Keypoints

Attachment: Job Assessment Criteria Form

Under Premier's Memorandum 2009 -15 Staffing Freeze, there is a freeze on:

• filling of all non- frontline jobs
• contingent labour including contractors and consultants (used as a substitute for recruitment action)
• labour hire to fill temporary jobs
• Executive Search hire to manage recruitment activity.

Jobs that are directly associated with capital works (except IT projects), Commonwealth stimulus funded programs and entry level jobs (apprenticeships, traineeships, cadetships and graduate programs) are exempt from the freeze.

Under limited circumstances, an exemption to the freeze may be granted by the relevant Director General of one of the thirteen departments. Exemption requests and decisions must be made in the form set out in the attachment to this circular. The documentation must be retained for audit purposes. In approving the filling of a permanent position, a Director General must be satisfied that the position is not subject to structural change or corporate services reform.

Restrictions continue to apply to advertising jobs in the Greater Metropolitan Sydney area, other capital cities or national press (excluding community or cultural press eg Koori Mail). All requests to advertise in metropolitan or national press (for both frontline and non-frontline positions) must be referred to the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) for approval.

Agencies must seek approval from DPC to advertise any SES or executive contract positions. Restrictions remain on the creation of Senior Executive and Senior Officer positions beyond agencies' approved ceilings.
The freeze applies to all public sector agencies. This includes all agencies and employees in the Government Service (Public Service Departments, Non-Public Service Divisions and Special Employment Divisions), the Teaching Service, NSW Police and the NSW Health Service.

Brendan O'Reilly
Director General