© State of Western Australia 2018 There is no objection to this publication being copied in whole or part, provided there is due acknowledgement of any material quoted or reproduced. Published by the Public Sector Commission, September 2018. ISSN 1328-7001 This publication is available on the Public Sector Commission website at www.publicsector.wa.gov.au. Disclaimer The Western Australian Government is committed to quality service to its customers and every attempt to ensure accuracy, currency and reliability of the information contained in this publication. However, changes in circumstances over time may impact on the veracity of this information. Accessibility Copies of this publication are available in alternative formats upon request. Enquiries: Public Sector Commission Dumas House, 2 Havelock Street, WEST PERTH WA 6005 Locked Bag 3002, WEST PERTH WA 6872 Telephone: (08) 6552 8500 Fax: (08) 6552 8501 Website:
A common misconception is that the principles of merit and equity in the employment framework do not accord with using the measures to address past injustices for people from diverse groups or progressing diversity targets. What the new Circular and supporting material specifically aims to do is clarify that—within the parameters of documented equal employment opportunity and workforce policies—people identifying as diverse can be selected over others providing they meet the minimum skills, knowledge and abilities to do the job and their appointment advances the authority’s stated diversity and inclusion outcomes. It is anticipated that the advice will give authorities confidence to employ people who identify as diverse and provide a strong platform for positive diversity outcomes. Education and awareness is key Education and awareness about: how to reduce barriers; what skills and knowledge people who identify as diverse bring; and what creating a truly inclusive culture can do for productivity and employee critical in getting traction on positive outcomes. The business case for diversity and inclusion is well understood. However, we need to consider more contemporary human resource practices and approaches, and plan for how to employ, manage and maximise a diverse workforce. Looking ahead to improved outcomes I urge senior leaders and people managers to consider how diversity and inclusion can be considered in every business decision making process. Small, incremental changes at the local level all contribute to our collective goal of having sectors that are truly representative of the Western Australian community we all serve. I conclude by thanking public authorities for their commitment to improving workforce diversity and their contribution to the information in this report. I look forward to continuing to engage with public authorities and other stakeholders to improve the representation and distribution of diversity groups in public employment.
Equal employment opportunity data collection Measuring diversity The Equal employment opportunity (EEO) survey is conducted annually for local governments, universities and GTEs. This survey provides one of the primary data sets that informs the DEOPE’s functions. In 2018, the survey was revised to better capture information on barriers to achieving diversity targets and setting priorities for the coming year. The 2018 EEO survey is reflected in the relevant sections of the Public sector entity survey (PSES) to enable comparisons across sectors. Authorities completing the 2018 EEO survey were provided with two options to submit workforce data: through the Commission’s survey platform (as in previous years) or via a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet method called for authorities to provide a de-identified excerpt from their HR system. This was seen to be a more effective method of submitting workforce information for smaller authorities. Forty seven per cent of authorities chose to submit via the spreadsheet method. The change in collection methodology resulted in more accurate recording of workforce information and facilitated comparability. Next year the DEOPE will require all authorities reporting under the EEO survey to complete via the spreadsheet method. Public sector entities (including the Police Force and electorate offices) also provide workforce data each quarter through the Human resource minimum obligatory information requirement (HRMOIR). The data provided to the DEOPE through the EEO survey and HRMOIR, fulfils public authorities annual reporting requirements under Section 146 of the EO Act. All workforce data presented in this report is current as at the end of March 2018. Authority type by number of employees 83 Public sector entities (140 799 employees) 146 Local governments (24 545 employees) 4 Public universities (21 967 employees) 18 Other authorities including government trading enterprises, the Police Force and electorate offices (16 048 employees) Source: EEO survey and HRMOIR data (March 2018)
Diversity snapshot | 2018 Public sector 140 799 employees in the public sector Groups Representation (%) 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Aboriginal Australians 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7 People with disability 2.3 2.2 2.0 1.9 1.5 Women in the Senior Executive Service (SES) 30.1 31.7 32.9 34.2 33.3 People from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds 12.5 12.4 12.6 12.7 13.1 People 24 and 4.6 4.7 4.4 4.4 4.3 People 45 and over 52.5 52.4 52.6 52.6 52.1 Employees across salary bands (%) 403 SES Public sector salary 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 C* 21.4 11.9 8.5 11.3 15.5 18.8 6.2 2.6 1.3 2.5 * Denotes Class 1 and above Diversity With disability 1.5% Aboriginal Australians 2.7% From CaLD backgrounds 13.1% Age profile 45 median age 24 and under 4.3% 25-44 years 43.6% 45 and over 52.1% Across WA Work in the metro area 75.5% Work in regional WA 24.1% Gender Female 72.4% Male 27.6% Indeterminate/intersex/unspecified (X) <0.1% Employment type Permanent 71..1% Fixed term 16.9% Casual 10.9% Other 1.1% Diversity snapshot | 2018
Local governments 24 545 employees in local governments Groups Representation (%) 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Aboriginal Australians 2.2 1.9 2.1 1.7 2.2 People with disability 1.8 1.5 1.6 1.2 1.2 Women in management Tier 1 (Indoor) 12.3 12.3 8.8 10.3 11.6 Tier 2 (Indoor) 30.0 33.0 33.3 35.3 34.4 Tier 2 (Outdoor) 1.8 6.7 8.6 8.3 10.7 Tier 3 (Indoor) 38.0 42.8 45.5 41.9 42.7 Tier 3 (Outdoor) 6.7 7.8 12.4 12.1 14.1 People from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds 17.2 15.0 16.3 11.3 13.6 People 24 and under 13.8 14.4 13.9 13.3 12.1 People 45 and over 43.6 49.4 45.0 46.9 48.7 Diversity With disability 1.2% Aboriginal Australians 2.2% From CaLD backgrounds 13.6% Age profile 24 and under 12.1% 25-44 years 39.2% 45 and over 48.7% Work type Work indoors 75.6% Work indoors 24.4% Senior management Tier 1 managers 146 Tier 2 managers 501 Tier 3 managers 1131 Gender
Diversity snapshot | 2018 Public universities 21 967 employees in public universities Groups Representation (%) 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Aboriginal Australians 0.9 1.0 1.1 0.7 1.5 People with disability 1.3 1.6 1.7 1.1 1.3 in management Tier 1 (Academic and general) 25.0 2.5 25.0 75.0 75.0 Tier 2 (Academic and general) 36.4 29.4 44.4 45.7 45.5 Tier 3 (Academic and general) 47.2 44.5 44.1 45.9 46.1 People from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds 22.4 23.7 25.3 14.5 18.8 People 24 and 6.5 6.5 7.0 6.7 10.4 People 45 and over 37.3 33.7 35.7 36.7 41.7 Diversity With disability 1.3% Aboriginal Australians 1.5% From CaLD backgrounds 18.8% Age profile 24 and under 10.4% 25-44 years 48.0% 45 and over 41.7% Work type Are general staff 53.3% Are academic staff 46.7% Senior management Tier 1 managers 4 Tier 2 managers 33 Tier 3 managers 206 Gender Female 60.6%
Diversity snapshot | 2018 Other authorities 16 048 employees in other authorities Groups Representation (%) 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Aboriginal Australians 1.6 1.5 1.7 2.0 2.1 People with disability 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 in management Tier 1 5.0 5.9 11.8 11.8 12.5 Tier 2 17.6 19.0 23.5 22.8 26.4 Tier 3 27.0 24.4 21.4 31.9 30.3 People from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds 12.3 12.5 13.4 12.3 12.0 People 24 and 6.2 6.3 5.0 4.5 4.2 People 45 and over 42.9 41.7 43.5 42.6 43.7 Diversity With disability 1.4% Aboriginal Australians 2.1% From CaLD backgrounds 12.0% Age profile 24 and under 4.2% 25-44 years 52.1% 45 and over 43.7% Work type Government trading enterprises 9013 Police Force 6775 Parliamentary electorate offices 260 Senior management Tier 1 managers 16 Tier 2 managers 91 Tier 3 managers 422 Gender Female 29.4% Male 70.6% Indeterminate/intersex/unspecified (X) 0.0% Employment type Permanent 90.7%
Diversity snapshot | 2018 Aboriginal Australians 2729 employees in the public sector identify as Aboriginal Australian (up 111 from 2017) Employees across salary bands (%) 2 SES Salary Aboriginal Australians Non-Aboriginal Australians 1 41.8 21.5 2 14.8 11.2 3 9.0 8.9 4 9.9 10.0 5 9.7 14.9 6 10.5 21.7 7 2.9 6.5 8 0.7 2.5 9 0.5 1.2 C* 0.2 1.5 * Denotes Class 1 and above Diversity With disability 2.1% From CaLD backgrounds 0.7% Age profile 43 median age 24 and under 9.7% 25-44 years 45.0% 45 and over 45.3% Across WA Work in the Perth metro area 43% Work in regional WA 57% Gender Female 74.4% Male 25.6% Indeterminate/intersex/unspecified (X) <0.1% Employment type Permanent 71.1% term 19.9% Casual 7.4% Other 1.6% Top five occupations 1 682 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education aides 2 207 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers 3 156 General clerks 4 145 Primary school teachers 5 138 Workforce support workers
Diversity snapshot | 2018 People with disability 1569 employees in the public sector identify as having a disability (down 127+ from 2017) Employees across salary bands (%) 8 SES Salary bands With disability Without disability 1 25.9 22.0 2 12.6 11.4 3 8.3 8.9 4 9,2 10.1 5 12.0 15.1 6 18.7 21.0 7 7.3 6.3 8 25. 2.4 9 1.1 1.2 C* 2.3 1.7 * Denotes Class 1 and above Diversity Aboriginal Australians 3.7% From CaLD backgrounds 9.3% Age profile 50 years median age 24 and 3.0% 25-44 years 31.2% 45 and over 65.8% Across WA Work in the Perth metro area 78.3% Work in regional WA 21.7% Gender Female 62.0% Male 38.0% Indeterminate/intersex/unspecified (X) <0.1% Employment type Permanent 82.7% Fixed term 10.5% Casual 5.5% 1.2% Top five occupations 1 149 Education aides 2 103 Secondary school teachers 3 102 General clerks 4 100 Primary school teachers 5 58 Cleaners + In 2017, the DEOPE reported 1890 people with disability. This included 194 employees from the former Department of Corrective services who were incorrectly reported as having a disability. Taking this into account, the actual decrease in people identifying with a disability over the year is 127.
Diversity snapshot | 2018 Sexuality, sex and gender diversity 101 886 females are employed in the public sector (up 761 from 2017) Employees across salary (%) Salary bands Female Male 1 23.8 15.3 2 13.3 8.1 3 8.5 8.5 4 11.0 12.1 5 15.8 14.7 6 19.0 18.3 7 4.9 9.7 8 1.7 5.2 9 0.8 2.6 C* 1.3 5.6 * Denotes 1 and above Employees across WA Male Female Work in the metro area 78.7% 74.6% Work in regional WA 21.2% 25.4% Gender Female 72.4% Male 27.6% Indeterminate/intersex/unspecified (X) <0.1% Employment type Female Male Full time 46.7% 77.1% Part time 40.5% 12.7% Casual 12.1% 7.9% Other 0.7% 2.2% Top five occupations 1 11 752 Registered nurses 2 11 249 Education aides 3 10 539 Primary school teachers 4 5343 Secondary school teachers 5 3621 General clerks
Diversity snapshot | 2018 People from CaLD backgrounds 12 195 employees in the public sector identify as CaLD (up 803 from 2017) Employees across salary bands (%) 31 SES Salary CaLD backgrounds Non-CaLD backgrounds 1 24.9 20.8 2 11.3 11.5 3 9.5 8.8 4 11.5 9.9 5 14.6 14.9 6 16.1 22.3 7 6.0 6.9 8 2.6 2.6 9 1.2 1.2 C* 2.3 1.2 * Denotes Class 1 and above Diversity With disability 1.2% Aboriginal Australians 0.2% Age profile 45 years median age 24 and under 2.1% 25-44 years 46.9% 45 and over 51.0% Across WA Work in the Perth metro area 86.4% Work in regional WA 13.5% Gender Female 68.5% Male 31.5% Indeterminate/intersex/unspecified (X) 0.0% Employment type Permanent 72.9% Fixed term 17.4% Casual 8.9% Other 0.8% Top five occupations 1 1082 Registered nurses 2 1080 Cleaners 3 747 Education 4 618 Secondary school teachers 5 493 Primary school teachers
Diversity snapshot | 2018 People 24 and under 6057 employees in the public sector are aged 24 and under (down 130 from 2017) Employees across salary bands (%) Public sector salary bands 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 C* 39.2 31.9 18.3 8.8 1.5 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 * Denotes Class 1 and above Diversity With disability 1.1% Aboriginal Australians 5.9% From CaLD backgrounds 6.3% Across WA Work in the Perth metro area 76.2% Work in regional WA 23.7% Gender Female 77.5% Male 22.5% Indeterminate/intersex/unspecified (X) 0.0% Employment type Permanent 28.4% Fixed term 41.2% Casual 28.6% 1.7% Top five occupations 1 866 Registered nurses 2 685 Education 3 547 Primary school teachers 4 497 Secondary school teachers 5 361 General clerks
Glossary Aboriginal Australians People of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent who identify and are accepted as such by the community in which they live. Academic staff A person who is employed by a public university as an academic member of the workforce. Authority and public authority The terms ‘authority’ and ‘public authority’ are defined at Section 138 and 139(9) of the EO Act respectively. Distribution (‘equity index’) The ‘equity index’ determines the distribution of a diversity group across salary bands. The ideal index is 100, with an index of less than 100 indicating that a diversity group is concentrated at lower salary bands. An equity index greater than 100 indicates the group is concentrated at the higher salary bands. Full time equivalent (FTE) One FTE is one person paid for a full time position. FTE totals include all current employees except board members (unless they are on a public sector authority payroll), trainees engaged through any traineeship program, award or agreement, and casuals who were not paid in the final pay period for the financial year. FTE calculations do not include any time that is not ordinary time paid, such as overtime and flex-time. General staff A person who is employed by a public university as a non-academic member of the workforce. Headcount Number of employees directly employed by a public sector authority at a point in time, regardless of employment type. Indoor workers Employees in local governments who are generally office-based. Management tiers Linked to decision-making responsibility, rather than salaries. Tier 1 Directs and is responsible for the public authority, and its overall development. Has ultimate control of, and responsibility for, the layers of management. Typical titles include Director General, Chief Executive Officer, General Manager, Executive Director and Commissioner. Tier 2 Reports to Tier 1 and assists Tier 1 by implementing organisational plans. Is directly responsible for leading and directing the work of other managers of functional departments. May be responsible for managing professional and special employees. Does not include professional and graduate employees, such as engineers, medical practitioners and accountants unless they have a primary management function.
Tier 3 Reports to Tier 2 and formulates policies and plans for areas of control. Manages a budget and employees. Does not include professional and graduate employees, such as engineers, medical practitioners and accountants, unless they have a primary management function. Outdoor workers Employees in local governments who generally work outdoors. People from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds People born in countries other than those below, which have been categorised by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) as mainly English speaking countries as follows: Australia Canada England Ireland New Zealand Northern Ireland Scotland South Africa United Kingdom United States of America Wales People with disability People with ongoing disability who have an employment restriction that requires any of the following: modified hours of work or time schedules adaptations to the workplace or work area specialised equipment time for mobility or for some tasks ongoing assistance or supervision to carry out their duties. Public sector The term ‘public sector’ is defined by Section 3 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994. Representation Representation (expressed as a percentage) is on the number of individuals who identify themselves as belonging to a diversity group as a proportion of the workforce who responded to a diversity survey (EEO survey or HRMOIR). SES Senior Executive Service generally comprises positions classified at Public Service and Government Officers CSA General Agreement 2017 (PSGOGA) Level 9 or above, with specific management and/or policy responsibilities. Shortened forms CaLD Culturally and linguistically diverse DEOPE Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment EEO Equal employment opportunity EO Act Opportunity Act 1984 (WA) HRMOIR Human resource minimum obligatory information requirement LGBTI Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex PSES Public sector entity survey
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Appendix A – Public authorities reporting to the Public sector entities as at 31 2018 Animal Resources Centre Architects Board of Western Australia Botanic Gardens and Authority Burswood Park Board Central Regional TAFE ChemCentre Construction Training Fund Corruption and Commission Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Department of Communities Department of Education Department of Finance Department of Fire and Emergency Services Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation Department of Justice Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Department of the Premier and Cabinet Department of the Registrar Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission Department of Training and Workforce Development Department of Transport Department of Treasury Department of and Environmental Regulation Disability Services Commission Equal Opportunity Commission Forest Products Commission Gascoyne Development Commission Goldfields-Esperance Development Commission GESB (Government Employees Superannuation Board) Great Southern Development Commission Health and Disability Services Complaints Office Healthway Housing Authority Insurance Commission of Western Australia Keep Australia Beautiful WA Kimberley Development Commission Landgate Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia Legal Practice Board Lotterywest Main Roads Western Australia Mental Health Commission Metropolitan Cemeteries Board Mid West Development Commission Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia National Trust of Western Australia North Metropolitan TAFE Regional TAFE Office of the Auditor General Office of the Commissioner for Children and Young People Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Office of the Information Commissioner Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services Ombudsman Western Australia Peel Development Commission Pilbara Development Commission
Public Sector Commission Public Transport Authority Rottnest Island Authority Salaries and Allowances Tribunal Business Development Commission South Metropolitan TAFE South Regional TAFE South West Development Commission VenuesWest Veterinary Surgeons’ Board Western Australian Electoral Commission Western Australian Meat Industry Authority Wheatbelt Development Commission WorkCover Western Australia WA Health (Child and Adolescent Health Service) WA Health (Department of Health) WA Health (East Metropolitan Health Service) WA Health (Health Support Service) WA Health (North Metropolitan Health Service) WA Health (South Metropolitan Health Service) WA Health (WA Country Health Service) Western Australian Police Zoological Parks Authority government as at 31 March 2018 A list of all government authorities is available on the Western Australian Local Government Associations website through their online directory. Please note that the Shire of the Christmas Island and the Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands are not required to report to the DEOPE under the EO Act. Public universities as at 31 March 2018 Curtin University of Technology Edith Cowan University Murdoch University The University of Western Australia authorities as at 31 March 2018 Aqwest Busselton Fremantle Ports Gold Corporation Horizon Power Kimberley Ports Authority LandCorp Mid West Ports Parliamentary electorate offices Pilbara Ports Authority Police Force Racing and Wagering Western Australia Southern Ports Authority Synergy Corporation Western Power Western Australian Greyhound Racing Association Western Australian Treasury Corporation Independent authorities reported by authorities For the purposes of EEO reporting some public authorities are covered by the EEO management plans and processes of larger authorities, for example: State Supply Commission is reported through the Department of Finance Liqueur Commission and Racing Penalties Appeal Tribunal are reported through the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor.