Holding an EA Vote with CiVS

At CiVS we’re all about making things simple. Holding a vote with us is an easy and seamless process, whether it’s for an Enterprise Agreement (EA) or Protected Action Ballot (PAB). However, it might seem daunting to enlist our services if you don’t know exactly what to expect. That’s why we want to communicate our process to you as clearly as possible. No bells and whistles, just what we do and how we do it.

 

If you’re looking for information on our services you can turn to our homepage or if you’re looking for Enterprise Agreement information specifically, visit this page here. Both of these pages give a good overview into what we do and the options available to you as an employer. Though neither page gives a full in-depth look at what setting up a vote with us means. That’s what we are going to be doing in this article. If you’re looking for the specifics on what you can expect from holding a vote with us, read on. We’ve divided our EA voting process into 9 separate stages, and we’ll walk you through each one, step-by-step.

 

1. Proposal

The first step is receiving a proposal from us. You can request a proposal by emailing us at info@civs.com.au or requesting a proposal through our site. To request through our site, simply scroll to the bottom of our website on any of our major pages (such as the ‘About’ page or homepage). In order to get a proposal through to you we require the following information:

  • Full name
  • Company
  • Email
  • Phone
  • Number of voters
  • Type of vote: EA, PAB, Election, Survey, Other

Once we have this information we’ll get back to you shortly with a fully costed proposal. For an EA this proposal will outline the price of a single, dual, or triple channel as well as any optional additional costs. This includes the cost of our after hours support line, online participant informational portal and reminder to vote SMS. It will also include additional information on our services.

 

2. Specification memo

If you’re happy with the proposal that has been sent through, and would like to go ahead, then you will be required to fill out a specification (‘spec’) memo. The spec memo outlines the details of your vote and the information we will be using to set it up in our system. The spec memo covers the following areas*:

  • Name of the agreement
  • Number of participants
  • The required voting channels (Online, SMS, or Telephone)
  • Date/Time of the vote opening and closing (including the time zone)
  • Choice of optional/additional features: client access to the online tally room (real-time dashboard), SMS reminder to vote, participant information portal, and after-hours participant help line
  • Special instructions

 

*At CiVS we accept that change is normal. Don’t feel too worried about locking in final dates or participant numbers early. We understand that these are often subject to change and are flexible in these areas.

 

3. Scope of works

Now that you’ve gotten back to us with all the details of your vote, we can arrange the scope of works. The scope of works outlines all the details of your vote and is the information we rely on when setting up the vote in our system. We take what you’ve sent through in the specification memo and outline it along with a final cost figure to send back to you. It’s our way of making sure that none of our communication is crossed — and that we’ve got your vote down to a tee.  It’s also where we outline our terms and conditions and the final step before your vote starts to get set up in our system. To go forward with your vote, simply fill out the scope of works and send it back through to us.

 

4. Supporting documentation

Now that the vote is finalised, we move into the action stage. After setting up the vote internally, we’ll send you through the supporting documents. For an EA this incudes the employee intro letter and the “how to vote” outlining all the instructions which participants require to submit their vote.

 

5. Listing and other relevant documents

At this stage we are almost ready to go. It’s time to send through the list of participants and any additional required documentation. Depending on the channels chosen for your particular vote, this information may include emails and phone numbers, or simply one or the other. Don’t feel like you’re too locked in here, even after the listing has been sent through, changes can be made. When it comes to last minute changes, CiVS is very flexible and quick to operate, so no voter has to get left behind.

 

6. The day before the vote

The day before the vote opens up all voters will receive their login details (if applicable). This way they get a heads-up on the opening of the vote and are fully prepared with everything they need.

 

7. The vote opens

The vote then opens for the period of time specified by your company in the specification memo (or an amended time instructed through email or over the phone). During this time, all participants have access to our support line which operates during AWST business hours. There is also an optional 24-hour support line which may or may not be utilised during this time, depending on whether it was requested. Voters may also have access to the voter information portal during this time, where they can access any relevant documents needed to make an informed vote. If this option has been selected, it will either be restricted or unrestricted, depending on what has been specified in the instructions.

 

During this time, we will also send out reminder to vote emails or a reminder to vote SMS if requested. This will provide participants an extra ‘push’ and help boost voter participation.

 

8. Invoice

From here we send out an invoice to you. The invoice provides all the necessary details to make the payment. It outlines the amount paid, as well as a breakdown of the costs, similar to the proposal. The invoice we send makes it easy to execute the payment seamlessly online.

 

9. The vote closes

Once the vote has come to a close your company will receive the results through a signed Declaration of Result document. Usually, this document will come within a few hours of the vote closing. From here, depending on the outcome of your vote, a survey can be used. CiVS offers survey as well as voting solutions, and this can be utilised to collect employee feedback on an Enterprise Agreement, post-vote. This way employers are given an opportunity to see why the agreement was rejected and refine their EA before their next vote.

 

For more information, feel free to contact us at (08) 6314 0580 or email info@civs.com.au.