Employment Services: not just a job

Employment Services: not just a job is an Employment Service Worker Reconnection project which is undertaken by the ASU with funding from the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).

As part of this project the ASU will be working with employment services workers, employer associations and employment services providers to map the transition of workers from Job Network providers since the establishment of Job Services Australia (JSA). Our other main goal is to identify strategies that will enable JSA providers to attract and retain a skilled workforce.

This website will provide you with updates about what is happening in the employment services sector and will provide links to other websites relevant to the employment sector. This site will provide ongoing updates on matters such as:

• Job Capacity Assessment Services There are currently no open tenders related to the Job Capacity Assessment Services. On 16 December 2009, the Minister for Employment Participation, Senator Mark Arbib announced the extension of Job Capacity Assessment Services to 30 June 2011. A tender process is scheduled for 2010-11 for services after that date. Current providers will be offered contract extensions to continue to deliver services until 30 June 2011. For more details go to the DEEWR website http://www.deewr.gov.au/
• Disability Employment Services On 9 December 2009 DEEWR announced the name of the successful organisations for the Australian Government's new $1.2 billion Disability Employment Services. The new Services will begin operation on 1 March 2010. Read Mark Arbib's (Minister for Employment Participation) media release regarding the tender announcement. Click here to look at what services around the country were successful in retaining or acquiring Disability Employment Services. If you have any comment to make about the DES tender renouncement or require industrial advice as a result of the new allocation of DES please contact the ASU employment services organiser in your state or Linda White in the ASU National Office on lwhite@asu.asn.au. For more information follow this link to the DEEWR website. The Australian Government has recently released its "National Mental Health and Disability Employment Strategy". You can also read the Government media release relating to the strategy.
• The National Employment Standards (NES) are coming into force from January 2010. The introduction of the NES will replace the existing five minimum standards. For some in the employment sector this will mean a change and improvement in their employment conditions. It may also have an effect on your service users. To find out more about the NES follow the conditions link on this page. You can also read the Government's NES information booklet.
• Award Modernisation: The CETSS (Community Employment, Training & Support Services) Award, the award that underpins the wage rates and conditions of the employment sector, is going through a modernisation process in order to become a modern award. Modern awards will be industry or occupation based and the process of award modernisation will dramatically reduce the number of awards that exist in Australia. The ASU is working hard to ensure that workers get the best possible deal out of this process. An award that includes employment services will be available from January 1 2010 (you can see the Exposure Draft -- September 2009 - Employment Services Industry Award 2010 for a taste). For further information, read our Award Modernisation Info Sheet.
• Fair Work Australia Legislation: The Fair Work Act replaces the WorkChoices legislation. The Fair Work Act commenced in July 2009 and contains the industrial relations legislation that governs, amongst other things, what and how unions, employers and workers can negotiate in terms of wages and conditions. If you have an agreement with your employer or staff regarding wages and conditions, it is important to know what your rights and obligations are. Follow this link for more information on the Fair Work Act http://www.fwa.gov.au/index.cfm?pagename=home

As part of "Employment Services - not just a job" project we conducted a national survey of employment services workers. This survey assisted us to report the concerns of workers to other stakeholders, including the Government. The final report outlining the results and conclusions from the survey can be found here.

The ASU looks after workers in employment services across Australia; we have thousands of members and hundreds of workplace delegates. The ASU employs union organisers and industrial staff who help members get organised and provide expert advice to members on workplace laws that relate to your industry.

The ASU is on top of all the issues that relate to working in the field. Together we have a great deal of knowledge and expertise - we know about the law, about our professions, our work, the context of work and the things that need to be addressed across the whole sector.

We are the union that will build the new 'Modern Award' that will underpin the wages of all workers. We are the union that will represent the interests of all employment services workers now and into the future.

We are the voice of our members and we encourage all members to fully participate in the decisions that affect them at work. We develop and support leaders and we build union structures in workplaces that mean members get a say. Our strength comes from all of us and our power is in our numbers.

The following info sheets are prepared with ASU members in mind.**

 Employment Services Info Sheet - Parental Leave

 Employment Services Info Sheet - Award Modernisation

 Employment Services Info Sheet - Violence at Work

 Employment Services Info Sheet - Reclassification

 Employment Services Info Sheet - Position Descriptions

 Employment Services Info Sheet - Fair Work Act

 Employment Services Info Sheet - Stress

 Employment Services Info Sheet - Bullying

 Employment Services Info Sheet - Discrimination

 Employment Services Info Sheet - Discrimination in Employment

 Employment Services Info Sheet - Sexual Harassment

 Employment Services Info Sheet - Pay Equity

** The info sheets provide ASU members with information regarding their workplace rights and obligations. Non-members need to be aware that some of the ASU assistance offered in the info sheets is only available to ASU members. The info sheets were produced in 2009 and may no longer be current.

Job seekers:

Seek
Whereis
JobSeeker
Our Community

Community info:

Our Community
Infoxchange

Peak bodies:

Jobs Australia
ACE
NESA

Govt websites:

Centrelink
DEEWR
Australian Govt