Your Guide to Employment Presented by Caroline Mirtschin

Local Employment Trends City of Wodonga – Employment Trends by Industry Sector 2006 – 2011 Manufacturing-59 Construction+151 Retail Trade+20 Accommodation & Food Services+96 Transport, Postal and Warehousing+149 Administration & Support Services-114 Public Administration and Safety+226 Education & Training+102 Health Care and Social Assistance+492 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2006 and In Albury-Wodonga the top three sectors for employment are; manufacturing, retail trade and health care and social assistance. These sectors make up 41 per cent of total employment in Albury-Wodonga. Source: City of Wodonga Economic Indicators 2012

Youth Unemployment According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in June 2012 the unemployment rate for Australians aged 15 to 24 years (not engaged in full-time study) was 10.5%. In comparison, the National unemployment rate in June 2012 was 5.4%.

Strategies for Success – Simple Steps You Can Put into Practice Right Now! 1.Start thinking about the type of job or industry you would like to work in. 2.Start talking to people and building your network of relationships: Golden Rule Remember the “ Golden Rule ”: It’s not WHAT you know, it’s WHO you know!

Strategies for Success – Simple Steps You Can Put into Practice Right Now! 3.A new way of thinking about job seeking What does your “brand image” say about you? Protecting your image. 4.Plan your course of ACTION! How will you launch your “brand”…? Where do I start? I’m still at school – what’s the big rush?

A Quick Guide to Wages, Entitlements and Working Conditions Most employees in the national workplace relations system are covered by a modern award. There are 122 modern awards that cover most jobs and employees in Australia. Each modern award applies to everyone who works in the industry or occupation it covers. The exception is some managers and employees who earn more than $129,300 a year. Modern awards don’t apply to employers who are bound by an agreement.

Modern Awards Modern awards usually have: base pay rates, conditions and requirements for different types of employment (eg. full-time, part-time or casual) overtime and penalty rates allowances (eg. travel allowances) leave and leave loading hours of work (eg. rosters, making changes to working hours) requirements for annual wage or salary arrangements superannuation entitlement and conditions procedures for consultation, representation and settling disputes redundancy conditions.

What is the Difference Between a Modern Award and an Enterprise Agreement? Enterprise agreements include specific conditions for one workplace. Modern awards are a safety net of minimum conditions for a whole industry or type of job. When a workplace has an enterprise agreement, the modern award doesn’t apply. However, the pay rate in the enterprise agreement can’t be less than the pay rate in the modern award. Enterprise agreements set out the employment conditions between an employee or group of employees and an employer.

National Employment Standards The National Employment Standards (also known as the NES) cover everyone in the national industrial relations system. They started on 1 January The National Employment Standards are 10 minimum conditions for employees. Together with the national minimum wage, they are a minimum safety net for employees. They include minimum entitlements for leave, public holidays, notice of termination and redundancy pay. An employee’s minimum entitlements can also come from a modern award or agreement. In situations where the NES differs from the modern award, the employee is entitled to the more generous.

Wages & Employment Conditions What’s OK, and What’s NOT OK? Work Experience – What’s OK? Undertaking student work experience placements approved by your school or TAFE Undertaking a trial period of employment, paid under the appropriate casual rate of pay Work Experience – What’s Not OK? Undertaking unpaid work experience or an unpaid “trial period” of employment. Cash-in-hand employment arrangements – what are the risks to you?

Workplace Bullying What Does Workplace Bullying Look Like? repeated hurtful remarks or attacks, or making fun of your work or you as a person (including your family, sex, sexuality, gender identity, race or culture, education or economic background) sexual harassment, particularly stuff like unwelcome touching and sexually explicit comments and requests that make you uncomfortable excluding you or stopping you from working with people or taking part in activities that relates to your work playing mind games, ganging up on you, or other types of psychological harassment

What Does Workplace Bullying Look Like? intimidation (making you feel less important and undervalued) giving you pointless tasks that have nothing to do with your job giving you impossible jobs that can't be done in the given time or with the resources provided deliberately changing your work hours or schedule to make it difficult for you deliberately holding back information you need for getting your work done properly pushing, shoving, tripping, grabbing you in the workplace attacking or threatening with equipment, knives, guns, clubs or any other type of object that can be turned into a weapon initiation or hazing - where you are made to do humiliating or inappropriate things in order to be accepted as part of the team.

What Isn’t Workplace Bullying? Some practices in the workplace may not seem fair but are not bullying. Your employer is allowed to transfer, demote, discipline, counsel, retrench or sack you (as long as they are acting reasonably).

Workplace Bullying – What Are My Rights? You have the right to be in a safe workplace free from violence, harassment and bullying. Your employer has a legal responsibility under Occupational Health and Safety and anti- discrimination law to provide a safe workplace. Employers have a duty of care for your health and wellbeing whilst at work. An employer that allows bullying to occur in the workplace is not meeting this responsibility

Workplace Bullying and The Law If the person being bullied is under 16, it could be child abuse. If you're being bullied for reasons like age, gender, disability, religion or sexual preference, the bullying could be discriminatory, which is illegal. Violence, or threats of violence, are always illegal and should be reported to the Police. Victoria’s anti-bullying legislation, known as Brodie’s Law, commenced in June 2011 and made serious bullying a crime punishable by up to 10 years in jail. Brodie’s Law was introduced after the tragic suicide of a young woman, Brodie Panlock, who was subjected to relentless bullying in her workplace. The tragedy of Brodie’s death was compounded by the fact that none of those responsible for bullying Brodie were charged with a serious criminal offence under the Crimes Act Instead, each offender was convicted and fined under provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Workplace Bullying and The Law Brodie’s Law makes serious bullying a criminal offence by extending the application of the stalking provisions in the Crimes Act 1958 to include behaviour that involves serious bullying Unlike the current laws dealing with workplace bullying (Occupational Health & Safety Act 2004 (Vic)) this is not directed at employers, but at the employees engaged in bullying.

Workplace Bullying and The Law From 1 st January, 2014 new laws come into affect enabling employees who believe they have been bullied at work to apply to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) for an order to stop it and requiring the tribunal to commence dealing with the matter within 14 days

I Think I Am Being Bullied At Work – What Should I Do? If you're being bullied at work, there are steps you can take to stop it. They include: checking your work's policy on bullying and harassment writing down what happens so you've got records of the bullying talking to people you trust – whether it’s a friend, counsellor, or other support person talking to the bully about their behaviour, if you feel safe doing this telling a manager or supervisor taking it further: if you can't resolve the issue in your workplace, you can talk to the Australian Human Rights Commission, a union rep, or if the bullying is violent or threatening, the police From 1 st January, 2014, employees who believe they have been bullied at work to apply to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) for an order to stop it and requiring the tribunal to commence dealing with the matter within 14 days

A Final Word……. Your working life will be a continual journey of learning and change. Learn how to identify opportunity. Think BIG PICTURE - position yourself to take advantage of those opportunities you identify. Protect your personal “brand”. Take control of your destiny!