Introduction

Enterprise bargaining was a key focus for human resources management in 2017–18, following a ‘no’ vote in December 2016. Bargaining recommenced in July 2017, following the appointment of a new management bargaining team in June 2017. Over the course of nine weeks, 26 meetings were held with bargaining representatives before the ballot in October 2017. Eighty per cent of eligible voters participated in the ballot, with 75 per cent voting in favour of the new agreement. The Fair Work Commission approved the agreement, which came into effect on 12 January 2018. Employees received a three per cent pay rise on 25 January 2018.

Following the approval of the 2017 Enterprise Agreement, and amendments made to the Parliamentary Services Determination 2013 (in October 2017) work commenced to update supporting policies, procedures and systems.

DPS continued its focus on improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation and awareness throughout 2017–18. A range of initiatives were undertaken, including the department’s participation in the Indigenous Australian Government Development Program (IAGDP) for the second consecutive year, the expansion of the Parliamentary Service Indigenous Employee Network (PSIEN), and the implementation of CORE cultural awareness e-learning modules.

DPS Workforce performance

As at 30 June 2018, DPS⁴⁷ employed 998 staff (including staff on leave, secondment and inoperative staff), all based in Canberra. The DPS workforce comprised 825 ongoing employees (83 per cent) and 173 non-ongoing employees (17 per cent). Of the 173 non-ongoing employees, 92 are engaged for a ‘specified term or a specified task’ and 81 are engaged in ‘irregular or intermittent’ (casual) duties.

The DPS workforce comprised full-time, part-time, sessional and casual work arrangements—79 per cent full-time; nine per cent part-time; four per cent sessional; and eight per cent casual. These types of employment arrangements are used by the department to support the nature and demands of the parliamentary sitting patterns. The department’s workforce statistics tables can be found at Appendix A.

Table 34: Employment Performance 2016–17 and 2017–18

Indicator	2016–17	2017–18
Total number of staff employed (headcount)	972	998
Total number of staff employed (headcount excluding casuals)	892	917
Diversity
Women (percentage of total workforce)	40%	40%
People with identified disability (percentage of total workforce)	1.7%	1.8%
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (percentage of total workforce)	12(1.2%)	14(1.4%)
Staff with English as a second language (percentage of total workforce)	9.1%	10%
Health and Safety
Health and safety incidents (per 100 employees headcount)	9.7	10.6
Health and safety ‘near misses’ (per 100 employees headcount)	0.5	0.9
Number of health and safety representatives	20	28
Learning and Development
Number of staff undertaking studies assistance	30	35
Number of recorded attendances at DPS compliance training activities	827	3,679*
Recruitment
Average number of days to fill vacancy (from advertising to delegate sign-off)	55	61
External ‘new engagement’ hires (percentage of total new ongoing hires)	70%	71%
Net recruitment rate**	1.5	1.2

* New mandatory compliance training activities were added in 2018 for all employees. These include security awareness, cyber security awareness and CORE cultural awareness training.

** Net recruitment rate indicates whether the DPS workforce is growing (net recruitment rate greater than 1) or contracting (net recruitment rate less than 1).

Workforce diversity profile

Fourteen employees identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, making up 1.4 per cent of all DPS employees. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander headcount increased by two employees, resulting in a percentage increase of 0.2 per cent for the year.

Eighteen employees identified as People with Disability (up from 17 in 2016–17), or 1.8 per cent of all DPS employees. Cultural and Linguistic Diverse employees were represented by a headcount of 100 (up from 88 as at 30 June 2017) or 10 per cent of all DPS employees.

2017–18 again saw an increase in the representation of women in the DPS workforce, with a headcount of 403 employees (up from 389 in June 2017). The percentage of women in the DPS workforce remained stable at 40 per cent. Of the 403 women employees, 23 per cent were at the PEL1–2 classification—a decrease of one per cent on the previous year.

Figure 14: DPS workforce composition—30 June 2018

Figure 15: DPS employee working arrangements—30 June 2018

Workforce diversity

DPS continued its focus throughout 2017–18 on initiatives in support of the 2016–18 Parliamentary Service Reconciliation Action Plan.

Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)

In 2016, the RAP Champions from the four parliamentary departments worked with Reconciliation Australia to finalise a new RAP for the Parliamentary Service. The Parliamentary Service Reconciliation Action Plan 2016–18 was launched in July 2016 during NAIDOC Week. The DPS Reconciliation Action Plan working group oversees how DPS will implement our responsibilities under the RAP.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy

In 2017–18, DPS participated for the second time in the IAGDP, coordinated by the Department of Jobs and Small Business. DPS placed two Indigenous participants within the Chief Operating Officer Division. The IAGDP commenced in September 2017. It is a 15-month program that combines ongoing employment with structured learning and development. Participants undertake full-time work, while completing diploma-level studies.

Affirmative measures have been applied to nine bulk recruitment rounds in Building and Security Division, Chief Operating Officer Division, and the Parliamentary Library Division, to increase Indigenous representation.

Parliamentary Service Indigenous Employee Network (PSIEN)

In February 2017, the PSIEN was established to provide a shared space for Indigenous employees from across the Parliamentary Service to access information on relevant programs, initiatives and upcoming events. The network comprises Indigenous and non-Indigenous Parliamentary Service employees, who meet to discuss and create ideas on employment, retention and improving cultural understanding.

Disability

DPS continues to be a member of the Australian Network on Disability (AND). In February 2018, DPS established a project team to work with the AND on the review of the current workplace adjustment practices, and to develop a new policy and procedure document. The new approach will focus on the whole of the employee life cycle and is expected to be implemented in 2018–19.

In March 2018, the SES and PEL2 cohort were invited to attend an informative presentation delivered by the CEO of the AND, Suzanne Colbert. The presentation, held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, focused on raising awareness of the needs of employees with disability and increasing the department’s disability confidence.

In August 2017, HR Services and Strategy undertook Disability Confidence training and in May 2018 a special training session on Inclusive Language was delivered by the AND for Parliamentary Library employees.

During 2017–18, DPS has continued to be an active participant in the AND Disability Champions Round Table meetings, which are held on a quarterly basis.

Recruitment–entry level programs

In February 2018, DPS launched its first graduate program, placing three graduates across the Building and Security Division and Chief Operating Officer Division. Graduates complete a 12-month development program comprised of various rotations, on-the-job training, project-based activities and external learning workshops. The DPS Graduate Program was specifically designed to build internal specialist skills, knowledge, and experience.

Table 35: Entry Level Programs 2017–18

	PS level	Number of participants
Indigenous Australian Government Development Program (IAGDP)	PSL 3 to PSL 4	2
DPS Graduate Program	PSL 3 to PSL 4	3

Workforce mobility and retention

The DPS workforce has been growing in size for the past four years. The net recruitment rate has remained above 1.0 since 2014–15. At 30 June 2018 the net recruitment rate was 1.2, indicating another year of growth in the DPS workforce, although not as high as in 2016–17, when the rate was 1.5 (see Table 34). During 2017–18 there were a total of 221 employee commencements and 189 employee separations.

DPS’ commencement rate (for all employees) decreased by eight per cent, from 30 per cent in the previous year to 22 per cent in 2017–18. This decrease was largely influenced by significantly less recruitment in the Security and Parliamentary Experience branches. Building Services and Capital Works were the only branches that had increased new employee hires from the previous year.

Table 36: Overview of the DPS commencement for staff from 2015–16 to 2017–18

	2015–16	2016–17	2017–18
Commencements	169	281	221
Commencement rate48	19%	30.4%	22%
Commencements (ongoing employees)	66	125	113
Commencement Rate (ongoing employees)49	9%	16.4%	13.7%

In the same 12-month period, there were 189 employee separations–two fewer than in 2016–17. Of these, 110 were ongoing employee separations, an increase of 10 on the 100 separations in 2016–17. The ongoing employee turnover rate was 13.3 per cent, up from 13.1 per cent in 2016–17. The ongoing employee turnover rate continues to remain relatively steady over the past three years, at 13 per cent.

Table 37: Overview of the DPS separation rates for staff from 2015–16 to 2017–18

	2015–16	2016–17	2017–18
Staff separations (headcount)	157	191	189
Employee turnover rate (total)50	18%	20.7%	19%
Staff separations (ongoing employees)	98	100	110
Employee turnover rate (ongoing employees)51	13.4%	13.1%	13.3%

The highest numbers of ongoing separations were employee-initiated resignations, of which there were 40. This represented 36 per cent of the departing ongoing workforce. There were also 31 transfers at level (to either the Australian Public Service or elsewhere in the Parliamentary Service); 23 age retirements and seven promotions to either the Australian Public Service or elsewhere in the Parliamentary Service. These represented 28 per cent, 21 per cent and six per cent of the departing ongoing workforce respectively. Continuing capability reviews and subsequent structural realignment across DPS branches also resulted in eight voluntary redundancies, 11 fewer than in 2016–17.

Instruments of employment

The Department of Parliamentary Services Enterprise Agreement 2011, and from January 2018, the Department of Parliamentary Services Enterprise Agreement 2017, were the primary employment instruments in 2017–18. At 30 June 2018, a total of 981 employees were covered by the agreement and, of these, nine had individual arrangements. Fifteen Senior Executive Service (SES) officers were covered by determinations under subsection 24(1) of the PS Act.

No DPS employee receives a bonus or performance pay.

Remuneration and employment conditions

Non–salary benefits

Non-salary benefits available to DPS employees include influenza vaccinations and free membership for those wishing to join the Parliament House Health and Recreation Centre. Employees are also able to access the Employee Assistance Scheme at no cost. Parking is available at no cost to employees. Other benefits that may be available are laptop computers, tablets, mobile phones and airline membership.

Learning and development

DPS recognises its staff as a valuable resource and is committed to the ongoing development of their skills, knowledge and behaviours to meet the objectives of the department. Learning and development programs are aligned with our corporate plan and strategic themes. In order to broaden staff understanding of learning and development, DPS promotes the 70:20:10 learning principles—learning and development is most effective when there is a balance between on-the-job learning (70 per cent); mentoring, coaching, and peer learning (20 per cent); and formal learning (10 per cent).

Formal training and development

In 2017–18 there were 3,679 recorded attendances at DPS compliance training activities. Mandatory compliance training accounted for 62 per cent of all training activities undertaken.

DPS coordinated 53 in-house, face-to-face training sessions, which were attended by 395 employees. Of these 53 training sessions, 20 were facilitated by external providers.

Leadership development

DPS offered a range of leadership and executive development programs to PEL1 and PEL2 employees. DPS delivered the third PEL1 Development Program during 2017 to build capabilities in the PEL1 cohort. Eighteen people participated in this program.

Studies assistance

DPS provides support for employees to undertake tertiary studies, administered through the DPS Studies Assistance Policy. DPS supported 35 employees to undertake a range of tertiary studies. A total of 1,532.5 hours of study leave was provided to employees, and $33,969 in financial contributions was made.

Organisational culture and employee engagement

In May and June 2017 DPS participated in the annual APS Employee Census. A total of 581 employees provided feedback—a 63 per cent response rate. This was a slight decrease of one per cent on our 2016 response, but overall 55 more respondents participated than the previous year.

The 2017 census results continued to show improvement in three of the four aspects of employee engagement. While job engagement remained stable at 7.2 points, team engagement, along with supervisor and agency engagement scores, continued to show an increase on the previous years’ results.

Agency engagement again showed a significant improvement, to be 0.3 points above the APS average. The score was influenced by factors such as: the quality of senior leadership; approaches to change management; employee recognition; and the continued provision of relevant learning and development opportunities.

The 2017 results also showed significant improvements in the areas of performance management, senior leadership and internal communication.

Feedback and results from the 2017 census have helped inform and consolidate leadership development, people management practices and internal staff communications. Some of the initiatives flowing from the 2017 census results include:

• a change management resources portal, containing resources and tools to help both managers and employees prepare for and work through a change process, and
• the use of infographics to present a selection of DPS census topics results to staff (i.e. performance management, wellbeing and learning and development).

DPS once again participated in the APS Employee Census in 2018. A total of 587 employees responded—six more than in 2017 and a response rate of 63 per cent, which is the same as in 2017. The 2018 census results were not available as at 30 June 2018.

Note: DPS’ census results are not included in the Australian Public Service Commission’s annual State of the Service Report or annual Agency Survey Report.

Work Health and Safety (WHS)

Improvements to Parliament House

Due to the extensive amount of project work occurring in and around Parliament House, the DPS WHS Unit has been actively involved in providing advice on matters including:

• changed building/car park entry and lift upgrades
• the disabled toilet upgrades
• glass replacement in the link-ways and the skylight above Members Hall, and
• sliding fire doors.

Consultation on WHS issues

DPS maintains a high level of consultation on WHS issues. Staff are represented on health and safety committees that monitor and advise on WHS programs.

The DPS Peak WHS Committee focuses on reviewing WHS policies and procedures and taking a strategic approach to WHS management across DPS. Individual branches also hold their own WHS committee meetings.

The DPS Contractors’ WHS subcommittee met four times. This forum provides a valuable mechanism to address WHS issues related to the work performed by the large number of contractors at Parliament House.

A key component of DPS’ management of health and safety is its network of Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs), deputy HSRs, and Harassment Contact Officers (HCOs). As at 30 June 2018, DPS had 28 HSRs and deputies and 16 HCOs.

WHS training

A range of WHS-related training was provided to staff throughout the year, including generic induction and refresher sessions for staff and managers. Approximately 220 staff participated in generic WHS training programs.

WHS auditing

In 2017–18, DPS continued to undergo six-monthly surveillance audits of its WHS management system. An external audit confirmed that DPS continued to comply with the requirements of the Safety MAP Initial Level auditing tool. DPS has continued to maintain certification to Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) standards since its initial certification in November 2009.

Rehabilitation Management System Audit

In 2017–18, DPS underwent a biennial audit of its Rehabilitation Management System. An external audit was undertaken in May 2018 which achieved 100 per cent compliance against Comcare’s Rehabilitation Management Systems Audit Tool.

Incident reporting and investigation

One hundred and six incident reports were submitted by DPS employees during 2017–18. Six incidents were notified to Comcare in accordance with section 35 of the WHS Act. Incidents were examined by DPS and remedial action was taken where necessary. Comcare conducted three investigations into incidents.

There were no Provisional Improvement Notices issued under section 90 of the WHS Act. Three notices were issued under Part 10 of the WHS Act. No enforceable undertakings were issued under Part 11 of the WHS Act.

Nurses Centre

The Parliament House Nurses Centre continues to operate on sitting days. In January 2018, DPS engaged a full-time Registered Nurse (RN) to ensure continuity of care for attendees.

During non-sitting periods, the RN is responsible for auditing and maintaining first aid kits and equipment throughout Parliament House as well as the coordination of health promotion and health surveillance activities for DPS staff.