The PSA has made it clear to both Local Land Services (LLS) and the Department of Primary Industries & Regional Development (DPIRD) about what our concerns are with the When, Where & How I work Policy (WW&HIW) Policy, especially regarding the regionalised workforce that both LLS and DPIRD have and the ways that staff have learned to work remotely over the last four years whilst continuing with service delivery and efficiency.

Members should have already begun discussions and agreements on matters like the changing of headquarters and days in the office versus days at home or working remotely (from other work locations) with their management stream.

Members should also be aware of the ad hoc discussions between themselves and managers that should continue and to work in conjunction with the policy.

Due to the myriad of work locations (some 180) across LLS and DPIRD, the PSA has already received concerns from our membership that their work locations are not fit for purpose regarding systems, infrastructure and/or desk numbers. This is compounded by the previous NSW Government’s decision to regionalise roles as well as decisions made by Government Property NSW since COVID to rationalise office footprint and co-locate public sector workers to save money.

Despite being armed with this knowledge of the deficiency, DPIRD and LLS management are continuing to decline some of the exemptions sought by members. The PSA has written to both the DPIRD Secretary as well as the LLS CEO seeking the development of an implementation committee. View correspondence HERE

As can be seen in the correspondence, the proposed Implementation Committee is not designed to circumvent the discussions and agreements between managers and their staff on applications. Rather it is to understand the work location ore regional deficiencies that may give rise to re-examination of those exemptions.

Members who have sought exemptions because of these scenarios and have been denied (or through other tenuous reasons) should be providing this material to the PSA either through the workplace delegates or by contacting the Member Support Centre on 1800 772 679.