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Client experience feedback & research

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On this page

  • New Approaches program evaluation framework
  • Agreement-making resources survey
  • Unfair dismissal & general protections conciliation feedback
  • Get involved
  • Previous activities

 

New Approaches program evaluation framework

The Fair Work Commission has engaged Cube Group to undertake a process and outcomes review of the New Approaches program (now known as Cooperative Workplaces) to identify ways to optimise the program for users and the Commission.

The review will involve in-depth interviews with Commission Members who have delivered the program and with employer and employee representatives who have used the program. A brief survey is also being administered.

How to get involved

The Commission will contact participants invite them to complete an online survey or participate in an interview with the Cube Group consultants.

For more information about the research and to provide feedback, please email surveyresearch@fwc.gov.au. We welcome feedback and ideas at any time.

Agreement-making resources survey

The Fair Work Commission has engaged Wallis Social & Market Research to conduct a survey of Agreements users about agreement-making resources and services. The survey results will be used by the Commission to prioritise the kinds of resources and services we develop.

The survey will identify levels of interest in various agreement-making topics, which have been broadly grouped into:

  • bargaining methods and process
  • agreement content
  • administrative/procedural requirements

The survey will collect information about format preferences for resources and other forms of assistance and how users want to be informed about what resources and services are available.

The survey seeks feedback on the suite of resources currently available and collects demographic-type information about agreement-making experiences. General comments about information gaps and opportunities to improve agreement-making will also be welcomed.

How to get involved

To provide feedback and ideas to the Commission directly, or to receive a survey link to provide feedback anonymously, please email surveyresearch@fwc.gov.au.

Unfair dismissal & general protections conciliation feedback

The Commission continues to invite feedback from parties immediately following the conduct of a conciliation conference. This feedback is provided using an online feedback form. A link to the feedback form is included in correspondence to parties from the conciliator after the session.

Participation is entirely voluntary and greatly appreciated. The Commission monitors the results of the feedback, including service performance measures and reports.

How to get involved

To provide feedback and ideas to the Commission directly, or to access a survey link to provide feedback anonymously, please email consultation@fwc.gov.au.

Get involved

To participate in the Commission's consultation activities, or to find out more information about opportunities, please email consultation@fwc.gov.au.

We welcome feedback and ideas at any time.

Confidentiality & privacy

If you register your interest using an email address provided on this page, the Commission will collect your personal information, specifically your name, email address and contact details, for the purpose of facilitating research and consultation activities. The consequence of not providing some or all of your personal information is that the Commission may not be able to arrange for you to participate.

The Commission will use and disclose your personal information to Commission staff and meeting hosts for the purposes of your participation in research and consultation activities, including to coordinate meetings, circulate information to participants and meeting hosts, and obtain feedback from participants as required. Your personal information will not be used for any other purpose or disclosed to any other person or organisation by the Commission, unless such use or disclosure is with your consent or is otherwise permitted under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

All comments and contributions made to research and consultation activities will be used for research purposes only and will not be attributed to individual participants. Reporting will not identify individual participants.

Please refer to the Commission’s Privacy policy for information on how to access or request an amendment to your personal information held by the Commission, and how to make a complaint about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles.

The Commission’s privacy officer may be contacted by emailing foi@fwc.gov.au or by mail to: Privacy Officer, Fair Work Commission, GPO Box 1994, Melbourne 3001.

Previous activities

Unfair dismissal client service survey

The Commission engaged Wallis Social & Market Research to conduct a survey to invite feedback and ideas from unfair dismissal applicants, respondents and representatives.  

Findings from the survey are being used to benchmark and monitor service performance and inform improved practices and resources. 

  • Download the report: Unfair dismissal client service survey (PDF)

Agreements user experience research

The Commission initiated external user experience research to seek feedback from users about case management practices and ideas that could improve service delivery relating to enterprise agreements, including the timeliness of approvals and information materials.

The Commission wrote to Ai Group, ACCI and ACTU to invite their affiliates and members to participate in this important research. Following this, six workshops were held with a broad range of frequent and infrequent users. These workshops were supplemented by in-depth interviews and written contributions from users who were unable to attend a workshop.

The Commission has acted decisively on the feedback. We heard that parties were unsatisfied with timeliness and have taken measures to successfully address that. In fact, based on performance for agreements lodged and finalised in the last seven months, compliant and complete applications are being approved within a median of 17 days from lodgment. Similarly, all applications, simple and complex, lodged and finalised in that period have been approved in a median of 34 days from lodgment. Timeliness is projected to continually improve over the coming months.

Another important piece of feedback was the desire for more accessible education and information resources to assist in making compliant and complete applications. The best way of improving timeliness is for the Commission to be able to approve agreements that are complete and compliant at the time of lodgment. While it was recognised that the Commission has useful resources on its website, there are several recommendations about the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Commission working together to improve the advice and educative resources available to the public.

A detailed explanation about what the Commission has done in response to each of the recommendations to the research and the final report can be downloaded below.

The Commission has recently commenced consultations with users of the enterprise agreement system which have indicated that the changes appear to have improved service delivery. While this is pleasing, the Commission is committed to further improving service delivery.

  • Download the report: Agreement Approval Services user experience research (PDF)
  • Download the Commission’s response to report (PDF)

Unfair dismissal correspondence user testing

The Commission recently launched the What’s Next plan to improve access and reduce complexity for tribunal users. As part of this broad focus, we engaged independent consultants to explore the experiences of unfair dismissal users.

The resulting Unfair dismissal user-experience research report identified several opportunities where we could enhance users’ experiences. One opportunity was refining the Commission’s unfair dismissal correspondence to be more user friendly.

In line with the report's recommendations, we have been working to improve our case management correspondence.

To help us find out if our improved documents meet their objectives (that is, that they are more readable and effective, and that their tone and emotional impact are improved) we engaged Pivot Management Consulting to critically test the refined documents with applicants and respondents of the unfair dismissal process.

  • Download the report: Unfair dismissal correspondence user testing (PDF)

Unfair dismissal user-experience research

The Commission engaged Cube Group to conduct unfair dismissal user-experience research with employers and employees throughout 2017.

The purpose of the research was to examine client experiences and explore ways to improve case management practices and information resources.

Findings from the research are being used in the design of the Commission’s new case management system and a range of other initiatives designed to improve services and information resources for self-represented and first time users who are unfamiliar with tribunal procedures.

A consolidated report of findings from the research is available to download:

  • Download the report: Unfair dismissal user-experience research (PDF)

Further research, including client service surveying and user-testing research will continue throughout 2018 to help identify further improvements to case management practices and information resources and to monitor the effectiveness of changes implemented.

eCase: a new case management system

The Commission is building a new case management system. The new system is designed to assist Australian employers and employees when applying and responding to applications made to the Commission by reducing administrative burden and delivering better access to quality and timely information.

The new system is being built in an iterative manner with users involved in all stages of design. During the first half of 2018, Commission staff invited employers, employees and representatives to join them in design workshops to help shape the system for future users.

Working better for small business

Mr Bruce Billson, of Agile Advisory, has undertaken a program to generate ideas and feedback about how the Fair Work Commission can better meet the needs of small business.

Consultation meetings were held across the country to hear candid observations, practical insights and real-life experiences from small business employers and their representatives.

A report of consultation findings and recommendations is available to download:

  • Download the report: Working better for small business (PDF)

Updated time

Last updated

17 November 2020

 

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