The ACCC and AER Disability Action Plan for 2019-2021.
Goal
The ACCC/AER is committed to creating a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture that drives performance, innovation and productivity, where our people feel supported and valued. We support employees with disability to develop and contribute to their full potential in an environment of inclusion and respect.
Definition of disability
A person has a disability if they report that they have a limitation, restriction or impairment which has lasted, or is likely to last for at least six months or more and restricts everyday activities. This may include physical, mental, intellectual and sensory impairments. A disability may be visible or hidden, may be permanent or temporary and may have minimal or substantial impact on a person’s abilities.
Approach
We will do this by:
- Enhancing our culture of acceptance and respect.
- Providing full access to development opportunities.
- Providing effective access to our premises and information.
- Seeking to attract and retain a diverse workforce which is representative of the nation we serve.
Actions
A culture of acceptance and respect
|
Action |
Timeline |
Responsibility |
Measurable target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strengthen the voice of employees with disability and carers across the Commission. | Ongoing | Disability Champions, Disability and Carers Employee Network (DaCEN), Diversity Reference Group (DRG), and People and Culture Branch |
Promote and support a strong and effective DaCEN. Disability Champion promotes the DaCEN through regular updates to senior executive and other staff. For example, engages in promoting workplace polices that support staff with disability and carers. DaCEN ensures employees with disability and carers have an opportunity to contribute to strategies, plans and initiatives that may impact them. |
| Communicate the Disability Action Plan (DAP) to all employees and ensure it is readily available. | Annually | Diversity Reference Group (DRG), Disability Champions and People and Culture Branch |
DAP available in accessible format via ACCC website and intranet. Celebrate International Day of People with Disability to increase employee accessibility awareness and to actively promote the DAP to all employees annually. Information included in new-starter induction program. DAP Registered with the Australian Human Rights Commission. |
| Create an environment that is inclusive of employees with disability and makes it comfortable to discuss needs with their immediate manager, and if the employee chooses, co-workers or the People & Culture Team. | Ongoing | People and Culture Branch |
Implement voluntary reasonable adjustment passports, which include special needs, adjustments and flexible working arrangements to ensure information follows the employee and, if the employee chooses, is easily available for managers. Provide employee and manager advice as necessary. People & Culture to provide support for employees and their supervisors and source professional advice if required in specific work situations. |
| The ACCC/AER accesses the services of the Australian Network on Disability (AND), the National Disability Recruitment Coordinator (NDRC) and investigates arrangements with other organisations. | Ongoing | Disability Champions and People and Culture Branch |
Membership is maintained with AND. The Commission is a lifetime member of the NDRC. |
|
Maintain and further develop connections with disability focussed consumer and regulatory bodies. |
Ongoing |
Compliance and Product Safety Division |
Continue to work with disability organisations (e.g. on the Consumer Consultative Committee) and to develop our external consumer education initiative with the National Disability Insurance Agency and other Australian Consumer Law regulators. |
Access to development opportunities
|
Action |
Timeline |
Responsibility |
Measurable target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ensure people with disability have the same opportunities as everyone else unless exceptional circumstances make this impractical. | Ongoing | Managers and People and Culture Branch |
Managers to ensure equal access to training, development and employment opportunities. Participants are routinely asked if they require any adjustments prior to training. |
| Make provisions for at least one placement in the ACCC’s intern program and graduate program using affirmative measures. | Ongoing | People and Culture Branch | At least one placement in the intern program and graduate program is supported annually. |
Access to premises and information
|
Action |
Timeline |
Responsibility |
Measurable target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ensure current agency premises are accessible. | Ongoing | Property Services and People and Culture Branch | People with disability are able to access buildings and facilities. |
| Workstation adjustment provided for employees with disability as required. | Ongoing | Managers, Office Services and People and Culture Branch |
Reasonable adjustment requests are met in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.1 Employees with disability are provided with suitable equipment and working environments. People & Culture connects managers and employees with service providers to support reasonable adjustment. IT upgrades include consideration of the compatibility of any assistive technology used in the ACCC/AER. |
| Provision made for employees with disability in emergency, evacuation and safety procedures. | On employee commencement or as required | Property Services and People and Culture Branch |
Emergency, evacuation and safety procedures include relevant information for employees with disability. Fire Wardens and First Aid Officers are made aware of and provided with necessary training to assist employees with disability in their designated area. |
| Relevant information about ACCC and its business available on the internet and intranet in accessible formats. | Ongoing | Strategic Communications Branch and Information Management and Technology Services Branch | Internet and intranet sites comply with Government online accessibility requirements. |
Attract and retain a diverse workforce
|
Action |
Timeline |
Responsibility |
Measurable target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ensure recruitment processes are merit based and take into account the needs of people with disability. | Ongoing | People and Culture Branch |
Educate selection panels about reasonable adjustments and how to accommodate them, why we want people with disability to be part of our workforce, and techniques to reduce bias in selection decisions. Online recruitment systems meet standards for accessibility. Reasonable adjustments are accommodated throughout all stages of assessment. |
| Job advertisements explicitly encourage people with a disability to apply. | Ongoing | People and Culture Branch |
RecruitAbility used for all vacancies (internally and externally advertised). Affirmative Measures processes used where appropriate. Affirmative measures used for large scale vacancies of 10 or more roles. Our myRecruit system is fully accessible. |
| Disability employment networks are used in selected recruitment processes. | Ongoing | People and Culture Branch | Large scale vacancies will be advertised through JobAccess where appropriate or when requested by the Convenor. |
| Support job applicants with disability through the RecruitAbility scheme set out in Part 3 of the Australian Public Service Commissioner’s Directions where applicants with a disability who have opted into the scheme and meet the requirements are shortlisted. | Ongoing | Selection panels and People and Culture Branch | The RecruitAbility scheme to be used in all advertised vacancies. |
| Ensure ACCC’s flexible working arrangements and employment conditions are included in job advertisements, promoted through the recruitment process and promoted heavily internally. | Ongoing | People and Culture Branch and Strategic Communications Branch |
All employees have access to flexible working arrangements and conditions. Information is included in the career section of internet site, the new-starter induction program and the internal intranet site. |
Contact
ACCC People and Culture Branch
Workplace.Diversity@accc.gov.au
More information
Accountability
Australian Public Service Commissioner's Directions
Employment Assistance Fund