Chapter 9: Workplace diversity
The APS is likely to face increasing difficulty in meeting its demands for skilled employees as the labour force ages and the proportion of new entrants to the labour market declines. Drawing on the breadth and diversity of the labour market is a key to meeting this challenge. The business case for workplace diversity becomes even more important in a tightening labour market.
Workplace diversity involves recognising the value of individual differences and managing them in the workplace. The concept of workplace diversity also includes the principle of equal employment opportunity (EEO). Policies based on this principle address disadvantage experienced by particular groups of people in the workplace, including women, Indigenous Australians, people with a disability and those who suffer disadvantage on the basis of race or ethnicity. These policies remain an important foundation for workplace diversity policy.1
Considering workplace diversity within the broader context of the Values and organisational capability in the APS can make a positive difference where agencies want to ensure that a range of perspectives and ideas are being brought to bear on issues where it is important that there is effective consultation with stakeholders, or an understanding of community agendas, or where service delivery mechanisms need to be established on the ground.
In addition to the strong business case for a diverse workforce, the legislative framework makes it clear that diversity in the APS also encompasses equity in employment. Agencies are required to take measures to ensure that, among other things, employment related disadvantage on the basis of sex, Indigenous status, disability, race and ethnicity is eliminated. While employment related disadvantage is not defined in the legislation, it includes access to employment opportunities, salary, promotions, and management positions.
As Chapter 8, ‘Managing, Sustaining and Engaging the APS Workforce’, indicates, agencies are putting more effort into workforce planning for corporate and business outcomes. Recognising the contribution workplace diversity can make to achieve those outcomes is an important part of this process. A strategic approach to workforce planning that takes account of the diversity of the Australian community will ensure that agencies are better placed to attract and retain the skills they need to achieve their goals in the context of a competitive and ageing labour market.
This is the third year that the Commissioner’s report on diversity in the APS (as required under clause 3.5(2) of the Commissioner’s Directions) has been included in the State of the Service report.
This chapter draws on APSED data and on responses to the agency and employee surveys. It also incorporates, where appropriate, conclusions, case studies and other material from an evaluation of agencies’ written workplace diversity programmes that was carried out by the Commission this year.
The chapter begins by briefly outlining the legislative framework for workplace diversity in the APS, and presents the key findings of the evaluation of written workplace diversity programmes. Key issues in collecting and analysing diversity data in the APS are then examined, as are employment disadvantage in the four EEO areas specified in the Commissioner’s Directions, together with age diversity and work-life balance issues for the APS.
1 Australian Public Service Commission, Guidelines on Workplace Diversity—Working Together No.2, January 2001, <http://www.apsc.gov.au/publications01/diversityguidelines.htm>
