The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) has made 15 recommendations to improve workplace culture for the staff of Members of Parliament in the first substantial review of the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act (MoP(S)) since its establishment an 1984.
In its report Review of the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 (Cth), PM&C said the Review was recommended by Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins in her report Set the Standard: Report on the Independent Review into Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces.
“The Review was asked to identify legislative, policy or other changes or initiatives necessary to ensure the employment arrangements of parliamentarians and their staff are fit for purpose to support a professional, high-performing, safe and respectful workplace for all parliamentarians and their staff; and prevent bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault and address its impacts according to best practice,” PM&C said.
“In the main, the Review concluded that the framework of the MoP(S) Act was broadly appropriate, but required some amendments to modernise it, provide greater clarity, and improve transparency,” the Department said.
“Throughout the consultation process, the key recurring themes were accessibility and effectiveness of HR support; recruitment practices; staffing allocations; workload/hours; termination (including resignation); culture and conflict in the workplace; handling of complaints; training; accountability; and the employment framework.”
PM&C said it used those themes to focus the Report on four key areas, the Employment framework; Setting an office up for success; Accountabilities, expectations and responsibilities; and Employment separation.
The Department acknowledged issues around unacceptable behaviours and accountability.
“Significant reform is being made to the overarching MoP(S) Act framework concurrent with, but separate to, this Review,” it said.
“Our recommendations are not intended, in and of themselves, to respond to all of the issues that we heard, but are designed to work alongside the implementation of other recommendations in Set the Standard and remedy other gaps in the MoP(S) Act we have identified.”
Among PM&C’s 15 recommendations it suggested employee classifications and duties be simplified; factors impacting workloads be reviewed; and staffing allocations and employment terms and conditions be more transparent.
The Department also recommended the Act be amended to improve job security for employees; the requirements of a parliamentarian as an employer be listed; a safe and respectful workplace be provided; recruitment decisions be based on merit; and procedural fairness be provided in termination.
PM&C’s 170-page Review can be accessed at this PS News link.
People who require additional support as a result of the Review’s contents or reporting, can contact the Parliamentary Workplace Support service (PWSS) on 1800 747 977 and at this PS News link.
