The Workplace Part 1

The Workplace Part 1 : What you need to know about the workplace
Session 1   power point :  9.30 – 10.45am
Session 2   readings and questions : 11am to 11.30pm
Session 3   research on guest speaker with activity 11.45 to 12.45pm
Session 4    zoom session with guest speaker : 1pm to 2pm
Phone calls with trainer : 2pm onwards

Organisational structure
Organisational structure is the reporting relationships, chains of command and delegation of authority within an organisation.
Names and titles may vary. 
Small business may have an
Owner
Manager
Accountant and
Supervisor
Do you know what are the responsibilities of these roles and how they may impact you?
Large companies may have :
The Board : means the group of individuals in whom the governance, control, direction and management of the organisation is vested in accordance with its constituent documents or by legislation.
CEO – Chief Executive Officer : A chief executive officer (CEO) is the highest-ranking executive in a company, whose primary responsibilities include making major corporate decisions, managing the overall operations and resources of a company, acting as the main point of communication between the board of directors (the board) and corporate operations and being the public face of the company.
Other roles in large companies include :
CFO - Chief Financial Officer : A chief financial officer (CFO) is the senior executive responsible for managing the financial actions of a company. The CFO's duties include tracking cash flow and financial planning as well as analyzing the company's financial strengths and weaknesses and proposing corrective actions.

Business teams
One of the many ways for a business to organize employees is in teams.
A team is made up of two or more people who work together to achieve a common goal. 
Teams offer an alternative to a vertical chain-of-command and are a much more inclusive approach to business organization.
Does anyone know what a vertical chain-of-command is?
General Manager : Also known as Managing Directors or Chief Operating Officers, General Managers are tasked with overseeing daily business activities, improving overall business functions, training heads of departments, managing budgets, developing strategic plans, creating policies, and communicating business goals.

Benefits of Business teams
Makes work easier for everybody
Work is more enjoyable
More work can be achieved
Quality of goods and services improves
A higher level of customer service can be achieved
Builds morale in the team
Helps achieve team and business targets
People feel supported and valued

Elements of good teamwork
Respect : for the roles other people play in the team
Honesty : trust and believe the people around you
Tolerance : tolerate and accept others opinions
Fairness : fair workload and everyone doing their best
Helpful : helping others in your team get the job done
Commitment : committed towards to team goals
Flexibility : be flexible and adaptable when changes happen

How do you feel when people show you these attributes?

Policies
A policy is a set of ideas or plans that is used as a basis for making decisions, especially in politics, economics, or business. ... An official organisation's policy on a particular issue  is their attitude and actions regarding that issue.  Some examples include:
Staff Personal presentation policy
Work Health and Safety policy
Workplace bullying policy
Equal Employment Opportunity
Refund policy
What do you know about these or other policies?
Procedures
A “procedure” is a term used in a variety of industries to define a series of steps, taken together, to achieve a desired result.  Procedures explain how to accomplish a task.
Examples include:  
Handling of chemicals
Cleaning a chemical spill
Emergency evacuation
Cash handling
Use of vehicles and forklifts
Handling of stock
Safe manual handling
Use of machinery

 Standards and values
Businesses are expected to work and behave in an ethical manner.  Standards and values may include:
Abiding by Australian Laws
Treating customers/staff with respect and dignity
Being fair to customers/staff
Reducing the environmental impact of the business
Supporting the community the business operates in
Paying staff fair and correct wages and entitlements 
Being honest with staff/customers and the community
Standing by quality of products and services the business sells 

Rights and responsibilities
Employer's responsibility to provide a safe working environment
Employees responsibility to act in a safe manner
Work Environment is a collaboration between employers and employees
It benefits both employers and employees to work together in a harmonious and efficient way to produce goods or services

What is your knowledge around employer and employee responsibilities regarding Work Health and Safety?

What are your (Employee) Responsibilities
Follow instructions of supervisors, team leaders and managers
Use safety equipment and follow safety procedures
Act in a responsible and honest manner
Inform supervisor of any problems, breakdowns, security or safety issues
Act in best interests of the business & represent business professionally
Treat management and colleagues with respect and dignity
Do not discriminate, harass or belittle colleagues or customers 
Obey the law
Be alcohol and drug free whilst on duty

What are your Employers’ Responsibility
Provide leadership, planning and management for the business
Ensure the business is financially sound
Provide a safe working environment
Pay employees according to the award or agreement
Pay superannuation, sick pay, parental leave, annual leave, public holidays, overtime and other employment conditions
Provide necessary tools and equipment for staff to carry out their job in a safe and efficient manner
Act in a responsible and honest manner
Act in the best interests of the business and staff
Represent the business in a professional manner
Abide by the principles of Equal Opportunity Employment (EEO), Anti-discrimination, Sexual harassment, Workplace bullying and act upon any issues that arise in these areas
Ensure the business complies with relevant laws
Work in a constructive manner with any employee representatives, ie. unions

Modern Awards
Modern awards create one set of minimum conditions for all employees and employers across Australia and staff may not be paid less than or have conditions below the modern award.  There are currently 122 modern awards.  Some are :
Restaurant Industry Award 2010
Fitness Industry Award 2010
Funeral Industry Award 2010
Mining Industry Award 2010
Nurses Award 2010

Working Conditions
Permanent Employees
Hours Worked – 38 Hours
Overtime – Extra payment for extra hours in accordance with Award
Annual Leave  - 20 paid days per year
Sick Leave – 10 paid days per year personal/carers leave
How Paid - Weekly/Fortnightly direct into bank account
Working conditions 
Part-time Employees
Hours Worked – Less than 38 Hours
Overtime – Extra payment for extra hours in accordance with written agreement of hours. 
Annual Leave- Pro-rata of 20 paid days per year eg. 5 -10 days for year
Sick Leave – Pro-rata of 10 paid days per year personal/carers leave
How Paid- Weekly/Fortnightly direct into bank account

Working conditions
casual employees
Hours Worked – At call basis, can work up to 38 hours a week.  Used for peak periods.
Overtime – No Overtime
Annual Leave- No leave (paid in hourly rate)
Sick Leave – No sick leave (paid in hourly rate)
How Paid- Weekly/Fortnightly direct into bank account

Resignation and termination
Employee required to give notice if  resigning
 Employer must give notice of termination
 Some circumstances, such as violence, drugs, drinking on the job or theft - employee may be terminated immediately
Where employee’s performance is poor – opportunity for performance to improve should be given
 Rest and meal breaks
•Available to a worker usually after 4 hours work.
•Usually 10 or 15 minutes coffee breaks are within paid working time
•Meal breaks are generally in unpaid time (1/2 hr – 1hr)

Key performance indicators (KPIs)
are used to measure performance against the objectives of the business
These objectives may include :
•Staff morale
•Development of new products
•Sales figures and Market share
•Customer satisfaction
•Completion of major projects
•Injuries and accident statistics
•Production output

Work Health and Safety
•Employers by law must provide a safe and healthy
    workplace for their employees
•Employees by law must use safe work practices so they
    do not injure themselves or other people
•There are heavy fines and penalties for both employers and employees who fail to observe the rules regarding workplace safety
•Each State has its own law to protect employees
•Commonwealth Legislation is Work Health and Safety Act 2011

Work Health and Safety : Employer responsibilities & Duty of care
•An employer MUST provide a safe workplace for workers and visitors
•MUST train workers how to use equipment and work in a safe  manner
•MUST know and abide by the laws, including Acts, regulations and codes of practice
•May be required to set up a Work Health and Safety Committee – this is particularly for larger workplaces
•MUST consult and discuss safety issues with their workers
•MUST maintain an injury register in order to forward claims to the insurance agency
•MUST provide safety equipment eg masks, goggles and gloves when using chemicals; ear protectors if using very noisy equipment; protective clothing must be provided in some workplaces

Work Health and Safety Employee responsibilities & Duty of care
•Work safely by following all safety directions of supervisors or managers
•Work in a manner that is safe for fellow workers
•Cannot refuse to follow safe work practices
•Eg. Refusal to wear goggles and a mask when using corrosive chemicals such as acids is to behave in a wilful and dangerous manner which will endanger your health
•Must report any injury or illness as soon as possible to the supervisor or manager
Work Health and Safety
•Use all safety equipment provided correctly for the jobs it is supplied for
•Report all faulty equipment
•Refrain from damaging or removing safety guards on equipment, or interfering with the safe operation of any machinery
•Refrain from interfering with or getting in the way of someone who is trying to assist any person who may be hurt or in danger

Your behaviour
•Behaviour that you may think is not discriminatory or
    offensive may be viewed a different way by others who may
    find your behaviour discriminatory or be offended
•Easy for a complaint to be lodged
•Think before you speak and act
•Treat every person with dignity and respect

Dignity and respect
•Do not discriminate against others in the workplace
•Do not harass or sexually harass others in the workplace
•Practice Work Health and Safety
•Remember equal opportunity, anti-discrimination, work health and safety and sexual harassment are legal as well as moral responsibilities of everybody in the workplace
•   Be polite and listen
•   Use salutations
•   Know and use colleagues names
•   Treat people as equals
•   Where possible assist others in the workplace
•   Keep personal life separate from work

Equal employment opportunity
Federal and State EEO laws provide that it is unlawful to discriminate against a person on certain prohibited grounds of discrimination. Discrimination is unlawful in the area of employment, which includes recruitment during e
Many Australian employers develop EEO policies to promote workplace diversity and create a safe workplace for all employees.
•EEO is the principle of equal pay, opportunity and conditions for all in the workplace
•EEO provides equal access to training, promotion and opportunity
•It involves identifying and eliminating any discriminatory barriers that cause inequality in the employment of any person or group of persons 

The Australian Federal Government has passed numerous laws which aim to protect people from discrimination within the workplace. These include the:
Sex Discrimination Act 1984; Disability Discrimination Act 1992; Age Discrimination Act 2004; and Racial Discrimination Act 1975.
These laws, alongside other state laws, are the primary source of EEO obligations. Employers who hire, manage or dismiss employees are not allowed to discriminate based on the following characteristics:
race  ethnicity, colour, sex, sexual orientation
gender identity, relationship status, family or carer responsibilities
pregnancy, mental or physical disability, religion  political opinion, age
In almost all cases in a business situation there will be no need to refer to the personal characteristic of a colleague or customer.

Harassment
Harassment is generally characterised by three elements:
• Repeated, unwanted, unwelcome and unsolicited behaviour
• Behaviour that a person considers to be offensive, threatening, intimidating or humiliating
• Behaviour that a reasonable person would find offensive, threatening, intimidating or humiliating

Examples of Harassing Behaviour
• Sending offensive or abusive emails, messages
• Making fun of a person in a humiliating way
• Abusing and embarrassing a person loudly in front of other people
• Repeated ridicule and being put down
• Spreading or starting false or malicious rumours about a person
• Sabotaging another person’s work to make them look bad
• Withholding information or messages which make it difficult for a person to do their job
• Maliciously excluding or isolating a person from workplace activities
• Repeated and persistent unjustified criticisms about minor or insignificant matters

Sexual Harassment 
•May be repeated behaviour or a single incident
•Behaviour must be unwanted – not consensual
•Intent of the person is not important – Even if the person did not intend to sexually harass another person it can still be sexual harassment
•Behaviour that a reasonable person in the circumstances would have anticipated that the other person may be offended humiliated, intimidated or threatened

Examples Sexual Harassment 
 Unwanted sexual advances include:
•Request for sexual favours
•Workplace favours or promotions in exchange for sex
•Unwelcome sexual conduct
•Sexually explicit material on display in the workplace such as naked people or pornography on a computer, calendar, fax, books, magazines
•Staring or leering on a person in a sexual way
•Unwanted touching of any personal areas
•Sexual or physical contact - slapping and kissing
•Questioning a person about their sexual activity or preferences
•Repeated sexual invitations or requests for a date 
•Sexually explicit jokes or cartoons in the workplace
•Sexually offensive gestures
•Unwelcome wolf whistling

Examples of Workplace bullying 
•Verbal abuse or making fun of your work or you
•Excluding or isolating you from people or situations
•Psychological harassment (playing mind games, ganging up on you)
•Intimidation (making you feel unimportant) 
•Giving you pointless or impossible jobs
•Deliberately changing your work roster to make it difficult for you
•Deliberately holding back information you need for getting your work done properly
 Examples of Physical bullying 
•Pushing, shoving, tripping, grabbing 
•Punching, kicking, scratching, biting, spitting or any other type of direct physical contact 
•Attacking or threatening with equipment, knives, guns, clubs or any other type of object that can be turned into a weapon
•Any form of sexual harassment, such as flashing or touching
•Initiation or hazing - Where you are made to do humiliating things in order to be accepted as part of the team  

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