• Section 1 - Purpose
• Section 2 - Overview
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Policy
• Principles
• Recruitment
• Remuneration
• Managing the Employment Relationship
• Responsibilities
• Review
• Section 5 - Compliance
• Section 6 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) The purpose of this policy is to outline the principles that RMIT follows in recruiting, remunerating, and managing employees, covering key aspects of the broader employee lifecycle. It supports consistent, fair and transparent practices and ensures compliance with applicable legislation and employment conditions.

(2) This policy provides an overarching framework for managing the employee lifecycle and is intended to be read in conjunction with other policies and procedures that address components of the lifecycle more specifically, including the Leave and Public Holidays Policy, Workplace Behaviour Policy, and Code of Conduct. Further information is available in the Associated Information section.

Section 2 - Overview

(3) This policy outlines the responsibilities of People and Culture, People Managers, and relevant committees. This reflects RMIT’s commitment to an inclusive and equitable workplace where all employees are valued and supported.

Section 3 - Scope

(4) This policy applies to all prospective and current employees of the RMIT Group, subject to relevant legislation and employment terms.

Section 4 - Policy

Principles

(5) RMIT is committed to being an employer of choice by attracting, retaining, and developing talent within an inclusive, equitable, and supportive environment.

(6) RMIT recognises Achievement Relative to Opportunity and prioritises the wellbeing and engagement of all our people.

(7) Consistent with RMIT’s broader commitment to safety, integrity and wellbeing across the employee lifecycle, the protection of children and young people from harm and abuse is a shared responsibility across the RMIT community, ensuring child safety is integrated into our leadership, policies, and practices. 

Recruitment

(8) RMIT’s recruitment practices are designed to be inclusive, bias-aware and accessible, ensuring all candidates are assessed fairly and in a manner that advances the University’s commitment to diversity.

(9) Recruitment decisions are informed by consistent, transparent, and evidence-based processes that ensure fairness and alignment with the University’s strategic priorities.

(10) Recruitment supports the development of a capable and future-ready workforce by enabling internal career progression, mobility across RMIT’s domestic and global campuses, and by attracting diverse talent that meets current and emerging organisational needs.

(11) All recruitment activities uphold the safety and wellbeing of the RMIT community in accordance with the Child Safe Policy.

Remuneration

(12) Remuneration is determined through well-governed and equitable processes and is aligned with roles, responsibilities, and relevant market standards, ensuring fairness across the workforce whilst continuing to be financially sustainable for the University.

(13) The University’s approach to employee remuneration is informed by external market data and aligned with RMIT’s size, standing and organisational complexity in comparison with other Australian universities.

(14) RMIT ensures that remuneration for Senior, Specialist and Executive Employees (SSEE), Senior Executives and the Vice-Chancellor, where remuneration falls outside enterprise agreement remuneration tables, is determined through well defined and robust governance processes.

(15) The University will regularly monitor and analyse remuneration processes, address any unlawful or unfair bias, and implement lawful equity measures that promote gender equity and support under-represented groups.

Managing the Employment Relationship

(16) RMIT establishes and maintains fair, transparent and respectful processes throughout the employment lifecycle, ensuring decisions uphold organisational integrity and comply with relevant legislation.

(17) Employees are supported with feedback, learning opportunities and professional development to promote growth, engagement, and career progression.

(18) RMIT recognises and respects employees’ lawful right to disconnect from work outside their ordinary working hours. RMIT supports employees to balance their work and personal life commitments and acknowledges that employees are not expected to engage in unreasonable work-related communications outside of their working hours, in line with relevant employment legislation.

(19) RMIT recognises that the employment relationship may cease for various reasons and ensures compliance with relevant legislation and employment terms.

Responsibilities

(20) The People and Culture team has a responsibility to:

1. undertake regular analysis of workforce lifecycle trends to identify ways to support fair participation and outcomes;
2. provide training to employees involved in recruitment or managing talent to uphold compliance with equal employment principles and ensure recruitment and selection practices are fair and anti-discriminatory;
3. promote awareness of policies, procedures and resources that support and give effect to this policy and the employee lifecycle at RMIT;
4. develop and apply recruitment and retention strategies to support retention and promotion of diverse employees.

(21) The Vice President, People and Culture or nominated delegate (including for RMIT Group entities) is responsible for:

1. the review and approval of procedures and resources under this policy to enable its effective implementation;
2. monitoring and reporting on compliance with this policy and related documents.

(22) People Managers are responsible for ensuring that:

1. they liaise with People and Culture to understand the benefits, requirements, and any restrictions of each Employment Category;
2. selection panels are, wherever reasonably practicable, gender-balanced and diverse in composition;
3. opportunities for promotion through internal recruitment and secondment are made available to employees on long-term leave arrangements;
4. professional development opportunities of direct reports are enabled and managed to ensure access and support for career growth.

(23) The Nomination, Remuneration, People and Performance Committee of Council is responsible for:

1. monitoring and reviewing the University’s remuneration and incentive policies, practices, and performance indicators to ensure alignment with overall business objectives;
2. approving the Remuneration Policy Position for senior management, including benchmarking against sector standards, and monitoring its application;
3. reviewing and approving remuneration and performance assessments for Senior Executives who report directly to the Vice-Chancellor.

Review

(24) This policy is reviewed every five years, at a minimum in accordance with the Policy Governance Policy.

Section 5 - Compliance

(25) Compliance with this policy is monitored by the Vice President, People and Culture.

(26) Breaches of this policy are reportable via the Organisational Breach Reporting Form and are managed in accordance with the Compliance Breach Management Procedure.

Section 6 - Definitions