“Guidance” on Flexible Work Dispute continues
Further meetings to be held & Independent Formal Mediation to be discussed as a way of resolving the dispute
Areas NOT covered by the Guidance and 60 per cent requirement
Legal Aid has provided a comprehensive list of the areas NOT covered by the Guidance.
They are:
- Aboriginal Services Branch
- Executive Unit
- Executive Program Manager Office (EPMO)
- Client Service and Public Engagement Offices – includes offices of SWAT, LawAcccess, Grants Officers, SCU Project Team, Communications, Client Assessment and Referrals, Community Legal Education, Cooperative Legal Services, Planning and Review, With You and Client Services admin/exec team
- Legal Services Division – includes Private Lawyer Quality Standards Unit (PLQS), In House Counsel, Facilities, Library, Community Legal Centre Program, WDVCAP, Strategic Law Reform Unit, Client Eligibility Unit, Audit and Risk, Admin Relief and Legal Services admin/exec team
- Digital Transformation Unit
- Corporate services – Finance, ICT and Human Resources.
September 1 rapidly approaches and some Office plans not complete
Legal Aids failure to develop plans in a timely manner is going to leave NO time for any consideration of people’s circumstances and applications before their current approval ends in 3 Working Days.
How long will staff be left without approval to work from home?
Staff cannot submit a new request for flexible work unless you terminate the existing one. That means until or if your new request is approved you will not be able to work from home.
As previously advised, the PSA will support all members who have flexible work arrangements denied to them by Legal Aid because of the Guidance document including, where necessary, seeking assistance of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.
Next Steps
We again call on Legal Aid to withdraw the Guidance document.
We call on Legal Aid to extend the deadline for office & individual plans until this dispute is resolved.
Legal Aid must ensure that current approvals remain in place until new applications for flexible work are finalised.
We further call on Legal Aid to cease any changes to members’ current working pattern until this dispute is resolved.
A meeting with Senior Officers of Legal Aid, your elected Delegates and PSA staff will be held this afternoon to attempt to resolve this Dispute. Part of this meeting will discuss the value of having the assistance of an Independent Mediator to help resolve this matter.
Members will be further updated on progress before the end of the week.