News

The Victorian Ambulance Union Incorporated (VAU) has become aware of serious issues concerning Ambulance Victoria’s (AV) MICA endorsement and training process and more broadly speaking, access to upward relieving or career progression opportunities.

Under the Victorian Equality Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic) and Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth), the characteristics of sex, gender identity and pregnancy status are ‘protected attributes’ meaning that persons with these characteristics are protected from discrimination in the course of their employment. Unlawful discrimination on the basis of these characteristics can be classed as ‘direct’ or ‘indirect’ discrimination’ when:

• A person is treated differently becausethey have a particular characteristic (Direct Discrimination). For example, not giving an endorsement to a person because of their pregnancy; or
• A person or employer imposes or proposes to impose a requirement, condition or practice that has or is likely to have the effect of disadvantaging persons with a protected attribute and that is not reasonable (Indirect Discrimination).  For example, running a training program that does not accommodate periods of parental leave is likely to disadvantage people with children who would be prevented from participating in the program.

By way of specific example, the VAU is aware of paramedics experiencing direct and indirect discrimination concerning the MICA endorsement and training process in addition to ongoing incidents of discriminatory conduct experienced by those currently qualified as MICA paramedics.

Examples of comments made to affected members include those to the following effect:

• “don’t get pregnant if you want to get on MICA”
• “the MICA TM told me not to get pregnant if applying for MICA”
• “now that you have passed your panel, don’t get pregnant, we need to get some value for your training”
• “the male MICA should always lead”
• “once you pass panel, you don’t want to have kids for a couple of years at least because it would be too hard to get back into it”
• “I won’t endorse you for MICA if you have plans to get pregnant”
• “I won’t allow you to single respond because I don’t think it is safe for females to single respond”

Examples of ‘cultural’ issues within MICA reported to the VAU by members include:

• Preferencing the training of males first over females for SRU training;
• Not being able to speak out about inappropriate behaviour due to a fear of repercussion e.g. raising a concern and consequently not being endorsed for MICA;
• Management dismissing complaints raised by female paramedics as being mere “misinterpretations” rather than legitimate complaints;
• MICA endorsement and career progression being based on ‘who you know’ and how you ‘play the game’ rather than an objective measure of clinical competency and merit;
• The MICA training year does not accommodate periods of parental leave;
• A lack of support for those on Flexible Working Arrangements (FWA) to undertake career progression including RDP and reliever opportunities e.g. being excluded from consideration for all upward relieving or clinical instructing positions because of being on an FWA;
• Relieving or career development opportunities being offered to junior employees rather than more senior employees who are also on an FWA;
• Managers perpetuating the view that an employee must be employed on a full time basis on MICA or not at all; and
• Females being subject to greater clinical scrutiny than their male peers.

The VAU are aware that members have reported similar treatment within AV in other contexts unrelated to MICA. This includes, for example, applying for upward relieving roles or management positions within the organisation.

The VAU has and always will advocate for our members to have a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination. No member should feel uncomfortable or unsafe in exercising their duties as a paramedic in the workplace.

Some members report a positive and supportive experience when applying for MICA endorsement and training or in seeking career development in other areas of AV. However, there is a clear pattern of negative experiences that have been raised with the VAU which require significant attention.

Next Steps

The VAU unequivocally supports members coming forward to address the above issues and encourages members who have been subject to discriminatory treatment in the course of working, applying or training for a MICA role to email the VAU on a confidential basis. To assist the VAU in advocating for you we request that your email includes the following information:

• your experiences of discriminatory conduct, including details of the context and facts giving rise to the conduct;
• the location that the discriminatory conduct occurred; and
• how the discriminatory conduct has impacted you.

We ask that you please send the above information to [email protected] by no later than close of business 6 November 2020.

In solidarity,