Your union and local delegates met with management on 15 May to continue discussing outstanding issues with the CEI transition.

The Department has no update yet on the number of staff who have taken up offers, with the number currently sitting at around half of the affected staff. There has been confusion around rates of pay, which HR has been addressing with individuals.

HR is also undertaking VR estimates for staff. The Department maintains there is no time for full-blown estimates to be created. However, we have no doubt that the cost GovConnect charges for creating them would be a contributing factor.

Full estimates will be made available to staff declining job offers and requesting either VR or redeployment. We repeat the message from our previous bulletin: if you want an estimate, talk to HR.

The Department again committed to looking at issues if staff are affected by significant differences in estimates provided by HR versus estimates provided by GovConnect. If you base your choice on HR’s estimate and GovConnect’s numbers are much less, the Department will work with you to provide an alternative. However, the job offer will be with ServiceNSW.

For staff remaining in Revenue whose increase in hours had been approved, this will be honoured.

The Department has advised that staff on fixed-term contracts will not be dealt with until Stage 4. This remains an issue for us and the PSA is talking further with Employee Relations on this matter.

Still under discussion is the matter of when the shift allowance ceases for staff moving from Revenue to Service. Members had been told it would cease at the end of June. Then it became the end of May. Your union raised concerns around financial disadvantage. The Department will come back to us on this.

For those transitioning – or looking to transition – into ServiceNSW the prospects are not as positive as for those staying in Revenue. The Department has confirmed that emails approving increases in hours were sent by people in positions that did not have authority to approve and therefore they will not be honouring those approvals. There is no flexibility in offering additional hours until the business understands how many staff are moving across and what is happening with current staff. PSA requested confirmation that the business will revisit the issue when the transition has occurred and the numbers have settled. The Department is yet to confirm.

Members will have received a package of further information from ServiceNSW relating to flexible working practices. We advise you to consider carefully and to talk to workforce planners and/or prospective Team Leaders/Managers about flexible working requirements. We also recommend that if you need to have a job and the Service offer is all that is available, that you sign the letter of offer then put in an expression of interest for any available positions in Revenue. In the meantime, we will continue to raise the issue of increases in hours and greater flexibility going forward.

There are a number of individual members your union is supporting through this process. We will be in touch with those of you who come into this category.