Benefits and conditions

We offer our employees a range of benefits. These include an inclusive workplace, competitive salaries and flexible working arrangements.

Enterprise agreement

Our department was established on 1 February 2020. Before this, we were the:

• Department of Agriculture
• Department of the Environment and Energy (Environment portfolio)

We’ve adopted the Department of the Environment and Energy’s enterprise agreement.

Learn more about our employment conditions. Read our enterprise agreement:

The Department of the Environment and Energy’s staff agreed to a Determination to increase salary and allowances. This is effective from 30 November 2019. The changes are outlined in the Determination and schedule.

The Public Service (Terms and Conditions of Employment) (General wage increase deferrals during COVID-19 pandemic) Determination 2020 provides for a six-month delay to APS wage increases occurring between 14 April 2020 and 13 April 2021. The impact of this determination is as follows:

Staff covered by the DoEE EA determination and Biosecurity and Veterinarian Employees Determination 2020

Percentage	Original date	New date
2%	30 November 2020	30 May 2021
2%	30 November 2021	30 November 2021

Staff covered by the Meat Inspectors Determination 2020

Percentage	Original date	New date
2%	13 May 2020	13 November 2020
2%	13 May 2021	13 May 2021

Diversity and inclusion

As an organisation, we are committed to building a culture where difference is valued and respected, and where we work together and leverage the benefit of our diversity.

We value what each individual contributes and have a number of inclusion networks that support:

• people with an experience of mental health issues
• people with disability
• people from a culturally and linguistically diverse background
• people who identify as LGBTIQ
• Women
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Health

We recognise that healthy employees are happier and more productive in the workplace.

Our staff have access to:

• annual flu vaccinations
• other vaccinations (job dependant)
• work health and safety information and training

Learning and development

We offer our staff ways to learn new skills and develop their work potential. This includes:

• on-the-job training
• e-learning courses
• internal assignments
• secondment opportunities
• study leave (for approved external studies)

Work-life balance

Our flexible working arrangements include:

• part-time hours
• job sharing
• paid annual leave
• support for carers
• leave provisions

Our strategies and policies

We are still updating our corporate information. We will release updated strategies and employee policies soon.

Our values

We are a part of the Australian Public Service (APS). This means our staff must adhere to APS values. These are:

• Impartial: the APS is apolitical and provides the government with advice that is frank, honest, timely and based on the best available evidence
• Committed to service: the APS is professional, objective, innovative and efficient and works collaboratively to achieve the best results for the Australian community and the government
• Accountable: the APS is open and accountable to the Australian community under the law and within the framework of Ministerial responsibility
• Respectful: the APS respects all people, including their rights and their heritage
• Ethical: the APS demonstrates leadership, is trustworthy, and acts with integrity in all that it does

Read more about values and conduct of APS employee:

• Employment principles (APSC website)
• Code of conduct (APSC website)

Our Core 4 values

We support the APS values through ‘Our Core 4’. These are the values we believe are important to creating a shared understanding of how we will achieve our Purpose, Objectives and Priorities, and the associated behaviours you can expect when you engage with us (whether you work within the department or outside).

• Working together: We collaborate, share information, and actively look for opportunities to connect across the department, and with our stakeholders, partners and the community. We look after each other, support each other and work as a team.
• Courage: We look for opportunities to innovate, try new things and engage with risk. We call out unacceptable behaviour, and we own up to and learn from our mistakes.
• Diversity: We are a diverse workforce both in who we are and the work we do. We listen to, and draw on the expertise, knowledge and experience of others to get the best outcomes for our department. We are inclusive and acknowledge and respect the diverse cultures and backgrounds that we have in our workforce.
• Excellence: We work to the best of our ability,accept personal responsibility for our work and use data and research to make well-informed decisions.

These values are underpinned by the principles of safety and integrity, recognising the importance and prominence of these responsibilities in our workplace.

• Safety: We are all safety leaders who contribute to building and maintaining a proactive safety culture, where the physical and mental wellbeing of people is prioritised.
• Integrity: We embrace a pro-integrity culture that is ethical, fair and appropriate.