
During the year, no dangerous occurrences required notification under section 37 of the Work Health Safety Act 2011. No investigations were carried out and no directions or notices were received by the department under section 191 of the Act.
Table 15 summarises compensation claims received from staff for the past five financial years.
Table 15 Compensation claims incidence, by injury group, 2009–10 to 2013–14
| |
2009–10 |
2010–11 |
2011–12 |
2012–13 |
2013–14 |
| Fracture excluding back |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Strain excluding back |
2 |
1 |
– |
– |
– |
| External effects |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Multiple injuries |
– |
– |
1 |
– |
– |
| Occupational overuse syndrome |
– |
– |
1 |
– |
– |
| Psychological injuries |
1 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Total |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |