PSA has been advised by Service NSW of a proposal to roster employees from Service Centres operating Monday to Friday for a portion of Saturday shifts at Service Centres operating Monday to Saturday, which are within a reasonable travel distance to the non-Saturday trading Service Centres.  This is with particular reference to Wynyard and Haymarket Service Centres.

Service NSW is proposing that the practice of balancing Saturday work across Service Centres will be extended to other Centres within close geographical proximity and which are currently restricted to Monday to Friday rosters.  This is proposed to commence from 28 March 2025.

The business aim is to enhance the efficiency of the operations and better utilise available resources to support Service Centres operating Monday to Saturday in the metro region.

Service NSW states that rostering in Service Centres operating Monday to Saturday is currently challenging: only fifty percent of team members are available for the rostering as employees are rostered one Saturday out of two per roster period, based on the Service NSW Award. In certain locations staff availability for Saturday work is further restricted due to staff working under individual flexible work arrangements which do not include Saturday work (eg employees returning part time from parental leave).

Consequently, in order to meet customer demand on Saturdays there has been a need to offer overtime which is a cost to the business when there is planned leave on Saturdays. This overtime is a weekly occurrence which also results in the team members working for more than five days in a week.

Impacts to Employees

• Employees will be rostered on a Monday to Saturday rostering within the spread of the operating hours clause 11.1 of Service NSW (Salaries and Conditions) Employees Award 2022 (the Award)
• Employees will be rostered on one Saturday in a fortnight/pay period either week one or week two clause 16 of the Award.
• The work undertaken on Saturday will be part of the employee’s standard hours of work over a two-week roster cycle, clause 16 of the Award.
• Rostered work on Saturday will be subject to the payment of a fifty percent loading under subclause 18.2.
• Rostered day on Saturday will be at a reasonable distance. Service NSW will aim for Saturday location to be at the same location instead of change of location every fortnight for the team member’s wellbeing, continuity, and efficiency.
• If there is business need or change of location is needed to manage unforeseeable reasons, team member will be consulted with at least six weeks’ notice. However, for any ad hoc changes to cover unplanned leave Saturday location change will be upon mutual agreement.
• Roster is published minimum of 4 weeks in advance on a fortnightly basis providing employees adequate notice of the rostered day off during the week as per clause 17 of the Award.

In accordance with the Award application there are no changes in the application of the Monday to Saturday rostering practice.

Consultation

Service NSW commenced communicating the changes with Wynyard employees as of 12 December 2024. However, no mention has been made of employees at other non-Saturday trading Service Centres and when they may be expected to have Saturday rostering.

PSA has advised the Department that we are seeking legal advice as to whether the Department is able to roster staff between Service Centres and whether that would entitle employees to compensation under Clause 23 of the Award.

We will advise members of an outcome as soon as possible.