This Customer Service Charter outlines the nature of the services you can expect from the Fair Work Ombudsman, including steps to take if you are dissatisfied with the experience.
Who we are
The Fair Work Ombudsman is the independent Australian Government agency that promotes harmonious, productive and cooperative workplace relations, as well as compliance with workplace laws through advice, education and enforcement. The Fair Work Ombudsman works in cooperation with Fair Work Australia, the national workplace relations tribunal.
The Fair Work Act 2009 creates the position of Fair Work Ombudsman and the statutory agency, the Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman. Nicholas Wilson holds the statutory appointment as the Fair Work Ombudsman. The functions of the Fair Work Ombudsman are set out in the Fair Work Act 2009 and carried out by a range of people, including workplace inspectors.
Corporate objectives
Our vision
Fair Australian workplaces
Our mission
Work with Australians to educate, promote fairness and ensure justice in the workplace.
Achieving the vision
The Fair Work Ombudsman promotes harmonious, productive and cooperative workplace relations and compliance with workplace laws through:
- Education, assistance and advice to workplace participants
- Ensuring compliance with the Fair Work Act 2009 through advice, inquiries, investigations and court procedings.
- Representing employees or outworkers where it may promote compliance.
Our services
The Fair Work Ombudsman provides Australians with information, education and advice on workplace rights and obligations through:
- Fair Work Online – www.fairwork.gov.au is the first point of contact for comprehensive information and advice about Australia’s workplace relations system. At this site, you can chat live with an adviser, access information about the Fair Work system, and lodge a workplace complaint and track its progress.
- Fair Work Infoline – you can call the telephone service on 13 13 94 Monday and Friday, 8.00am-6.00pm (local time), for accurate and timely advice on Australia’s workplace relations laws.
- Our offices – in all capital cities and 18 regional locations across Australia. For your nearest office please go to www.fwo.gov.au or contact the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94.
In addition, the Fair Work Ombudsman undertakes educational activities and compliance campaigns and provides information services, best practice guides and general educational information to the public. These services and campaigns are run at national, state and local levels and target specific industries, audiences and geographical locations.
The Fair Work Ombudsman manages a team of Fair Work Inspectors who investigate any complaints or allegations relating to breaches of workplace laws. In the majority of instances Fair Work Inspectors work with employers, employees and their representatives to achieve voluntary compliance and follow-up with targeted and industry-specific auditing activities.
The Fair Work Ombudsman takes legal action when and as required. Commonly they are undertaken in cases where breaches have significant consequences, are of significant public interest, relate to a vulnerable community group, or an employer fails to rectify a breach of workplace law.
Working with you
The Fair Work Ombudsman’s service commitment is underpinned by the following five principles:
1. Accessibility
We provide information and assistance in several ways – online, over the phone, and in person - so you can choose the method that best suits you.
If you require an interpreter or a TTY service, or if you have a hearing or speech impairment, please contact one of the numbers below and ask for the Fair Work Infoline (13 13 94):
- Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS): 13 14 50
National Relay Service (NIRS): 13 36 77 for TTY- Speak & Listen 1300 555 727
2. Customer focus
We aim to offer the best possible service and are continually looking to improve upon our performance. In addition to treating customers with dignity and respect, we commit ourselves to the following delivery timeframes:
- In 80% of cases investigations into complaints will be completed in 90 days.
- The Fair Work Infoline will resolve 80% of matters at the first contact.
- The Fair Work Infoline will be available 99% of the time during advertised hours.
- Our websites will be available 99% of the time.
3. Continued consultation and review
We will always endeavour to answer your questions and concerns on the spot, and where your matter is under investigation, you can expect to receive regular progress updates as well as official notification when it is concluded.
If you believe you have been given the incorrect information or are dissatisfied with the outcome of your investigation, you can seek to have the information clarified or the decision reviewed.
http://www.fwo.gov.au/Investigations/Stages-in-an-investigation/Pages/Request-a-review.aspx
Always feel free to have a discussion with the Fair Work Inspector assisting you or their manager, as this is the most effective method of resolving a dispute.
If this fails you may follow our review process which is conducted in three stages:
- In the first instance a review will be conducted by an impartial officer who has had no involvement in the initial action or decision.
- If you still disagree a second-level review will be undertaken by an independent review team.
- If, at this stage, you remain unsatisfied, you may take your matter to the Commonwealth Ombudsman (1300 362 072 or ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.au).
4. Fairness
We will treat all members of the public fairly, equally, and without bias at all times. This accounts for all people - contractors, employees, employers, Australian citizens, non-citizens, or representatives of any of these parties.
The Fair Work Ombudsman does not act on behalf of any person and is not the representative of any person (with the limited exception of cases where the Fair Work Ombudsman formally initiates or takes over legal proceedings on behalf of an individual as outlined in the Fair Work Act 2009).
5. Accountability
The Fair Work Ombudsman and his office are a statutory agency of the Australian Government and are accountable as public servants of Australia and are bound by the Public Service Act 1999. This means that the entire agency is bound by a strict code of conduct that upholds the highest ethical standards, including the use of public monies and community responsibility.
Our staff must adhere to the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct at all times. Our decisions on the use of finances are within the framework of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 and our purchasing decisions are subject to the Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines.
How you can help us
There are a number of ways you can make it easier and quicker for us to assist you:
- When requesting assistance please be as specific as you can - this will help narrow the information search.
- When lodging a complaint provide as much detail and evidence as possible.
- If you are enquiring into an active matter, please have the reference number handy and ready to quote.
- Inform us as soon as possible if you need to correct or update the information you have given us or if you wish to terminate our investigation into your complaint.
How to contact us
We welcome your comments and feedback and see them as an opportunity to improve our services. Please contact in one of the following ways:
- Email: feedback@fwo.gov.au
- Phoning the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94
- Speaking with a Fair Work Inspector or their manager if you have matter under review
- Writing to the Fair Work Ombudsman at PO Box 9887 in your capital city
Need to know more?
For more information about the Fair Work Ombudsman visit www.fairwork.gov.au
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This charter provides you with information about the standard of service you can expect from Fair Work Ombudsman and how to give us feedback about our servic
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