Primary producers in the Bundaberg region are invited to a free Workplace Essentials workshop to be held 9 September at the HSG at the Gardens from 9am – 2:30pm.

Funded by the Queensland Government, and supported by Sunsuper, MADEC and the Queensland Agriculture Workforce Network (QAWN), the highly regarded Workplace Essentials workshops are catered to the needs of each region with the Bundaberg event focused on COVID-19 workplace health and safety obligations and common workforce management issues.

Growcom Workforce Development Manager & Agriculture Workforce Officer Southern Queensland, Karen George said Workplace Essentials had been delivered in major production regions around the state since 2015 with enormous success.

“Workplace Essentials support the development of a capable agricultural workforce by providing information and resources to farm business owners from a diverse range of agricultural industries including broadacre cropping, grains, cotton, grazing and horticulture,” Ms George said.

“It has been our experience the vast majority of agricultural employers want to do the right thing, but complex regulations often lead to confusion about what is needed to remain compliant.

“By attending these workshops employers will have a much clearer understanding of where the gaps are in their policies and practices.

“The workshops are all about reducing industry vulnerability by keeping farmers up to date with workplace laws, new COVID-19 obligations, and helping them to do the right thing.”

The Bundaberg workshop will be presented by a team of industry experts including representatives from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, Labour Hire Licensing Queensland – Office of Industrial Relations, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Harvest Trail Labour Services (MADEC), Growcom, QAWN and Sunsuper.

For those primary producers who are unable to attend the Bundaberg event the 2020 Workplace Essentials workshops will also be delivered via a series of 45-minute Zoom webinars every Tuesday from September until November.

“Beginning in September, the weekly Zoom webinars will cover off on a range of topics including COVID-19 workplace health and safety obligations, workforce management and human resources, mental health and avoiding financial stress,” Ms George said.

The 2020 Workplace Essentials workshop and webinar series is open to employers in all agricultural sectors throughout Queensland.

To register or more information, visit: www.growcom.com.au/workplace-essentials