The purpose of this Memorandum is to bring together the Government's current policy and practice on managing displaced employees into a single user friendly document.

The arrangements set out in this policy apply to all public sector agencies and employees in the Government Service (Public Service Departments, Non-Public Service Divisions and Special Employment Divisions) other than State Owned Corporations, the Teaching Service, the Police Service and the Health Service.  Agencies not covered by this policy are encouraged to apply consistent provisions.

The key features of this policy are:

• an emphasis on redeployment
• salary maintenance for up to 12 months
• mandatory registration of all displaced employees
• voluntary redundancy, where redeployment is not practicable
• the capacity to make employees redundant, under certain delegations, as a last and unavoidable resort where an alternative position is not found within 12 months
• appropriate consultative arrangements with employees and unions
• support for displaced employees
• measures to ensure that equity groups are not disproportionately affected.

This policy replaces all previous memoranda and circulars relating to the management of organisational change and displaced employees, including:

• Premier's Memorandum 96-5 Managing Displaced Employees
• PEO Circular 96-40 Services for Displaced Employees
• Premier's Memorandum 97-27 Managing Displaced Employees
• Premier's Memorandum 98-24 Managing Displaced Employees - Relocation of Employees to Available Work
• Premier's Department Circular 98-62 Managing Displaced Employees - Salary Maintenance Provisions
• Premier's Department Circular 99-37 Direction to Take Leave - Displaced Employees
• Premier's Department Circular 99-51 Managing Displaced Employees - Job Search Leave
• Premier's Department Circular 05-17 Redeployment System Changes

The NSW Government remains committed to utilising the skills and experience of displaced employees and agencies should continue to manage organisational change in a fair and transparent way.

(signed)

Morris Iemma
Premier