Barbara Pocock (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I want to draw senators' attention to a pressing issue that affects the lives of countless workers in Australia: unfair rostering. Australian workers are not adequately protected from inconsiderate and unpredictable rosters. Millions of workers are subject to irregular working hours, last-minute shift changes, being on call without pay and being called upon to work when they are unavailable, just to name a few of the issues.

I've heard countless reports of people being sent home early from their shifts or turning up to work only to be told to go home and being unable to book doctor's appointments because they don't know when they'll be rostered to work.

This issue is not confined to a few isolated cases. It is a systemic problem. It's in so many workplaces, and it continues to grow. It affects all industries, disproportionately impacting women, carers and young people. The consequences are far-reaching, affecting not only workers' mental and physical health but also their work-life balance, family time, care-giving responsibilities and downtime. Unfair rostering has a profound impact on personal finances and the broader economy, hindering access to unemployment benefits, making budgeting a really challenging task and causing people to work less than they would like to.

I was very lucky recently to have an intern in my office from ANU, Miles Jennings, who is with us today and who wrote an excellent report on the problem of unfair rostering. In his research report, Miles paints a concerning picture of the impact that inconsistent and unpredictable hours of work have on Australian workers and their families. It's very useful input to help us map a reform agenda to tackle the power imbalances between employers and employees when it comes to rostering.

Australian workers need roster justice. They need fairer and more equitable working time scheduling. The government says it's interested in closing loopholes. It must address the question of unfair rostering. We need roster justice now.