Media Release
November 25, 2005
Working at UniSA – it's pure gold
UniSA has been given the first national gold award as Public Sector Employer of the Year at the 2005 Australian Council of Commerce and Industry and Business Council of Australia (ACCI/BCA) National Work and Family Awards in Sydney last night.
Announced by the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Kevin Andrews, the winners were judged on their flexible work practices, including how they are incorporated into daily business operations; whether they are effectively communicated to staff; and how they help to achieve the best business and employee outcomes.
UniSA drew the judges’ attention with a comprehensive range of initiatives and outcomes that were family friendly, including:
- pre-natal leave of a day a month for the final six months of pregnancy
- 22 weeks paid maternity leave or 44 weeks at half pay
- 10 days partner leave at the time of the birth of a baby
- breastfeeding rooms with reasonable breaks provided
- up to nine days leave a year for carer responsibilities including compassionate or bereavement leave
- up to 10 days of accrued sick leave to care for immediate family members
- paid foster parent leave of three to six weeks
- special leave with pay for an “urgent pressing necessity”
- job share and flexitime options
- up to six months paid study leave for academics and six hours per week or 10 days per calendar year for general staff
- performance management policy.
Minister Andrews said the common message emerging from the winning organisations was that working with employees to balance work and family is good for employees, employers and for business and that was born out by UniSA’s employee statistics.
UniSA’s Pro Vice Chancellor of Organisational Strategy and Change, Professor Hilary Winchester, said outcomes for both the university and its staff were very positive.
“We have a loyal and committed workforce and by creating a family friendly, equitable work environment we have met some important institutional goals,” Professor Winchester said.
“We have an increased number of women in the workforce and 31 per cent of those women are in leadership positions. We have increased the targeted numbers of both Indigenous and young people joining the institution.
“More than 51 per cent of our people have had more than seven years of service and 96 per cent of women return to work after maternity leave. We also have reduced our already low rates of unplanned absenteeism, had a 19 per cent improvement in workers compensation costs and have encouraged men to use their family friendly leave.”
The judges said UniSA had “developed a consistent level of high achievement in the work and family interface in a challenging and competitive tertiary environment”.
They also acknowledged the role of the Vice Chancellor Professor Denise Bradley and the senior management of the University in leading the improvements.
“They not only talk the talk, but walk the walk," the judges said.
"Impressive in 2005 was the self motivation of the University leadership to challenge themselves to do more, and better, from an already high mark. There is no question that this institution is an employer of choice on work and family and has set itself a path of using its pro work and family culture as a commercial competitive advantage.”
Contact for Interviews
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Hilary Winchester, office (08) 8302 0209 email hilary.winchester@unisa.edu.au
Media contact
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Michèle Nardelli, office (08) 8302 0966 mobile 0418 823 673 email michele.nardelli@unisa.edu.au