OneFACS update – concern for staff ahead of Phase 3 – 27 October 2015 (PDF version)

The Department of Family and Community Services has provided the PSA with data that shows nearly 200 staff remain unplaced following Phases 1 and 2 of the agency’s OneFACS restructure.

Of the 1,254 staff included in Phases 1 and 2, 199 are yet to be placed. This is despite more job vacancies at every non-executive grade (from clerk 1/2 to 11/12) than unmatched staff. Click here to see the Department’s placement data for Phases 1&2.

Given the high number of unfilled vacancies at each grade, it seems likely the Department’s ‘pooling’ process at Phase 2 impacted on the agency’s ability to fully ‘match and assess’ unplaced OneFACS staff for vacancies outside their cohort or ‘pool’.

To address this, the PSA has urged the Department to exhaust all reasonable opportunities to match eligible unplaced staff to suitable vacancies throughout the Internal Placement phase (Phase 3), thereby meeting the agency’s pre-reorganisation commitment to staff to:

• ‘maximise opportunities for employee matching and reassignment’; and
• ‘continue assessment activities for unplaced employees.. until as many employees can be matched and redeployed to roles’
  (for references see Section 2 – Principles of the OneFACS Non Executive Staff Transition Change Management Plan, Central Office and Corporate Services and p.18 of the OneFACS Staff Transition Process: A guide to direct appointment and matching and assessment phases).

If, however, the reorganisation process fails to ensure preference is given to employee placement via matching and reassignment (wherever an appropriate opportunity exists), the Department will have not only broken a core commitment to staff, but exposed the agency to an unnecessarily redundancy bill as suitable unplaced OneFACS staff are overlooked for job opportunities in favour of those seeking promotion or lateral transfer.

Got an issue? Contact us for advice and assistance

Members who require advice or assistance with any aspect of the OneFACS Non Executive Staff Transition Change Management Plan, Central Office and Corporate Services, including:

• direct appointment
• matching and assessment
• procedural fairness
• internal reviews

should contact our Member Support Centre on 1300 772 679