Keypoints

Attachments: Job Assessment Criteria Form

Under Circular 2010-05 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 twelve departments or by the relevant Commissioner of one of the Police and emergency services agencies. 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 (both frontline and non-frontline) in the Greater Metropolitan Sydney area (defined as all of Sydney and surrounding suburbs north up to and including Newcastle, west out to and including Katoomba and south down to and including Wollongong), other capital cities or national press (excluding community or cultural press eg Koori Mail). The relevant Director General of one of the twelve departments or the relevant Commissioner of one of the Police and emergency services agencies may approve an exemption to these advertising restrictions if there is clear evidence that standard recruitment has been ineffective.

Agencies must seek approval from DPC to use executive search hire or recruitment companies to manage any recruitment activity. Exemption requests must include a business case and/or rationale, and be emailed to [email protected].

Agencies must also 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