Whole-of-Service COVID-19 Response

EMPLOYMENT DIRECTIONS - FLEXIBILITY

As the State Service continues to respond to COVID-19 it remains necessary for Heads of Agencies to be flexible and agile when managing recruitment activities including fixed-term arrangements, filling vacancies, and Senior Executive Service mobility. To support this, the State Service Management Office (SSMO) extended the additional Employment Directions (ED)¹ established in 2019-20, which effected temporary changes to ED1 - Employment in the State Service and ED17 - Senior Executive Service and Equivalent Specialist Officers Administrative Arrangements and Conditions of Service, and made amendments to delegations relating to ED17.

These additional arrangements give Heads of Agencies discretion when making employment decisions to support response and recovery efforts, including the power to extend fixed-term arrangements, and to extend the period for making subsequent selections for up to an additional six months. ED1a and ED17a were approved by the Premier during June 2020 and remain in force as at 30 June 2021.

LEAVE BECAUSE OF COVID-19 (REGULATION 24)

Leave Because of COVID-19 (COVID Leave) was a key measure introduced in response to the unique circumstances arising out of COVID-19. In 2021, the scope of COVID Leave was extended to cover additional circumstances. The COVID Leave Regulation now provides additional leave for employees when:

• they have exhausted their personal leave entitlements and have contracted COVID-19, or are caring for a member of their immediate family or household who has contracted COVID-19; or
• they have exhausted their personal leave entitlements and experience side effects following vaccination for COVID-19, or are caring for a member of their immediate family or household who experiences side effects following vaccination for COVID-19; or
• they are required to enter isolation, in accordance with a direction made in relation to an authorisation of emergency powers under the Emergency Management Act 2006, or a direction made under the Public Health Act 1997; or
• they are responsible for providing care or support to a member of their immediate family or household who is unable to attend school or other care arrangements, due to the school or care arrangements being unavailable due to COVID-19; or
• they are in self-isolation awaiting test results but are otherwise ready willing and able to return to the workplace, and are unable to work from home; or
• they are unable to work for any other reason relating to COVID-19, and are unable to work from home.

The entitlement provides access to paid leave of up to 20 days pro-rata (which can be extended if necessary, by the Head of Agency).

VACCINATION SUPPORT FOR STATE SERVICE EMPLOYEES

To support agencies and provide specific information relevant to State Service employees regarding the vaccination roll-out, advice and FAQs were prepared and published through the Head of the State Service, and made available on SSMO’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) website².

Tasmanian State Service employees have been strongly encouraged to participate in the COVID-19 vaccination program, subject to individual medical needs and any other risk factors.

Support to assist employees in receiving a COVID-19 vaccination, consistent with the National and State Roll-out Strategy, includes:

• identification that particular employees fit a priority group for vaccination because of their work;
• where a vaccination appointment is scheduled during work hours, employees will continue to be paid their normal working hours, including reasonable travel time; and
• reasonable travel expenses, where significant travel is required to access a vaccination site.

Employees can access COVID-19 Leave where they experience side effects following vaccination, and have exhausted personal leave entitlements.

CHECK IN TAS FOR GOVERNMENT PREMISES

SSMO worked with the COVID-19 Emergency Coordination Centre to implement a policy³ that all State Service employees, officers, volunteers, contractors and visitors will ‘check in’ using the Check in TAS App on arrival when they enter the premises of a Government agency.

Coming into effect from 1 July 2021, checking in on arrival at all Government agency premises recognised the importance of Check in TAS to assist contact tracing efforts, and to keep the community safe and Tasmania open for business. The policy seeks to normalise the use of Check in TAS among State Service employees, officers, contractors, volunteers and visitors to Tasmanian Government agency premises.

The policy makes it clear that it is an extension of the Public Health direction mandating the use of Check in TAS at certain premises, and no Tasmanian Government employee will be denied access to their workplace as a result of this policy. Similarly, other people entering the premises of a Government agency will not be denied access to Tasmanian Government services as a result of this policy.

^{1. http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/divisions/ssmo/employment_directions}

^{2. http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/divisions/ssmo/coronavirus}

^{3. http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/divisions/ssmo/coronavirus/required_use_of_check_in_tas_app_policy_and_faqs}

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