Officeworks staff vote for Increased Salaries
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Officeworks staff have approved a new Store Operations Agreement that will introduce higher base pay and penalty rates and new leave entitlements for eligible team members.
More than 80 percent of staff participated in the vote, which closed on Sunday night, with 97 percent voting in favor of the new Agreement, according to a release from Officeworks.
“The new Agreement sees over-award terms and conditions retained, with improved conditions for both part-time and casual team members when it comes to securing work,” the Wesfarmers-owned retailer said in the release.
As part of the four-year agreement, eligible team members will receive a 2 percent wage increase for the first two years and a 3 percent wage increase for the last two years, with the base pay rate continuing to clock in above the award. They will also be paid higher penalty rates on weekends and evenings.
Team members will also be able to choose their superannuation fund, and they will be provided with two days of paid domestic and family violence leave.
Officeworks’ new leave entitlements follow the introduction of its ‘Growing Families’ policy in March, which saw primary carers receive 12 weeks of paid leave, double the amount they received previously, and secondary carers receive two weeks of paid leave, where none was available before.
It also entitles primary carers to 52 weeks of superannuation contributions and long-service-leave accrual, and secondary carers to two weeks of superannuation contributions.
“Providing certainty about pay and conditions for our team members so that they can plan their work and life more effectively is important to us and has been an absolute priority for me and my team,” Sarah Hunter, Officeworks managing director, said in the release.
“I’m really excited that our team has overwhelmingly voted in favor of this Agreement. It’s such an exciting time at Officeworks and creating more stability for our team members will help us make bigger things happen together moving forward.”
The Agreement will now be lodged with the Fair Work Commission for approval; however, the retailer said yesterday that it would immediately increase the base pay rate by 2 percent for all team members covered by the agreement.
Questions & Answers
Q.What specific improvements will part-time and casual team members see under the new Agreement?
What specific improvements will part-time and casual team members see under the new Agreement?
The new Agreement retains over-award terms and conditions, and improves conditions for both part-time and casual team members for securing work. This provides greater certainty for these staff categories.
Q.When will the staff receive their pay increases as outlined in the Agreement?
When will the staff receive their pay increases as outlined in the Agreement?
Eligible team members will receive a 2 percent wage increase for the first two years and a 3 percent wage increase for the last two years of the four-year agreement. The retailer has already begun increasing the base pay rate by 2 percent.
Q.What new leave entitlements are included in this Store Operations Agreement?
What new leave entitlements are included in this Store Operations Agreement?
Team members will receive two days of paid domestic and family violence leave. They will also benefit from the 'Growing Families' policy introduced in March, which includes paid parental leave for primary and secondary carers.
Q.What is the next step for the Agreement to become official?
What is the next step for the Agreement to become official?
The Agreement will now be lodged with the Fair Work Commission for approval. However, Officeworks has already begun implementing the initial 2 percent base pay rate increase for covered team members.