Ai Group releases policy papers on HR agenda

The papers offer recommendations on four key topics for 2022

BY Dexter Tilo 22 Feb 2022

With the federal elections coming up this year, the Australia Industry Group (Ai Group) has issued a list of workplace relations agenda that parties and politicians should advocate for. The issued list focuses on priority areas, namely Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion; Enterprise Agreements; Forms of Employment and Engagement; and the Safety Net of Minimum Conditions.

For Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, the Ai Group suggested several initiatives that politicians could focus on:

More accessible and flexible childcare options for households
A publicly funded family and domestic violence leave payment linked to the existing unpaid leave entitlements in the Fair Work Act 2009
A commitment that religious discrimination legislations must not inhibit the ability of employers to maintain inclusive and harmonious workplaces.

For the topic of Enterprise Agreements, the group is proposing the following:

Simplifying the Better Off Overall Test by ensuring that hypothetical types and patterns of work that are unlikely to be engaged in are not taken into account.
Simplifying the requirements for the Fair Work Commission to be satisfied that genuine agreement has been reached.
Simplifying the requirement for employers to explain the terms of a proposed enterprise agreement to employees prior to the vote.

Ai Group chief executive Innes Willox said that enterprise agreement should not be the "minefield" that it currently is and should instead be a "relatively simple process" for employers and employees alike.

"With a few sensible reforms, the enterprise agreement system can once again play a key role in delivering higher productivity, improved remuneration to employees and more competitive businesses," Willox said in a statement, stressing that the changes are only "basic and common sense" reforms.

For Forms of Employment and Engagement, the Ai Group chief executive warned against more restrictions and stressed the need of employers and employees for flexibility.

"It is vital that businesses have the ability to engage workers in whatever form of employment or engagement suits the needs of the business," Willox said.

The official also debunked the increase of insecure work as a "myth," adding that levels of casual employment, labour hire employment, fixed term employment, and independent contracting have "not increased over the past decade."

For the area of Safety Net of Minimum Conditions, the Ai Group called for its modernisation to reflect the needs of contemporary workplaces. It also said the Fair Work Act should be amended to "require that employers and employees to whom awards apply have access to certain minimum levels of flexibility," which should include:

The ability to agree on flexible part-time employment arrangements, with the ability to readily adjust ordinary hours on any day by agreement.
The ability for day workers who are working remotely to work outside the spread of hours in the relevant award and to break up their work periods, provided that their employer agrees.
The ability for an employee to enter an Individual Flexibility Arrangement (IFA) with their employer, with an optional lodgement and approval process so that both parties can have certainty that their IFA passes the Better Off Overall Test and is legally enforceable.

The Ai Group said they will issue more policy papers ahead of the election in Australia, with Willox stressing that the upcoming polls offer all politicians the chance to create an inclusive workforce.

"The election offers an opportunity for all sides of politics to support workplace relations policies that will contribute to creating a flexible, inclusive and productive workforce that will help set us up for our post-COVID recovery and beyond," the Ai Group chief said.

The group is set to issue another set of proposals for key areas including Skills, Education and Training; Climate and Energy, the Circular Economy; Industry Development and Taxation before the elections.