A compliance partnership between Hays Specialist Recruitment (Australia) Pty Ltd and the Fair Work Ombudsman has shown the positive impact of close engagement between employers and the regulator in promoting harmonious and compliant workplaces.
The outcomes of the compliance partnership are detailed in a report released by the Fair Work Ombudsman today.
The partnership commenced in 2014 after Hays approached the Fair Work Ombudsman seeking to make a public commitment to workplace compliance through signing a Proactive Compliance Deed, reflecting its goal of being an employer of choice that is ethical and compliant.
Acting Fair Work Ombudsman Kristen Hannah says that compliance partnerships benefit both the employer involved and the regulator.
"We thought it was appropriate to invite Hays to partner with us as it is a big company employing staff in 38 locations throughout Australia and New Zealand. We were impressed that Hays wanted to work with us in ensuring they were compliant and accountable," Ms Hannah says.
"During this partnership, close engagement with the Fair Work Ombudsman provided Hays with quick access to information, advice and technical expertise, enabling Hays to promote compliance and self-resolve workplace issues when they arose.
"At the same time, the Fair Work Ombudsman has been able to examine and provide feedback on Hays’ operational and governance systems, assuring us that Hays takes workplace compliance seriously."
Under the terms of the deed, Hays provided the Fair Work Ombudsman with the details of the activities it had implemented to promote compliance within its network.
These included dedicated staff to oversee compliance, internal audits and workplace relations training for managers.
Over the life of the partnership, the Fair Work Ombudsman referred eight routine-low requests for assistance to Hays, which were promptly investigated by the company.
As a result, a total of $505 in underpayments was recovered. The underpayments had arisen from small administrative errors, with the Fair Work Ombudsman finding no indication of any systemic issues.
Since the formal expiration of the partnership, the FWO has received three routine-low requests for assistance from Hays’ workers, with one of those being from a worker who refused to get his time sheets signed by his host employer of two days.
"We congratulate Hays for showing leadership in the specialist recruitment field and are confident that the company is well placed to promote and manage compliance into the future," Ms Hannah says.
"Through a compliance partnership, significant sized businesses can demonstrate to their employees as well as the Australian public, their commitment to a harmonious and compliant workplace."
