[Australia]: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations Media Centre

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Overview​

The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations is an Australian Government department responsible for national policies and programs that help Australians find and keep employment and work in safe, fair and productive workplaces. The portfolio also includes government agencies such as the Fair Work Commission, the Fair Work Ombudsman, Fair Work Building and Construction, Safe Work Australia, Comcare, Workforce Australia, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency, the Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave Funding) Corporation, the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, the Seafarers Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Authority (Seacare Authority) and the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner. It also administers various programs and schemes such as the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme and Seacare. The functions of the department are broadly classified into the following matters as laid out in an Administrative Arrangements Order: Employment policy, including employment services Workforce Australia Labour market programmes for people of working age Co-ordination of labour market research Equal employment opportunity Work and family programmes Participation, activity test and compliance policy for participation payment recipients Work health and safety, rehabilitation and compensation Workplace relations policy development, advocacy and implementation