Home > The Values and workplace relationships

This chapter examines employees’ perceptions and agencies’ practices regarding the APS Values that impact on workplace relationships. It focuses initially on employee perceptions of how routinely merit is applied in employment decisions and the processes agencies use to make such decisions. The chapter then looks at agencies’ procedures for reviewing employment actions, employees’ awareness of these procedures and their awareness of the review avenue offered by the Merit Protection Commissioner.

Major developments in APS remuneration in 2003—04 are presented and analysed. The issue of workplace consultation is examined including the processes used by agencies and employees’ satisfaction with their overall say in decisions that impact on their work. Broader employee perceptions relating to job satisfaction are then examined. Data is presented from Comcare on how effectively agencies are dealing with injured employees.

Other important aspects of workplace relationships in the APS–diversity, discrimination, bullying and harassment–are discussed in Chapter 8.