The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) has issued a Circular setting out arrangements for APS Agencies and staff to embrace working from home during the current Coronavirus pandemic.
Circular 2020/3: COVID-19 – Remote working and evolving working arrangements calls on Departments to assess situations in which employees are unable to serve the Australian public in their usual way, due to the CODIV-19 outbreak.
“The focus of Agencies and employees should be on delivering critical functions to Australian public,” the Circular says.
“The Government considers the Australian Public Service to be an essential service which needs to keep working in order to keep Australians safe, and ensure that services are delivered to the Australian people.”
It says its advice applied to all APS employees including ongoing, non-ongoing and casual employees.
“It does not cover situations where an employee has been diagnosed with COVID-19, is caring for somebody who has, and/or is required to self-isolate by a relevant health authority.”
APS Commissioner Peter Woolcott said the APS was working in “extraordinary times” and it was critical that staff were deployed to where needs were greatest.
“To ensure this is the case, the Prime Minister signed a Determination asking Agency heads to facilitate movement of staff between Agencies urgently to perform critical functions,” Mr Woolcott said.
“We can provide the support our community needs, but it is going to require the contribution of the entire APS,” he said.
Every public servant who can work, should work, the Commissioner said.
He said the decision of whether employees worked in their usual office, a different office, or from home, was a matter for the head of each Agency.
“Agency heads have always had the flexibility for employees to work at home subject to operational requirements,” he said.
“But current circumstances mean as soon as practicable Agency heads should facilitate their staff working from home where possible.
He said working from home was now “a priority, wherever practicable”.
“If working from home is not possible due to operational requirements, Agencies must ensure staff working in office environments are adhering to social distancing principles, and following the latest health and hygiene advice from the Department of Health, and the Chief Medical Officer,” Mr Woolcott said.
The new APSC Circular COVID-19 – Remote working and evolving work arrangements can be accessed at this PS News link.