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Frequently asked questions

Need to find out more about the Business Services Wage Tool? Read through these frequently asked questions or contact us.

Workers

Australian Disability Enterprises Workers

Back to topWhat is the wage assessment tool?

The Business Services Wage Tool (BSWT) is a wage assessment. It assesses what you do in your job and compares it to what would be needed to earn the full award wage. The assessment is then used to work out how much you get paid for the job you do. There are a range of wage assessments that employers can use and the BSWT is one of them.

Back to topHow will the assessment happen?

If your employer chooses to use the Business Services Wage Tool (BSWT), an assessor from CRS Australia will come to your work to meet with you and your supervisor. They will then explain the assessment in detail. Your employer and the wage assessor will watch what you do in your job and compare it with what is needed. They will then work out your new pay.

Back to topHow do I get a copy of the wage assessment report?

A copy of the assessment and the pay rate is sent to your employer. Your employer will discuss the report with you and give you a copy. No matter who does the wage assessment, there are standards that need to be met, that will make sure you get paid the right amount.

Back to topIs it possible for me to earn more money under award based pay?

Yes, it is possible some people will earn more. Your new pay will be based on an award rate and how much work you do. For example, if you can do half of what someone without a disability can do in the same job, you will get half the pay the other person gets. This means your current rate of pay may increase, if your employer has been paying you less than the award rate for your level of ability.

Back to topDo I get any written information about the assessment before it happens?

Yes. Your employer should give you a booklet called the Worker Information Guide that explains how the assessment happens at your workplace and how your pay is worked out. The booklet is also available to download from our forms and publications page.

Back to topIf I have other questions, where can I get more information?

See more information in Wage Assessment Tool - Your Questions Answered on the FaHCSIA website. More information is also available to download from our forms and publications page.

Back to topI am having difficulty understanding how the wage tool works, can somebody assist me?

You can contact the Senior Wage Assessor on the toll free number 1800 444 557 who will help you understand how the wage assessment tool works.

Back to topWhen will the wage assessment results be reviewed?

The initial assessment result will be reviewed at the end of the three year establishment period, but no later than three years and three months from initial assessment date.

A review can be conducted earlier on reasonable request. Ideally reviews should be scheduled and commenced at two and a half years from the initial assessment date. This assessment result will apply from the beginning of the first full pay period following the date of agreement of the wage assessment outcome by the worker/advocate and employer. The corresponding rate of pay will be applied from this time.

It is recognised that workers usually follow a steep learning curve when in a new role. The review assessment allows the worker to demonstrate gains in competency and productivity without waiting for the triennial review.

Subsequent review assessments will be undertaken at least every three years. The employer or worker may request a review prior to that time should the worker's circumstances change significantly.

Australian Disability Enterprises

Back to topWhat is a benchmark or comparator?

A benchmark or comparator is the expected level of output required of a worker doing the same task, who would be entitled to the full award rate of pay. The level of output is expressed as either the number of units the worker can produce in a set time, or the time it takes to produce a certain number of units or to complete a task.

This expected level of output can then be compared to a worker in the Australian Disability Enterprise to find out how productive they are in comparison to workers receiving the full award pay rate. A pro rata wage can then be determined.

Back to topWhat or who can be a benchmark or comparator and is there a difference?

A benchmark usually refers to an expected standard output for a particular task in industry.

A comparator usually refers to:

  • a non-disabled co-worker
  • a supervisor
  • another worker with a disability who is able to perform that particular task to the expected standard.

However both terms have the same underlying meaning.

Back to topDo Australian Disability Enterprises need to do their own productivity assessment using benchmarks and comparators?

Although the CRS Australia wage assessor will get comparator timings or industry benchmarks for each worker, there are significant benefits for the Australian Disability Enterprise to provide input before the formal wage assessment, for example:

  • Variation in worker performance over time can be captured better, thus helping the assessor to make a more accurate assessment. The more information the assessor has, the more realistic the wage outcome will be.
  • Over time a 'bank' of worker timings can be gathered to enable the Australian Disability Enterprise to cost jobs more accurately and realistically compared to industry rates.

The Supervisor's Assessment Workbook has sections to help in doing a productivity assessment on each worker as part of the wage assessment. This workbook, along with the Supervisor's Guide, explains how to complete it. These will be sent to the Australian Disability Enterprise before the assessor comes to the worksite. However any additional productivity information gathered can also be given to the assessor.

Back to topDo benchmarks already exist for some jobs?

Because a benchmark is an expected standard output for a task in industry, some benchmarks have already been worked out, such as:

  • the usual output of a machine in industry eg how many jars a machine fills per minute
  • a published standard for a job eg how many words per minute are expected of a typist in a particular setting.

However, not all established benchmarks will be applicable to the Australian Disability Enterprise sector, because differences in equipment, environment and workforce structure make direct comparisons inappropriate. For this reason individual Australian Disability Enterprises may need to develop their own benchmarks for comparison.

The following examples show benchmarks that have been established for a variety of work roles. They show the minimum level of productivity required for the full award rates of pay.

Sector Job Role Standard/Benchmark
Stores and warehousing Store person - shelf packing in supermarket 70 cartons per hour (various sizes and locations)
Administration Machine shorthand operator/stenographer 200 words per min (DEST Job Guide 2003)
Administration Audio Typist 90 words per min (DEST Job Guide 2003)
Agriculture/Food processing Jar filling machine - fruit Machine capacity 600 jars per minute
Agriculture/recycling Operating bale machine 480 sec per bale (Australian Wool Manufacturers Association)

 

Back to topHow can Australian Disability Enterprises go about setting their own benchmarks?

Australian Disability Enterprises can set their own benchmarks by measuring production or output of reasonable comparators (eg non-disabled co-worker, casual worker, supervisor etc) for any of the jobs that are done in their business. This will usually involve timing how long it takes to complete a certain number of products/tasks.

Benchmarks, or comparator timings, may be either time or unit based:

  • Unit based benchmarks describe the number of units produced to the required standard in a set period of time (eg pack 100 units of cutlery per hour).
  • Time based benchmarks describe the time it takes to produce a certain amount of units or to complete a task to the required standard (eg takes six minutes to pack 10 units of cutlery).

It may be as simple as timing how long it takes a non-disabled worker to complete 10 items of product (eg packing 10 full cartons of product and placing on to pallet) or how many items are packed in a 30 minute period. Timings for the same job should be taken a number of times so that a reasonable average benchmark may be developed. To allow for variation in a worker's performance, it is more accurate to take timings for at least 30 minutes, and where possible for one to two hours or a full day.

If developing benchmarks in an Australian Disability Enterprise, be sure to clearly describe the task so that similar assessments may be taken. For example, 'pack cutlery' does not describe how many items, what is done to the packed product etc. A better description might be 'pack one full carton (24 packs) of cutlery for airline and place on pallet'.

Back to topHow can Australian Disability Enterprises measure individual worker productivity?

Following the collection of benchmark/comparator data, the productivity of workers with a disability can be measured and recorded in the same way as benchmark or comparator timings. Productivity should be measured on the worker's most commonly performed or usual tasks eg the tasks that cover 90% of what the worker does. A task that comprises less than 10% of their work would not usually be included, unless considered a key duty for the worker.

These timings should only be undertaken when the worker:

  • has been in the job for at least three months
  • is not sick or injured
  • is aware that their productivity may be assessed.

For the actual wage assessment the CRS Australia assessor will consult with the Australian Disability Enterprise to identify the different tasks.

Back to topHow would a productivity assessment be made on outdoor tasks such as weeding?

If a single task takes a long time to complete, for example mowing an entire playing field, it will not be practical to time that task and get a comparator timing for the same task. Instead, the task could be reduced into smaller chunks, such as how long it takes to mow a specified area, or how much of a task can be achieved in a given time.

Using the example of weeding, it is even possible to weigh or count the weeds collected over a given time.

Back to topCan a worker's productivity results be weighted if the score doesn't reflect overall productivity?

Yes, the CRS Australia assessor will apply a weighting process for time spent on all tasks.

This is because a worker may be highly productive on a task that they only do for a small portion of the time, and be only moderately productive on another task they do most of the time. If the scores were not weighted the worker's productivity could be overestimated. A more reasonable approach is to weight the tasks by proportion of workload.

Back to topCan a worker score more than 100%?

No, even though they may perform better than the comparator they cannot be scored greater than 100%. The auto-calculate function in the wage tool is capped at 100% to reflect this.

Back to topI have some new workers and would like to have them assessed, what do I do?

Request an assessment. Australian Disability Enterprises can request assessments online or by calling 1800 444 557. A member of the National Wage Assessment Team will contact you to make the necessary arrangements. Wherever practical, it is best to assess a number of workers at one time, with five workers the desired minimum.

Please note that workers entering employment for the first time, or being assessed using the Business Service Wage Assessment Tool for the first time, should be referred for an initial assessment between 12 weeks and 6 months of starting employment.

Back to topWhat do I do if I disagree with the comparator information?

The comparators used throughout the assessment are agreed to by the Australian Disability Enterprise and the assessor prior to the assessment starting.

If not, you can raise your concerns with the National Operations Manager, National Wage Assessment Team on 1800 444 557. The process to follow is outlined in the Administrative Guidelines (Section 7.4.1).

Back to topWhat do I do if I have concerns or questions about the wage assessment results?

In extenuating circumstances components of an assessment may need to be reviewed post assessment. CRS Australia offers a post assessment query process that allows an Australian Disability Enterprise, worker/advocate to bring to attention any concerns that they may have about an individual worker's assessment. This process is outlined in the Administrative Guidelines (Section 7.4.1) and the required Post Assessment Query Worker List and Worker Post Assessment Query forms.

Back to topWhen will the wage assessment results be reviewed?

The initial wage assessment result may be reviewed at the end of the three year establishment period, but no later than three years three months from the initial assessment date. The review assessment allows the worker to demonstrate gains in competency or productivity.

A review can be conducted earlier on reasonable request. Ideally reviews should be scheduled and commenced at two and a half years from the initial assessment date. This assessment result will apply from the beginning of the first full pay period following the date of agreement of the wage assessment outcome by the worker/advocate and employer. The corresponding rate of pay will be applied from this time.

It is recognised that workers usually follow a steep learning curve when in a new role. The review assessment allows the worker to demonstrate gains in competency and productivity without waiting for the triennial review.

Subsequent review assessments will be undertaken at least every three years. The employer or worker may request a review prior to that time should the worker's circumstances change significantly.

Business services wage tool