Volunteer Employer Recognition Awards 2026: BHP, Rio Tinto Among 47 WA Employers Honoured
Volunteer Employer Recognition Awards 2026: 47 WA employers including BHP, Rio Tinto and Water Corporation honoured for backing emergency volunteers.
The 2026 Volunteer Employer Recognition Awards named 47 WA employers on 7 November for helping staff who volunteer with emergency services. BHP, Rio Tinto, Water Corporation, Woolworths and Bunnings made the list, alongside small bars, diesel shops and a country shire.
What are the Volunteer Employer Recognition Awards?
VERA is an annual award for employers that support staff who are emergency services volunteers. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) runs it, and 2026 is its 18th year.
The WA Government's 7 November media statement says the 47 recipients gave staff paid or extended leave, resources, equipment and flexible working arrangements. That support lets volunteers respond to emergencies and complete their training.
The awards also recognise self-employed volunteers. The statement notes they often have to close their doors or turn down work at short notice to attend incidents.
Emergency Services Minister Reece Whitby said: "Behind every emergency services volunteer is a network of support that helps make their service possible and employers are a vital part of that network."
Which WA employers won in 2026?
The winners cover most of the WA economy. The statement says they range from small late-night bars to large resource companies.
| Sector | 2026 VERA recipients (selection) |
|---|---|
| Mining and resources | BHP, Rio Tinto, South32, Newmont, Azure Minerals, Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy and Fertilisers |
| Engineering and services | Bechtel Australia, WesTrac, Vossloh, VPT Group, West Coast NDT, Murchison Diesel |
| Retail | Woolworths, Bunnings, Bunbury Honda, Tyrepower Dongara |
| Government and utilities | Water Corporation, Department of Justice, Insurance Commission of Western Australia, City of Bunbury, Shire of Pingelly, Tom Price Senior High School |
| Small business and community | Hula Bar, Abrolhos Electrics, Woodsmith Joinery and Furniture, Lil Miki's Before and After School Care, Youth Focus |
Several winners are regional, from Albany and Bunbury to Dongara and Tom Price. That matters because country brigades and SES units lean heavily on local workers.
Do WA employers have to give leave to emergency volunteers?
Yes, but the legal minimum is unpaid. The Fair Work Ombudsman says community service leave is a National Employment Standards entitlement, and it covers voluntary emergency management activities.
Casual employees can take it too. It covers the time spent on the activity plus reasonable travel and rest time, and the Ombudsman says there is no limit on how much can be taken.
To qualify, the worker must be a member of a recognised emergency management body, such as the SES or a fire-fighting or rescue body. They must give notice as soon as possible, which can be after the leave starts. The employer can ask for evidence.
Apart from jury duty, this leave is unpaid. That is what sets the VERA winners apart: paying staff while they respond goes beyond the law. Some WA workers, including state public servants, fall under the WA industrial relations system instead, so check your award or agreement.
What it means for Perth and WA job seekers
If you volunteer with a brigade or the SES, an employer's record on volunteer leave is worth asking about at interview. Several recognised employers are hiring now.
On 8 November, Jobs In Perth listed 46 open Rio Tinto roles, 21 of them FIFO or DIDO. Water Corporation had 44 open ads, mostly in Leederville, Balcatta and Canning Vale. BHP had 12, across the Pilbara and Perth.
Across the state, our feed showed 262 live direct mining ads. Of the 50 newest, Mineral Resources posted 21, Rio Tinto 19 and BHP 6. These are advertised vacancies, not people hired.
How we reported this
- Award details, the 47 recipients, the 18th year, DFES's role and the minister's quote come from the WA Government media statement of 7 November 2026.
- Leave rules come from the Fair Work Ombudsman's community service leave page, read on 8 November 2026 (Fair Work Act 2009 sections 108 to 110).
- Jobs In Perth feed figures are live direct-from-employer ads observed on 8 November 2026. Agency and aggregator ads are excluded.
- Cover image: AI-generated illustration, not a photo of the event.
Sources
About this reporting
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