Staffing
The Clerk of the Senate is appointed by the President of the Senate under subsection 58(1) of the Parliamentary Service Act, after consulting senators. Staff are engaged under section 22 of that Act.
Additional support was provided to the department through secondment arrangements with other Commonwealth and state and territory government agencies, such as the Office of Parliamentary Counsel, as well as by graduates participating in the Parliament of Australia Graduate Program.
Figure 19 shows that the average full-time equivalent staffing level for 2022–23 was 169, a decrease from 171 in 2021–22.
The department participated in the 2022 Australian Public Service Employee Census. Of the 119 employees who responded (response rate of 64%), no employees identified as an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person.
Further staffing statistics are provided in Appendix 2.
Figure 19 – Full-time equivalent staff numbers, 2019–20 to 2022–23
The department's learning and development framework supports staff to develop and maintain relevant skills and knowledge. Participation in learning activities is actively promoted and encouraged. In 2022–23, a total of 21 learning activities were offered, all of which focused on skills for the workplace, leadership, diversity, health and well-being and role-specific learning.
Thirteen learning activities were internal training sessions, with a focus on parliamentary skills and knowledge. Continued learning and development in parliamentary procedure and practice remains a priority for the department, to support our core work providing accurate and timely procedural advice.
In addition to the above learning and development opportunities, the department coordinated an additional four sessions for staff in specific roles where there was a need to focus on mental health, physical health and safety (WH&S), and social well-being and inclusion.
Financial assistance or paid leave (or both) is also available under the department's Studybank scheme, to assist ongoing staff to undertake tertiary studies relevant to the department's objectives. In 2022–23, 15 employees accessed Studybank.
The department participated in the 2022 Australian Public Service Employee Census, administered by the Australian Public Service Commission, in May and June 2022. The department's results are posted publicly on the Australian Parliament House website in line with the release of the APS-wide results.
Employment arrangements
The remuneration of the Clerk of the Senate, who is the holder of a statutory office, is determined by the President of the Senate after consultation with the Remuneration Tribunal.
The department's five Senior Executive Service (SES) employees are covered by determinations made under subsection 24(1) of the Parliamentary Service Act.
The department's 201 non-SES employees (including casual or sessional employees and those on long-term leave) are covered by the Department of the Senate Enterprise Agreement 2017–2020.
On 15 May 2020, the Clerk made the Department of the Senate Non-SES Employees Remuneration Determination 2020, to supplement the Department of the Senate Enterprise Agreement 2017–2020 with three further salary increases, commencing May 2021, November 2021 and November 2022. This followed a 92 per cent ‘yes' vote by eligible employees for this determination in lieu of bargaining for a new enterprise agreement.
On 8 November 2022, the Clerk made a further determination, the Parliamentary Service (Subsection 24(1) – Department of the Senate Non-SES Employees) Amendment Determination 2022, to amend the salary increase commencing 9 November 2022 from 2% to 3%, in line with the Public Sector Interim Workplace Arrangements 2022.
One employee had an Individual Flexibility Arrangement with the Clerk in accordance with clause 7 of the Enterprise Agreement.
Under these various workplace arrangements, staff have access to a range of entitlements, including leave, study assistance, a workplace support allowance, salary packaging, guaranteed minimum superannuation payments and other allowances. Employees can also use other services offered at Parliament House, including the sporting facilities and the Parliamentary Library. None of the department's workplace arrangements provide for performance pay.
In response to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Clerk made the Department of the Senate Non-SES Employees COVID-19 Determination 2022 and the Department of the Senate SES Employees COVID-19 Determination 2022. These determinations continued greater flexibility for staff accessing existing leave entitlements should they need additional leave as a result of the pandemic, and provided for paid discretionary leave for casual or sessional employees, until 12 April 2023. These determinations reflected similar arrangements applying to the Australian Public Service during the period.
The department provides staff a total of four hours of paid discretionary leave to travel to and receive COVID-19 vaccinations. 32 staff accessed this leave in 2022–23.
All employees work at Parliament House, Canberra.
A Notice of Employee Representational Rights, the first mandatory step in the bargaining process for a new enterprise agreement, was issued to all non-SES employees in the department on 30 June 2023.
Work health and safety
The department promotes and protects the physical and mental health and well-being of its workers and others in the workplace by providing a safe, supportive and inclusive environment and meeting its duties and obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. The department's Health and Safety Committee met five times during 2022–23.
A new HR Advice on health and well-being support for employees experiencing menopause was published on 15 March 2023. Also, consistent with recommendation 28 of the Set the Standard Report regarding alcohol policies, in July 2022, the department published a new HR Advice for employees on Alcohol at Work.
The department notifies work health and safety incidents to Comcare as required by the Work Health and Safety Act. There were no incidents notified to Comcare in 2022–23. The department was not subject to any investigation or compliance or enforcement measure under that Act.
The department continued to monitor the impacts of COVID-19 on staff. Instances of exposure and infection were recorded (where reported) and staff were provided with tailored support to suit their circumstances, particularly where staff were returning to work as they recover from long COVID symptoms.
Specific guidance for supervisors and employees on managing long-term health impacts from COVID-19 was published on 16 February 2023.
COVIDSafe travel packs and advice continue to be available to all staff.
Workplace diversity and inclusion
The department's new Policy on Workplace Diversity and Inclusion and action plan identifying shared actions across the diversity groups was published on 9 May 2023.
The diversity groups identified in the Policy are: First Nations' people, people with disabilities, gender diversity, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, mature aged persons, carers, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual + (LGBTQIA+) persons.
Specific action plans for each diversity group are also being developed. Workshops led by program managers and other senior leaders are being held with interested staff. Workshops on action plans for LGBTQIA+ persons and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds were held in April and June 2023 respectively.
Action plans will be regularly reviewed and updated as required, to keep up to date with developments in best practice, address intersecting diversities, or to incorporate and align with new whole-of-Parliamentary Service measures.
The department also continues to participate in meetings of the Parliamentary Departments, including through the new Access and Inclusion Champions Group, to discuss our respective departments' diversity and inclusion activities, and potential for further cross-parliamentary activities.
The department has expanded the scope of diversity information employees can provide using our HR information management system, Aurion. This will supplement the diversity information that is already collected through our recruitment process, which we will continue to refine.
The department also voluntarily participated in the 2022 pilot public sector reporting program run by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.
The department will use the information available to us through these data collection and reporting mechanisms to improve our measurement and reporting of diversity characteristics, including in future annual reports, and to further strengthen our strategies to support workplace diversity and inclusion.
Ethical standards and behaviour
The department works within a strong ethical framework guided by the Parliamentary Service Values, Parliamentary Service Employment Principles and the Parliamentary Service Code of Conduct set out in the Parliamentary Service Act 1999.
New staff are inducted and advised of the department's workplace values and ethical standards of behaviour.
Breaches of the Parliamentary Service Code of Conduct are taken seriously and managed appropriately according to the Parliamentary Service Act. In 2022–23, no employees were investigated for breaches of the Code of Conduct.