More information about the Government’s “staff freeze” have emerged with Premier Nathan Rees issuing a Memorandum to all Agencies calling for restraint in the advertising and filling of vacancies. The staff freeze was imposed in the recent mini-Budget and will be in place until June next year. In his Memorandum, Mr Rees said the Government’s current budget position meant that Agencies needed to find a balance between ensuring that savings measures were identified but without impacting on the delivery of front line services.
Memorandum fills in details
He said only “critical positions” should be filled. “Public sector agencies must exercise restraint in the advertising and filling of vacancies to ensure that we can deliver the required budget savings,” Mr Rees said. “Agencies should be reviewing all vacancies as they arise to identify and fill only critical positions.” In the Memorandum Mr Rees said:
External recruitment to all positions, other than front line service delivery positions, apprenticeships, traineeships and graduate positions was to be suspended.
Agency CEOs should approve recruitment to all positions (including front line positions) at or above $95,000 (Clerk Grade 11 or equivalent).
Contractors and temporary employees (direct employment through s27 of the Public Sector Employment and Management Act 2002) were not to be used as a substitute for recruitment action.
All agencies were encouraged to use excess staff to fill short term vacancies.
Mr Rees said Agencies specifically needed to review all communications and media positions, which included positions in media, communications, community relations, corporate relations, corporate communications, corporate affairs, public relations and public affairs.
“I have asked the Public Sector Workforce Office to monitor the advertising of all positions submitted to jobs.nsw,” he said.
“I would generally expect to see a 20% reduction in advertising expenditure by the end of the first quarter of 2009.”
Mr Rees said the provisions would be reviewed in early 2009 in the lead up to the 2009/10 Budget.
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