Understanding public sector terminology is often crucial to your overall application in particular when addressing selection criteria. Understanding some of the key terms used in a government application pack, will assist you when writing your application and addressing selection criteria.
Occupational Health & Safety / Workplace Health & Safety
If coming from Queensland the correct terminology is Workplace Health & Safety (WH & S). All other states and at the Federal level, the most common terminology used is Occupational Health & Safety (OH & S).
Occupational Health & Safety covers the legislation and regulation at both State and Federal level that is designed to protect the health, safety and welfare of employees in the workplace. The key relevance to you: You need to understand that as an employee, you have an obligation to follow OH & S instructions, use safety equipment supplied, attend training, notify managers of potential hazards and work in a way that does not put others within the workplace at risk.
Selection criteria
Selection criteria are also known as key selection criteria, work related requirements and assessment criteria.
They are the list of statements that outline the job specific skills, knowledge and experience that an agency requires you to address in order to be selected for an interview. Depending on the agency, they vary from four through to twenty criteria or more, and are used by both the public and private sector to assess a candidate’s suitability for the position.
Client Charter
The majority of agencies have a client charter that outlines the rights and obligations of clients. If the position you are applying for will entail working directly or indirectly with the public, or managing an area that works directly with the public, then it is important to read and understand the agency’s Client Service Charter.
The principles generally contained in most Client Service Charters at federal, state, territory and local level covers client service, dealing with complaints, privacy through to being accountable and responsive.
Workplace diversity is recognition within government policy that acknowledges that diversity of people in the public sector is one of its greatest strengths.
Workplace diversity covers gender, age, language, ethnicity, marital status, cultural background, religious belief, education, family responsibilities and sexual orientation. Diversity also refers to the other ways in which people are different, such as life and work experience, socio-economic backgrounds, and personality.
Employment equity is about making sure that workplaces are free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment, as well as providing programs to assist members of various groups to overcome past or present disadvantages. These groups include Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders, women, members from a racial, ethnic and religious minority group and people with a disability.
In the workplace, discrimination is defined as treating someone unfairly or harassing them because they belong to a particular group. Under legislation at both state and federal level, it is against the law for any employer, or employee, to discriminate against a candidate because of their sex, age, colour, race, religion, marital status, descent, political alliances or sexuality.
Sexual harassment is another form of discrimination and it is illegal in all of its form from implicit sexual jokes, inappropriate screen savers, through to innuendo and unwarranted and unwelcome physical and verbal approaches.
Employers and managers are responsible for ensuring that the workplace is free from all unlawful discrimination and to provide equal opportunity for employment, including ensuring that all selection processes are based on MERIT.
Relevant articles and resources
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