8 minute read
INDUSTRY SUPPORT
by AREEA
A significant factor in AMMA’s longevity of more than 102 years is the constant support provided to resources and energy employers.
While this has proven invaluable in times of great industry growth and prosperity, the support AMMA provides during times of great challenges, uncertainty and disruption, is arguably even more critical.
Just as AMMA has guided and supported Australia’s resources and energy industry through recessions, depressions, world wars and other times of economic turmoil, so too is the national employer group playing a leading role during the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19. Such support includes direct responses to COVID-19 issues, which have impacted on workforce practices and strategies immensely, in addition to the range of industrial relations and human resources needs of our members that have arisen throughout the course of the year.
For whatever our members need, AMMA’s unrivalled hands-on experience and industry knowledge, coupled with its adaptability and solutions-focused culture, has positioned the group ready to respond and deliver whatever Australia’s resources and energy employers require of it. Such support includes direct responses to COVID-19 issues, which have impacted on workforce practices and strategies immensely
It is this reputation, as the group to call for unique support on any resources and energy sector people-related issues, that has seen 2020 been one of the busiest years in AMMA’s long history.
COVID-19 SUPPORT
A significant focus for AMMA’s Workplace Advisory team in 2020 has been assisting and supporting members through the great uncertainty, change and disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Covering everything from interstate travel permits and border closures to roster management, COVID-safe plans and government policy responses, the AMMA team has delivered a regular and comprehensive suite of communications and support on the pandemic and its workplace impacts.
Activity and support actions included:
Regular updating and delivery of the
AMMA COVID-19 Employer Guide, providing members all relevant ‘current state’ information relating to the pandemic and state / federal policies.
Creation and delivery of the resource industry’s COVID-19: Mental Health and Wellness Guide to assist AMMA members with managing pandemicrelated anxiety and stress amongst their workforces.
Daily advice, assistance and support with understanding and working through evolving travel restrictions (both domestic and international), including lobbying state and federal governments on members’ behalf to secure exemptions for essential travellers.
Interactions and cooperation with unions on site-based and industry approaches to COVID-19 risk mitigation, roster changes and travel restrictions. Advice on workforce management matters including employee stand downs and redundancies.
Eligibility and implementation of the JobKeeper scheme, JobKeeper directions, Award variations and other industrial relations policy matters. COVID-19 related workforce support is anticipated to be an ongoing area of demand for AMMA’s Workplace Advisory Team, with implications for on-site hygiene and people movement practices likely to be long-lasting for Australia’s resources and energy employers.
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS STRATEGY AND ADVICE
While the pandemic has dominated workforce management considerations for resources and energy employers for much of 2020, demand for AMMA’s Advisory Services on a range of industrial relations matters has remained strong. Covering both long-term strategy and transactional/single-issue matters, key areas of industrial relations support and advice have included:
Enterprise Bargaining: In 2020 AMMA has led strategy of entire enterprise bargaining campaigns for members, assisted as expert consultants with industry oversight and/or seamlessly worked as a contributor within our members’ teams. In whatever form our members require extra bench strength for enterprise bargaining, AMMA’s team has been the preferred first port-of-call.
Independent Investigations:
AMMA’s unrivalled experience in conducting thorough independent investigations continues to see our team preferred as the provider of these often-tricky and always sensitive processes. With legal qualifications and a truly independent position, AMMA’s team offers a clear point-ofdifference to in-house counsel or external law firms. Discipline and Dismissals: Often provided as a flow-on service to investigations, AMMA’s team has broad experience in managing employee disciplinary actions, including terminations of employment, in a watertight process minimising organisational risks.
Tribunal and Court
Representation: Resource employers have regularly utilised AMMA’s standing as an employer industry association with a statutory right to represent members in the Fair Work Commission and other tribunals and courts.
Responding to Union Strategies:
With many trade unions implementing novel strategies to extend industry influence and attract new members, AMMA has been called upon to lead industry response strategies. This includes in response to the ‘Offshore Alliance’ aggressively campaigning in the oil and gas sector.
Secondments: A popular option for utilising AMMA’s industrial relations capability is through engaging a member of the Advisory Services team on a secondment basis. 2020 secondments have included full-time, short-term contracts to cover temporary gaps in resourcing, through to ongoing one or two-day per week support on a permanent basis.
COMPLIANCE BLITZ
2020 has seen AMMA play a strong role providing support to members on various compliance issues.
The introduction of new salary compliance requirements into Modern Awards in March generated a great deal of concern for AMMA members, with the Advisory Services team heavily engaged in assisting with the introduction of the new requirements.
This included distribution of an ‘Annualised Salaries Toolkit’ to members at the start of the year, outlining a recommended process for meeting the new compliance requirements.
The reputation of AMMA’s team in this area has seen them engaged by several member companies to undertake full-scale payroll audits, and ensuring compliance with Enterprise Agreements and changing Modern Awards administrative requirements.
AMMA is further developing an advocacy campaign in late 2020/early 2021 to seek variations to relevant Modern Awards that would offer administrative burden relief to AMMA members.
SPECIALIST EMPLOYMENT TRAINING
The past 12 months has seen AMMA refine its suite of specialist employment training courses to focus on those areas in greatest demand amongst resources and energy employers.
Ensuring AMMA members’ people professionals have the right skills, knowledge and support, AMMA’s most in-demand training courses include:
Appropriate workplace behaviours:
Promoting positive workplace behaviours and managing organisational risks of inappropriate conduct such as sexual harassment and bullying.
Rosters - Creating and Calculating for Compliance: Delivered as part of AMMA’s ‘compliance campaign’, this
course has ensured AMMA members understand the processes to create and calculate cost-effective rosters that comply with modern awards and employment regulations.
Performance, Discipline and
Termination: Protecting AMMA member organisations from legal risks by providing their people managers with the necessary information, skills and processes to confidently manage poor performance or misconduct.
Right of Entry: Creating awareness of the rights and responsibilities of employers in regards to union right of entry, as well as equipping participants with the skills and knowledge needed to prepare for and manage right of entry effectively.
Workplace Relation 101: A course popular for graduates and entry-level HR and IR professionals, learnings centre on understanding the key legislation, case law, contracts, awards and agreements required to grow and excel in this discipline.
Throughout 2020, AMMA has conducted these training courses in a range of locations and settings – from on-site in regional Western Australia to corporate training facilities in Sydney. In the world of COVID-19, a large number of courses have also taken place via virtual classroom.
MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING
With 1-in-5 employees in the resources and energy industry reported to experience a mental health condition each year, addressing and managing workforce mental health can be a significant challenge for employers. Through the guidance and input of the Mental Health Advisory Board (see P29), the AMMA team is undertaking a range of mental health support activities to deliver real positive outcomes in member organisations. Activities and initiatives developed and/ or delivered this year include:
Resources and Energy Industry Mental Health Training Program
- developed and launched in May. This program is a regular feature in AMMA’s calendar courses with all 2020 sessions at capacity. The training program delivers specific content and practical activities to contextualise mental health and mentally healthy workplaces in the resources and energy industry. Customised programs are also being developed and rolled out amongst several members’ workforces.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Knowledge Centre - developed and published online via amma.org. au, contains a library of curated best practice materials, information, and resources for employers regarding mental health and wellbeing.
Mentally Healthy Workplace
Framework - under development for delivery in late 2020. This framework will be specific to the industry and provide employer standards, benchmarking and reference tools for existing support and activities.
Mental Health Matters - lunchtime webinar series featuring resources employers and mental health experts. The webinars advise and inform organisations of the mental health initiatives relevant to the industry and facilitate information sharing. COVID-19 ‘Pulse Survey’ - offered to members throughout 2020 to regularly check how their workforces were tracking in response to COVID19-related workplace changes. Survey developed in conjunction with Professor Bob Woods from the University of Technology Sydney focusing on mental health, workplace productivity and employee response to workplace change.
AMMA members are highly committed to the physical and psychological safety of their people. In 2020, industry leaders have embraced their important role in working with AMMA to support mentally healthy workplaces.
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
A significant level of support and engagement was curated through AMMA’s various Special Interest Groups (SIGs). These SIGs provide for regular updates and discussions amongst member organisations with a common sector interest, such as hydrocarbons, coal mining, precious minerals, iron ore, ROV members, vessel operations, offshore contractors and so on.
Other SIGs are geographical based such as West Coast Mining and East Coast Mining SIGs. A longstanding feature of AMMA’s community of interest, these discussion groups have proved to be a valuable source of industry knowledge and sharing of experiences and practice for member organisations.
