People
Under the department’s workforce management planning, DEIR seeks to be:
- an attractive workplace – able to attract and retain the right people
- a capable workplace – where staff have the capacity to meet client demands
- a safe and healthy workplace – to be a fair and sustainable organisation
- a productive workplace – where employees can make a difference.
As at 30 June 2007, the department employed 1,033 staff (full-time equivalents) with further 73.4 staff (full-time equivalents) on leave without pay. Temporary staff (excluding trainees) account for 8.1% of staff.
Attraction and retention
Equity and diversity
Health and wellbeing
Workplace health and safety
Learning
Performance and ethics
Attraction and retention
The development and implementation of the department’s attraction and retention strategy has been an important element in DEIR’s workforce management plan. Achievements in 2006-07 include:
- Development and launch of new information on the department’s intranet to focus on attraction strategies including:
- advice on developing advertising strategies and using recruitment agencies
- advice and templates for developing role descriptions
- roll out of a graduate program for policy and WHSQ inspectors.
- Research to identify key factors influencing staff attraction and retention of electrical safety inspectors.
- Development of strategies to attract specialists in identified critical occupations based on applications and turnover data, and investigation of strategies to respond to attraction and retention difficulties in critical occupations.
Future initiatives to support attraction and retention include:
- identifying key factors influencing attraction and retention of WHSQ inspectors
- implementing strategies to retain specialists in critical occupations
- revision of recruitment and selection processes
Equity and diversity
The department has a diverse and gender-balanced workforce and is continuing to work towards achieving whole-of-government equal opportunity employment targets.
The department’s Diversity and Equity Plan outlines goals, targeted strategies and performance indicators to integrate diversity in its workforce. The department provides support networks and mentoring for the target groups: people of non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB), people with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women and young people.
The department met the public sector diversity targets for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. There is now representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff at all levels of classification. DEIR has made consistent improvements in the representation of Women in Management - Middle & Upper Management category. At 30 June 2007, there were 33.3% women in this category, compared with 29% in June 2006. People with a disability represent 6.63% of the department’s staffing.
The department has adopted strategies to assist in managing the impact of its own ageing workforce. For example, the department has implemented a phased retirement strategy, where staff aged over 55 are eligible to work part-time as a means of supporting effective knowledge transfer.
Health and wellbeing
During the year, the department continued to promote health and wellbeing for staff as a cornerstone to building future capability and ensuring corporate sustainability. During the year, staff took advantage of subsidised flu vaccinations, quit smoking programs, health assessments and a range of health improvement activity programs, including lunchbox education sessions on health and wellbeing topics.
The department continued to offer an Employee Assistance Service (a professional counselling service), intensive case management (Early Intervention Strategy) for psychological injury and stress matters, and management training in the identification and managing of psychological injury and stress.
The department values an individual’s right to work without fear of harassment or unlawful discrimination. The department has, in accordance with The Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act 199,1 zero tolerance for harassment or unlawful discrimination of any sort. The department is committed to dealing with harassment and offers various avenues for advice, support and action.
The department recognises the challenges employees face in managing their work, family and lifestyle responsibilities, and offers staff a variety of initiatives to improve work and life balance. Flexible work practices available to DEIR staff include: part-time work, job sharing, leave without pay, accumulated time, and special responsibility leave for caring purposes. Other initiatives to support employees within DEIR to achieve work-life harmony include paid and unpaid parental leave, flexible starting and finishing times, and the option of negotiating additional leave (with a pro rata reduction in salary). At 30 June 2007, 6.6 % of staff were accessing reduced hours arrangements.
Workplace health and safety
The department is committed to the protection of all employees from risk of injury or illness in the working and training environment. Departmental managers at all levels are responsible and accountable for the management of workplace risk, including the identification, analysis, assessment and treatment of exposures that are likely to adversely impact on the operational performance of areas under their control, and ensuring compliance with relevant Acts, Regulations and Standards.
Learning
This year the department continued a wide range of programs and services to support learning and development.
The department’s induction program was been substantially revised to enhance its effectiveness. In addition to face-to-face induction presentations, comprehensive induction and employment information is available through the department’s intranet site. New staff are also encouraged to participate in the department’s two-day Leadership Development Program. This program, available to all staff, focuses on developing self-awareness, influencing skills and an understanding of theoretical models underpinning leadership. The department also offers a Management Development Program that supports managers to enhance their people management skills.
In addition to general induction processes, the department provided specialised induction programs for new staff working as inspectors (16-week program) and staff who join the department as part of the DEIR Graduate Development Program (12-month program). Both programs have on and off the job components.
To enhance the technical skills of inspectors working with the Electrical Safety Office, Private Sector Industrial Relations and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, the department delivered a range of in-house in-service development programs. The department maintained its status as a Registered Training Organisation and continued to deliver a curriculum derived from the National Workplace Inspection competency standards (part of the Public Service Training Package). The intensive and comprehensive training affirms DEIR’s commitment to quality service outcomes.
To date, 72 inspectors have completed the Diploma of Government (Workplace Inspection). Staff also have the opportunity to enrol in an Advanced Diploma of Government (Management).
In addition to technical skills associated with inspectorate activity, the department also offers staff access to a wide range of skills development programs targeting areas such as writing skills and policy skills. Staff undertaking further study are offered assistance through the Study and Research Assistance Scheme (SARAS).
Performance and ethics
The department’s performance and personal development planning framework focused on the organisational values, and has a strong focus on organisational sustainability through individual and team capability. The department’s Code of Conduct promotes core public sector values of respect for the law and system of government, respect to persons, integrity, diligence, economy and efficiency in accordance with the Public Sector Ethics Act 1994 (PDF, 403 KB) . The code was developed in consultation with employees of the department in addition to those organisations or groups which represent their interests.
Staff training on the code is delivered through an online or face-to-face induction program. The code, and further information about ethics at work, is provided to all staff through the department’s intranet site.
The department has guidelines available to all departmental staff about the protection of whistleblowers and the investigation of public interest disclosures. The department, as both a matter of duty and policy, actively supports the Whistleblowers Protection Act 1994 (PDF, 486 KB). The Act’s principal objective is to promote the public interest by protecting people who disclose unlawful, dangerous, negligent, or improper conduct affecting the public sector and public health and safety. In 2006–07, the department did not receive any public interest disclosures under the Whistleblowers Protection Act 1994.
Last updated 22 July 2009
Other languages