Source: http://awardviewer.fwo.gov.au/award/version/MA000111?vn=1&rvn=1
Timestamp: 2020-02-20 11:51:01
Document Index: 566622985

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 3', 'art 4', 'art 5', 'art 6', 'art 4', 'art 5', 'art 6']

Part 3types of employment and termination of employment8
Part 4minimum wages and related matters10
Part 5hours of work and related matters18
Part 6leave and public holidays26
10.	Types of employment—public sector	8
11.	Types of employment—private sector	8
12.	Termination of employment	9
13.	Redundancy	10
Part 4—Minimum Wages and Related Matters	10
14.	Classifications	10
15.	Minimum wages—public sector	10
16.	Minimum wages—private sector	11
17.	Allowances	11
19.	Higher duties	17
Part 5—Hours of Work and Related Matters	18
22.	Ordinary hours of work and rostering—public sector	18
23.	Ordinary hours of work and rostering—private sector	21
24.	Breaks—public sector employees and private sector shiftworkers	23
25.	Breaks—private sector day workers	23
26.	Overtime	24
27.	Penalty rates	25
Part 6—Leave and Public Holidays	26
28.	Annual leave	26
29.	Personal/carer’s leave and compassionate leave	26
30.	Community service leave	27
31.	Parental leave	27
32.	Public holidays	27
Schedule A—Transitional Provisions	28
Schedule B—Classifications	33
appointed station means the station of the brigade to which a firefighter or station officer is appointed
duty station means the station at which a firefighter or station officer is carrying out their normal duties, whether at the appointed station or not
NES means National Employment Standards as contained in sections 59 to 131 <http://www.airc.gov.au/awardmod/download/nes.pdf> of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth)
standard rate means the Minimum weekly wage: 38 hours for a Qualified Firefighter set out in clause 15—Minimum wages—public sector
This industry award covers employers throughout Australia in the fire fighting industry and their employees in the classifications listed in Schedule B—Classifications to the exclusion of any other modern award.
For the purposes of this award the fire fighting industry means:
the suppressing and extinguishing of fires;
the provision of rescue services (other than by police, ambulance, a State Emergency Service or the military) at the scene of accidents, explosions or other emergencies;
the handling of spillages of toxic or hazardous materials in emergency situations (other than in a marine environment or by an employer in relation to its own property, premises or products); and
the prevention of fires and the sale, supply, installation, maintenance, repair and/or inspection of fire protection equipment other than fixed or semi-fixed fire protection systems by an employer otherwise in the fire fighting industry by virtue of clause 4.2(a).
An employee elected by employees in a workplace to represent them in dealings with the employer will be granted leave on full pay for up to five days per calendar year for the purpose of attending training courses that will enable the employee’s representative to perform or better perform their duties.
Such leave in a calendar year may be extended to 10 days, subject to the total leave granted in that year and the subsequent year not exceeding 10 days.
At all times this leave is subject to operational requirements and determined on this basis.
Types of employment—public sector
Types of employment—private sector
An employer in the private sector may employ a person in a classification in this award on a full-time or part-time basis.
The employer must advise an employee in writing at the time of engagement whether the employee is engaged on a full-time or part-time basis. The employer must also advise in writing the classification level to which the employee is appointed.
works less than full-time hours of 38 ordinary hours per week;
receives, on a pro rata basis, equivalent pay and conditions to those of full-time employees who do the same kind of work.
All time worked in excess of the hours as agreed under clause 11.4(b) or varied under clause 11.4(c) will be overtime and paid for at the rates prescribed in clause 26—Overtime.
A part-time employee employed under the provisions of this clause must be paid for ordinary hours worked at the rate of 1/38th of the appropriate weekly rate prescribed in clause 16—Minimum wages—private sector
This entitlement applies instead of clause 12.3.
Minimum wages—public sector
The minimum weekly wages payable by public sector employers to their employees employed in classifications in this award are set out in the following table.
Minimum wages—private sector
The minimum weekly wages payable by private sector employers to their employees employed in classifications in this award are set out in the following table.
The employer will reimburse each employee for the cost of the purchasing, replacing, repairing and/or cleaning the articles of clothing and/or equipment that must be worn and/or used by the employee. This provision will not apply where such clothing and equipment is provided, replaced, repaired and/or cleaned or paid for by the employer.
The replacement, repairs and/or cleaning of the articles of clothing and equipment will occur when reasonably required by each employee and/or when the uniform or equipment becomes so soiled or damaged that it requires cleaning, repair, or replacement.
An employee entitled to a meal allowance other than those specified in clause 17.3(d) will receive an amount of $12.00.
Where a normal meal break of an employee is withheld for a period in excess of 30 minutes, a meal allowance will be paid to the employee. This provision will not apply to firefighters or station officers who are required to perform salvage duty or a fire call as provided for in clause 17.2(c).
Where an employee is required to perform salvage duty, watching duty or a fire call (provided that such duty or fire call is of not less than three hours’ duration) and includes a period of a normal meal break they will be paid a meal allowance except when the employer provides a meal.
Where overtime is worked for two hours or more before or after a rostered shift, a meal allowance will be paid for every meal except when the employer provides a meal.
When recalled for duty an employee will be paid a meal allowance on the following basis:
on day duty two meal allowances, if work commences before 10.00 am and continues for more than two hours;
on day duty one meal allowance, if work commences after 10.00 am and continues for more than three hours; and
on night duty one meal allowance, if work commences before 8.00 pm and continues for more than two hours.
An employee retained on duty within the meaning of clause 26.4 will receive a meal allowance and if the period of retention exceeds four hours the employee will receive a further meal allowance and continue to receive a meal allowance at the end of each additional two hour period worked.
Travelling allowance, expenses and reimbursement
When an employee is detailed for duty to a station other than their appointed station, they will, except in the case of emergency, receive at least 48 hours’ notice of such duty. During the period for which an employee is so detailed, they will report to the duty station at the commencing time of each shift to which they are rostered and will in addition to their wages be paid or reimbursed:
all expenses necessarily incurred by them in excess of those ordinarily incurred between their residence and their appointed station; and
provided that the relieving period is less than the equivalent of a rostered leave cycle:
a daily allowance equal to one hour’s wage at overtime rates; and
if the duty station is further from their residence than is their appointed station, an allowance based on the shortest distance by road which separates their appointed station and duty station for three minutes each way at ordinary rates for each four kilometres or part thereof travelled.
When an employee, while on duty at their appointed station, is required to perform duty at another station they will:
if returned to their appointed station during their duty shift, be reimbursed the cost of reasonable transport between their appointed station and the duty station at which they are required to perform duty. This provision will not apply where reasonable transport is provided by the employer;
if they remain on duty at such other station until the end of their duty shift, they will, in addition to their wages be paid or reimbursed:
the appropriate single travelling expenses to their appointed station;
an allowance equal to half an hour’s pay at overtime rates; and
if the duty station is further from their residence than their appointed station, an allowance based on the shortest distance by road which separates their appointed station and duty station of two and a half minutes each way at ordinary rates for each kilometre or part thereof travelled.
When an employee travels between their appointed and duty station, or is required to do duty away from their appointed or duty station, or attend training, they will be reimbursed the cost of reasonable transport. This provision will not apply where transport is provided by the employer.
Employees are entitled, on submission of the written evidence required by the employer, to reimbursement of accommodation, meals and incidental expenses necessarily incurred in performing duties in the course of employment at a rate not less than the amount as follows:
The allowances in clause 17.3(d) are subject to the following:
the breakfast allowance is not payable if departure from home is after 7.00 am;
the lunch allowance is not payable if departure from the location is after 12.00 pm;
the dinner allowance is not payable if arrival at home is before 7.00 pm; and
the accommodation allowance is only payable for overnight accommodation.
Any employee who is required by the employer to use their own motor vehicle on the employer’s business, and is not otherwise entitled to an allowance in respect of the cost of travel, will be entitled to receive an allowance of $0.74 per kilometre in the case of a motor vehicle and $0.25 per kilometre in the case of a motorcycle.
Relieving allowance
An employee required to do relieving duty away from their appointed station will receive:
if the distance between their appointed station and their duty station is greater than 100 kilometres measured by the shortest distance by road:
an allowance of 3.18% of the standard rate per shift;
when off duty, the cost of reasonable accommodation, not at the duty station, dinner and breakfast and a meal allowance; and
the expenses as prescribed in clause 17.3 for the journey to their duty station, prior to commencing relieving duty at the station and for the return journey, at the completion of the tour of relieving duty at the station,
if the distance between their appointed station and their duty station is between 50 and 100 kilometres measured by the shortest distance by road:
an allowance of 3.18% of the standard rate per shift; and
when there is a break between shifts of 24 hours or less, when off duty, the cost of reasonable accommodation, not at the duty station, dinner and breakfast and a meal allowance.
A relieving employee will not be entitled to the accommodation and meals allowance prescribed in this clause when they return to their place of residence between shifts and receive the travelling allowance, expenses and reimbursement expenses prescribed in clause 17.3.
Change of residence expenses
An employee who is the holder of IFE Graduate Certificate or a Certificate of Fire Technology will be paid an extra 1.7% of the standard rate per week.
An employee who is the holder of both the IFE Graduate Certificate and the Certificate of Fire Technology will be paid an extra 2.5% of the standard rate per week.
An employee who is the holder of both the IFE Graduate Certificate and Membership will be paid an extra 3.1% of the standard rate per week.
A holder of a current recognised first aid certificate will receive an extra 1.95% of the standard rate per week if appointed by the employer to perform first aid duty (in the case of fire stations one such employee will be appointed per shift).
Station officers not working the 10/14 shift roster who are required to be available after working hours to deal with operational matters will receive a 4.5% loading on their total weekly wage to be counted for all purposes.
In the event of an employee covered by clause 17.8(a) being required to attend an operational incident, the time back on duty will be counted as part of their average of 42 hours per week as detailed in clause 22.2(a).
Driving licence fee reimbursement
Firefighters and station officers who are required, as part of their duties, to drive the employer’s vehicle(s) in a situation associated with an emergency will be reimbursed for fees pertaining to the renewal of driving licences.
Attendance at training facilities, allowances and expenses
The employer may, by agreement or by giving not less than one week’s notice, require employees to attend training courses at a training facility subject to the following conditions.
The employer may fix within a spread of hours between 8.00 am and 10.00 pm the daily number of training hours and the time at which daily training sessions are held.
The employer will pay overtime rates in accordance with clause 26—Overtime, for all reasonable travelling time outside the hours of 8.00 am to 6.00 pm to and from the training facility.
Training time in excess of 10 hours in any one day or 38 hours in any one weekly tour of duty or week as the case may be which will not exceed five days will be paid overtime at the rates prescribed in clause 26.
Where an employee is required to attend training they will be reimbursed the cost of reasonable transport. This provision will not apply where the employer provides reasonable transport.
An employee required to attend a training facility which requires that they stay away from home will be reimbursed the full cost of accommodation. This provision will not apply where the employer provides full accommodation.
An employee detailed on to a designated heavy rescue appliance, will receive an additional 2.4% of the standard rate per week when so detailed.
Station officers and firefighters rostered for special administrative duties, who are required to maintain operational competencies, will receive an additional 7.3% of the standard rate per week whilst so rostered. Special administrative duties will include all rostered duty in the training and education, fire safety and administrative areas of operations.
Subject to clause 18.2, an employee is entitled to accident pay in accordance with the terms of:
an award made under the Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth) that would have applied to the employee immediately prior to 27 March 2006, if the employee had at that time been in their current circumstances of employment and no agreement-based transitional instrument or enterprise agreement had applied to the employee; and
The employee’s entitlement to accident pay under the award is limited to the amount of accident pay which exceeds the employee’s entitlement to accident pay, if any, under any other instrument.
A station officer who is required to perform higher duties for any period in excess of an aggregate of five weeks in a 12 month period will be paid for the period in excess of five weeks at the higher rate.
An employee other than a station officer who is appointed to perform duties at a higher level beyond seven days will be paid at the higher rate for the whole period of performing such duties.
Wages must be paid fortnightly according to the actual ordinary hours worked each week or according to the average number of ordinary hours worked each week.
Subject to the governing rules of the relevant superannuation fund, an employee may, in writing, authorise their employer to pay on behalf of the employee a specified amount from the post-taxation wages of the employee into the same superannuation fund as the employer makes the superannuation contributions provided for in clause 21.2.
The employer must pay the amount authorised under clauses 21.3(a) or (b) no later than 28 days after the end of the month in which the deduction authorised under clauses 21.3(a) or (b) was made.
Ordinary hours of work and rostering—public sector
This clause only applies to public sector employers and their employees.
Employees working a 10/14 roster
Employees working a 10/14 roster will be rostered and work an average of 42 hours per week, two hours of which will be overtime work and paid for as such and the remaining two hours will be taken as annual/accrued leave in accordance with the roster laid down for this purpose.
The rostered hours of such employees will not exceed:
14 on any one day;
96 in 14 consecutive days;
192 in 28 consecutive days; or
336 in 56 consecutive days.
Such employees will be entitled to at least 48 hours’ notice of a change of rostered shift.
Employees not working a 10/14 roster
Employees (other than recruits) who are not working a 10/14 roster will be required to work an average of 42 hours per week, two hours of which will be overtime work and paid for as such and the remaining two hours will be taken as accrued leave.
Subject to clause 22.3(a), a fire service communications controller will work a 12 hour continuous roster over a cycle of eight weeks with a day shift of 7.00 am to 7.00 pm and a night shift of 7.00 pm to 7.00 am and subject to the requirements in clauses 22.2(b) and (c) and clause 22.4(b).
Where an employee is required to undertake duties that are outside of the standard hours for the work location the following will apply:
where such activity involves normal activities a minimum break between periods of duty of 10 hours will apply; and
where such activity involves a major fire or major incident a minimum break between periods of duty of 12 hours will apply.
Employees (other than recruits) not working a 10/14 roster, will receive the same total weekly wage as employees on a 10/14 roster.
10/14 roster system
The 10/14 roster is set out as follows:
D–8.00 am to 6.00 pm; and
N–6.00 pm to 8.00 am.
The roster may be varied for employees on special duties and to provide that during the first year of service employees may be rostered for up to five consecutive day duties.
The roster, once compiled, will not be departed from, except to meet an emergency, due to sickness or other unexpected or unavoidable cause or by personal agreement between the employer and the employee(s) concerned. A shiftworker required for relieving or other special duties may stand by on a day shift or other day work without loss of any shift penalty provided that, except in an emergency an employee will be entitled to 48 hours’ notice of any change from stand-by to rotating shift or from rotating shift to stand-by. The roster may be departed from when an employee is required to attend training in accordance with the provisions of clause 17.10.
In the event of an alarm requiring any station to stand by or turn out for a fire being received at the station during roll call, the oncoming shift will man the appliances and, if required, proceed to the fire and the off going shift will remain on duty if required until the other shift returns, or until otherwise directed, when it will be dismissed.
If, when the oncoming shift reports at a station at the time prescribed for the change of shift and the other shift is proceeding to or attending a fire or alarm, the oncoming shift, if so ordered, will, after roll call, proceed to the fire and the officer or senior member of the shift will report the arrival of the shift to the officer-in-charge of the fire without delay. The off going shift will remain on duty at the fire until relieved. The officer-in-charge at the fire may if in their judgment it is expedient, hold both the oncoming and off going shifts for duty at the fire. If the off going shift is not held at the fire or detailed at the fire for duty elsewhere, it will report back to the station and remain available until the other shift returns or until otherwise directed, when it will be dismissed.
In the event of one or more members of the oncoming shift being absent, an equal number of members in the shift on duty may be detained on duty until such time as they are relieved. Nothing herein contained is to be deemed to sanction an authorised absence, or to relieve the absent member, from a liability to be charged with being absent without leave and dealt with accordingly.
Subject to the provisions of this clause, every employee will be dismissed punctually from their rostered shift.
Time for shower and change
Employees on night shift, other than fire service communications controllers, will be permitted between the hours of 11.00 pm and 7.00 am to recline and sleep only when there is no work to be performed by them.
A special duties roster may be introduced into any permanently manned fire station to increase the day manning capability.
The hours of duty will be 42 hours per week over a seven day cycle.
The roster of hours will be between 7.45 am to 6.15 pm comprising four day shifts worked either Monday to Thursday or Tuesday to Friday or such other configuration agreed between the employer and a majority of affected employees.
Arrangements may be made for employees to vary from one day shift to another, or from day work to shiftwork.
Employees operating under this roster will receive the same total weekly wage and annual leave provisions as firefighters on a 10/14 shift roster.
Employees may be required to work an emergency roster to cover protracted major fires or incidents.
The following general conditions will apply:
the hours of duty will be 12 hours on and 12 hours off;
all travelling time is time on duty;
when an employee is placed on the emergency roster while on duty at their respective place of work, then the hours already worked for that shift will be cumulative with hours worked on the duty roster;
any hours calculated to be in excess of the normal weekly average will be paid at overtime rates;
when an employee is normally rostered for duty at their respective place of work on the day following stand down from the emergency roster, then they will not be required to work that shift unless they have been off duty for a minimum of 12 hours before the starting time of that shift; and
employees will be reimbursed for the cost of meals and accommodation. This provision will not apply if meals and accommodation are provided by the employer.
Ordinary hours of work and rostering—private sector
This clause only applies to private sector employers and their employees.
An employee may be required to work shiftwork in accordance with this clause.
10/14 roster
Despite clause 23.4(b), shiftworkers may be required to work a 10/14 roster in accordance with the roster set out in clause 22.4(a).
Employees working a 10/14 roster will work an average of 42 hours per week, two hours of which will be overtime work and paid for as such and the remaining two hours will be taken as annual/accrued leave in accordance with the roster laid down for this purpose.
Change of rosters
The employer may vary a roster on seven days’ notice.
all travelling time to be deemed as on duty;
Breaks—public sector employees and private sector shiftworkers
This clause applies to public sector employers and their employees and to private sector employers in respect of employees who are shiftworkers.
Employees will be allowed a one hour paid meal break during each shift and will remain on duty.
Subject to operational requirements, meal breaks will be taken at regular times and will be commenced within five hours of commencing duty.
An employee working overtime will be allowed a paid rest period of 20 minutes after each four hours worked, if the employee continues to work after the rest break.
Employees performing fire duty continuously for a period of three hours or more are entitled to a paid 30 minute crib break.
Breaks—private sector day workers
This clause applies to private sector employers and their employees who are day workers.
Employees will be provided with an unpaid meal break of a minimum of half an hour to be taken between 12.00 noon and 2.00 pm.
Employees will be allowed a paid morning and afternoon tea break of 10 minutes each.
Overtime—public sector
A shiftworker working a 10/14 roster or a fire service communications controller required to work in excess of a rostered shift or for more than four shifts in any one week will be paid for such additional time as overtime.
Subject to clause 26.1(a), all time worked in excess of the daily or weekly ordinary hours of work is overtime and will be paid for at the rate of double time.
The rate used for the purpose of calculating overtime payments is 130% of the minimum weekly wage: 38 hours for the employee in clause 15—Minimum wages—public sector.
Overtime will be calculated to the nearest quarter of an hour.
To remove doubt, no additional payment is made to an employee in respect of the average of two hours a week of overtime incorporated in minimum weekly rate payable to the employee.
Overtime—private sector
A shiftworker working a 10/14 roster required to work in excess of a rostered shift or for more than four shifts in any one week will be paid for such additional time at a rate of double time based on 130% of the minimum weekly wage in clause 16—Minimum wages—private sector.
A shiftworker, other than a shiftworker working a 10/14 roster, required to work overtime will be paid for such additional time at a rate of double time based on 130% of the minimum weekly wage in clause 16.
An employee may elect to be given time off instead of payment for overtime. Time off instead of payment for overtime is calculated on the basis of one hour off for each hour of overtime worked.
An employee off duty, who is recalled to duty, will be paid a minimum of four hours at the applicable overtime rate in clause 27.1 or clause 27.2 as the case may be, provided that if the work to be done is completed within four hours, the employee need not stay for the full four hours.
An employee recalled to duty will be paid travelling time, at ordinary rates, except on Sundays and public holidays when time and a half rates apply. In addition, a payment per kilometre will be made in respect of the distance travelled from home to work and return at the rate for vehicles specified in clause 17.4.
An employee on shiftwork who is retained on duty, at the conclusion of a rostered shift for 60 minutes or more, excluding shower and change time, and who has not been given at least 24 hours’ prior notice will be paid a minimum of four hours at double time, provided that if the work to be done is completed within four hours, the employee need not stay for the full four hours.
An employee retained on duty after a night shift, will be entitled to eight consecutive hours off duty, without loss of pay for ordinary working time.
Employees who are employed as shiftworkers will receive a shift loading of 30% in addition to their classification rate of pay. For public sector employees, including those who work a 10/14 roster, this loading is built into their minimum weekly wage specified in clause 15—Minimum wages—public sector.
Clause 27.2 applies to day workers only.
An employee required to perform ordinary hours of work on a Saturday other than a public holiday will be paid an allowance at the rate of 50% of their hourly rate for each hour worked.
An employee required to perform ordinary hours of work on a Sunday other than a public holiday will be paid an allowance at the rate of 100% of their hourly rate for each hour worked.
An employee required to perform ordinary hours of work on a public holiday will be paid an allowance at the rate of 150% of their hourly rate for each hour worked.
Not later than two weeks after a public holiday an employee may elect to be paid at the rate of 50% of their hourly rate for each hour of rostered ordinary work performed on that day and granted one day’s leave instead of the public holiday.
An employee whose rostered day off falls on a public holiday will be granted one day’s leave instead of the public holiday.
An employee who is rostered to perform ordinary hours of work on a public holiday, but is granted leave in respect of that day, will be granted one day’s leave instead of such public holiday, except where the public holiday occurs during a period of leave without pay.
Annual leave is provided for in the NES. This clause supplements the NES provisions.
Shiftworkers for the purposes of the NES
For the purpose of s.87(1)(b) of the Act, a shiftworker is an employee:
who works a roster and who, over the roster cycle, may be rostered to work ordinary shifts on any of the seven days of the week; and
who is regularly rostered to work on Sundays and public holidays.
Where an employee with 12 months’ continuous service is engaged for part of the 12 monthly period as a shiftworker, that employee must have their annual leave increased by half a day for each month the employee is continuously engaged as a shiftworker.
10/14 roster employees
Notwithstanding clause 28.2, an employee working the 10/14 roster and other employees of public sector employers will be entitled to 65.06 days annual leave per annum inclusive of the NES. Such leave is to be taken on the following basis:
for employees subject to the 10/14 roster, such leave will be taken in periods of 28 calendar days within alternating periods of 20 weeks and 24 weeks; and
for other employees not subject to the 10/14 roster, such leave will be taken within periods as reasonably prescribed by the employer. These employees will be required to take any public holiday on the date reasonably prescribed.
Where an employee leaves their employment before the completion of the full 12 month qualifying period for annual leave in any year of service, they will be entitled to pro rata payment instead of the annual leave provided in this clause for such broken periods of service calculated on the basis of 21.67% of the ordinary wage payment received by the employee during such period.
The entitlement to parental leave is set out in the NES.
The NES is supplemented by maintaining an entitlement to payment, in relation to maternity leave, adoption leave or paternity leave for employees in the classifications under this award who were entitled to payment for maternity leave, adoption leave or paternity leave in accordance with the terms of an award made under the Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth);
that applied to the employee or would have applied to the employee immediately prior to 1 January 2010, if the employee had at that time been in their current circumstances of employment and no agreement made under the Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth) applied to the employee; and
that would have entitled the employee to paid maternity leave, adoption leave or paternity leave.
Public holidays are provided for in the NES. This clause provides industry specific detail.
For employees working the 10/14 roster and for other employees of a public sector employer public holidays, including the NES entitlement, are accounted for in the aggregate annual leave provided for in clause 28.3 and the employee has no separate entitlement to public holidays whether pursuant to the NES or under this award.
Recruit means a probationary employee, who is undertaking the fire fighting recruit training course.
Firefighter Level 1 means an employee who has successfully completed the recruit training course.
Firefighter Level 2 means an employee who has completed 12 months’ service and has successfully completed all Firefighter Level 1 modules.
Firefighter Level 3 means an employee who has completed 24 months’ service and has successfully completed all Firefighter Level 2 modules.
Qualified Firefighter means an employee who has completed a minimum of 36 months’ service and possesses the Certificate of Proficiency.
Station Officer means an employee who has completed a minimum of five years service, with at least one year as Qualified Firefighter, and who is appointed as a Station Officer.
Senior Station Officer means an employee who has completed a minimum of two years’ service as a Station Officer and has completed the Advanced Certificate and who is appointed as a Senior Station Officer.
Fire Service Communications Controller means an employee engaged by a public sector fire service employer as such to ensure that the employer’s workplace is provided with a high standard of communications to allow the service to operate in the most efficient and effective manner, in accordance with relevant standard operating procedures.