Staff Environment

Family Friendly and Flexible Working Environment

The AIR sought to utilise the agreement making process as a means of introducing a range of new conditions of employment to assist employees in balancing their work and family obligations.

To achieve this, amongst other business goals, the Agreement as approved introduced a quality people management effort through the active management of smaller, multi-skilled Teams. The agreement builds on recent workplace restructuring and devolves to Teams the primary responsibility for managing workloads and outcomes within the considerable flexibilities provided through the agreement. For example, attendance is to be managed by Teams within the flextime arrangements and with a focus on performance/outcomes rather than a culture based on the ‘clocking-up’ of hours.

New conditions of employment include:

· ante-natal medical checks without loss to personal leave or flexitime;

· the establishment of new child and dependent care rooms in Melbourne and Sydney;

· increased flexibilities in access to annual leave for family and personal responsibilities;

· purchased/variable leave arrangements to cater, for example, school holiday cycles;

· a combination of personal leave (sick, carer’s, bereavement and special) and simplified rules for access and approval; and

· AWAs allow scope for further individual customisation of terms and conditions. (AWAs are available for staff unconditionally, subject only to the requirements of the Workplace Relations Act 1996).

Learning Environment

The Agreement also seeks to develop a learning environment to improve both personal and Team outcomes, and as a consequence client service. For the first time, financial assistance (along with leave provisions) is being provided for formal learning in a new skills and training development package. The development of web-based skills in the new Information Management and Technology Team is a case in point.

Graduate Program

A new program to encourage closer cooperation between the legal education and training fraternity and the AIRC/AIR was implemented during the reporting period. The Graduate Program will provide for the annual appointment of one law graduate with a proven interest in labour law and related fields in both the Melbourne and Sydney registries for a fixed period of up to twelve months. The graduates will be exposed to all facets of the AIRC/AIR, from the processing of applications to the provision of Associate services for Commission Members. The inaugural intake under the program will commence in late 2000.

Security

Plans have been implemented to upgrade substantially security on Commission and Registry floors in Melbourne by way of installing card readers on non - public floors.