EXTRACT
This briefing note explores the answers that community sector leaders gave to questions about Equal Remuneration Order (ERO) supplementation in the Australian Community Sector Survey (ACSS).
The responses were clear – the sector is largely unable to respond to a loss of supplementation payments, without affecting organisational financial status, staffing, and service delivery capacity.
The ACSS was completed by 1,454 community sector staff, including 406 organisational leaders, in October 2019. Two survey questions were asked to capture how community sector organisations were positioned to deal with the potential cessation of supplementation payments associated with the Fair Work Commission’s 2012 Equal Remuneration Order. Since the ERO was made, these payments have been made by governments supplementary to their funding, to assist funded organisations cover increased costs associated with the Award wage increases phased in to address gender-based undervaluation.
This research was conducted by the Social Policy Research Centre at UNSW Sydney in collaboration with the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and the network of Councils of Social Service of Australia (COSS Network), supported by Community Sector Banking.
SOURCE: Natasha Cortis and Megan Blaxland. “Challenges for Australia’s Community Sector: ERO supplementation.” ACOSS, February 2020.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
The Brotherhood of St Laurence acknowledges and recognises the Traditional Owners of the land upon which we live and work, and we pay our respects to their Elders both past and present.
Produced by the librarians at the Brotherhood of St Laurence in Melbourne, Australia
