Pay Equity Assessment Tool
Planning Framework
Introduction
In order to assist the community sector implement the State Government’s Budget funding decision and the Queensland Community Services and Crisis Assistance Award – State 2008 (QCSCA Award), a Pay Equity Assessment Tool has been developed to facilitate implementation.
The assessment tool aims to assist individual organisations identify the financial and resource impact of applying the new award pay rates.
The information collected as part of the assessment process remains the confidential information of the organisation.
Organisations need to complete the assessment tool prior to participating in the QCOSS implementation workshops. Sector Development Workers may assist organisations prepare and complete this tool.
Pay Equity Assessment tool
The assessment tool comprises a number of components which aim to assist organisations with implementation of the QCSCA Award rates throughout the sector. The components include:
- Information collection
- Review of impact of implementation of the QCSCA
- Implementation of Budget announcement
- Identifying strategies
- Pay Equity Worksheet
1.Information collection
(a)Name of your organisation?
(b)What is the legal status of your organisation?
(c)Do you have a current organisational chart of the structure of the organisation? If so attach a copy.
(d)List the number of positions and classification level of each position.
(e)Include details of pay points for each position as at 13 July 2009, if this information is readily available.
(f)Do you receive funding from more than one source or funding program? If so include details of each funding source and the amount provided.
(g)List the positions and classifications allocated under each program area.
(h)What is the current salary budget for the organisation?
Please identify wages/salary costs, superannuation as well as on costs. Where funding is received for more than one program, identify the salary budget applicable for each program.
(i)Does your organisation pay ‘over award ‘entitlements?
These might include:
▪ Access to Long Service Leave at an earlier date
▪ Paid maternity leave
▪ Additional annual leave
▪ A percentage payment additional to the incremental pay point for a position
(j)Are the costs of ‘over award’ entitlements included in the salary and on costs allocation in your budget?
(k)What is the extent of the current provision for ‘on costs’, for example percentage based?
(l)Is the allocation for on costs sufficient to cover these additional entitlements?
(m)If not, what is the level of shortfall?
2.Review of impact of implementation of the QCSCA
(a)Have you reviewed the salary increases awarded in the QCSCA Award?
(b)Have you costed the impact of this decision on each program and each position?
(c)If not, please calculate the impact based upon the current rate paid for each position and the new rates detailed in the attached Schedule. To assist organisations a calculation sheet has been included to assist identifying the impact for the financial year 2009-2010.
(d)What is the impact on the wages/salaries budget? Is there a shortfall? If so, how much?
(e)What is the impact upon superannuation?
(f)What is the impact upon the on costs?
(g)What is the total financial impact,ie wages/salaries cost plus superannuation and on costs?
3.Implementation of Budget announcement
(a)Has your organisation been advised by government of the additional funding it will receive following from the State budget announcement?
(b)Have you been advised as to whether all programs will be funded to the same level?
(c)If so, what is the difference between the total financial impact and your revised funding?
(d)Will the organisation be able to equitably apply the Award increases to all staff?
(e)If not, why not?
(f)Will there be differing outcomes due to differential treatment from the funding sources?
(g)Is there a significant shortfall in funding available for implementation of the QCSCA rates?
4.Identifying strategies
(a)Has the organisation undertaken recent planning processes, eg. strategic planning?
(b)If so, has the organisation identified any changes for implementation over the next 5 years?
(c)If so, provide details regarding these changes to staffing, structure and program delivery?
(d)What is the timeframe for the implementation of this change?
(e)What impact will there be upon the staffing, structure and program delivery of the organisation?
(f)Have these changes been costed in accordance with the QCSCA?
(g)If so, what is the financial impact of the implementation of the changes on the salary/wages, superannuation and on costs budget?
(h)Does the organisation want to implement these changed processes earlier than originally planned?
(i)Has your organisation identified options for implementation?
(j)If so, what strategies have you identified to assist the organisation with the cost of implementation?
5.Pay Equity Worksheet
As the final stage of this planning framework we recommend you complete the Pay Equity Worksheet, which will assist you to calculate indicative costs of the new wage rates for your organisation.
The Pay Equity Worksheet is a separate Excel spreadsheet that should have been provided to you with this Planning Framework. If you do not have a copy of the worksheet, please contact your QCOSS Sector Development Worker or Jane Grant, QCOSS Sector Development Project Support Officer on 3004 6919 or .
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