From 1 January 2006 all employers must consult with employees on a wide range of OHS issues set out in Section 35 of the OHS Act. Section 36 requires that the employer consult with the OHS Rep/s, with or without employees. At the conference Dr Verna Blewett, of New Horizons, provided an overview of what contributes to effective consultation. Her research has shown that there are four important elements of effective consultation:
- a workplace culture of mutual respect
- workers have high levels of autonomy and job control
- OHS is integrated into management decision-making
- role of the OHS rep is acknowledged as valuable and is supported within the organisation.
You can take a look at Verna’s presentation which is at the bottom of this page, and download it if you like. The OHS Unit is now working on guidance material on consultation to help Reps ensure that the employer is aware of their obligations and consults effectively. Once this material is finalised (expected early in the new year) we will post it on the website.