The PSA is holding our first statewide members meeting for the year, to discuss recent developments in our IRC dispute, the planned relocation of the Sydney and Penrith offices, as well as the recent announcement of an ‘Employee Engagement Review’ following the publication of record-low employee survey results.

Date: Wednesday 8 March 2023

Time: 4:30pm–5:10pm

Venue: Via Teams

Click here to add this event to your calendar, and view the meeting agenda here.

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 443 723 304 041

Passcode: nvRtye

Penrith & Sydney relocation consultation

The PSA visited the Penrith office last week to meet with members ahead of Davenport Campbell’s presentation to staff on their planned relocation of the site.

PSA members have raised a number of concerns with the proposed office design, on which the ODPP has only now offered members an opportunity to provide feedback.

Please send any further feedback to the PSA Industrial Officer, details below, before 12pm Friday 3 March.

The ODPP has also agreed to include the PSA in consultation on the Sydney relocation, for which the union understands designs are yet to be finalised.

The PSA has defended the unique accommodation needs of ODPP members, including provisions for greater privacy and security than that provided to other agencies. These needs are reinforced by the ODPP’s Workplace Accommodation Guide, which the PSA contributed to when it was drafted.

There is no guarantee that the unique demands of our workplaces will be accommodated when the union is not consulted during design processes – as other agencies undergoing relocations have experienced. Staff are uniquely invested in and qualified to contribute to the design of their workplace, and should exercise their right (under the Award and WHS Act) to do so.

‘Employee Engagement Review’ follows dismal PMES results

The ODPP has disclosed their intention to engage consultants from Nous Group to conduct an Employee Engagement Review, in response to the publication of last year’s People Matter Employment Survey (PMES).

The survey found significant reductions in employee engagement, satisfaction, and wellbeing compared with previous years. Key findings of the full survey include:

• Less than half of all staff report they can keep work stress at an acceptable level (44 per cent, down 14 per cent from 2021)
• Most staff do not feel they have the time to do their job well (34 per cent, down 10 per cent)
• The vast majority of staff report experiencing overwork, with only 27 per cent disagreeing with “I feel burned out by my work”
• Only 47 per cent feel they are paid fairly for the work they do – down 21 per cent, the single largest reduction in favourability across the survey

 

The PSA has been proactive in seeking redress of the worsening conditions of ODPP members, including our application for new award provisions in the dispute currently before the IRC. When the PSA produced evidence that ODPP staff had forfeited more than 104,000 hours of flex between July 2019–June 2022, the ODPP’s counsel suggested this must be “an exaggeration”. The PSA’s calculation was produced from the ODPP’s own data, demonstrating a forfeiture equivalent to 20 full-time solicitors.

The survey also found ODPP staff continue to support their organisation’s values (92 per cent) and that they feel a strong personal attachment to the organisation (67 per cent, 6 per cent above the public sector average).

The dismissal of concerns raised by staff forfeiting flex, as well as attempts to evade consultation with the PSA, reflect a pattern of ODPP senior management taking the dedication and professionalism of staff for granted.

The ODPP has welcomed expressions of interest to participate in focus groups for the review. The PSA encourages members to participate in these groups by emailing Jackie Eastburn () by Friday 3 March.

Attend the statewide members meeting next week to discuss how we can protect and improve our industrial conditions.

Click here to add the event to your calendar.

Your PSA delegates

Vanessa Chan 

Nicholas Leach 

PSA Staff

Dean Allen (Industrial Officer) 

Lachlan Good (Organiser)