By
Sally Charlton
Volume 48, No. 15, August 24, 2006
 |
|
PLUS
SIDE: The latest Defence Attitude Survey results show that
Air Force personnel are confident that appropriate OHS action
will be taken. Our photo shows LAC Luke Thomas refueling
an F/A-18.
Photo
by LACW Melina Mancuso
|
THE
MOST recent Defence Attitude Survey (DAS) indicates that Air Force
personnel surveyed are consistently satisfied with the military
way of life.
Increasing numbers of Air Force personnel surveyed are inspired
to perform at their best, and the number of members who believe
that communication between senior leaders and personnel is good,
its highest point in five years.
More than 18,000 Defence personnel were invited to contribute
their opinions via the DAS in 2005, with 1746 Air Force, 1068
Navy, 2210 Army personnel, and 2726 Defence civilians responding.
Air Force personnel surveyed understood their contribution to
the Service, placed high emphasis on the quality of work, and
are prepared to put in additional effort. More than 80 per cent
of personnel surveyed agreed that they were proud to work for
Air Force and spoke highly of the Service.
The survey showed that since 1999 there has been an improvement
in the way that Air Force personnel perceive their career has
been managed. More than 80 per cent of the respondents indicated
in the recent survey that they have been generally happy with
postings.
The Chief of Air Force, AIRMSHL Geoff Shepherd, said that data
from the DAS helped Air Force guide personnel policy development
and initiatives designed to improve the working lives of personnel.
“As well as providing feedback regarding existing programs,
findings from the DAS draw attention to emerging areas of concern,”
AIRMSHL Shepherd said.
The high tempo has possibly affected some areas of the survey,
with a slightly greater percentage of respondents believing that
their current working hours are excessive, and 75 per cent believing
there are not enough personnel in their unit to do the work. There
has also been a decrease since 2003 in the percentage of surveyed
personnel who believe they receive adequate verbal recognition
for their work.
CAF said senior Defence leaders would continue to address areas
of concern highlighted by the DAS.
Less than half of Air Force respondents were satisfied with the
information communicated about change and nearly 75 per cent believe
that changes were not well planned.
“We
acknowledge that we can do better and we are looking at new strategies
to improve communication to keep our people informed,” AIRMSHL
Shepherd said.
“Air
Force uses the DAS as a key communication channel that enables
us to stay tuned to the attitudes of our people, including how
they perceive leadership, conditions of service, pay, personal
and family issues, and wellbeing,” he said.
“Based on the feedback received from the DAS, we can see
many positive trends, and some areas where we need to continue
improving.”
Pay was an issue highlighted in the survey, with 41.3 per cent
of Air Force personnel surveyed indicating satisfaction with their
pay packages. This has decreased since 2003 when about half of
the respondents expressed satisfaction.
“This could imply that remuneration packages currently offered
in the ADF may be starting to fall below members’ expectations,”
AIRMSHL Shepherd said.
However, the percentage of respondents who believed that civilian
employment seemed more attractive financially has decreased from
52 per cent in 2001 to 39.6 per cent in this survey.
“It is interesting to note the increase in the percentage
of respondents who believe that ADF conditions of service are
competitive with civilian salaries. The decrease in pay satisfaction
could be related to the greater workload experienced by many Air
Force personnel as a result of the increased op tempo. This will
be addressed through the Rebalance and Reshaping of the Air Force
activities currently in progress”.
The survey showed that housing, childcare, spouse employment assistance,
and free medical and dental services, continue to influence members’
decision to stay. More than 70 per cent of respondents indicated
that free medical and dental services were important factors in
their decision to remain in the Air Force.
A key message on occupational health and safety from the DAS is
that Air Force personnel surveyed are confident that appropriate
action will be taken and know where to obtain safety information.
There is also positive feedback on supervisors promoting safe
working environments with 86.9 per cent of respondents in agreement.
“Given the importance placed on safety, this is an encouraging
trend,” AIRMSHL Shepherd said.
The survey indicated that Air Force respondents were overall satisfied
with the leadership, fairness and integrity of their immediate
supervisors. While confidence in senior Defence leadership was
just under 60 per cent, there had been an increase in confidence
of more than 30 per cent since 2001.
“We are committed to making relevant changes to improve the
balance between work and personal life,” AIRMSHL Shepherd
said.
More information on the 2005 DAS results is at http://intranet.defence.gov.au/dpe/
- click on the “research” link.
