Preparing for the transition
 
Although a public announcement has not been made by the State Government about the date for the transition, we strongly encourage Local Governments to prepare for the transition by taking steps as set out in the new SIRT Transition Checklist we have developed for WALGA ER subscribers.

You can also review the recent SIRT Bulletin Key Update and the September SIRT Bulletin for other suggestions on how to prepare.
 
Don’t forget to register for the Record Keeping in the State IR System Webinar on Tuesday, 15 November 2022 from 10:00am.
 
Communicating the transition to employees
 
For WALGA ER subscribers we have developed a template letter for employee engagement that Local Governments can use to communicate the transition to the State IR system with employees.
 
This letter can be provided to employees now if you wish to start communicating the upcoming changes to your workforce. You can also tailor the letter to communicate specific changes your Local Government is implementing to prepare for the transition. For example, if you are implementing a new timesheet process, this could also be communicated in the letter. Once the date of the transition is announced you can then continue to provide further updates to employees.

In due course we will release a template PowerPoint presentation that you can use as a basis to engage with employees about the transition.

ER subscriber resources
 
The following existing fact sheets have been updated: The minimum standards fact sheet now includes information about unpaid family and domestic violence leave and further information about the differences in the standards for redundancy, carer’s leave and other forms of leave.
 
The record keeping fact sheet includes further information about the prescriptive procedural obligations for records contained in the State employment legislation.
 
A refresher – Transition of Federal statutory entitlements to State IR system
 
It appears there is a lot of uncertainty about what will happen to the Local Government Industry Award 2020 (LGIA) and federally registered enterprise agreements on transition to the State IR system.
 
As outlined in the September SIRT Bulletin:
  • The LGIA will transition to the State IR system and become an ‘industrial agreement’ under the Industrial Relations Act 1979 (WA)
  • Federally registered enterprise agreements (including those that have passed their nominal expiry date) will also transition to become industrial agreements. 
This means that current Federal statutory entitlements that govern terms and conditions of your workforce will not cease to exist on the ‘relevant day’.
 
See our Transitional Instruments Flow Chart which is available to subscribers.

If you have any ideas for additional resources that would assist your Local Government with the transition, please contact WALGA Employee Relations.
 
WALGA will continue to update you on key changes and impacts as they arise via the State IR Transition Bulletin.

Sector survey results about training of Local Governments to help transition to the State IR system 

WALGA ran a survey between 28 September and 18 October 2022 to seek feedback from Local Governments to inform the State Government of the specific training courses and workshops that the sector is seeking funding for to upskill their staff to prepare for the State IR transition.
 
We received 36 responses from 34 Local Governments. Many of the survey participants want specific training about the following key areas. ER subscribers already have access to  a number of WALGA resources to begin upskilling in these areas.
  • Transitional requirements and procedures
  • State employment law fundamentals
  • The differences between the Federal and State IR systems
  • The State awards and award interpretation principles
  • The State agreement bargaining process
Practical implications for employment contracts and policies

October Sector Reference Group Meeting
 
Representatives from 18 Local Governments came together on 18 October 2022 to discuss the transition. The meeting agenda and Jamboard feedback is available here.  A summary of the meeting will be uploaded to our website in due course.

If you subscribe to the WALGA Employee Relations service and have any questions about this alert, please email WALGA Employee Relations or call 1300 366 956.