Subscribers to the Workplace Relations service can be confident to receive professional, timely and comprehensive support to their individual workplace relations issues.

The large number of subscribers to the service ensure that subscription fees are kept to a minimum, and products and services compare more than favourably with alternate services available in the marketplace.

2011 Local Government Convention HR Seminar

The presentation notes from the WALGA Workplace Solutions 2011 annual HR Seminar will be provided shortly.

2012 Local Government Remuneration Survey

Do you know if you pay competitive pay rates?  How many of your employees are close to retirement and how does that compare with the industry? What are others doing to attract and retain employees?

The Local Government Remuneration Survey is the only sector-specific survey in Australia that provides this remuneration information for a large number of Local Governments across the country.  The 2012 process is again jointly organised by six of the Local Government Associations in Australia.

A survey of this type, if commercially created, would normally cost several thousand dollars. In being conducted exclusively within the sector by Local Government Associations, costs are kept to a minimum and participating Local Governments are able to purchase the survey outcomes for a discounted price of $250 (incl GST).

The survey outcomes provide an invaluable resource to assist Local Governments with the planning and implementation of salary structures and help guide workforce planning.  The survey covers 100 common Local Government positions as well as a wide range of relevant information.

To be involved, complete this worksheet before emailing it back to us.  Those Local Governments that participate prior to 20 January 2012 will go into the draw for a years’ single subscription to Workplace Express - the industrial relations and employment law news service (valued at $929).

Please email us on survey@walga.asn.au or call 1300 366 956 if you have any queries on the 2012 Local Government Remuneration Survey.

Local Government Industry Award 2010 

Local Government Industry Award 2010

National Employment Standards (NES)

Human Resource Forum 

The next HR Forum will be held during February.  If you want to attend this HR Forum, please contact Workplace Solutions on 9213 2014.

National Local Government Human Resources Conference: 7-9 November 2011

Local Government Workplace Solutions would like to remind clients of the upcoming National Local Government Human Resources Conference in November. There have been changes made to the mix of local government, corporate and academic speakers, as outlined in the attached brochure.

The 2011 conference, which is a joint initiative of all the state and territory Local Government Associations, will be held on the Gold Coast and is coordinated by NSW Local Government Learning Solutions.

The conference starts at noon on Monday 7 November, and concludes at 12.30 on Wednesday 9 November.

• How to make local government more attractive – Carolyn Miller, advertising, brand and business leader and a regular on ABC’s ‘The Gruen Transfer’
• Looking ahead – HR issues of the future – Nigel Ward, CEO Workplace Relations, ABL Lawyers
• Work, Health and Safety Laws – Professor Ron McCallum, 2011 Senior Australian of the Year and a national recognised expert on safety issues in the workplace
• The Future of Learning and Development – Les Pickett, CEO Pacific Rim Consulting Group and former President of the Australian Institute Training and Development
• The use and abuse of social media from a HR and training perspective – Peter Williams, Deloitte Digital
• Leadership in Local Government – Professor Graham Sansom, Australian Centre for Excellence in Local Government
• Skills shortages and what to do about them? – Gabrielle Dorward, LGA Queensland
• Build your personal brand – Penny Burke, the advertising guru behind “Not happy, Jan!”

There will also be a panel session of a HR Managers and Crisis Counsellor from Queensland who will explore their roles in the recent Cyclone Yasi, the floods and summer fires.

Participants will have a choice of four out of twelve MasterClass workshops on Day Two of the conference.  These will include topics on where is recruitment heading, a workplace health and safety harmonisation update (previously OH & S), counselling skills for HR Managers, and council case studies on organisational culture inventories and managing chronic illness in the workplace.

This conference is a great opportunity to network with your peers from other states as well as keep up with the latest trends and learn new skills.

This is the premier human resource professional development activity for local government. It is aimed at HR staff, training and OH & S officers, General Managers, Directors and consultants to the industry. The conference theme is “HR’s World of Tomorrow”.

Any leader who is interested in staffing issues, and needs to be updated about the latest in employment trends, is encouraged to attend.

2010 Human Resource Seminar  

In addition to delivering a report card on the Fair Work legislation, the Seminar covered medium and long issues of industrial relations jurisdiction. New initiates from the legislation such as good faith bargaining, and flexible work requests were explored as well. Copies of the presentation are below:

Topics

• Chicken or Egg? Constitutional corporations and the jurisdictional dilemma for Local Government: Federal Magistrate Toni Lucev - Presentation

• Fair Work Act Report Card: Simon White, WALGA Employee Relations Service Manager - Presentation - Slides

• Good Faith Bargaining: Erica Hartley, Partner - Freehills - Slides

• Structural Reform Case Study from the Territory – Lessons from an HR Perspective: Helena Bellotti, Roper Gulf Shire Council - Slides

• What to do and what not to do when being investigated by the Workplace Ombudsman: Alisdair Malloch-Smith and Scott Roffey - Slides

• Misconduct Exercise – What would you do in this situation? - Scenario - Slides - Newspaper Article - Media Policy - Medical Certificate

2009 Local Government National Human Resources Conference 

The peak Local Government bodies in Australia supported the third National Local Government Human Resources Conference. The conference was held from 18 – 20 November 2009 at The Sebel Albert Park, Melbourne.

Held biennially, this conference is aimed at chief executive officer, directors, managers and human resource managers, who are interested in exploring performance and productivity issues and have an interest in current and emerging human resource issues of the sector locally and nationally.

2008 Human Resource Seminar - A Moving Landscape 

A full day seminar with a focus on managing difference in the workforce, negotiation skills, overcoming skill shortages, and future workplace relations changes was held on 3 April 2008 at the WACA ground. 

Presentation notes are available for:

The Human Resource Implications of the 10 Year Reform Plan for Local Government - Tony Cooke.

Staff Attraction and Retention at the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder - Don Burnett

Employer of Choice - Andrew Hammond

2007 Local Government National Human Resources Conference 

Almost 300 Local Government representatives from every State and the NT attended the second biannual conference.

Speakers’ notes from the successful 2007 Local Government National Human Resources Conference are now available from the Local Government Association of Queensland internet site.

Themed ‘Hot Issues in HR’, the conference was from 14 to 16 November 2007 and held at the Radisson Resort, Gold Coast.