A review conducted by my Department of the leave arrangements in place over the Christmas 2006-07 period indicated that agencies and their staff worked together effectively to enable as many staff as possible to take leave over this holiday period.

As well as enabling staff to enjoy time off with family and friends, this initiative had a positive impact in reducing leave liability in the NSW public sector. On the basis of the success of these measures, the same leave arrangements will be adopted over the Christmas period in 2007-08.

For areas not involved in the delivery of front line services, Ministers and Chief Executives are asked to maximise the taking of leave by public sector employees in the last week of  December and first week in January 2007-08 wherever possible and in accordance with current industrial instruments.

These arrangements may involve all, or section(s) of an agency or a partial close down of a section (i.e. skeleton staff). The decision as to which areas are appropriate to be closed down (either total or partial) is to be made on a case by case basis by the Minister or Chief Executive.

To facilitate the leave management arrangements, Ministers and Chief Executives should:

• encourage managers to release their staff on leave over the relevant period, where possible and appropriate;
• subject to operational requirements and the relevant industrial instrument, direct employees with excessive leave balances onto leave during this period;
• consider utilising temporary assignment provisions to assign staff to areas where work is continuing during the last week in December and the first week in January;
• utilise the period as part of an agreed action plan to reduce accrued work time under a flex agreement;
• ensure managers hold discussions with employees prior to the implementation of these arrangements and provide as much notice as possible (at least one month or on their first day of work if they have been employed for less than a month prior to Christmas); and
• refer to the relevant industrial instrument to determine whether there are relevant provisions or whether the Annual Holidays Act 1944 provisions apply. If no provisions exist, consideration should be given to negotiating appropriate arrangements in future instruments, including flex agreements.

Morris Iemma MP
Premier