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Terminating APS employment: The legislative framework

This guide provides APS agencies with updated information on issues relating to the termination of employment of APS employees. It contains advice relating to:

• the different grounds of termination set out in section 29 of the Public Service Act 1999 (PS Act), and
• the legal requirements governing termination of employment, particularly those applying under both the PS Act and the Fair Work Act 2009.

This guide can be found on our publications page under 'T' or go directly to the publication at: www.apsc.gov.au/publications12/terminatingapsemp.htm.

Updated guidelines on making public comment and participating online

The Commission has revised its guidance on ‘Making public comment’ and ‘Participating online’ in Chapter 3 of APS Values and Code of Conduct in Practice: a guide to official conduct for APS employees and Agency Heads. APS employees have the same right to freedom of expression as other members of the community, subject to legitimate public interests, such as the maintenance of an impartial and effective public service in which the community can have confidence.  The revised guidance clarifies the application of the APS Values and Code of Conduct to the different roles in which APS employees make public comment—in official capacity (as part of their employment in their agency); in a personal capacity (as private citizens); and a ‘professional’ capacity (where an APS employee who is also a subject matter expert makes public comment in that capacity, but not on behalf of their agency).

A circular on the revised guidance is available from our website at: www.apsc.gov.au/circulars/circular121.htm.

The APS Workforce Planning Guide and APS Job Family model now available on the website

As a part of its work in progressing a number of reforms based on the recommendation of the Ahead of the Game: Blueprint for the Reform of Australian Government Administration (the Blueprint) the Australian Public Service Commission has now completed work on the development of two key components of an APS-wide Workforce Planning Framework. They are:

• a practical workforce planning guide, with supporting tools and templates; and
• a Job Family (occupational group) model to enable the APS to map and understand its workforce.

The APS Workforce Planning Guide and APS Job Family Model is available at the following link: www.apsc.gov.au/publications11/wfp.htm.

Phase II of the APS Redeployment Register now live

The Government’s APS Redeployment Policy introduced earlier this year stated that the APSC would provide a clearing-house facility for employees to register their interest in job exchange opportunities, subject to it being supported by their agency head. The inter-agency job exchange register has been established as part of the APS Redeployment Register and facilitates the process whereby an ongoing APS employees willing to take a redundancy package, and with approval from both agency heads, exchanges jobs with a suitably skilled excess employee who prefers to remain in APS employment.

Guidelines explaining how the job exchange process works, together with agency and employee operating procedures, can be found at www.apsc.gov.au/redeployment/index.

APS Statistical Bulletin 2010-11

The APS Statistical Bulletin 2010-11 is part of the State of the Service series. The Bulletin provides summary analysis and a range of tables that cover all staff employed under the Public Service Act 1999. It contains information presented by a range of variables including agency, classification, age, length of service and diversity status. There are sections covering ongoing  and non-ongoing staff, as well as movements including engagements, promotions and separations.

This year’s Bulletin includes an additional table showing a number of metrics by agency. The Bulletin is available at the following link: www.apsc.gov.au/stateoftheservice/1011/statsbulletin/.

The State of the Service Report 2010-11 now available on the website.

The Australian Public Service Commissioner is required to issue an annual report on the state of the Australian Public Service under section 44 of the Public Service Act 1999. The State of the Service Report 2010-11 provides important information on human capital strategies that the APS needs to adopt to build workforce capability. The themes for this year’s report are:

• leadership and culture
• human capital management
• organisational effectiveness

The findings from this year’s State of the Service report point to significant progress in building workforce and organisational capability in the APS. While the report outlines some areas in which progress has been made it also identifies where there is still work to be done. The evidence of this year’s report is that APS agencies are moving in the right direction.

The State of the Service Report 2010-11 is available at the following link: www.apsc.gov.au/stateoftheservice/1011/.

State of the Service Report 2010-11 Events

Please visit our website for the latest State of the Service events coming up this month.

Click on the links below to find out more.

• 7 December
  State of the Service Report briefing - Ms Carmel McGregor, Deputy Public Service Commissioner State of the Service Report briefing event - www.apsc.gov.au/learn/stateoftheservice.htm
• 8 December
  Opportunity for all – Banking on skills and knowledge - Mr Graeme Innes AM, Disability Discrimination Commissioner and Race Discrimination Commissioner - www.apsc.gov.au/seslearn/breakfast.htm

APSC reform website

The APSC has an APS reform: building the future together website at www.apsc.gov.au/apsreform

The projects will affect everyone in all areas and levels of the APS, in the key areas for which we are responsible: meeting citizens’ needs, providing strong leadership and strategic direction, developing our capabilities, and working efficiently and at a consistently high standard.

Ethics Advisory Service

The Ethics Advisory Service is available to all APS employees who want advice on ethical issues in the workplace and on how to make sound decisions around these issues. An enquiries line has been established to help employees who wish to discuss and seek advice on ethical issues that occur in the workplace and on how to make sound decisions around these issues.

Enquiries: Monday – Friday from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm AEST
Phone: 02 6202 3737
Email: ethics@apsc.gov.au