Employer Support

21 Tops the DRSC Awards!

21 Construction Regiment topped the Sydney Region DRSC Awards Night in May with 7 awards including the two state awards for the Best Enployers. 21 won more awards than any other unit in the Sydney Region, and took home both of the top State awards. The Awards Night, held at the Sydney Cricket Ground, was attended by over 150 Employers, Reservists and Senior Army, Navy and Air Force personnel.

The 5th Bde Comd, BRIG Brereton was very impressed with the Unit's results and acknowledged the importance of developing and maintaining a strong and positive relationship between a Reservist and their employer. State Manager of the DRSC, SQNLDR Del Gaudry, also praised out Unit's efforts in particular commenting on the high quality of applications from 21 Const Regt members. All the employers had a good night and gained valuable insight into the Reserve, as many of them professed to not knowing a lot about what their Reservist actually did. The details of the Awards are:

State Award - Large Sized Business
Penrith Anglican College nominated by CAPT David Poirier. Employer is Mr Barry Roots (neither could attend, but will be presented at a later stage)

State Award - Government Business
Wollondilly Shire Council, nominated by SPR David McEwan. Employer – Les McMahon, General Manager.

Certificates of Appreciation:
- CUB Camper Trailers, nominated by WO1 John Hurcum, employer Mr Ross Nichols
- Xstrata Coal Mine, Tahmoor nominated by SPR Scott Lawson, employer Mr Darren Nicholls
- Lend Lease Design, nominated by CAPT Angus Johnston, employer Mr Matthew Yates

Certificate of Recognition:
- AACOR Consultants, nominated by CAPT Gerry Mendon, employer Mr Grant Potter
- NSW Police – Goulburn College, nominated by LCPL Sean Phillips, employer Spt Ian Ball (neither were able to attend)

Congratulations to all the Reservists and their Employers - 21 has triumphed again!

2009 Success - Employers Rewarded but Reservists are the Winners

Recognised for their commitment to supporting Reservists in their civilian workplaces, five employers of 21 Const Regt Reservists received recognition awards at the Defence Reserves Support Committee (DRSC) - NSW Awards Function, including Macquarie Fields Local Area Command - NSW Police Force, who beat eight other organisations to win the NSW State Award in the Government category.

Employer's rewarded but Reservists are the winners

Defence Reserves Support Council - what do they do??

The Defence Reserves Support Council (DRSC) provides a link between the ADF, employers and the community from which the Reserve force is drawn. The DRSC aims to enhance the availability of the Reserve component of the ADF by promoting the benefits of employing members of the Reserve. The DRSC also aims to establish a flexible partnership with the community and employers so they are encouraged to support those in the Reserve. Information about the DRSC and services provided can be found on the DRSC website at www.defence.gov.au/reserves.

DRSC Liaison Officer (LO) is to be appointed annually in Unit ROs. The responsibilities of the DRSC LO are to:

• Provide a point of contact between DRSC, 5 Bde and the Regiment for the conduct of DRSC activities and implementation of DRSC related taskings;
• Submit bids on an annual basis for funding to conduct Employer Support activities;
• Promote DRSC services and provide information and contact details to Reservists and their employees in relation to DRSC services; and
• Coordinate submissions for Employer Support Awards to DRSC in March each year

Employer Support Awards - Nominate Your Employer NOW!

Employer Support Awards. Employer Support Awards are a means of formal public recognition for employers at the state and territory level. These awards acknowledge the contributions made by employers of Reservists by providing formal recognition of their support (but does not provide any financial or commercial gain to the employers). Employees are invited to nominate their employers for the following category of awards:

1. Certificate of Appreciation;
2. Recognition of Support Certificates; and
3. State/Territory Employer Support Awards.

Certificate of Appreciation
Certificates of Appreciation will be forwarded to all employers who make leave, other than annual or long service leave, available to Reservists to attend training or other service required by the Australian Defence Force. These employers will also be provided with information on DRS Employer Engagement Activities.

Recognition of Support Certificates
Recognition of Support Certificates will be presented to employers who are nominated by their Reservist employees as being supportive of their serving as a member of the Reserve. The certificate will be presented by the Commanding Officer of the Reservist's unit at a function supported by DRSC.

State/Territory Employer Support Awards
State/Territory Employer Support Awards will be presented to employers, who in the view of the local State DRSC committee and Defence Reserves Support office, have provided continued and significant support to the Reservists in their employment. The method of presentation of this award is at the discretion of the State/Territory chairperson.

To Nominate your employer, complete an Employer Support Award Nomination Form, attached below, (and submit it to your Sqn Orderly Room or the DRSC LO - MAJ J. Hanley in RHQ) or via the webform on the DRSC Website.

Employer Support Award Nomination Form
Employer Support Awards (Defence Reserves Support Website)

Employer Support Payments

As a means of recognising the efforts of employers who release employees for Reserve service, an Employer's Support Scheme known as the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Reserves Employer Support Payment (ESP) Scheme (ref A) provides direct financial benefits to most employers of Reservists. The scheme is aimed at enhancing recruiting and making it easier for Reserve Personnel to attend training.

The intent of the ESP Scheme is to provide financial support to employers who discharge their obligations to release Reservists to attend continuous defence service. The scheme is designed to be easy for employers to access and impose a minimum administrative burden on units.

Application forms and further information can be found at the DRSC website by clicking on the link below.

Employer Support Payments (Defence Reserve Suport Website)

Reserve Service Protection

The Office of Reserve Protection (ORSP) has been established to provide advice and assistance to reservists, their units, and employers, in dealing with the provisions of the Defence Reserve Service (Protection) Act 2001 (the Act) (ref B). The Act sets out the entitlements and prohibitions that apply in relation to people who are rendering, who have rendered, or who may render, Defence service as members of the Reserve.

ORSP is also able to provide advice to employers regarding their obligations under the Act. Reservists, or their units, may bring to the attention of the ORSP cases of potential or perceived discrimination and/or disadvantage in their civilian employment, educational status, and partnership or practice rights as a result of their Reserve service. If the issue cannot be resolved informally, or at the unit level, ORSP becomes responsible for receiving, investigating and managing the resolution of formal complaints made by Reservists under the Act. ORSP can be contacted through the DRSC website via the link below.

Office of Reserve Support Protection (Defence Reserves Support Website)

Employer Activities

The aim of the Employer activities is to provide employers with a better understanding of Defence and the work Reservists perform in the Navy, Army and Air Force. There are three activities which are conducted annually:

1. Exercise Executive Stretch and
2. Bosslift.

Exercise Executive Stretch (EES). EES is aimed at senior, middle and line management to show and involve them in the types of invaluable skills that can be gained through participation in the Reserve. It is hoped that employers will be encouraged to support their employees who are in the Reserve following their participation in this activity.

Bosslift. Bosslift activities involve employers gaining a valuable insight into the benefits that Reserve services bring to their workplace by allowing them to experience first-hand what the Australian Defence Force does on exercises and operations. Often there is also an opportunity for employers to actually see their employees working as Reservists.

Employer Activities (Defence Reserves Support Website)