A PERTH industrial relations consultancy is the first agency involved in the Office of the Employment Advocate’s Australian Workplace Agreements fast-tracking pilot program.
A PERTH industrial relations consultancy is the first agency involved in the Office of the Employment Advocate’s Australian Workplace Agreements fast-tracking pilot program.
The pilot program is being adopted as the Federal Government seeks to ease the transition for employers from using the State-based workplace agreements, which are being abolished, to the Federal system.
Under the new program, the office of the Employment Advocate has formulated the Specific Partner Program, that gives authorised agents a guaranteed 16-day approval of AWAs in return for the agent giving an undertaking that their client passes the no disadvantage test.
Australian Workplace Agreements are another form of individual contract, but they do include a no disadvantage test that ensures a worker is not working for lesser conditions than those contained in the relevant award covering his or her job.
Heelan and Co has been the first to sign up under the fast-track provisions and has lodged its first individual contracts for approval under the scheme.
Heelan and Co principal, Tony Heelan said that the SPP was an excellent tool although it placed onerous obligations on the firm.
Heelan and Co was required to use the OEA’s calculation tools to assess the no disadvantage test.
“All agreements prepared by us under the SPP contains an audit procedure, the purpose of which is to ensure that under the actual work patterns, employees cannot be forced to work for less remuneration or reward than they would have been entitled to under the existing Award,” Mr Heelan said.
“Such audits are generally undertaken at six month intervals and we hold all relevant information for inspection by the OEA at any time.
“We consider the audit procedure is essential in providing working arrangements which are tailored to suit the employer and the employee and to ensure that disadvantages cannot occur.”
AWAs have gained prominence in the past year, as it became clear that the WA Government was scrapping individual workplace agreements in favour of its proposed Employee Employer Agreements.
The removal of workplace agreements as a choice for employers and employees will leave the more than 270,000 workers on WA workplace agreements looking for another form of employment contract.
However, businesses that are not incorporated cannot enter the Federal industrial relations system.
The pilot program is being adopted as the Federal Government seeks to ease the transition for employers from using the State-based workplace agreements, which are being abolished, to the Federal system.
Under the new program, the office of the Employment Advocate has formulated the Specific Partner Program, that gives authorised agents a guaranteed 16-day approval of AWAs in return for the agent giving an undertaking that their client passes the no disadvantage test.
Australian Workplace Agreements are another form of individual contract, but they do include a no disadvantage test that ensures a worker is not working for lesser conditions than those contained in the relevant award covering his or her job.
Heelan and Co has been the first to sign up under the fast-track provisions and has lodged its first individual contracts for approval under the scheme.
Heelan and Co principal, Tony Heelan said that the SPP was an excellent tool although it placed onerous obligations on the firm.
Heelan and Co was required to use the OEA’s calculation tools to assess the no disadvantage test.
“All agreements prepared by us under the SPP contains an audit procedure, the purpose of which is to ensure that under the actual work patterns, employees cannot be forced to work for less remuneration or reward than they would have been entitled to under the existing Award,” Mr Heelan said.
“Such audits are generally undertaken at six month intervals and we hold all relevant information for inspection by the OEA at any time.
“We consider the audit procedure is essential in providing working arrangements which are tailored to suit the employer and the employee and to ensure that disadvantages cannot occur.”
AWAs have gained prominence in the past year, as it became clear that the WA Government was scrapping individual workplace agreements in favour of its proposed Employee Employer Agreements.
The removal of workplace agreements as a choice for employers and employees will leave the more than 270,000 workers on WA workplace agreements looking for another form of employment contract.
However, businesses that are not incorporated cannot enter the Federal industrial relations system.
