Benefits of working with Wollongong City Council

Content: Hours of work | Flexible working arrangements | Leave entitlements | Tertiary assistance scheme | Learning and development | Emerging leadership program | Performance recognition and reward | Achievement and recognition awards | Employee Assistance Program (EAP) | Corporate health and fitness program | Cafeteria facilities | Tea room facilities | Parking | Social club | Welfund fund | Superannuation | Union membership 

Hours of work
Salary staff work a 35 hour week - 7 hours per day Monday to Friday. Wage staff working 7 hours 46 minutes each Monday to Friday with a nine day fortnight. Start and finish times can vary depending on area of work.

Flexible working arrangements
Flextime is available to salaried employees, allowing them maximum flexibility in determining their own work hours in agreement with their supervisor.

Job share and part-time work arrangements may also be considered depending on needs of work area.

Leave entitlements
We are committed to the wellbeing and morale of our employees and provide support to employees in balancing work and family responsibilities. The following types of leave are available:

• Annual leave - employees are entitled to 5 working weeks annual leave for every completed year of service including a fixed component to be taken during the Christmas/New Year period.
• Sick leave - paid to employees in cases of genuine illness.
• Carers leave - available to employees who adopt a primary care giving role to dependants and supports unplanned cases of short term illness or injury of dependants or family members.
• Parental leave - available to employees who will be the primary care giver of a child (natural or adopted) up to a total period of 52 weeks and can comprise of 12 weeks maternity leave or 9 weeks paternity leave, annual leave, long service leave or leave without pay.
• Bereavement leave - available to any employee who suffers the loss of a family member or close relative.
• Special leave with pay - may be approved for employees who provide documentation to support their involvement in the following:
  • volunteer firefighting;
  • representing NSW or Australia, eg in sport;
  • participation in community service organisations;
  • military service;
  • jury service;
• Long service leave - After 10 years of service 13 weeks of leave is available and an additional 13 weeks for every further 5 years completed service.

Tertiary assistance scheme
Permanent employees (including part-time staff) who wish to undertake tertiary studies related to their work or career path, may be eligible for financial assistance and time release from work to attend lectures, examinations or residential schools.

Learning and development
Learning and development activities, aimed at increasing skills, knowledge and expertise, include:

• in-house or external training courses;
• attendance at conferences/seminars/workshops;
• flexible e-learning training modules;
• participation in project teams, focus groups, working parties;
• job rotations, secondments, lateral transfers and opportunities to act in higher grade positions.

Emerging leadership program
We run a two-year program to assist employees who have been identified as possessing potential leadership capability to move into a senior management role within five years. The program involves intense individual development and accelerated opportunities to grow and experience management roles.

Performance recognition and reward
Our Skills and Performance Management Assessment System (SPMAS) recognises high performance across all levels of the organisation. Rewards are linked to financial and non-financial benefits.

Achievement and recognition awards
Our Achievement and Recognition Awards process recognise our employees who do a good job. The process begins with employee nominations and concludes with an end of year celebration event.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
We recognise that any employee can, at times, experience problems of a personal nature which may affect work performance, and their personal health and safety. Council engages a fully independent company to provide a free confidential and independent counselling service by qualified staff.

Corporate health and fitness program
Council’s health program offers a fitness centre with weight equipment and classes, individual fitness assessment and a range of health awareness programs and corporate fitness events.

Cafeteria facilities
Our friendly cafeteria staff provide employees with a variety of reasonably priced hot and cold foods and beverages. These can be purchased daily between 12noon and 2pm as 'take-away' or to be eaten in our dining room, which also contains entertainment facilities. 

Tea room facilities
We provide employees located in Council's administration building with a tea room facility containing a fridge, microwave and cool water filter on each level of the building. In addition, coffee, tea, milk, sugar and biscuits are provided daily.

Parking
A limited number of rooftop or undercover parking spaces are available for Council employees in the Stewart Street Parking Station located directly behind Council’s administration building. Fortnightly payments for these spaces can be arranged as a payroll deduction. A bike rack is also provided in the basement of the parking station.

Social club
Employees are eligiable to join our Social Club, which organises Happy Hour once a month in the level 2 dining room, as well as adult and children’s Christmas parties, trivia nights and other social activities.

Welfare fund
Owned and managed by its financial members, being permanent employees of Wollongong City Council. The fund provides a range of financial benefits to its members including  financial assistance in the event of a long term illness, or with dental, optical, physiotherapy and alternative medicine consultations.

Superannuation
As a permanent employee you can choose the fund to which you wish us to pay the compulsory superannuation guarantee levy. However, Council's 'Employer Choose Fund' is the Local Government Superannuation Scheme, which has a local office located in Wollongong. Members of this scheme can make additional personal contributions and can elect to salary sacrifice personal contributions at a pre-taxed rate of pay.

Union membership
Employees may choose to join one of several unions which provide various services and assistance to its members:

• United Services Union represents the majority of Council employees.

Other unions which cover specific job categories include:

• Automotive, Food, Metal, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industrial Union;
• Local Government Engineers Association;
• Environmental Health and Building;
• Surveyors’ Association of NSW.