You are about to participate in the largest survey of community sector workers ever conducted in Victoria.
 

The results of this survey will assist in the ASU campaign for better funding for wages and conditions improvements and also assist in setting a NEW STANDARD for our industry – fair wages and conditions that reflect the value of our work.
 

Throughout 2006 and 2007, many ASU members participated in workplace surveys and statewide forums which showed that the Social & Community Services (SACS) industry is in crisis – services are unable to recruit and retain staff and workers are unwilling to stay working in an industry with low wages and limited career paths. It is time we took action to address this!
 

If Australia is to have a quality SACS industry into the future, we need a set of NEW STANDARDS for the industry with state and federal governments willing to provide the funding needed to meet these new standards.
 

The results of this survey will be used to further develop campaign priorities and also in any industry submissions to support the unions campaign. Individual data will not be used.
 

This survey is strictly confidential.

1. Are you an ASU member?
Yes
No

JOIN THE ASU!
 

If you believe we should be paid more for the work we do and have better working conditions, we need you to join the Campaign. Union membership also gives you access to support and representation should you need it – either as an individual or as a group.
 

2. Will you join the Union today?
Yes, I will join the Union
Sorry, I won’t join the Union today
 

Join the ASU today. Click here to join 
A new window will pop up for you to join, when you're finished please return to this window to complete this survey. 
 

WAGES AND CAREER PATHS
 

3. What is your job?

 

4. Are you covered by an Award?
Yes
No
Don't know

 


5. What is the name of the Award and/or Enterprise Agreement?

 


6. List the level of the Award or Agreement you are currently paid
(eg. Social Worker, Class 2 Year 4, Welfare Worker Class 2 Year 4, Youth Worker Class 2 Year 4, Community Development Worker Class 2 Year 4,etc)

 


7. Please list any above-Award conditions that you have:

 


8. What is your average weekly pay (before tax)?

 


9. What is your view on the following statement?
Workers doing substantially the same job as public sector workers should be paid the same wages.

I strongly support this statement
I am somewhat supportive of this statement
I have no view on this statement
I do not support this statement
 



10. Do you currently get access to salary packaging?
Yes
No
 


11. Do you have any comments about salary packaging?

 


12. How long have you worked in the SACS industry?

 

 

13. Have you ever accessed long service leave whilst working in the SACS industry?
Yes
No
 


14. List your previous jobs in the SACS Industry:

 



15. If you have worked in other relevant industries, was this experience recognised in your pay when moving into the SACS industry?
Yes
No
Don't know
Not applicable
 

  
 

16. A ‘career path’ usually refers to the ability of a worker to progress to senior management positions OR senior casework or specialist positions. Do you think you have a career path with your current employer?
Yes
No
Don't know
 

17. Please explain your response.
 
 



18. Do you think you have a career path within the SACS industry in general?
Yes
No
Don't know 
 

 
19. Please explain your response.

 


20. Any other comments about wages or career paths?
 
 

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
 



21. Does your employer provide training when your job requires you to have new skills?
Never
Sometimes
All the time 
 



22. Does your employer provide ‘study leave’ for workers undertaking relevant study at TAFE or University?
Yes
No
Don't know
 

 
23. If yes, please provide information about the study leave policy.

 

Minimum Qualifications
 

One of the ways in which workers in other industries have been able to improve wages and quality of service provision is through the introduction of minimum qualifications to work in that industry. Those workers who have experience but no formal qualifications would be assisted to gain a minimum qualification through a process known as Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
 

24. If an RPL system were widely used across the SACS industry, would you support minimum qualifications for all workers in the SACS industry?
Yes
No
Don't know
 

Education Costs
 

25. Does your employer pay for some or all of your education expenses?
Yes
No
Don't know
 

26. If yes, are there any requirements of you to pay back these education costs if you leave?
Yes
No
Don't know
Not applicable
 

 

27. Tick highest educational qualification you have.
School Cert
HSC
TAFE Certificate
Diploma
Bachelor Degree
Masters Degree
PhD
Grad Diploma
Other Post Graduate
 

 

28. Does this qualification assist you in your work/in your field?
Yes
No
Don't know
Not applicable
 

 
29. Any other comments about education and training?

 

HOURS OF WORK
 

More and more community workers are working a longer working week. The next few questions look at how many hours you are paid compared to how many hours you work as well as what compensation you receive for working extra hours.
 



30. Are you currently employed as:
Full time
Part time
Casual
Fixed term contract
 



31. In general, how many hours per week are you paid?
0-10
11-30
31-38
39-50
More than 50
 


32. In general, how many hours per week do you work?
0-10
11-30
31-38
39-50
More than 50
 


33. If you work extra hours, how are you usually compensated?
I am paid in overtime rates for extra hours
I am paid my usual hourly rate for extra hours
I am compensated in a combination of time-off-in-lieu at penalty rates
I am compensated in a combination of time-off-in-lieu at hour for hour worked
I am compensated in a combination of time-off-in-lieu and paid overtime
I am not compensated in any way
 



34. Are you able to negotiate your roster or hours of work to fit in with your family life or other personal responsibility?
Never
Sometimes
All the time
 


35. Are you a part-time worker who regularly works more than your contracted hours?
Yes
No
Not applicable
 

 
36. If yes, list BOTH your weekly contracted hours as well as your weekly hours worked.

 

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY
 

 Under Occupational Health & Safety laws, you have a right to be consulted about OH&S issues at your workplace. Consultation mechanisms also need to be established in agreement with workers. The laws also include the right to an OH&S Representative.
 

SACS worker motto: A safe workplace for staff is a safe workplace for clients!
 

Resolving OH&S problems:
 


37. Are you aware of the OH&S policies in your workplace?
Yes
No
Don't know
 


38. Do you know what steps you need to take to resolve an OH&S issue at work?
Yes
No
Don't know
 

 
39. Do you know who your OH&S Committee members are (or alternatively who your OH&S delegate is)?
Yes
No
Don't know
 


40. Do you think you need more training to be able to manage the OH&S issues you face at work?
Yes
No
Don't know
 


41. How does your manager or management respond to suggestions on how to improve safety at work?
Positively
Negatively
Don’t know
 

De-briefing:
 


42. Is debriefing undertaken with you after a critical incident?
Never
Sometimes
All the time
Not applicable
 

Workload:
 


43. Do you think your workload puts your health or safety at risk?
Yes
No
Don't know
 



44. If yes, what are the implications of this heavy workload (tick where appropriate)?
My physical health has suffered as a result
My psychological health has suffered as a result
My safety at work has been at risk
My family life has suffered
I have lodged a workers compensation claim as a result
 

Violence or assault at work:
 


45. Do you ever feel at risk of violence, assault or verbal or other abuse at work?
Yes, regularly
Yes, occasionally
No, never
Not applicable  
 

Client Safety:
 


46. Have you ever been concerned about the safety of clients at the workplace?
Never
Sometimes
All the time
Not applicable
 


47. Any other comments about OH&S at your workplace?
 
 

Amenities:
 

Sometimes workplaces are in such poor or cramped conditions that there are limited facilities for workers separate to those for clients.
 

48. Are separate toilets provided for staff?
Yes
No
Not applicable
 


49. Are separate eating areas provided for staff?
Yes
No
Not applicable
 

Meal breaks:
 


50. Do you get time to take a lunch break?
Never
Sometimes
All the time
 

 

51. If you are asked to take your meal break with a client, are you paid for that meal break?
Never
Sometimes
All the time
Not applicable
 

Cars:
 

 
 

52. Do you have to drive to undertake your tasks while at work?
Yes
No 
 

 
 

53. Does your employer make a company car available if you have to travel for work purposes or transport clients?
Yes
No
Sometimes
Don't know 
 

54. Some workers have a choice or are required to purchase a company car on leaseback or by salary sacrificing. If you are in this group of workers, please let us know of any concerns you have with this arrangement.

 

55. Are you required to use your own car for work?
Yes
No
 

Many workers in the industry are required to provide their own car for the purposes of transporting clients, attending meetings, doing tasks on behalf of clients such as banking, shopping, attending medical appointments.  This reduces the real value of workers’ wages and also creates problems with liability if accidents occur or damage is caused to the car by clients or others.
 

56. Please indicate below what costs are covered by your employer:
Mileage per/km as per Award
Insurance costs
Registration costs
Damage to vehicle caused by clients
 

57. How many hours per week would you use your own car for work purposes?
Less than 2 hours
2-10 hours
10-20 hours
More than 20 hours
 

Parental leave:
 

Unions in Australia have been arguing for a paid maternity/ primary carer leave scheme to be funded by governments.  This would bring Australia into line with every other developed country other than the USA.
 

While your employer is legally bound to grant a person unpaid leave after the birth or adoption of a baby, for the vast majority of workers in the industry there is no legal obligation to give any paid leave.
 

58. Does your employer provide staff with paid maternity/primary carer leave after the birth or adoption of a baby?
Yes
No
Don't know
 

59. If yes, how many weeks are given?

 

 
60. Do you believe that government should fund all community services so they provide paid maternity/primary carer leave as an industry standard?
Yes
No
 

61. Unions are campaigning for universal paid maternity/primary carer leave for all workers. Do you support this campaign?
Yes
No
 

62. Have you been pregnant while working in a SACS workplace?
Yes
No
 

63. Were suitable duties made available to you if needed during your pregnancy?
Yes
No
Not applicable
 

64. Were any complications/ illnesses accommodated by your employer?
Yes
No
Don't know
 

65. Were you able to negotiate to return to part time work?
Yes
No
Don't know
Not applicable
 

66. If changes were made to your job while you were on parental leave, were you consulted?
Yes
No
Don't know
Not applicable
 

Restructure and change at work:
 

Your employer is likely to embark on ‘organisational change’ or a ‘restructure’ at least once during your employment with them!  This can involve changes to your job or changes to other jobs with direct or indirect impact on you.
 

67. What right do you have to consultation about ‘organisational change’- please choose the option that best describes your workplace:
I fully participate in any decisions that affect my work before a final decision is made by management
I am consulted by management about decisions that affect me before these decisions have been made
I am consulted by management about decisions that affect me after these decisions have been made
I am not consulted at all about decisions that affect me
 

68. How often are staff meetings held at your workplace?

 

69. Do you get a chance to participate in staff meetings?
Yes
No
 

 
70. Are staff meetings used to consult with staff or just provide information?
Consultation
Information only
Both
Not applicable
 

Shift workers:
 

  
71. Are you a shift worker?
Yes
No
 

72. Do you ever work back-to- back shifts where you think your safety or welfare is at risk?
Never
Sometimes
All the time
Not applicable
 

73. When staff are handing over at a change of shift, is paid handover time available to staff on both shifts?
Never
Sometimes
All the time
Not applicable
 

74. If you answered ‘all the time’ or ‘sometimes’ how much time is paid?
5-15 mins
15-30 mins
More than 30 mins
Not applicable
 

 
75. Are you ever asked to work a shift alone?
Never
Occasionally
Every time
Not applicable
 

76. Is a risk assessment made available to you with each new client entering your care?
Yes
No
Sometimes
Not applicable
 

          77. If you are at risk of violence at work, is a safe room with a lock available for staff in case of emergencies?
Yes
No
 Don't know 
Not applicable
 

78. If you have to attend a ‘call-out’, how often do you have to attend the call-out on your own?
 Never
 Sometimes
 Don't know 
Not applicable
 

Split shifts:
 

Split shifts are considered disruptive to working & family life when a worker has to come to work, go home then come back again within a short space of time.  Where workers in other industries negotiate split shifts, they usually do so in exchange for an allowance.
 

79. Do you work split shifts?
Yes
No
Not applicable
 

80. If so, which option do you support?
No split shifts in our industry
Split shifts allowed but workers be paid an allowance
Split shifts allowed with NO allowance
 

The SACS Award says that you are paid a sleepover allowance.  This is meant to be compensation for the sleepover and up to 1 hour of necessary work during the sleepover – for example, it could include getting out of bed to assist a client during the night.  It should NOT be work that is rostered or regular work.
 

If you work in excess of one hour you are paid at overtime rates.  In other industries workers are paid for the full night if they are “sleeping over”
 

81. Do you work sleepovers?
Yes
No
Not applicable
 

82. If you work sleepovers, how often are you disturbed during the night?
Rarely
Once a month
Once a week
Every night
Not applicable
 

83. When you work a sleepover, in general how much time would you spend up during the night?
Less than ½ hour
½ -1 hour
1-2 hours
2-4 hours
Not applicable
 

84. In general, how many times per night would your sleep be broken?
Rarely
Once or twice
2-4 times
More than 4 times
Not applicable
 

85. Would you support “sleepovers” being fully paid hour for hour?
Yes
No
No, but increase the sleepover allowance
Not applicable
 

86. Does your employer ask you to undertake work during a sleepover?
Yes
No
Not applicable
 

Shift penalties
 

87. Currently shift workers receive penalty rates for afternoon, night and weekend work. Do you think these rates are adequate to compensate for working these hours?
Yes
No
Not sure
 

Seven-day shift workers/weekend:
 

88. Are you a full time worker, who works your hours over any 7 days of the week?
Yes
No
Don't know
 

89. If yes, the new industrial standards allow you an extra week’s annual leave. Do you get this leave?
Yes
No
Don’t know
Not applicable
 

General Questions
 

90. If you were Prime Minister and could set new Industry Standards in the social and community services, choose the FIVE most important standards you think would make a real difference to improving our social and community services? (for example, any issue relating to the SACS workforce or quality service provision).
 

NOTE – only nominate FIVE
 

Wages equal to equivalent work in the public sector
Portable long service leave
Paid maternity leave
Minimum qualifications to work in the industry
Guaranteed level of training provided by employer
Greater education costs covered by employer or by government
Improved career opportunities
Better OHS standards
Reasonable workloads
More staff to assist our clients ie smaller staff–client ratios
More funding to better compensate for paid overtime and higher penalty rates
Remove competitive tendering from funding models
Longer term funding contracts from governments
More rights to negotiate hours of work to support work/life balance
Recognition of service with previous employers
More options for higher education courses
Recognition of qualifications in higher wages
Better training and resourcing to deal with complex clients
Other  
 

90a. If other, please list

 

91. What is the postcode where you live?

 

92. Are you:
Under 21
21 – 25
26 – 35
36 – 45
46 – 55
56+
 

93. Please indicate the type of service you work in
Neighbourhood house
Disability Service
Migrant service
Community Legal Centre
Aged care service
Aboriginal community program
Counselling service
Family support service
Children’s service
Relationship service
Community housing
Services for unemployed people
Crisis medium term supported accommodation
Tenants advice service
Out of home care service
Youth service
Women’s health centres
Drug and alcohol service
Mental health service
HIVAIDS service
Regional organisational
Environmental organisation
Overseas Aid agency
Peak group
Sexual assault service
Large NGO/charity
Other
 

93a. If other, please list

 

Any other comments?
 

94. Please list them here

 

THE CAMPAIGN......
 

If we want to improve wages and conditions, we will need Union members to be active in the campaign!
 

95. Are you prepared to participate? (tick any number of boxes):
 

Become a workplace contact for distributing information
Attend local ASU campaign meetings
Talk to workers about joining the Union
Be a media spokesperson (training provided)
Raise the campaign at sector workplace meetings
Lobby politicians
I’m prepared to use my own story as a case study
Sorry I can’t help
Other (please specify)  
 

96. Please specify

 

YOUR CONTACT DETAILS
 

The following section is optional and would help us contact you for further information if needed.  All information will remain STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL and will be used and stored in accordance with Privacy laws.
 

Name

 

Employer

 

Contact Phone Number

 

Contact E-mail address

 

THANK YOU!
 

We appreciate the time you have taken to fill in this survey.
 

This is an important step in our campaign.  Please encourage everyone at your workplace or among your networks to also complete the survey.
 

If you have more detailed information for your Union on these issues, you can email Wil Stracke at the ASU on wstracke@asuvic.com or phone us on (03) 9342 3400.
 

Lisa Darmanin
 

Assistant Branch Secretary
 

Wil Stracke
 

Industrial Officer/Organiser
 

Authorised and printed by  Brian Parkinson, Secretary,  Australian Services Union, Victorian Authorities & Services Branch
 

116 Queensberry Street, Carlton South, Victoria 3053, Ph: (03) 9342 3400 – Fax: (03) 9342 3498/99
 

Email: services@asuvic.com  – Website:  www.asuvic.asn.au