During Tuesday’s Town Hall meeting, and following extensive feedback, Heritage NSW announced the final Change Management Plan.
The PSA welcomes the acknowledgment of the CMP’s impact on employee’s mental health through the proposed Resilience Training expected be offered soon to Heritage employees’. It was therefore disappointing that this discussion was centred on the pandemic with no acknowledgement of the significant workload issues already experienced and advised through the PSA Member Survey and no plan to address these workload problems. We Will continue to advocate around this matter on your behalf.
In response to the Survey there has been a request by management to advise the number of PSA Members in Heritage NSW. The PSA does not disclose density information to employers, please rest assure that your feedback and membership remain confidential.
What now?
Restructures are stressful and confusing to navigate and there’s no doubt that you will have further questions. Take time to digest the information provided and speak about your next steps with loved ones.
Stage 1 – Direct assignment to roles, will commence soon, meaning that where possible employees in impacted roles will be matched to roles in the new structure. If you are offered an ongoing role in the new structure you will not be declared excess and thus are not entitled to a Redundancy. There are exceptions to this around suitable matching, if you believe you have been match to an inappropriate role please contact us for further advice.
Stages 2 and 3 are Internal then External Merit Recruitment. Only after a staff member is unable to gain a role during stages 1-3 will an employee then be declared Excess.
Once declared excess, the Managing Excess Employees Policy will apply and staff have the choice of accepting a Voluntary Redundancy or Redeployment. The Redeployment period is three months, with staff continuing to be paid and accrue leave entitlements during this time, keep this in mind while reflecting on the difference in payment between a Voluntary Redundancy vs Forced Redundancy. If unsuccessful during Redeployment, staff will then receive a Forced Redundancy.
If you have further questions on this process, please refer to the Managing Excess Employees Policy or email your questions to quoting the call number 158896.
Conversion from Temporary to Ongoing
The PSA were pleased to hear that eight previously temporary roles have been converted to ongoing roles, with more still to be considered. Those sitting in a temporary role, who meet the below criteria, are able to request to convert to ongoing employment under Rule 12 of the Government Sector Employment Rules:
- The person has been employed in a temporary or term employment for a period of at least 12 months at level;
- The employment must be based on the results of a comparative assessment; and
- Is subject to the satisfactory conduct of the person.
As mentioned during the Town Hall meeting, the funding your role is tied to will also impact Heritage NSW’s ability to convert you to ongoing. If you have questions about the above criteria, including comparative assessments, please contact the Member Support Centre for timely clarification.
Role Descriptions
A number of members have already raised concerns regarding the updated Role Description and the PSA notes the Department’s comments that the old RDs did not comply with the requirements of the broader Public Service. Where members feel the RDs are not fit for purpose, please liaise with your delegates or Organiser Amy Lennox so these concerns can be further clarified to the Department.
Advocacy
In acknowledgement of the request for a greater understanding of the rationale behind the CMP, Heritage Employees were again advised the changes were a result of the budget envelope handed down by the Government. The Berejiklian Government has continually advised its intention to create a customer focused and smaller Public Service, these changes are in line with that vision statement.
The PSA will continue to raise your concerns with the Department and support members with their individual circumstances through the implementation of the CMP and beyond. We will continue to advocate for a better resourced Public Service, champion the vital contribution of NSW Public Servants and elevate the work of Heritage NSW staff in protecting and telling Australian Stories.