Question On Notice No. 860 asked in the Legislative Council on 18 August 2022 by Hon Martin Aldridge
Question Directed to the: Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Mines and Petroleum; Energy; Corrective Services; Industrial Relations
Parliament: 41 Session: 1
Question
I refer to the Department of Productivity and Labor Reform Circular to Departments and Authorities No. 2 of 2001 titled Paid Leave for Emergency Service Volunteers. For each Department, Agency or Government Trading Entity under your portfolio, I ask:
(a) how do you inform your employees of this policy; and
(b) for the past two financial years:
(i) how many employees have requested paid leave as an emergency service volunteer;
(ii) how many employees have had a request refused;
(iii) how many total hours were granted; and
(iv) how many total hours were refused?
Answered on 20 September 2022
(a)
Synergy: Employees have access to the policy via Synergy’s intranet.
Western Power: Western Power employees are provided with a variety of leave arrangements (paid and unpaid) that enable them to balance work with rest and recreation, family responsibilities and other specific purposes, including voluntary emergency services. Leave entitlements and the process for using leave is documented in Western Power’s leave procedure, which is available to all staff.
Horizon Power: Horizon Power’s Leave Policy references emergency services leave, which enables employees to access paid time off work to participate in a voluntary emergency management activity. This policy is available to employees via the organisation’s intranet. Staff are referred to this and other policies through the onboarding process.
Department of Mines, Industry Regulation & Safety: Employees are informed of the availability of access to paid leave for emergency service volunteers at their staff induction.
Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission: The policy is included in both on-line and face to face Employee Inductions and it is also included in the Department’s annual Code of Conduct training.
Mineral Research Institute WA: Policies and procedures for emergency service volunteers paid leave is addressed at team meetings.
Gold Corporation: Gold Corporation specifically mentions Voluntary Emergency Management Activities within its Leave Procedure. During employee inductions, staff are informed of the Leave Procedure and where they can access the policy.
WorkCover WA: The policy is referred to in the employee induction process.
Construction Industry Long Service Leave Payments Board (My Leave): The emergency services paid leave entitlements policy is outlined in the Department of Productivity and Labour Reform Circular to Departments and Authorities No.2 of 2001 Paid Leave for Emergency Service Volunteers. Clause 35 'Emergency Service Leave' in the Government Officers Salaries, Allowances and Conditions Award 1989 outlines conditions and entitlements that are aligned with the policy adopted in the Circular. Staff are advised in their offers of employment that their terms and conditions of employment are in accordance with this Award. The Award is made available to all staff on the agency intranet. Accordingly, through the Award, all staff should be aware of their entitlements should they be members of a relevant emergency organisation and are absent from duty whilst attending an emergency.
(b)(i-iv) This detailed information is not readily available and would require considerable time to collate and prepare, which would divert staff away from their normal duties. It is not considered to be a reasonable or appropriate use of government resources to provide this information, noting that this question has been asked to all Ministers for all Government Departments, Agencies and Government Trading Enterprises