Workplace change

A case manager supports and guides the employee through their workplace change placement process. They’ll help the employee:

• understand and participate in the placement process
• complete useful training and development (where applicable)
• undertake meaningful duties, including temporary placements, to develop skills and experience
• identify and apply for suitable vacancies
• understand and act on feedback received during the placement process.

The case manager should explain the workplace change placement process. An employee must engage in the process in accordance with the Supporting employees affected by workplace change directive.

The process requires the employee and case manager to:

• work together and with other agencies to find an immediate transfer or, with the employee’s consent, redeployment opportunity
• create an employee profile in the eJobs employee placement system (if an immediate opportunity is not available)
• search for and apply for job matches in the eJobs employee placement system and alternative channels (e.g. Smart jobs and careers).

If your agency is providing voluntary redundancies, the employee can submit an expression of interest for a redundancy. Agencies are not required to offer voluntary redundancies and, if they do, the employee is not required to accept one. See the Early retirement, redundancy and retrenchment directive.

The case manager should seek approval from the employee to start the placement process.

The employee needs to provide an up-to-date resume. Visit How to write a resume and cover letter for help.

The case manager uses the employee’s resume to match the employee to job opportunities.

The case manager can also identify and facilitate opportunities to improve the employee’s knowledge, skills and abilities. This might be through training, or development opportunities such as placements in short-term, temporary engagements, relieving work, or secondments within the agency, other government agencies, or external organisations (home agency-funded).

Find the employee meaningful duties in their current management arrangement. Check in with the employee regularly as they may feel isolated when placed in a new work area. Provide support, including clear scope of meaningful duties.

Help the employee prepare for potential job interviews.

If the case manager finds a job-match, they’ll provide a statement of suitability to the hiring manager. The hiring manager must consider the employee and complete a suitability assessment.

If a case manager recommends an employee for a role, the hiring manager must complete a suitability assessment. See the Supporting employees affected by workplace change directive.

The hiring manager must complete the suitability assessment within 7 working days. The assessment will consider if the employee has the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties required or the ability to learn the duties required.

This should include:

• meeting the employee to discuss their experience and suitability
• discussing the employee’s suitability with their case manager
• discussing the employee’s suitability with their referees.

The employee should provide examples of their work that demonstrates their skills.
A representative from the employee’s home agency should be involved in the assessment process (in addition to the case manager) to ensure it’s fair and has considered all the relevant information.

If there is disagreement between the hiring manager, case manager and the employee’s home agency representative about the employee’s suitability, the chief human resources officers (releasing and receiving agencies) are responsible for resolving the matter.

Provide an outcome

The hiring manager has 2 working days to notify the case manager and the employee of the outcome.

If the employee is suitable for the role, the case manager will provide the employee with a transfer or secondment (at level) direction, or a redeployment or secondment (to a lower level) offer. The employee can decline a transfer or secondment (at level) direction once without having to show unreasonableness. See the Supporting employees affected by workplace change directive.

If the employee is unsuitable for the role, the hiring manager must provide the case manager and the employee a suitability assessment report, including constructive feedback to help with future referrals and applications.

The case manager must complete a case management review 4 months after starting the placement process if they haven’t found the employee a suitable, alternative role.

They must outline the actions they took, and the actions the employee and the agency took, to try and find the employee employment security. Keep a comprehensive case file from the beginning of the placement process to help with this review.

Discuss possible exit strategies

Speak with your HR team and chief executive, and the employee and their current supervisor, about possible exit strategies. Consider voluntary redundancy, retrenchment, resignation, or early retirement. See the Early retirement, redundancy and retrenchment directive for help.