The quarterly Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) was held Thursday 10 October 2024 for the Hunter Central Coast District and was attended by the Public Service Association (PSA), your PSA Delegates and DCJ leadership.

JCCs continue to prove to be an important forum to highlight the employee voice and for discussion on various matters affecting the membership in your District. Below are the key highlights:

OSP Roadshow

EDD advised a busy end of year with 2 x OSP Roadshows. The roadshows are not mandatory however the EDD would like all Caseworkers to take up this opportunity for professional development and agreed it should be included in their workload planners.

Accommodation

Regarding the remodeling of the ground floor at Mayfield Hub, a multipurpose area has been created for Caseworkers to work with families and young people. Charlestown Hub will be recarpeted at the end of October.

At the Tuggerah site, Infrastructure and Assets have completed a Risk Assessment. The Business Manager has completed a walk through and a further Risk Assessment needs to be conducted by the region. DCJ are acquiring a satellite office in Mann Street Gosford (co-located within a NSW Public Service office). Some desks are available for staff at Gosford JCPRP for the time being.

Christmas Leave

Concerns were raised by PSA Delegates around Christmas leave not being approved by October. An ad hoc leave approval process has been occurring, and the region will be looking at a more systemic process over the next couple of weeks. PSA encourages all members to start having conversations about their Christmas leave now, particularly those hoping to take a longer period of leave around the holiday season.

Staffing  

Currently the District is sitting at 305 and over RAM by 1. Several Caseworkers have resigned recently, and leadership will be following up and conducting exit interviews.

Workers Compensation numbers were requested at the JCC. HCC District leadership will not provide details concerning the total number of staff with active workers compensation claims. PSA believes the Hunter Central Coast has the highest number of claims across the State.

Flexible Work Framework resolved – CFDU
No specified number of days to work in the office was identified, however staff should work primarily from an office. It is important to note that there are different ways flexible work can be managed. Flexibility is not just access to work from home, other approaches such as working from alternate officers, differing start and finish times, longer breaks through the day can all form part of a flexible approach to work and flexible work plan. PSA encourages members to speak with their direct line managers to discuss their individual needs and contact PSA if you have any concerns.

The next JCC meeting is scheduled early in the New Year. Members are encouraged to speak to their local PSA Delegates to raise any issues and ensure your voice is heard.

PSA Industrial Staff

Member Support Centre 1800 772 679

Industrial Officer, Graydon Welsh ()

Senior Organiser, Belinda Tsirekas ()

Organiser, Amy Lennox ()