Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (Queensland Section) Limited (RFDS)

Opportunities for casual Nurses and Medical Practitioners.

Available in all operational and administrative areas of the organisation.

The RFDS recognises that working from home is one way of providing a more flexible approach to working conditions and is committed to facilitating flexible work practices that allow employees to meet both personal and organisational obligations. RFDS (Qld Section) is committed to the development and implementation of flexible work arrangements. Arrangements such as home-based/telecommuting work are recognised by RFDS (Qld Section) as a means to contributing to a positive and productive work environment.

In accordance with the National Employment Standards, the RFDS is obliged to consider all employee requests for flexible working arrangements (this may include such arrangements as work from home).

Home-based work can be implemented as an arrangement to enable an employee to continue to work during;

• A temporary circumstance which prevents them attending their usual work location, e.g. a natural disaster or family illness.
• A short-term arrangement (of less than 2 weeks duration) to complete a specific project, or
• An ongoing agreement where a part of the employee’s ordinary hours are worked away from the workplace.
• An ongoing agreement where an employee works exclusively away from the workplace apart from his/ her operational duties
• Pre and post roster duties (such as logging flight plans)

Increasing numbers of employees are commencing formal working from home arrangements. These arrangements can range from a few hours to several days per week. Employees at differing levels within the organisation have adopted working from home arrangements, including administration employees, operational employees and Senior Management.

The RFDS is committed to supporting parents and over the next four years plans to increases its paid parental leave to eligible employees.
From 1st Jan 2013 12weeks parental leave – on full pay OR 24 weeks parental leave – on half pay
From 1st Jan 2014 14 weeks parental leave – on full pay OR 28 weeks parental leave – on half pay

Study leave is leave on full pay which is granted to an employee, upon application, to attend conferences, courses, programs, seminars, workshops or other professional development programs that are appropriate to their role and in the interest of the RFDS. Contributions to the cost of external study may also be granted on approval.

The RFDS is committed to supporting a diverse and multi-cultural workplace, and as such employees, including employees of either Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background can apply to take cultural leave to participate in or fulfill cultural obligations. Cultural leave can be taken as part of an employee’s annual leave entitlement.

RFDS recognises that on occasions, some employees may need to take leave that cannot be catered for by other leave provisions. Leave without pay will be considered for full-time and part-time employees whom have exhausted all other applicable leave balances. Leave without pay requests start with periods of less than one week and longer periods of absences are based on the eligibility of the employee’s years of service, operational requirements and availability of adequate relief.

RFDS may grant an employee special unpaid Community Service leave for:

• Fire fighting for the duration of an emergency to provide assistance to a recognised fire fighting authority; or
• Rendering community assistance to recognised voluntary organisations in the event of a state disaster e.g. SES,

Red Cross, St John’s Ambulance, subject to documentary evidence of necessary attendance. Permanent employees, both full-time and part-time, are eligible to apply for Community Service leave. Employees may elect to use annual leave for this purpose, in instances where their leave balance is over four (4) weeks.

The RFDS is committed to encouraging breastfeeding by new mothers who continue to work. As such, new mothers will be allowed reasonable time to both express milk and breastfeed infants. Time taken for breastfeeding breaks (other than those taken in prescribed meal and rest breaks) can be made up either before or after the employees designated starting and finishing times. Breastfeeding/expressing breaks are negotiated by an employee with their Manager.

The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) exists to help our staff with any work related or personal problem that they may be having difficulty resolving. This confidential, professional assistance and guidance aims to support the resolution or better manage work or personal problems that may be affecting an employee’s wellbeing. Often the longer an issue remains unresolved, the more aspects of life are affected by it. At RFDS, we promote that early help with a minor issue may prevent its development into a major one.

The RFDS contributes up to $100 per person (every three years, pro rata of the FTE) for employees who have successfully completed their probationary period, or for those employees in a contract position of greater than six months who engage in physical activity (in their personal time). This may include sporting club membership (e.g. gym), purchase of equipment (e.g. bike, hiking boots, yoga mat) or classes (e.g. Zumba, aerobics).

The RFDS also offer discounted health insurance.

The RFDS will support corporate physical activity events up to the value of $300 per event/team, per year. Examples of events may include community fun runs, team sporting competitions, and golf days or sports carnivals. The support that the RFDS can provide may include pre/post event refreshments, event clothing, etc. The RFDS will consider financial support for event registration on a case by case basis.

The RFDS Wellness Program provides employees with options, opportunities and an environment that enables them to increase control of and improve their health. The RFDS is committed to the health and wellness of their employees and the environments they work in. The RFDS is also committed to being a role model for clients, visitors and partner organisations in providing supportive environments for employees and supports employees making healthy lifestyle choices.

The scope of the Wellness Program includes:

• Identify key contributing factors for preventing illness and maintaining good health.
• Provide a supportive environment for making healthy lifestyle choices.
• Provide information and recommendations for making healthy lifestyle choices.
• Provide resources to assist in the selection of healthy lifestyle choices.
• Benchmark standards to promote the implementation of a health and wellbeing policy/healthy lifestyle behaviours to other organisations and clients.