The Public Service Association (PSA) and NSW State Emergency Service (SES) PSA delegates welcome a significant outcome for casual employees working in the SES State Operations Centre (SOC).
For several years, PSA and SES delegates have been advocating on behalf of SOC casual employees regarding the application of casual loading, shift penalties, and overtime entitlements. Throughout this period, the PSA has sought greater clarity and consistency in the interpretation and application of these industrial conditions to ensure employees receive the correct entitlements available to them.
Following extensive engagement between the PSA and NSW SES, the agency has now acknowledged that SOC casual employees are entitled to receive both casual loading and applicable shift penalties when working rostered shifts. NSW SES has also acknowledged that there have been circumstances where overtime entitlements were not applied as intended and has committed to reviewing those arrangements.
The outcome
NSW SES has advised that it will undertake an audit covering the previous six years to determine whether affected employees are entitled to back pay arising from the application of casual loading, shift penalties, and overtime entitlements.
The agency has also confirmed that it is progressing the implementation of the newly agreed arrangements to ensure these entitlements are applied appropriately moving forward.
This outcome follows many years of advocacy by the PSA and ongoing discussions with NSW SES to achieve clarity regarding the industrial entitlements of SOC casual employees.
Why this matters
SOC casual employees play a critical role in supporting emergency operations across NSW. During major weather events, prolonged emergencies and other significant incidents, these employees often work extended and irregular hours to ensure the State Operations Centre can provide continuous support to frontline operations.
The PSA believes it is important that all employees are appropriately recognised and remunerated in accordance with their industrial entitlements. This outcome provides a pathway to address longstanding concerns while also creating greater certainty for the future.
What happens next?
While this is a significant and positive development, NSW SES has not yet provided definitive timeframes for completion of the audit or implementation of the revised arrangements.
The PSA and your workplace delegates are continuing to work closely with NSW SES senior leadership to support both the audit process and implementation of the revised arrangements. Our shared focus is to ensure that any outstanding entitlements are identified, calculated, and paid to affected employees as efficiently as possible, while keeping members informed throughout the process.
The PSA would like to thank the members who raised concerns, shared information, and remained engaged on this issue over many years. Their support and persistence have been instrumental in achieving this outcome.
This matter demonstrates the value of constructive engagement, strong workplace representation, and member involvement in achieving positive outcomes for employees.
We will continue to keep members informed as further information becomes available.
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