CPSU Pillar Consultative Meeting
The Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) meeting was held with the CPSU and Pillar representatives meeting on Friday 1 February 2013.
The following items were raised and discussed:
Purchased Leave
Pillar will shortly release a policy explaining the procedures in purchasing leave (to be read in conjunction with clause 20.4 of the Pillar EA ). A document has been written and should be out for review in the next few days. In lieu of this policy being finalised, staff are still able to purchase leave (reduce your salary in return for additional paid leave) as it is part of the EA. If you want to purchase additional leave you are encouraged to speak to your manager and if you run into any issues of you have any questions, please speak to one of your CPSU delegates.
Annual Leave Freeze
Members have advised us that Pillar is implementing an ‘annual leave freeze’ covering off the period around the end of financial year. It was confirmed that there is no Pillar wide annual leave freeze but that some teams may choose to manage annual leave around the end of financial year. We have asked for details to be provided to us regarding this period and have asserted that any such period be no longer than is essential. Pillar have committed to come back to us with the names of the teams affected and the proposed dates.
Changes in CRU and Contributions
A re-alignment of reporting lines is being considered for CRU and Contributions teams.This may mean that you start reporting to a different Team Manager, but should not affect your role or the work you are currently performing. If you are in these teams and you have concerns around this, please come and speak to one of your CPSU delegates.
Contact Centre Staffing
Towards the end of last year, the CPSU raised the issue of working hours and contact centre rosters. We talked about the change in working hours from 35 to 36 hours per week and the advice that the members in the contact centre were given around the need to reduce lunch breaks by 12 minutes (to accommodate this change). We also discussed the changes to the rosters where some employees are required to work shifts with start times ranging from 8 am to 10.30 am. We noted the pressures this placed on some of you because of your family commitments.
As you know during the last half of last year the Contact Centre went under a significant change with FSS calls required to be handled from Melbourne. When we raised the issues last year, we were advised that once the Melbourne Contact Centre was running at full capacity, a Contact Centre resource plan will be completed to provide Pillar with an understanding of staffing requirements in Coniston. This plan would assist with working out rosters and break times etc for the Contact Centre. We expected this plan to be available by the end of last year. At the JCC on Friday we were advised that this plan is yet to be completed and that the Melbourne Contact Centre is not yet in fully operational. There have been some issues with higher than expected turn over and a new group of Melbourne CSO’s should be starting in March/April causing the Coniston plan to be delayed. We have agreed that we will keep this as an open action item on the JCC agenda. Again, if you have any problems or issues and you want to talk to us about them, please come and speak to one of your CPSU delegates.
Admin and Client Services Restructure
Pillar stated the intention of the forth coming restructure is not about cutting jobs. We informed that executive and senior managers from the affected areas have been meeting to complete a proposed structure. Managers have been asked to start sharing some of the ideas that have come out of those meetings and getting feedback from there staff. It was also made clear that HR would welcome the input directly from staff regarding the changes being considered. As we get more information, we will provide you with updates. Please come and speak to one of your delegates if you have any feedback or questions).
Call Termination – Prior to Christmas, employees in the Contact Centre were asked to acknowledge the policy relating to termination of calls. The current policy states you are not to terminate calls under any circumstances. This is concerning because it may mean you are stuck with an abusive or threatening caller. All policies and recommendations we have reviewed indicate that the right to terminate a call (in appropriate circumstances) is essential . These concerns have been acknowledged by Pillar and the current policy is being reviewed. When the policy review has been completed, if it does not include a right to terminate, we have been advised that it will include a clear ‘way out’ if you are in a situation where it is not appropriate for you to continue with the conversation. Once a new policy is put together we will ask for your feedback to take to the next JCC. In the meantime, if you have any concerns or worries with the current policy, please get in touch with one of your delegates.
Call Quality Guidelines – Contact Centre employees are assessed on the ‘quality’ of a call and the Contact Centre has a document which outlines the standards in relation to call quality . We received a copy of those guidelines last week along with some feedback from members. Last week, a discussion was had with HR and this was followed up at the JCC. As a result the guidelines are going to be reviewed. While that review process is being undertaken, the guidelines will be removed from LivePro.
The status quo will remain for the time being and calls will continue to be assessed using the guidelines. However, if you are assessed under these guidelines and you have concerns with the result, or you wish to dispute the result, you are encouraged to speak to one of your CPSU delegates. We will then be able to request a review of the assessment. When the new guidelines have been developed, we will ask for your feedback to take to the JCC. Again, any questions or concerns please come and speak to one of your CPSU delegates.
Thanks to all members that contacted us regarding the issues above. Please be in touch if you have any questions regarding any of the matters that were raised.
