NEWS
BR IEFING
Keep up to date with the latest news surrounding the role of the EA
EA pay rises will fall short this year,
according to report
The Hays Salary Guide (a report
based upon a survey of more than 3400
organisations) says more EAs can look
forward to a pay rise in their coming
review, with 90 percent of employers
increasing their office support salaries.
However, the pay bump will fall
short of expectations. It’s predicted
that two-thirds of employers will
increase salaries by three percent or
less, and fewer than four percent of
employers will give their EAs and
support professionals more than a six
percent raise.
According to the report, EAs and
other support professionals view a
pay rise as their top career priority.
Negotiating a higher salary, and even
re-entering the job market are expected
to be commonplace this coming
financial year. Alex Jones, Regional
Director of Hays Office Support, said
the stagnating salaries will frustrate
EA bullied by
anti-bullying
politician
Former Australian politician, Julia
Banks, was subject to a bullying
complaint made by a former EA
at the MP’s previous workplace,
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).
In 2010, Ms Banks was
working as a corporate lawyer at
GSK when a complaint was made
claiming she was bullying an
EA. The report was investigated
internally, and the EA was
compensated. The EA left her job,
after 13 years at GSK.
Ms Banks made a dramatic
exit from the Liberal Party in
November last year, after making
her own accusations of bullying
from both sides of parliament. S
10 Chief of Staff | Issue 3 2019
professionals looking for a pay rise, and
result in a ‘tug of war’ over salaries.
“On the one hand, we have profess-
ionals telling us they’ve prioritised a pay
rise and are prepared to enter the job
market to improve their earnings. On
the other, employers tell us they want
to add to their headcount and are being
impacted by skill shortages, yet they plan
to curtail salary increases,” Mr Jones said.
But it’s not all bad news according to
Mr Jones, as pay increases are predicted
for those with experience or who are
willing to look to the regions for work.
“Employers in certain locations,
notably Western Australia and
Queensland, have also increased
salaries for experienced candidates.
Whether other states follow suit
remains to be seen. We’ve also seen
salary growth in regional locations as
organisations attempt to attract skills
in short supply from major cities,” Mr
Jones said. S
Former assistant accuses Facebook
CEO’s Security Chief of misconduct
Mark Zuckerberg’s Personal Security
Chief, Liam Booth, has been placed on
administrative leave after the former
Secret Service officer’s previous EA
accused him of sexual misconduct
and making racist and homophobic
remarks. The list of accusations from
the former staff member outlines
“horrific levels of sexual harassment
and battery,” and “pervasive
discriminatory conduct.”
Mr Booth’s former EA, and a
previous member of the Zuckerberg’s
household staff, brought the allegations
via the law offices of The Bloom Firm.
The Zuckerberg family is conducting
an investigation into the allegations,
according to Ben LaBolt, a spokesperson
for the Chan-Zuckerberg family office.
“As soon as The Bloom Firm
presented these allegations, the family
office engaged Munger, Tolles & Olson,
an outside law firm, to conduct an
investigation of all allegations made
by The Bloom Firm to determine
whether the claims have merit. The
investigation is ongoing,” he said. S