Employment Issues

Types of Employment:
Entitlements: non-wage benefits such as long service leave or sick leave
Loading: extra pay to compensate for casual employees for lack of access to
entitlements
Pro-rata: proportion of normal full-time benefits related to the hours worked
Fringe benefits: employment benefits that are additional to a salary or wage
and are legal entitlements (e.g. bonus, profit sharing)

Casual: casually employed on an hourly basis without access to entitlements but receive a loading to
compensate
Advantages:
-

Flexibility to agree/refuse work at a particular time

Paid extra loading
Gives free time to do other things

Disadvantages:
-

Lack of job security

Lack of access to entitlements
No regular work/pay check (e.g. can be dismissed at an hours notice, or with an hours pay
instead of notice)

Full-time: generally work 38 hours a week and have continuing employment with a range of
entitlements
Advantages:
-

Generally a higher income

Job security
Given entitlements
Fringe benefits

Disadvantages:
-

Lack of free time

Difficult to terminate employment
Longer hours

Part-time: work regular hours but fewer per week than full time employees and receive entitlements on
a pro-rata basis
Advantages:
-

Able to earn income on regular basis but have time to experience multiple jobs or study etc.
Entitlements given on pro-rata basis

Job security working regular days + regular hours but less than a full-time employee

Disadvantages:
-

Smaller weekly pay and reduced entitlements compared to full-time employees

Dont receive loading paid to casual staff
Less chance of getting promoted

Self-employed: an individual who works for him/herself

Advantages:
-

Freedom and flexibility to work where & when you want to

Freedom of making business decisions and being responsible for success of business
Tax advantages

Disadvantages:
-

No guaranteed income each week

Lack of security
Paying for own entitlements & no money earned unless theres insurance

Voluntary and unpaid: an individual provides services without expectations of compensation

Advantages:
-

Pleasure and satisfaction of helping others

Disadvantages:
-

No income
Often undervalued in society

Changing Work Patterns:

Primary Industry produces raw materials (e.g. fresh fruit) from what nature provides.
-

Farming
Mining
Fishing
Grazing

Secondary Industry workers involved in turning raw materials into finished/semi-finished products
-

Iron ore, coal & limestone -> steel frame manufacturers

Tertiary Industry provides service to others

-

Quarternary Industry: service industries involved in the transfer & processing of information and
knowledge (telecommunications, property, computing, education)
Quinary Industry: domestic services, many of which were once carried out by those within their
homes (childcare, hospitality, cleaning)

Changes in occupations:
-

In 1900, nearly 1/3 of labour force worked in primary industries (farming & mining mainly)
Since then proportion of primary industry works dropped to 4% due to improved methods of
farming & mining and mechanical equipment

Those who left farms & mines moved to secondary industry, but decreased to 20% due to factory
jobs being eliminated by technology (esp. automation)
76% of labour force now consists of service industries & expected to rapidly expand within next
two decades (advances in computing telecommunications, social & lifestyle changes)

Changing Employee Expectation:

-

Employees want increasingly challenging, interesting work

Want to be more involved in decision-making process & want to make decisions for themselves
Want greater responsibility for own actions and want to initiate tasks without being ordered

Casualisation of Labour Force:

-

Casual workers now make up approx.. 40% of labour force (w retail & hospitality employing
almost half their labour force as casuals)
Young casual workers find difficult to gain full-time employment (few opportunities for
promotion & retrenched first if business is experiencing financial difficulties, sometimes
experience long periods of unemployment & exploitation can occur)

Feminsation of Workplace:
-

Since 1970s women began re-entering labour force in larger numbers (employed in what was
once regarded as traditional male occupations)
Women comprise 48% of work force with 59% participation rate
Rate started to decline bc of part-time/casual positions being lost and 70% of it made up of
females

Work-life Balance:
-

Family friendly workplace practices used to motivate & retain skilled staff (workplace child care,
family leave & home based work)
Australias national paid parental leave scheme (2011, payment for 18 weeks within first year
after birth of child)

Job Security (likelihood that an employee will keep their job and not face unemployment either through
being made redundant or dismissed):
-

Past 20 years employees have faced employment cutbacks, automation, downsizing, increased
competition
Significant issue for Aus. Workers as result of 08/09 GFC.

Technological Change:
-

Information revolution (brought about by use of new communication technologies)

always available trap (checking emails & texts during downtime when holidaying &
commuting extends working day)
Advances improve productivity, can result in unprecedented invasion of personal time, negative
effect on work-life balance

Flexible Working Conditions (patterns of work allowing employees to balance work & family)
-

Home based work

Permanent part-time work
Job sharing
Flexible working hours

Note: others may find flexible working hours not beneficial, 12 hour shifts broken by days off, losing
weekends due to employees and employers having different perspective on term flexibility
Employee: opportunity to rearrange working hours to suit family & lifestyle
Employer: introduction of longer shifts/scrapping penalty rates for weekend work
Benefits of Education and Training:
HSC:
-

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank score used to rank performance in relation to other students
completing HSC
Students achieving cut off obtain entry to course but can be used in conjunction with interviews,
prerequisite subjects, folio

VET:
-

Vocationally based course (Vocational Educational and Training)

Gives students practical work-related experience + literacy/numeracy skills
Likely to be interested in apprenticeship, traineeship or job

TAFE:
-

Technical and Further Education offers Diploma and Advanced Diploma courses for those who
have completed year 12
Certificate courses level I-IV
Offers traineeships

University:
-

Lectures: group of students taking notes from speaker

Tutorials: small group classes extending info acquired from lecture
Independent learning, bachelor degree = undergraduate
Postgraduate

Apprenticeships:
-

Hairdressing, carpentry, sales & IT

Training and education in a trade

Traineeship/Cadetships:
-

Training in a full-time job, with time allocated to attend university or TAFE

Employment Contracts:
Employment contract: a legally binding, formal agreement between employee and employer

Award: a document that outlines an employees minimum pay and conditions

-

Wages (penalty & overtime)

Work hours and rest breaks
Allowances for uniforms/tools
Leaves
Redundancy entitlements

Advantages

Disadvantages

Set minimum for pay and conditions

Covers all employees with similar job

Inflexible may not suit all employees

Prevents recognition of individual initiative as all
employees receive same pay

Protects employees from exploitations

Enterprise Agreement: agreement about pay and conditions made at a workplace level
Advantages
Consultation with and involvement of employees
Possibility of improved pay and conditions
Greater flexibility
Access to training

Disadvantages
Possibility of undermining award standards with
some employees working longer hours
Possibility of job losses
Inequity in wage rates between employees

Common Law Contract: employer and individual employee negotiate contract covering pay and
conditions
Advantages
Right to sue for compensation if conditions not met

Disadvantages
Less protection from other agreements

Flexibility to suit needs of individuals

Possible exploitation due to unfair bargaining

positions
Expense of any court case if either party sues

Individual initiative awarded

Individual Contractors:
-

10% labour force consists of individual contractors

Set term for project and control own work
Carries most of risk on job (covering super, tax, insurance and leave)
Employers prefer this due to employment risks being shifted to person undertaking work

Rights and Obligations of Employees and Employers:

Employees rights (employers will):
-

Paid correct income set by award/agreement

Provide safe, healthy workplace
Pay slip showing total amount and how it was calculated
Not requiring undertaking illegal activities
Abide by industrial regulations legislation requirements

Employers rights (employees will)

-

Obey lawful and reasonable commands

Attend work at required times
Use care and skill in carrying out activities
Act in good faith and interest in employer
Dress appropriately
Respect colleagues & employer

National Employment Standards:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Maximum weekly hours of work = 38 hours

Request for flexible working arrangements = parents/carers of children under 18
Parental and related entitlements = 12 months unpaid leave
Annual leave = 4 weeks paid leave/year
Community service leave = unpaid leave for voluntary emergency activities, up to 10 days paid
jury leave
Long service leave
Public holidays (paid day)
Notice of termination/redundancy = 4 weeks notice, 16 weeks redundancy pay (based on length
of service)
Personal/carer/compassionate leave = 10 days paid leave, 2 days unpaid carers leave
Provision of a Fair Work Information Statement = statement for all new employees about rights
and entitlements

Political Involvement
Cabinet: group of select government ministers that meet regularly to decide major government issues
Constitution: a document which sets out how an organisation or country will be governed
Constitutional Monarchy: type of government based on constitution and has queen/king as head of state
Federation: when separate countries/states agree to unite as one
Federal Parliament: House of Reps and Senate
House of Representatives: Lower house of Federal Parliament (Peoples House)
Senate: Upper house of Federal Parliament
Portfolio: an area of government responsibility such as health or defence
Referendum: vote by electors on a proposed change to Australian Constitution

Structure of Government:
State Government:
-

NSW (consists of upper; Legislative Council & lower; Legislative Assembly houses)
Controls things which affect citizens within state
Process of government similar to Federal Government
Head of government is Premier
Head of state is Governor
Obtains most of income from federal gov grants and property & payroll taxes

Responsibilities:
-

Health
Education
Law and order
Roads and railways
Housing
Environment protection
Aboriginal welfare

Local Government:

900 government bodies (councils) in Australia

Head of council called mayor
Operates under State gov. legislation
Makes rules (by-laws) on local issues
Income from land rates

Responsibilities:
-

Town planning
Rubbish collection
Swimming pools
Parks
Sewerage
Streets and bridges
Libraries

Federal Government:
-

Upper house = senate, lower house = house of reps

Prime minister is head of government
Ministers appointed to look after particular government portfolio
Cabinet (includes PM and senior ministers) makes key gov. decisions
Governor-General reps British monarch as head of state
Income from taxation

Responsibilities:
-

Taxation
Defence
Health
Social security
Education
Trade
Immigration
Aboriginal welfare

Community Issues:
Lobby: to attempt to enlist popular and political support for some particular cause
Individual Action:
-

Letters/emails to newspapers or politicians

Submissions to government bodies
Petition
Utilise media to publicise cause
Join political party and get ideas accepted as party policy

Cyber Activism:
-

Utilising social media to reach, organise & mobilise supporters to influence gov. decisions
E.g. GetUp uses social media to organise members, publicise campaigns & lobby politicians

Youth Advisory Councils:

-

Aged between 12-17 from secondary schools in local council areas

Special forum where young people discuss variety of views & ideas concerning local youth issues and
projects

Offers advice and information to local council to help community and council understand and support
needs of youth

Media:
-

Making media outlets such as newspapers, television channels, radios etc. to make an issue known

Key Issues:
Federal: human rights, climate change,
State: transport developments, hospitals, abortion
Local: parks, rubbish, swimming pools

Decision Making:
Governments: federal and state decisions made by the Cabinet which impacts daily lives of all Australians e.g. new
taxes, rebates.
Businesses: makes decisions which influence majority of community e.g. increased goods and services,
employment, salaries, factories closing increases unemployment in a community
Welfare Organisations: plays huge role in 1 in 5 people who live on less than $300/week, distributes financial and
material assistance to needy, lobbies Government for better support for poor. (Australian Council of Social Service)
Media: editorial decisions made in articles can help shape public decision, choosing what specific issues to report
can affect what Government decides.
How Government Make Decisions:
House of Reps -> Senate -> Governor General (Royal assent)
Right to Vote:
Australian citizens over the age of 18, not in jail & have working brains.