Objective 3: Human resource management

• Our business strategies
• Our performance against key indicators
• Our major outcomes
• Overview
• Our workforce
• Our employment framework
• Our performance culture
• Our learning and development programs
• Our WHS programs

Our business strategies

• Deliver a working environment and employment conditions that contribute to flexibility and motivation, and are positive factors in the recruitment and retention of staff.

Our performance against key indicators

KPI	Target	Achievement	Outcome
Staff retention and turnover rate	>85.0%	85.5%
Total recordable injury frequency rate	<15.5	10.0
Percentage of salaries spent on training staff	>1.5%	2.3%
Wages expense ratio	<6.0%	5.9%

Our major outcomes

Achieved and maintained certification against international and Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) standards for our management system.

Awarded Best Deployment of a Hosted Learning Management System at the Learnex Awards for the implementation of our system.

Achieved a reduction in the severity rate of harm caused by staff incidents as recorded by the Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR).

Implemented an enhanced online recruitment system with streamlined processes and improved reporting capabilities.

Implemented a 360-degree feedback program for senior leaders and managers.

Staff attended or completed approximately 6,000 learning events and modules.

Overview

Our people are central to achieving organisational outcomes and performance. We are committed to delivering a safe working environment, with employment conditions that are flexible, motivating and have a positive influence on recruitment and retention.

We actively embrace teamwork and collaboration, with programs and robust systems that support the development of organisational capability, productivity, engagement and performance. This section provides an overview of our workforce, employment framework and various programs conducted in 2014–15.

Our workforce

As at 30 June 2015, we employed 607 staff⁸ in 26 offices throughout Australia. Of these, 90% were employed on a full-time basis and there was a 65–35 split between female and male staff respectively.

Refer to Appendix B for workforce statistics, including staff by classification, location and gender.

Our employment framework

The DHA Enterprise Agreement 2012–14 (EA) sets out the terms and conditions of employment for all non-senior executive service level staff. This includes rates of pay, hours of work, leave entitlements and procedures for consultation and dispute resolution.

During 2014–15, the EA continued to apply despite a nominal expiry date of 30 June 2014. It will apply until a new EA is:

1. negotiated in line with the Australian Government Public Sector Workplace Bargaining Policy
2. supported by the majority of eligible staff through a valid voting process
3. approved by our Board of Directors, Shareholder Ministers and the Fair Work Commission.

Refer to Appendix B for a breakdown of classification and salary.

Our performance culture

We are committed to fostering a high performance culture. In 2014–15, early intervention and proactive performance management was used to strengthen and/or improve staff and team performance as needed.

We also used various rewards and recognition programs to highlight exceptional and/or improved performance, reinforcing the value of staff participation in achieving corporate outcomes. This included a revised staff awards for excellence program.

Staff performance was high during the reporting period, consistent with previous years. In total, 96% of eligible staff⁹ were paid a bonus (in August 2014) for achieving a performance rating that met or exceeded their agreed 2013–14 target.

Refer to Appendix B for a breakdown of performance bonus rates by classification.

Our learning and development programs

We are committed to developing the skills and knowledge staff need to undertake both their current role and build capability to meet future challenges.

In 2014–15, we undertook the following learning and development initiatives:

• Supported the change in our housing service delivery model, particularly staff transitioning to new housing contact centres.
• Introduced a series of compliance eLearning modules on key topics such as physical security, conflict of interest, privacy and Freedom of Information (FOI) responsibilities.
• Implemented a corporate induction program for all new staff, ensuring they possess a sound understanding of our business early in their employment.
• Hosted a series of events for leaders and managers to build their capability and support our organisational development strategy.

During the reporting period, staff attended or completed more than 6,000 learning events and modules. Refer to Appendix C for a breakdown by program category, classification and gender.

Our WHS programs

We are committed to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of our staff, contractors and visitors.

In 2014–15, we continued to focus on the management and promotion of safety at work, with ongoing enhancements to Prevention First (our WHS management system).

Other major achievements were as follows:

• Prevention First certified against international and Australian standards for WHS management systems.
• Prevention First facilitated improved identification of business risks, which were then managed though consultative collaboration.
• Implemented the First Response program, comprising targeted risk management training for field workers such as the ability to de-escalate difficult situations.
• Introduced a portable duress device—the SafeTCard—for field workers, providing them access to assistance as needed (e.g. in man down situations).
• Achieved an increase in the number of incidents reported (114 in 2013–14 to 201 in 2014–15).
• Reduced the severity rate of harm by staff incidents, achieving a TRIFR of 10.04 against a target of 15.5.

Incident reporting

In total, 201 incidents were reported in 2014–15. Following assessment, we confirmed that 143 were WHS incidents. Refer to Appendix D for more information on incident reporting and a year-on-year history of staff WHS incidents.

As at 30 June 2015, despite an increase in the number of WHS incidents reported, our TRIFR had reduced from 17.35 to 10.04. This was an excellent result given our target was to reduce this rate by just 10%.

Staff were involved in 76 incidents with nil reportable to the regulator (Comcare). Contractors were involved in 64 incidents, with 30% reportable to the regulator. Tenants were involved in three incidents, with nil reportable to the regulator.

Workers compensation

We accepted six workers compensation claims in 2014–15. Of these, one claim was for injuries sustained in a previous financial year, one claim was for a psychological injury and the remaining four claims were for musculoskeletal injuries.

WHS directions, notices and investigations

We did not receive any directions, improvement notices or investigations under the Work Health and Safety Act in 2014–15.

Footnotes

8 Includes ongoing and non-ongoing staff and excludes inoperative employees, staff engaged through an agency and directors of DHA's Board.

9 Excludes the Managing Director and directors of DHA's Board.