Developing and testing a best practice model of enterprise bargaining in the retail sector. Recently, the Australian labour market has seen a decrease in the manufacturing sector and an increase in the retail sector. The SDA with over 230,000 members is the largest trade and industrial union in Australia. It negotiates EB Agreements on behalf of employees. This research will assess improved job satisfaction and job conditions - a key EB goal, which will have tangible benefits in reducing turnove ....Developing and testing a best practice model of enterprise bargaining in the retail sector. Recently, the Australian labour market has seen a decrease in the manufacturing sector and an increase in the retail sector. The SDA with over 230,000 members is the largest trade and industrial union in Australia. It negotiates EB Agreements on behalf of employees. This research will assess improved job satisfaction and job conditions - a key EB goal, which will have tangible benefits in reducing turnover of retail sector employees, recognised as a major problem for employers. This research will enhance effectiveness for unions and employers in the implementation of agreements commensurate with the needs of employees, the findings of which will have broad applicability across Australian industryRead moreRead less
Low Paid Services Employment in Australia: Dimensions, Causes, Effects and Responses. The project brings together academic researchers, with those who assist and advocate for the low paid in both the union and welfare sectors, to develop understanding about low paid services sector work in Australia. The project goes beyond existing theoretical and empirical work by examining intersecting wage and welfare system effects, through a gendered, spatial, longitudinal, and household analysis. The proj ....Low Paid Services Employment in Australia: Dimensions, Causes, Effects and Responses. The project brings together academic researchers, with those who assist and advocate for the low paid in both the union and welfare sectors, to develop understanding about low paid services sector work in Australia. The project goes beyond existing theoretical and empirical work by examining intersecting wage and welfare system effects, through a gendered, spatial, longitudinal, and household analysis. The project will examine the dynamic interactions of the labour market, welfare system, community and family structures, in representative household types, analysing relationships between low pay and social exclusion in the growing services sector, and evaluating policy responses.Read moreRead less
Re-conceptualising citizenship and the commodification of labour: the experiences of young casual workers in the South Australian labour market. This qualitative study addresses existing gaps regarding the nature and strength of workplace voice and agency of young casual workers in South Australia especially at a time when the growth of casual employment is reviving the notion that human labour is returning to commodity status. This study considers the implications for skill and training, gend ....Re-conceptualising citizenship and the commodification of labour: the experiences of young casual workers in the South Australian labour market. This qualitative study addresses existing gaps regarding the nature and strength of workplace voice and agency of young casual workers in South Australia especially at a time when the growth of casual employment is reviving the notion that human labour is returning to commodity status. This study considers the implications for skill and training, gendered aspects of labour market regulation, and potential forms of effective advocacy to assist young casual workers to workplace citizenship and long-term employment from their perspective. The study has theoretical and policy implications.Read moreRead less
The Award Safety Net of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. The industrial relations changes of the 1990s have altered the role of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) in prescribing and influencing the terms of employment. Its awards are now characterised as a ?safety net? and have, to a significant extent, been displaced by registered agreements as the legal instruments binding employers and employees. The project focuses on the remaining role of the safety net. Wh ....The Award Safety Net of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. The industrial relations changes of the 1990s have altered the role of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) in prescribing and influencing the terms of employment. Its awards are now characterised as a ?safety net? and have, to a significant extent, been displaced by registered agreements as the legal instruments binding employers and employees. The project focuses on the remaining role of the safety net. What are its purposes? What are the criteria by which it is adjusted? What are the effects of the adjustments on actual wages, incomes and employment? How does the safety net relate to social welfare policies?Read moreRead less
Industrial relations, gender equity and work/family balance: assessing the impact of changing law and practice in Queensland. The project has potential to contribute to improvements in the economic and social well-being of Australian families and communities by identifying effective strategies to enhance gender equity in employment and work/family balance. It seeks to extend understanding of how these outcomes vary across regions and sectors of the Queensland economy in the context of a changing ....Industrial relations, gender equity and work/family balance: assessing the impact of changing law and practice in Queensland. The project has potential to contribute to improvements in the economic and social well-being of Australian families and communities by identifying effective strategies to enhance gender equity in employment and work/family balance. It seeks to extend understanding of how these outcomes vary across regions and sectors of the Queensland economy in the context of a changing industrial relations framework, and to provide an evidence-base to inform the best ways to secure high quality employment and labour force attachment over the life course.Read moreRead less
Parental leave: access, utilisation and efficacy in Australia. This project addresses significant gaps in knowledge about the use of parental leave and the work/family preferences of men and women in Australia. It aims to advance current theoretical debates on how preferences are shaped in workplaces and households, and provide detailed data to inform policy processes. These are highly significant goals as Australian governments prioritise work/family issues in the context of changing household ....Parental leave: access, utilisation and efficacy in Australia. This project addresses significant gaps in knowledge about the use of parental leave and the work/family preferences of men and women in Australia. It aims to advance current theoretical debates on how preferences are shaped in workplaces and households, and provide detailed data to inform policy processes. These are highly significant goals as Australian governments prioritise work/family issues in the context of changing household structures, falling fertility rates, ageing populations and working time pressures. Expected outcomes include benchmarks for policy evaluation, improved understanding of preferences and enhanced policy frameworks to facilitate a gender egalitarian work/family balance.Read moreRead less
A Regional Perspective on Work & Family Balance and Changes in Employment Regulation. Work/family balance is a focus of significant attention at the community, national and international level. This project will generate new knowledge about the ways in which employment regulation directly and indirectly impacts on employee work/family balance outcomes within different regional and industry contexts. A growing body of research recognises the linkages between employment regulation and effects on c ....A Regional Perspective on Work & Family Balance and Changes in Employment Regulation. Work/family balance is a focus of significant attention at the community, national and international level. This project will generate new knowledge about the ways in which employment regulation directly and indirectly impacts on employee work/family balance outcomes within different regional and industry contexts. A growing body of research recognises the linkages between employment regulation and effects on child and parent well-being and health, labour force supply and economic outcomes. However, little is known about how geographical location shapes work/family balance. The research will thus contribute to improved understandings and to better social policy at the local, state and federal levels.Read moreRead less
Improving people management systems in emergency services. Improving people management systems in emergency services. This project aims to identify the organisational subsystems that affect the long-term employment of emergency service workers and other individual and organisational outcomes. Operational workloads affect ambulance officers’ ability to work and also contribute to psychological stress. People management systems and support mechanisms are often not configured to minimise these stre ....Improving people management systems in emergency services. Improving people management systems in emergency services. This project aims to identify the organisational subsystems that affect the long-term employment of emergency service workers and other individual and organisational outcomes. Operational workloads affect ambulance officers’ ability to work and also contribute to psychological stress. People management systems and support mechanisms are often not configured to minimise these stressors. This project expects to develop people-management strategies for organisations in difficult environments like emergency services. In turn, emergency service workers should provide better services for patients.Read moreRead less
Caring for the carers: occupational health and safety in homecare. Homecare workers care for vulnerable clients but their own vulnerability to health and safety risks is seldom examined. Pilot research revealed unrecognised hazards arising from the isolated and fragmented nature of the work. This project will systematically identify hazards and develop interventions to promote healthier and safer homecare work.
Facilitating workplace change: Redefining the role of industrial tribunals in Australia. Amendments to the Fair Work Act 2009 passed in 2013 have the potential to re-define the role of Australia’s national workplace relations tribunal, the Fair Work Commission, by requiring it to promote cooperative and productive workplace relations. This project aims to identify an innovative model of tribunal intervention that meets these new imperatives through case studies from the Hunter region of NSW, whe ....Facilitating workplace change: Redefining the role of industrial tribunals in Australia. Amendments to the Fair Work Act 2009 passed in 2013 have the potential to re-define the role of Australia’s national workplace relations tribunal, the Fair Work Commission, by requiring it to promote cooperative and productive workplace relations. This project aims to identify an innovative model of tribunal intervention that meets these new imperatives through case studies from the Hunter region of NSW, where tribunal members have for two decades been working proactively with managers, employees and their representatives in major construction projects and large public sector organisations to achieve cooperative and effective workplace change. Read moreRead less