FACS Bulletin – Restructure Update (One FACS) – 20 February 2015 (PDF version)

Privatisation, budget cuts and job losses – One FACS

Senior central office and corporate services staff have received offers of voluntary redundancy as part of the Department’s push to shed jobs and find an additional $70 million worth of savings annually.

The PSA understands that of the eligible cohort of 367 senior staff, more than half (186) expressed interest in redundancy in preference to continuing employment with the Department.

While the PSA is yet to confirm the exact number of job losses, it is expected to be only a fraction of what’s to come as the Department scrambles to find massive savings to match the Baird Government’s privatisation agenda and cuts to human services.

The OneFACS ‘transformation program’ is anticipated to result in the loss of 3 in 10 jobs from the central parts of the agency, including, in addition to corporate services, major central program hubs in child protection, ageing and disability and housing and homelessness.

We understand that work is underway on design elements of the new structure for senior staff (Band 1), following earlier completion of the Department’s Band 3 and Band 2 executive streams. FACS has advised the PSA that it expects to complete this process by March 2015.

FACS has sought to assure staff in affected areas that they will have the opportunity to ‘participate in the redesign of functions for their Division’, including contributing to ‘functional review activities’ and providing feedback on ‘interim’ and ‘final drafts’. Staff will also have ‘access to summaries of staff feedback and how this feedback has been taken into account.’

In addition, the PSA has received assurances that the Department will prepare detailed change management plans for affected Divisions (business units) in accordance with Government policy

Agency Change Management Guidelines  (http://www.dpc.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/129117/Agency_Change_Management_Guidelines-20110911_POL_v02.pdf)

Managing Excess Employees Policy  (http://www.dpc.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/135178/D2011-07_MEE_2011_Version_2_POL.pdf)

Case Management and Redeployment Guidelines  (http://www.dpc.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/125381/Case_Management_and_Redeployment_Guidelines-D2011_009_v1.0.pdf),

and adhere to consultative arrangements such as regular meetings and the exchange of relevant information, as the new OneFACS structure takes shape.

The PSA has requested to meet again with the FACS officials next week to discuss the progress of the Department’s restructuring, plans for further staff consultation and efforts to minimise adverse effects on staff. We will provide further updates as more information becomes available.