Legal Aid Grants dispute – Open Office Plan

Thank you to all the members who attended last week’s PSA meeting.

The PSA confirms that as a result of our meeting with the Director of Grants and the Director of POD, Legal Aid has agreed to the following:

No job losses
No building work to begin until the new year
A commitment from Legal Aid to increase the availability of flexible working arrangements and a pilot program in Grants
Confirmation that the current office plan issued in the change management document is an example rather than a final plan
A commitment to continue meeting with the PSA about the matter.

However;

The Grants Director has refused to allow a PSA representative on the open office plan working party. The PSA has asked for this twice and been refused twice. Across Legal Aid there PSA representatives involved in similar committees and working parties. That the Grants Director no longer supports this arrangement is a serious concern which we will take up with the CEO.
There remains no genuine justification for an open office plan.
Legal Aid has not provided evidence or detail about why the move to an open plan office is necessary (particularly considering the number of empty desks currently available on the floor). When the PSA questioned the Director of Grants, she stated that ‘collaboration and cultural change’ would be facilitated by an open office plan. There was no further explanation.
Rather, it has been well established that open plan offices increase stress, disruptions, distractions and noise. These Work, Health and Safety issues will be exacerbated with what currently appears to be a dramatic reduction in future desk sizes – by almost a half.

Issues surrounding delegations for Grants Office are still being followed up with Legal Aid.

Members will be updated as the matter progresses. A meeting with Grants staff will also be organised in due course.

Members can contact PSA delegate Justin Hutchinson, or PSA staff to provide further information and ask questions.

Your PSA staff

Monika Wunderlin – Industrial Officer

Kirra Jackson – Organiser

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