Chapter 9 – Workforce Management

This chapter provides information regarding ‘Employer’ matters, including change of employment status, secondments and job vacancies. A range of employment arrangements are maintained to ensure that agencies are able to manage flexible workforces and that are best placed to meet the needs of the Tasmanian community.

Fixed-term and Casual Registers operate to provide a mechanism to fill specific short, fixed-term (including casual) duties that are critical for business or service continuity, and where normal advertising requirements for fixed-term duties under Employment Direction No. 1: Employment in the State Service (ED No.1)are not practicable or efficient in securing employees at short notice. Twenty-four Fixed-term and/or Casual Registers were approved during the reporting period across eight agencies for a range of duties including visitor officers, teachers, allied health professionals, nurses and administrative positions.

Secondments provide the opportunity for people to gain additional experience outside their normal roles, and secondments are approved to positions both outside the State Service and into the State Service. During the reporting period, 18 secondments outside the State Service were approved, and six into the State Service were approved.

ED No. 1 and Employment Direction No. 9 - Change of Employment Status of a Teacher from A Fixed-Term to a Permanent Employeee (ED No. 9) provide employees and Heads of Agencies the opportunity to request that a fixed-term employee is approved to become a permanent employee without having to go through a merit selection process. These provisions are based on a number of criteria that must be met for the request to be approved by the Director or Deputy Director of SSMO. During the reporting period, SSMO received 188 applications from employees and 35 applications from Heads of Agencies. As a result of these request, 186 individuals transitioned to permanent employment.

There is an ongoing partnership with the University of Tasmania for an internship program. This year nine interns were placed in three agencies and the interns undertook research and policy work on matters relating to heritage, cultural, economics and change management. This successful program continues to provide tertiary students with the opportunity to complement their study with practical work placements.

The number of vacancies advertised on the Jobs Website decreased to 2 007 in the reporting period, compared with 2 399 in 2013-14 and 2 414 in 2012-13.

The decrease may be as a result of the MPSS reform activities. A monthly total of 104 378 visits were made to the website on average.

SSMO is currently well underway with a project to build a new contemporary Jobs Website that meets high standards of contemporary design and the accessibility needs of its visitors.

The 2015 People Matter Survey was also coordinated, managed and delivered by SSMO working with the Victoria Public Sector Commission and the summary results of this Survey can be found in Appendix B.

Further information about SSMO is provided in the additional resources section of Appendix A.

Continue reading: Appendix A - Resources and Links