Solution Stories
Our solution approach combines our proven experience and knowledge in employment relations, the client’s objectives, and our portfolio of industry knowledge. We help our clients meet a range of workplace relations and people challenges so that they can successfully meet their organisational imperatives.
Day Rates in the Pastoral Industry
Our clients needed a wages system that reflected their industry practice. The difficulty was that the award(s) that covered the majority of employees did not accurately reflect industry practice. Further, the employer’s obligation under legislation was to provide accurate timesheets, however for those in the pastoral industry this had its difficulties given the nature of the work and the remoteness of where it is performed. First IR drafted an enterprise agreement for these businesses in which the wages component reflected a Day Rate rather than an hourly Rate. These employers were able to successfully meet their employment obligations, and in addition have an enterprise agreement which reflected their individual operations, and gave them certainty in their employment relationship.
- Megan Sprague, Workplace Adviser
Transport Industry
Our clients are predominantly long distance or line haul operators who also operate some local work. Our key successes in this industry relate to the development of trip rates and the meeting of award obligations. We design solutions for clients that ensure that it is simple and easy to meet their obligations. We help our clients develop rates of pay that ensure the rates are inclusive of all components. This saves our clients a lot of time and money in defending claims for loading and unloading and waiting time. It also means that our clients have certainty as to their labour costs meaning they are in a stronger position to compete in the marketplace.
- Daniel Houlihan, Principal
Cleaning Industry
The award modernisation process for this industry meant that the industry went from having an award of approximately 40 pages to an award of 215 pages. Of these 215 pages, 150 pages are transitional provisions, with pages and pages of rates. For most medium sized cleaning companies, this means that there are ample opportunities for things to go wrong. We have assisted our clients in developing simple, easy to understand documents that mean they are not in danger of missing anything. We have designed agreements that allow for simple flat rates of pay to be used so that employers and employees are clear as to their obligations and their entitlements.
- Daniel Houlihan, Principal
Horticulture
First IR are very active with fruit and berry growers in protecting hard won flexibilities. When it looked likely that key award flexibilities would disappear through the award modernisation process, as happened to other industries, we designed and implemented a series of agreements that could protect growers and their employees from the uncertainty of a less flexible working regime. We assisted growers then, and we continue to assist them now, developing mechanisms for piece rates and other systems to ensure the continued viability of this industry. We work with all of the major players to ensure that our clients don’t miss out.
- Megan Sprague, Workplace Advisor
Construction industry
First IR have been retained by a number of building and construction companies to assist them in a variety of ways. We are currently retained by a number of clients to provide a ‘background’ service. We advise these clients on a wide variety of issues, including agreement interpretation, redundancy issues and all of the matters that if left unmanaged can blow up on a building site. We do this quietly so that it is the client dealing with its employees and their union rather than an outside person. In some sectors we find that this works extremely well as it means our clients are provided with the best possible advice in a timely way without creating any waves on-site.
- Daniel Houlihan, Principal