July 24, 2000 - Publications Unit - The University of Western Australia

6 UWA newsHow do you rate your working life?Ethicsand your well-being are two new areas to be included in the Working Life Survey 2000.All UWA staff should have received their survey forms a few weeks ago and everybody isurged to take the time to fill them in and return them by the beginning of August.Information gathered in the survey is valuable for planning over the next few years. The results willindicate what areas need improvement and identify a range of issues to feature in future enterprisebargaining agreements.Human Resources’ senior policy analyst, Jan Stuart, said the most important indication from the1997 Working Life Survey was a powerful need for job security among UWA staff.“We have focused on that in the latest enterprise agreement,” Ms Stuart said.She said that efforts have been made to reduce repetition and improve the coherence, especiallythe section on the working environment.Other areas have been expanded, including new sections on ethics and your well-being, and thequestions on equity have been altered.In reworking the survey, Ms Stuart and her team in Human Resources have included questions thatwill facilitate comparison with other surveys.Questions about choosing an academic career or choosing to work in higher education have comefrom the American Faculty Poll, a regular survey of Americans working in higher education. UWA canbenefit from comparing its staff’s attitudes to those in similar positions overseas.A few questions from a national ARC-funded stress survey in higher education (due out in August)are included in this Working Life Survey, also for comparisons, as are some questions from a surveyof academics in Australian universities on work roles, and questions from polls conducted by theNational Health Service in the UK and the WA Public Service.“We have included these so we can identify our position in relation to other institutions in ourown state, in other parts of the country and internationally,” Ms Stuart said.The over-riding feeling expressed by staff in the 1997 survey was a positive one about UWA, thatit was a good place to work and they were reasonably happy at work.“This was confirmed by the exit statements provided by staff who have left the University sincethe last survey,” Ms Stuart said. But the rapidly changing environment for higher education may haveresulted in changes. We need to be aware of these movements.“It is important that as many staff as possible find the half an hour needed to respond to thissurvey, so we are best equipped to make the decisions or changes that YOU want.”Looking for genuine bargains? Forget thedepartment stores and boutiquesand stay on campus.The UWA Save the Children Fundbooksale is in its final days in the undercroftof Winthrop Hall.While the rare gems are likely to havebeen already snapped up, the tables are stillBook in for a bargainbeing replenished and the prices are plummeting. Asorganiser Rosalind Lindsay says, “Everybodygoes out smiling on the last day” when youcan fill a box for just a few dollars.The sale is open until 7.30pm tonight andtomorrow (Monday and Tuesday) and thedoors close on the last happy customer at2pm on Wednesday. Enquiries: 9381 3423.THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • JULY 24 2000