Office of Industrial Relations and Workforce Strategy

What we do

The Office of Industrial Relations and Workforce Strategy (OIRWS) works to continuously improve ACT employment conditions, working environments and workforce productivity.

We are responsible for:

• workforce strategy
• industrial relations
• culture and workforce practice
• work health and safety
• employment policy and governance.

Services

ACTPS Employment and Industrial Relations Group

The ACTPS Employment and Industrial Relations Group work across all ACT Government directorates and agencies to manage industrial relations.

We also manage our workforce governance frameworks so they:

• build workforce capability
• support the effectiveness of the ACT Public Service
• provide clear guidance for consistent, informed and ethical decision making. Further to this, we are responsible for the ACTPS Employment Framework, which includes developing whole-of-government policies.

Our work also includes:

• negotiating the ACTPS Enterprise Agreements
• assisting in industrial disputes
• providing support to the ACT Remuneration Tribunal
• providing advice and support on whole-of-government workplace relations and employment matters.

Capability, Culture and Governance Group

The Capability, Culture and Governance Group contributes to an efficient, effective, and trusted public service for the people of Canberra. This is achieved by:

• empowering ACTPS to transform inclusive workforce strategies
• providing cultural leadership to build capability and create change for employees to thrive
• problem solving and setting strategies with business areas across the ACTPS
• using data and evidence to drive workforce and community outcomes
• providing progressive workforce solutions that elevate capability and harness the potential of ACTPS
• providing learning and engagement experiences that lift leadership and workforce capability
• attracting, recruiting, and developing future leaders of the ACTPS
• increasing integrity governance practices and public sector compliance through reform and collaboration.

Work Safety Group

The Work Safety Group provides advice to government and develops policy and legislation in areas involving the relationship between employers and workers in the ACT. This includes:

• industrial relations
• work health and safety and workers’ compensation.

We also provide a range of health, safety, wellbeing and workers’ compensation services and programs for the ACTPS.

Find out more about our work, see Work Safety Group.

Professional Standards Unit

The Professional Standards Unit (PSU) supports the Public Sector Standards Commissioner (PSSC) by:

• conducting independent investigations into misconduct allegations
• managing complaints regarding the ACT public sector (ACTPS)
• providing advice on the public sector values, principles, and behaviours, under the Public Sector Management Act 1994.

Our work reinforces the workplace values and behaviours expected of ACTPS employees.

We share learnings gained through investigations and analysis of misconduct data. This contributes to the development of initiatives to reduce misconduct and encouraging the behaviours expected of employees. Our de-identified data insights also support:

• whole-of-government policy
• legislative reform
• education and training.

Contact us