[Organisation name]: workplace policies
These policies take effect on [date]. They apply alongside the Fair Work Act 2009, the National Employment Standards, and any award, enterprise agreement or contract that covers you. If anything here gives you less than those, they apply instead. The policies are not part of your contract and may be updated after consultation.
- Code of conduct
- Work health and safety
- Leave
- Contact outside working hours
- Social media
- Technology and AI tools
- Alcohol and other drugs
1. Code of conduct
Everyone who works for [Organisation name], including contractors and volunteers, is expected to:
- treat colleagues, customers and the public with courtesy and respect;
- follow lawful and reasonable directions, and our policies and procedures;
- act honestly, declare any conflict of interest, and not accept gifts that could influence a decision;
- keep confidential and personal information secure and use it only for work;
- use our money, equipment and systems only for proper purposes;
- work safely and report hazards, incidents and concerns.
Raise concerns early with your manager or [People and Culture contact]. Nothing in this code stops you from making a complaint or inquiry about your employment, or contacting a regulator such as the Fair Work Ombudsman, a work health and safety regulator or the police. Breaches are dealt with through a fair process, which may lead to a warning or, for serious matters, dismissal. Bullying, harassment and discrimination are covered by their own policies.
2. Work health and safety
[Organisation name] is committed to a safe and healthy workplace. We have duties under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW). So far as is reasonably practicable we will:
- provide and maintain a safe work environment, plant, substances and systems of work;
- identify hazards, including psychosocial hazards such as high workload, poor support and harassment, and eliminate or minimise the risks;
- provide information, training, instruction and supervision, and adequate facilities;
- consult workers, and health and safety representatives if any, on matters that affect their health and safety;
- monitor workers’ health and workplace conditions to prevent illness and injury.
Workers must take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others, follow reasonable safety instructions and procedures, and report hazards, incidents, injuries and near misses as soon as possible.
Report incidents to your manager or [People and Culture contact]. Notifiable incidents (a death, a serious injury or illness, or a dangerous incident) are reported to the regulator immediately, and the site is preserved as the law requires.
3. Leave
Your minimum leave is set by the National Employment Standards in the Fair Work Act 2009, and by your award, enterprise agreement or contract if they give more. In summary:
| Annual leave | 4 weeks a year (5 for some shiftworkers), building up as you work; not for casuals |
|---|---|
| Personal/carer’s leave | 10 days a year paid, building up as you work; not for casuals |
| Unpaid carer’s leave | 2 days each time a family or household member needs care; including casuals |
| Compassionate leave | 2 days each time, paid (unpaid for casuals) |
| Family and domestic violence leave | 10 days paid in each 12 months, available in full from the start; including casuals |
| Parental leave | Up to 12 months unpaid after 12 months’ service, and you can ask for up to 12 more |
| Community service leave | For voluntary emergency activities and jury duty |
| Long service leave | Under your state or territory law |
Part-time employees accrue paid leave in proportion to their hours. Ask for planned leave as early as you can. For unplanned leave, tell us as soon as practicable and say how long you expect to be away. We may ask for evidence that would satisfy a reasonable person, such as a medical certificate or statutory declaration. We won’t unreasonably refuse annual leave.
4. Contact outside working hours
Outside your working hours you may refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact, or attempted contact, from us or from a third party about your work, unless the refusal is unreasonable (section 333M of the Fair Work Act). This applies to every employer, including small businesses.
Whether a refusal is unreasonable depends on things like the reason for the contact, how it was made and how disruptive it was, whether you are paid to be available or for extra hours, your role and responsibilities, and your personal circumstances, including family or caring responsibilities.
- Managers should not expect replies outside working hours unless the matter genuinely can’t wait, or the role is paid to be on call.
- Use scheduled send for messages written after hours.
- If there is a disagreement about contact, raise it with your manager or [People and Culture contact] first. Either side can ask the Fair Work Commission to deal with a dispute that isn’t resolved.
No one will be treated unfairly for reasonably refusing contact outside their working hours.
5. Social media
What you post in your own time is generally your business. It becomes our business where it is connected to your work or to [Organisation name], for example:
- posting confidential, customer or personal information you have access to through work;
- bullying, harassing or discriminating against colleagues, customers or suppliers online;
- presenting your personal views as ours. If you are identifiable as working here, make clear your views are your own;
- posting on our behalf without approval.
Any concern about a post will be put to you and dealt with through a fair process. Raising a complaint about your employment, or talking about your pay, is not a breach of this policy.
6. Technology and AI tools
Use our devices, accounts and systems for work, keep your passwords and multi-factor authentication to yourself, and report lost devices or suspected security incidents immediately. Limited personal use is fine if it doesn’t interfere with work or breach this policy.
Only use AI tools that [Organisation name] has approved for work. When you do:
- don’t enter confidential, customer or personal information unless the tool is approved for that kind of information;
- check anything an AI tool drafts for accuracy before you rely on it or send it, and don’t present it as checked when it isn’t;
- you remain responsible for the work you produce;
- handle personal information in line with the Privacy Act 1988 and our privacy policy.
We may monitor use of our systems in line with the law and our surveillance notice where one applies.
7. Alcohol and other drugs
Being affected by alcohol or other drugs at work is a health and safety risk to you and to others. You must not start or carry out work while impaired by alcohol, illegal drugs, or misused prescription or over-the-counter medicine.
- If a medicine you take could affect your ability to work safely, tell your manager before you start work. You don’t have to say what it is.
- Alcohol at work functions is only with approval, served responsibly, with non-alcoholic options and safe ways to get home.
- If you are worried about your own use or someone else’s, talk to your manager or [People and Culture contact]. Asking for help early will be treated as a health matter, not a disciplinary one.
If someone appears impaired, we will remove them from risky work, arrange safe transport and follow up through a fair process. Any testing will be under a separate written procedure, after consultation.
Review
We will review these policies every 12 months, and sooner if the law changes. Questions go to [People and Culture contact].