Office of Environment & Heritage 45 weekend days

Office of Environment & Heritage 45 weekend days – December 2016 (PDF version)

Weekend roster update

Since the last industrial bulletin of 18 November 2016, the PSA contacted OEH to meet in relation to the 45 weekend days.

The PSA attended a meeting on 2 December 2016 to further discuss the proposed implementation of 45 weekend days and five public holidays.

The Department advised if the PSA did not agree to the 45 weekend days it would lodge a dispute after 3 January 2017 and take the matter to arbitration.

OEH was advised the PSA will seek legal advice on the interpretation of the award in relation to 45 weekend days. The PSA also requested OEH to provide written advice regarding their proposal.

The PSA received a without prejudice email, advising of the following.

1. Staff who are assigned to roles that are 7 Day Roster roles will have their shifts entered into the standardised roster that records 45 days of weekend attendance.
2. Staff will be required to attend for a minimum of 35 days (Saturdays and Sundays) of weekend rostered days. In return for this attendance they shall continue to receive the 17% – 7 Day Roster Loading and the 2 additional weeks of recreational leave per annum. Any weekend shifts that staff do not attend above 35 days staff will be required to access appropriate leave entitlements. This offer is in keeping with the long held community standards that both State and Commonwealth jurisdictions have upheld for many years.
3. Once the principles above are agreed staff and managers will then consult locally to establish a pattern of work that seeks to support both the operational need of the NPWS estate and the reasonable personal needs of the staff member.

For example:

a) Staff and managers may agree to work more weekend days during a certain period of the year

b) Staff may request to work more of one weekend days than another

c) Staff may request to swap shifts with a comparable grade and classification employee so long as the operational needs of the agency are met and other staff members are not disadvantaged

d)Part time work arrangements will continue to be supported so long such arrangements encompass weekend shift attendance.

4. OEH cannot support the PSA position that staff who are 7 Day Roster workers pursuant to the award do not have to attend work on weekends. OEH believe that if staff are not to work weekends in accordance with the award in return for the financial and additional leave benefits that are paid, that those provisions of the award may be at risk of being obsolete.

The PSA will be consulting with its lawyers in relation to OEH push to introduce up to 45 weekend days (with a minimum of (35 days). Further the PSA has never stated members should not work weekends.

The PSA’s position has been throughout this process during sustainability meetings, Industrial Relations Commission or any other forum that OEH established regional committees containing PSA representatives and management to look at 45 weekend days based on operational needs.

The matter has been before Commissioner Newell on two occasions.

Commissioner Newell clearly states, as per our bulletin dated 18 November 2016, that OEH must consult and if OEH attempted to introduce a 12-month roster with the 45 weekend days and five public Holidays the Commission would get involved.