Essential Energy is committed to maintaining the safety and wellbeing of its workforce and the public. Our 2022–25 Health and Safety Strategy furthers our focus on mastering safety fundamentals and continuously improving performance. Key objectives include reinforcing a ‘safety-first’ mindset, preventing serious injuries and promoting overall health and wellbeing.

In 2023-24, we progressed initiatives in six key focus areas.

1. Build safety capabilities: develop safety capability and personal accountability at all levels of the organisation

We continued to expand our leadership development programs, building existing leaders’ skills and cultivating a strong pipeline of future leaders. The Operations Leadership Program’s second module, ‘Team Leader Essentials’ included key areas for leading self, leading teams and leading the organisation. The Program empowers leaders with principles for safety leadership, ensuring a well-rounded approach to guiding our workforce.

During 2023–24, our ‘Make Safety Your Own’ initiative encouraged personal accountability and action by every employee, particularly regarding safe driving and transport. Employees pledged to protect lives on the road during National Road Safety Week, while Safety Month 2023 reinforced each person’s role in creating a safe environment – a shared duty with collective rewards. Teams participated in ‘SafeTea’ morning tea events at all depots and selected corporate locations.

2. Improve system and governance: improve and simplify the Health, Safety and Environment Management system and reporting

Enhanced safety reporting dashboards were launched in July 2023, providing leaders and safety professionals the ability to monitor performance and assurance activities. The dashboards collate data on topics including incidents, action management and contractor performance.

3. Refocus critical control: build knowledge and focus on critical risks and embed application of critical controls

Network Fatal Risks (NFRs) are situations or events with the potential to result in a fatality or serious injury. During 2023–24, we completed the implementation of our NFR Critical Controls Framework for all seven NFRs and 10 Safety Business Risks.

These updated safety risks and critical controls allow workers to focus on the most important controls when undertaking high-risk work tasks. Regular monthly assurance activities by operational leaders assess the effectiveness of implemented controls, with any identified improvements quickly actioned with subject experts to enhance compliance.

The Critical Control Framework was presented to the 2024 Energy Networks Australia conference, sharing our approach and experience with fellow industry participants.

4. Promote holistic health and wellbeing: deliver an evidence-based, holistic health and wellbeing framework, driven by continuous improvement

The IGNITE wellbeing program was expanded to support employees in improving their health. More than 300 health checks have been completed since being added to the program, identifying risk areas and preventative actions employees can address with their doctor. Health screening was introduced in December 2023, reimbursing employees up to $200 per year to proactively manage health risk areas. We also implemented Hazardous Manual Tasks training across our workforce to reduce injury risk, with refresher training every two years.

Participation in the program’s Healthy You dietician and exercise physiologist consultations increased, with employees receiving a personalised program to support their health goals. Webinars imparted health information to assist employees in proactively managing their health, making positive behaviour changes, and increasing their knowledge of workplace psychosocial hazards and how to manage these.

Alongside IGNITE, all people leaders (100 per cent) completed Mental Health First Aid training during 2023–24, to increase their understanding of mental ill health and better support employees. Essential Energy was recognised as a Skilled Workplace by Mental Health First Aid Australia for our commitment to employee mental health.

5. Prioritise public safety: raise awareness of the network hazards and prevent fatalities and serious injuries to members of the public

See Public safety for details.

6. Land, air and water transportation: raise awareness of land, air and water transportation

Driving is one of our biggest safety risks, with employees travelling more than 36 million kilometres annually, on and off road and across diverse terrains. Approximately 400 employees attended our new driver training program during 2023–24, covering skills including defensive driving, 4WD, towing, side-by-side driving and vehicle recovery.

We are developing a heavy vehicle driving competency program to verify that employees have the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform these tasks safely and effectively. We developed a forklift competency module during the year for implementation in 2024–25, followed by modules for crane borers and elevated work platforms. These competency programs will increase employee skills, enhance productivity and contribute to our positive safety culture.

Our award-winning In-Vehicle Monitoring System (IVMS), in place in all Essential Energy vehicles, is keeping our people safe while they work each day.

It helps to improve driver behaviour and fatigue management. It also captures data to aid incident investigations, inform asset lifecycle decisions and recognise and reward top tier drivers. Since implementation in January 2021, the system has supported more than 122 million kilometres of driving and improved driving behaviours. The asset performance score (a measure of driving behaviours) has also improved by more than 70 per cent, as of 30 June 2024. After being awarded the Australasian Fleet Management Association (AFMA) Fleet Safety Award in May 2023, we showcased the IVMS at AFMA events during 2023-24 to share our experiences and insights from developing the system.

Safety is our core value. We foster a culture of personal commitment, so everyone goes home safely every day. For our employees, this means being prepared to protect themselves and look out for their colleagues and the communities we serve.

Our 2023–34 safety performance was mixed. We recorded no Major Lost Time Injuries (LTIs), however our Serious Claim Frequency Rate (SCFR), Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR), and High Potential incidents Frequency Rate (HPIFR) all increased compared with the previous year. Performance against targets for these rates is included in the Company Scorecard (page 26). Reporting of near miss incidents increased slightly, to 556 (528 in 2022-23), typical of a mature safety culture in which processes are trusted to identify improvements and prevent future serious incidents.

High potential incidents also increased slightly compared to the previous year. Four incidents involving serious injury to Essential Energy employees were reported to SafeWork NSW: two involved employees falling from a height (NFR 3 Working at Heights); one employee received an electric shock while restoring supply (NFR 1 Working with Electricity); and one employee lacerated the back of their hand while cutting a stay wire (Safety Risk 9 Hazardous Manual Tasks).

There were no prosecutions under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) during 2023–24.

We introduced new contractor safety management tools during 2023–24 to support the increase in major construction projects using external contractors.

These tools include:

• Principal contractor site induction and handover – for major projects handed over to principal contractors midway through the project – to check that work health and safety standards and legal requirements are being met
• Principal contractor audit – for onsite inspections
• Site diary – for contractors to record photos and observations using an online app.

We also included contractor reporting in our enhanced safety performance dashboards, for improved oversight of contractor performance (see Health and Safety Strategy above).

We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse workforce reflective of the communities we serve. In early 2024, we launched our 2024–27 Inclusion and Diversity Strategy. The strategy sets three priorities for the coming years:

• High levels of inclusive leadership capability – by developing inclusive leadership capability and skill in leading diverse teams, at all levels of leadership
• An inclusive workplace culture – by fostering a workplace culture that is inclusive, collaborative and empowered, and celebrates the talent and diversity of our people
• A diverse workforce – by attracting, developing and retaining a diverse workforce that reflects and enhances the communities we serve.

Key outcomes during 2023-24 included:

• advancing our progress towards reconciliation while preparing our next Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), through career and business opportunities, cultural awareness and engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. See Reconciliation for details.
• developing a Working Parents Guide, to support employees navigating work and parenting
• delivering domestic and family violence information sessions for more than 1,200 employees, to raise awareness and offer support for affected employees
• receiving the ‘Pay equity’ and ‘Outstanding achievement towards diversity, equity and inclusion – mining, resources and energy’ awards at the Work180 Equitable Workplace Awards 2024, and placing in the top 10 of the Work180 ‘Workplaces for women’ list
• continuing our participation in the Champions of Change Coalition, demonstrating our commitment to further improve female representation in our workforce
• delivering a tailored onboarding program for 30 female apprentices and trainees and providing unconscious bias training for employees involved in apprentice and trainee recruitment
• co-hosting the first ‘Women from the Field’ conference with Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy, attended by more than 200 women in field-based roles from across the energy sector
• developing our first Accessibility and Inclusion Plan, hosting a university student intern through the Australian Disability Network ‘Stepping Into’ program, and partnering with The Field recruitment platform for people with a disability
• providing LGBTI awareness and ally training for employees, in partnership with Pride in Diversity, and participating in the Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras parade
• acknowledging days of significance with our people, including National Reconciliation Week, NAIDOC Week, Wear It Purple Day, IDAHOBIT Day, Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras, World Autism Day, Go Red for Dyslexia, Diwali, Harmony Day, International Day of People with a Disability, International Women’s Day, Women’s Health Week, and Women in Engineering Day.

78% of employees participated in the 2024 employee engagement survey

We conducted our annual engagement survey in June 2024, with 78 per cent of employees sharing their perspectives on our work environment and suggestions to make Essential Energy a better place to work. The participation rate increased by one per cent compared to the prior year, with 2,964 people having their say in 2024 (up from 2,617 in 2023).

The percentage of engaged employees in 2024 increased by five per cent, to 45 per cent. This result is above the Gallup Australian database average (44 per cent) and consistent with the improvement trend across Gallup segments for the year.

The overall engagement score was 3.98 (out of five), an increase from 3.89 in 2023.

Employees provided 2,209 individual comments, sharing insight into our strengths and opportunities, as well as focus areas for the next 12 months.

We are encouraged by the continued increase in engagement levels and decrease in those actively disengaged – having grown from 15 per cent of employees engaged in our first organisation-wide survey in 2018 to 45 per cent in 2024.

We remain committed to listening to our people and improving as an organisation to be a workplace that all employees can be proud of. Recommended actions from the 2024 survey include:

• closing the gap on new starter attrition
• stopping skills leakage
• prioritising leader engagement
• driving accountability for engagement
• promoting best practice for engagement
• supporting development of high performers and continuing leader capability build.

Recommended actions at senior leadership level include:

• shifting the focus to engagement conversations, not measures
• involving entire teams in onboarding of new employees
• ensuring ‘all team’ action planning
• incorporating engagement into everyday conversations.

Essential Energy welcomed 184 people into Early Talent Pathway roles in February 2024, including 143 new apprentices, 20 trainees and 21 graduates.

As of 30 June 2024, the total number of people in Early Talent Pathway roles was 359, including 292 apprentices, 33 trainees and 34 graduates.

Apprentices undertake a four-year program combining formal training with on-the-job experience and activities that build interpersonal skills. The 2024 cohort consists of 109 powerline workers, 10 cable jointers, 21 zone substation electricians and three fleet technicians.

Trainees complete a 12-month training program, with 17 asset inspectors and three electrotechnology career trainees commencing this year.

The graduate program continues to grow, attracting recruits from disciplines including engineering, cyber security, infrastructure, technology, human resources, communication, finance, procurement, risk and audit, legal, and data. The three-year program includes rotational placements in functional business areas and an 18-month development course with Engineers Australia.

Through these Early Talent Pathway programs we are delivering on the commitment to build a workforce that reflects the customers and communities we serve while ensuring we have the organisational capability needed for the evolving energy industry.

More than 1,600 employees participated in leadership development programs in 2023–24, with leaders at all levels enhancing their skills as part of our continued focus on building a sustainable pipeline of future leaders.

Our Frontline Leadership Program concluded after reaching its target audience. We delivered the Operations Leadership Program’s second module, Team Leader Essentials, to more than 200 depot-based leaders. We also launched a new masterclass leadership series targeted at frontline leaders and open to all employees. As part of our Ready to Lead stream, we launched the New Leader Induction Program to equip new leaders with the skills to lead effectively at Essential Energy.

During 2023–24, we introduced programs to build capability in managing the impacts of the energy transition on our network.

Renewable technology is a focus, with eight employees enrolled in the Master of Power Engineering and 15 enrolled at the Graduate Certificate level, while 1,149 employees completed Solar Awareness training.

To support the increase in Stand Alone Power Systems (SAPS) on our network, 14 employees completed the SAPS Design and Installers course and we developed a SAPS Entry and Fault and Emergency Response course to be rolled out in 2024–25.

Sixteen employees completed our new electric vehicle (EV) Charging course, accompanying the installation of 15 depot charging points.

We will deliver the Certificate II in Electrotechnology (Career Start) internally after adding the program to our Registered Training Organisation (RTO) scope during the year.

We formed a partnership with LinkedIn Learning during the year, extending our Learn and Grow development approach by providing scalable, customised learning pathways aligned to individual objectives for every employee. Thirty-eight per cent of all employees have engaged with this learning platform. Employees attended 2,229 seats in the Learn and Grow virtual classroom workshops on professional development, leadership and digital skills, during 2023–24.

Essential Energy provides financial support for formal study. We cover the full cost of courses for role-based progression and critical future skills including renewable energy, data and digital. Partial support is provided for other course topics that support career development.

Fifty-seven employees completed supported study during 2023–24, in disciplines including work health and safety, project management, commerce, leadership and management, and electrical engineering.

As at 30 June 2024, 228 employees were completing a qualification, with 106 (46 per cent) studying electrical or power engineering and 59 (26 per cent) studying business, management or leadership – all core skills for our organisation.

We authorised or reauthorised 1,972 Essential Energy employees, 2,684 external Accredited Service Providers (ASPs) and 1,026 Contract Service Providers (CSPs) to work on or near the network during 2023–24 – a critical step for ASP and CSP safety while working with us.

We also provided 319 new employees with role-specific inductions, 2,792 internal participants with regulatory safety and switching skills refresher training, and 37 employees with live low voltage refresher training during the year.

Our Total Reward Strategy aims to attract and retain key talent and support employees by providing benefit options that align with individual needs and priorities.

Through the Total Reward Strategy, we introduced several new employee benefits during 2023-24, including discounted memberships for airline lounges, selected retailer discounts, and discounted private health insurance rates with selected providers. We also developed and introduced our Boarding School Scholarships program to support critical frontline employees in western and regional areas to access schooling opportunities for their children. In addition, we introduced 26 weeks parental leave for parents.

The Essential Energy Enterprise Agreement 2021 and the Essential Energy Far West (Electricity) Enterprise Agreement 2021 have a nominal expiry date of 30 June 2024.

Negotiations are underway for the Essential Energy Enterprise Agreement 2024 with the relevant combined unions and bargaining representatives. The log of claims submitted by the combined unions and bargaining representatives contained 167 items, as of 30 June 2024. Essential Energy is committed to delivering an informed employer offering that reflects fair and reasonable wages while considering the cost of living and current market conditions.

Essential Energy and the combined unions that are party to the Essential Energy Far West (Electricity) Enterprise Agreement 2021 have agreed to commence negotiations for this Agreement following the conclusion of the Essential Energy Enterprise Agreement 2024 negotiation.

The Essential Water Enterprise Agreement 2022 nominal expiry date is 29 October 2025, with negotiations due to commence three months prior to the nominal expiry.