Responsibility: Australian, state and territory governments
Joint Response: Accept in principle
Status: In progress
What has been achieved to date
The Australian Public Service (APS) and state and territory jurisdictions have established an ‘Inter-jurisdictional Disability Royal Commission Working Group’ to share their approaches and information to address the public sector employment recommendations.
Most jurisdictions have commenced work, including having engaged in data analysis to understand their current workforce demographics. Some jurisdictions already have targets in place, most notably at the whole-of-workforce level. Discussions have demonstrated that targets will be specific to each jurisdiction and to the composition of the respective public sector workforce, its operations, and needs. Discussions at the Working Group level will explore disaggregated targets.
The Australian Government, led by the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC), is currently undertaking Phase 1 of the Disability Royal Commission Discovery Project. The Discovery Project involves an investigation into two of the five recommendations (7.18, and 7.21) to assess the feasibility of implementing these recommendations consistently across the APS.
The APSC is currently engaging across the APS with employees with lived experience, managers and business areas about on-boarding, setting targets, and employment pathways. The information from research and this consultation process will inform a final report to the Australian Government. The report will propose how Recommendations 7.18 and 7.21 can be implemented in the APS.
What the Disability Royal Commission said in the final report
The Australian Government and state and territory governments should adopt specific and disaggregated targets to increase the proportion in the public sector of:
- employees with disability at entry and graduate levels
- employees with disability at executive levels
- employees with cognitive disability
Public sector targets should be supported by:
- clear employment pathways into the relevant public services for each target cohort
- measures and programs to support the recruitment and progression of each target cohort
- provision of appropriate supports.
The Australian Public Service Commission and state and territory public service commissions should ensure these targets contribute to their existing overall employment targets for people with disability.
Joint Government response July 2024
The Australian Government and state and territory governments support continued action to increase opportunities for people with disability in public sector employment across Australia.
All governments recognise that people with disability have a right to work, and that employment supports an individual’s social and economic participation and independence in society.
As large employers, public services have a crucial national role as leaders in modelling best practice inclusion that can positively influence other employers and workplaces.
Governments agree that specific employment targets can have a positive impact on the number of people with disability employed in the public sector, noting that some jurisdictions may need to further consider data limitations and privacy considerations before committing to disaggregated targets.
The Australian Government and state and territory governments also support continued and increased focus on ensuring public sector workplaces are accessible and inclusive for people with disability, including through workplace adjustments. Public service commissioners will work together to share best practice on improving public sector employment outcomes for people with disability.
Governments also support in principle adopting procurement policies that encourage inclusive employment practices in the private sector, noting governments will individually consider opportunities and approaches that most appropriately work with respective government procurement frameworks.
More recommendations
View progress on other recommendations made by the Royal Commission.