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Summer 2008

Moratorium on the Conversion of Fixed-Term Employees to Permanency

EARLY this year the HACSU assist contact centre conducted its first desk top campaign.

For many years the State Service had been employing staff in either fixed-term or casual positions when in many cases, they should have been employed as permanent State Servants.

In December 2007, the State Service Commissioner approved a once off moratorium on the criteria for conversion of fixed-term employees to permanent appointment.

State Service agencies were required to use the moratorium to identify employees who should more appropriately be appointed as permanent employees.

As a result, agencies were required to review all fixed-term employees during the period 13 December 2007 to 30 May 2008.

The HACSUassist desk top campaign involved making telephone and email contact with members to assist them through the process of gaining permanency.

In order to facilitate this process the following activities were undertaken;

• Bulk emails were sent to members informing them of the moratorium and asking them to register with HACSUassist

• Calls were taken from members who wanted to register and record their employment history

• Members were emailed regularly with updated information on the progress of the moratorium

• Members were contacted by phone or email to establish whether Departmental staff had progressed their request for conversion to permanency

• If member claims were rejected, they were asked to contact Human Resources and determine why their claim was rejected

On numerous occasions HACSUassist contact centre staff became involved in advocating for members if their claim for permanency was rejected.

Consequently, some decisions made by the State Service were overturned and some members sought a review into their actions through the State Service Commissioner.

From the 165 registrations HACSUassist received;

• 129 members were made permanent

• 29 members were either already permanent, did not meet the criteria, or had ceased employment; and Seven members appealed

HACSU state Secretary Chris Brown said that "this moratorium campaign was considered to be the litmus test for conduct and success of desk top campaigns conducted by HACSUassist."

"Everything that HACSUassist has learnt and achieved throughout this campaign will ensure that future campaigns of this type are even more successful. "