Major achievements

In addition to carrying out its general functions, the Commission accomplished a number of major achievements in 2014–15. These included:

• introducing a pilot program for the assessment of enterprise agreements designed to reduce the time between lodgment and decision
• introducing a general protections pilot program designed to deal with these matters in a more timely manner as well as improve client satisfaction and settlement rates
• introducing a pilot program to explore efficiencies for parties in seeking permission to appeal
• completing the Australian Workplace Relations Study (AWRS) which generated the first Australia-wide statistical data set linking employee data with data from their employer since 1995. The Commission then hosted a three-day conference and workshop for a range of stakeholders to showcase how the AWRS data could be used.
• upgrading monitoring equipment including microphones in every hearing room nationally allowing for greater flexibility in conducting proceedings and future cost savings
• completing 'citizen co-design' research with small business owners into the usability of modern award documents to support the 4 yearly review of the modern awards
• achieving, for the first time, 100 per cent voluntary compliance with the lodgment of registered organisations' Annual Returns on time
• ensuring a record high voluntary compliance level of 95 per cent of registered organisations' financial reports lodged on time, which increased to 98.75 per cent following Commission intervention.