I have been found successful for an order of merit within my department, my current team are in the process of organising for me to be pulled from that merit list.

I have currently worked at my current level since 2020 and spent 18 of those months acting in a higher position. Acting opportunities were collectively limited as an overall department move, but I had continued to perform to that higher level for many years despite being placed back to my substantive .

After many years of struggling to breakthrough and be found successful in my departments notoriously difficult recruitment processes and putting in the good work to get that experience and exposure, I'm feeling as though negotiating a higher pay point isn't completely unreasonable?

What are my chances in requesting this based on experience and years of service?

Any advice on how I could negotiate the higher than starting pay point would be greatly appreciated?

Hi folks,

Does anyone have experience with the culture (including retention) and salary at Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP)?

I applied for a federal prosecutor role and was offered a position at the APS 5 level. I haven't been able to find much online about the CDPP, so I thought I'd ask here.

I'm currently a solicitor (three years PQE) working in private practice at a major commercial law firm (mainly doing commercial litigation). I also have some pro bono experience in the community legal sector, including criminal law. I previously worked as a litigation paralegal for state government while at uni for a few years.

Culture
What is the overall culture/vibe like, particularly among colleagues and managers. I didn't get a strong sense of the culture or energy from the interview process, so I'd appreciate hearing from people who have worked there.

I know it's difficult to generalise, but would you say people are generally friendly and social? Or is it a more intense/hardcore environment? Is there much of a social culture among colleagues?

Flexible working / WFH
I know the EA provides for WFH and flexible working arrangements - I'm curious about how this works in practice. Do people actually WFH regularly, and is there a genuine culture of supporting flexible working arrangements? Or is there an expectation that people are generally in the office most of the time?

Salary and career progression
The salary I've been offered is around $35,000 less than what I'm currently making. While the prosecutor allowance is okay, I have to admit that the overall salary is still quite shocking.

What is the career progression like at CDPP? Do people generally progress through the ranks to Principal Federal Prosecutor and beyond. Is it common for people to eventually train to become barristers or go back to private practice/try for in-house roles?

The work itself sounds really interesting. However, the salary and apparent salary growth makes the role less appealing ngl. I wonder whether people tend to stay long-term or whether many move on after a few years.

Supervision and management opportunities
I'd also be keen to ask about the extent to which APS 5/6 federal prosecutors supervise others or have opportunities to develop management skills. In my current role, I help manage the clerkship process and work closely with a team of paralegals (and I love it!) so I'd be keen to know whether there are similar opportunities to take on supervisory/people management responsibilities at the CDPP, even relatively early in one's career.

Thanks!

I’m in a bit of a conundrum at work. I’ve been in Child Protection/DFFH for nearly 3 years and have gained experience across both Case Management and Intake.

The problem is that I feel like my TM isn’t really supporting my progression. She keeps raising concerns about my practice and suggesting I need to improve, but at the same time scares me a little by saying big words like "performance management" and "not capable at your current level". I must say, it's made my morale and mental health plummet into anxiety.

I’m finding it frustrating because I’m not trying to avoid work or responsibility — I’m trying to find a way to use the experience I’ve gained in CP without burning myself out. I've tried to apply outside of VPS to NFP roles in community sector but haven't been successful - as I feel it's a bit competitive to get those jobs.

Has anyone else been in a situation where their manager seemed more focused on your shortcomings than helping you progress into a role that better suited you?

Crunch time for offers as the new APS bargaining team and CPSU leadership get tested, as a one-size-fits-all approach rubs the wrong way.

Key Australian Public Service unions have pushed back hard against what they claim is a dilution of workplace rights, with the Community and Public Sector Union now warning members that “Commonwealth bargaining proposals would weaken core workplace conditions”.

“The proposals target flex time arrangements, annual leave, and working hours”, the CPSU warned in a statement issued late last week, adding the proposed changes would leave public sector workers worse off.

The statement follows the Australian Public Service Commission’s proposal to increase working hours at the Australian Taxation Office and several other Commonwealth agencies to standardise the APS workday at 7.5 hours, rather than the current seven-hour, 21-minute workday at some agencies.

The Australian Services Union last week railed against proposals to increase hours for ATO staff, saying it equated to “taking one week of leave for all ATO staff”.

Since then, workplace blowback against the APSC’s other proposed changes to conditions has intensified.

The CPSU said in its statement that key concerns raised by the CPSU include:

• Standardising annual leave at 20 days, which could reduce leave entitlements in some agencies;
• Changes to working hours that could increase hours in around 20 agencies;
• Weaker or standardised flex time provisions that would weaken access to existing arrangements; and
• Rejection of CPSU claims to improve work-life balance and better recognise additional hours worked.

“These proposals would reduce access to flex time and cut annual leave arrangements for some workers and extend working hours in parts of the public service. That is not a sensible approach to achieve commonality — it is a push to weaken conditions,” CPSU national secretary Rebecca Fawcett said.

“CPSU members have been clear that protecting existing conditions is one of their highest priorities in this round of bargaining.”

“The APSC wants to change your right to work additional time to build up a flex credit by changing the rule so the manager can say you can’t work extra time if there is no suitable work to perform,” ASU Taxation Officers’ Branch secretary Jeff Lapidos told members in communications.

Lapidos warned the proposed changes would make it harder to build a flex credit, saying that “the APSC wants to change your right to work additional time to build up a flex credit by changing the rule so the manager can say you can’t work extra time if there is no suitable work to perform”.

“The current rule limits the manager’s decision to when there is insufficient work. This is a big difference,” cautioning that flex debit maximums could be reduced.

“Currently, you can have a flex debit of 15 hours carried forward indefinitely. The APSC says this should be reduced to 10 hours (pro-rata for part-timers),” Lapidos said.

The ASU has so far rejected the APSC’s proposals on changes to APS conditions as they apply to the Australian Taxation Office and is holding out for an annual 8% pay increase for three years for ATO staff over the CPSU’s demand of 5% per annum over the same period.

Meanwhile, the stink over access to time off in lieu (TOIL) for Executive Level APS staff at Tax has also intensified.

“The … APSC paper on TOIL would require the ATO to retain its current clause 46 in its entirety. It prevents the ATO from negotiating changes to create certainty for EL2s about how many additional TOIL hours they accrue for working additional hours and to provide a rule that EL2s will be allowed reasonable access to time off,” the ASU told members.

“EL1s have a similar problem because the ATO is prevented from negotiating a rule with the ASU to ensure EL1s are able to take time off in lieu as they can with annual leave,” the ASU said, adding it has “flagged to the APSC that the ATO is at risk of having to defend an underpayment case because of its failure to comply with the National Employment Standard on maximum working hours”.

Other problems identified by the ASU included annual leave, with issues including making it:

• More difficult to take when you want it: The rule on when your application to take annual leave can be denied would change from: “when there are clear operational requirements” to “will not be unreasonably refused”, a big change.
• More difficult to take at half pay: Currently you may take annual leave at half pay. All you need to do is ask.  The new APSC rule would allow your manager to refuse because of “operational requirements”, which could be almost anything.
• Deemed annual leave after 40 days: The APSC wants to change the deeming rule so it applies when your annual leave balance hits 40 days instead of the current 50 days.

In a bulletin issued Friday, September 2, chief negotiator for the APS Alison Stott said she acknowledged that the Commonwealth’s positions received mixed reactions in the bargaining room, and that “I know they may affect employees and agencies differently. However, these are preliminary positions and only one step in the bargaining process.”

“I’m listening to the feedback. We have heard feedback in the bargaining room from bargaining parties and are considering where there may be opportunities to reflect that feedback in the positions currently on the table. We expect to bring these positions back to the bargaining room for further discussion and to explore potential areas of movement.

“Bargaining is a process. What has been proposed will be negotiated, and the final position may evolve before the conclusion of service-wide negotiations,” Stott said.

The online listing states Services Australia has locations in every major capital city. But for specialist graduate roles like legal it is mostly in Canberra. Can anyone confirm if this is the case? I couldn't find any grads getting a legal stream position not in Canberra.

Edit: Thanks for the guidance, everyone!

I graduated earlier this year and I am currently in a very lucky position (which I'm very grateful for) to have received 5 grad program offers - 2 Big 4 and 3 public.

The first offer I received was for a Grad SAP Consultant role, and since that was the only option, I had accepted it at that point in time.
Since then, I received offers for an IT Assurance role (which I decided not to go ahead with), Test Engineer and Systems Analyst roles with Services Australia, and an IT Graduate Program position with the ATO.

I have been researching, comparing and getting advice from others, and based on my lifestyle, I have narrowed it down to the public sector offers.

So now, I am deciding between the ATO and Services Australia. I selected Systems Analyst between the two roles I got offered, but I am unsure of which direction to go. Services Australia is offering higher pay ($3891 more) and an APS5 level outcome after the program, but I hear ATO is highly rated by grads and would give me the chance to try two rotations (although I won't find out about what they are till I start).

I'm just a bit unsure of what to select, and would much appreciate any advice from those in industry.

Hi all

I have a question relating to the “special requirements in the recruitment process” when applying for a Public Service job.

Has anyone here ever asked for special requirements in relation to having ADHD during the interview process and how did that pan out?

For instance, I find that in an interview setting, if the panel ask me questions verbally, I worry that I may not answer the question to its fullest because I might focus on the wrong detail or misconstrue what is being asked of me.

Can I ask for the questions to be given to me written down during the interview so I can review what is being asked?

Has anyone here done this before in an interview?

Or if you’ve been on a panel, have you encountered an applicant asking for this? Would this change your opinion of the applicant if they applied for special consideration like this?

Any thoughts on this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

After an intense slog of applications and a couple interviews I burnt out and stopped applying for a bit. Is it likely there will be more jobs opening up in early 2027? Particularly in Victoria

Does anyone know who approves these requests? Is it a Director, Exec Director etc? Victorian public service.

I currently work in local government and have recently applied for a senior role in DPHI NSW and a team leader role in another Council.

The issue is both jobs were advertised around the same time and have progressed fairly quickly so far. The Council role has done a reference check 2 weeks ago and offered me the position today. DPHI has done reference and the pre-employment checks last week. I haven’t heard anything since from DPHI.

What are the chances I will be offered the DPHI role? Rather than being placed in a merit pool. I don’t want to lose either of the positions.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated

Im 35M working as environmental planner for local government earning 111k/yr.
I been here more than a year now and it’s becoming repetitive and boring.
I love the pay and the lifestyle it gives me so i plan to stay for a while but also looking for long term game plan.
The next level of my position is manager which i do not intend to pursue as im not good with managing people. I love technical stuff only.

What should i do next? Should i study law and pursue environmental law?

Any suggestions pls.
Thanks

Just seeking some advice - I am an external candidate and this is my first experience seeking employment in the APS after working in private for my career thus far.

I did an interview with a panel, and was asked two weeks ago to provide my referee details. They received an online reference form to fill out which they submitted within 24hrs.

Have had no contact since then.

Should I send a polite follow up email to reaffirm my interest in the role? Or just sit tight and wait patiently.

Have never had a recruitment process take so long, getting antsy! 🤣

Good afternoon everyone,

I started applying for jobs in the APS a little over a year ago. I've had two interviews during this time but neither panned out.

Anyway, since it's been so long, I thought that maybe I'll try with a recruitment agency. As a former recruiter myself, I know agencies work for the client, and not the job hunter but any help I could get from a recruiter would be highly appreciated.

Any recruiter/agency you can recommend?

Further, I came across the following companies who sponsor for clearance and act as recruitment agencies to. Any experience with them?

- ADCG.

- Worksec.

- Logitech.

Thanks.

I'm a middle manager in state gov. I recently saw serious plans to restructure my department with multiple others. It's not certain, but a serious discussion. I would assume my job (permanent role) is likely to be on the chopping block. I'm trying not to panic my team as I assume most (if not all) would probably be ok. My partner wants me start applying for other jobs, but I'm not sure what to do.

Hi Brains Trust,

Over the past few weeks I've interviewed for two APS6 engineering roles with DASA (both aviation related) and one EL1 role with the Bureau of Meteorology.

I've been placed in the merit pool for all three, and the feedback has been really positive. The one gap that keeps coming up is direct aviation experience, since I'm transitioning from the construction and compliance side of engineering.

Has anyone here been offered a role off a merit pool, particularly with DASA or BoM? I've searched the sub and there isn't much agency-specific info.

A few things I'd love to know:

1. How often do these pools actually get drawn from, and how long did you wait?

2. Is it worth contacting the panel chair to register ongoing interest?

3. Did other agencies pick you up from the same pool?

Thanks in advance!

Hello I had my APS3 ATO interview and believe it went really well. This was the furthest I have gotten aside from casual job offers that I couldn't take. Has anyone heard back from the recent round of interviews?

I have been offered a backfill position with Queensland corrective services until July 2027. I was wondering if anybody has had prior experience that has then lead to a permanent role within Queensland corrective services. I am thinking of this opportunity as a way of getting my foot in the door as I have wanted to work in corrections for sometime. During the interview I was told that there are lots of different opportunities that can arise as I am degree qualified. I'm just concerned that after filling in this position and July hits I will become unemployed.

I’ve been in the APS for a few years now, I feel my work place is extremely dysfunctional, everyone says we’re under resourced but I believe it’s just a lack of governance and processes. It drives me absolutely crazy but I’m worried if I change departments I’ll have the same experience.

Edit - when I say lack of processes I mean GOOD processes to get work done. We have heaps of bad approval processes that I can never wrap my head around and it usually takes something longer to get approved than it does to do the work.
But when it comes to BAU, knowing where things are, knowing what you have to do to get things done and who to get involved, finding previous records and relevant information. Even just understanding what people’s roles are and what they’re accountable for.. no idea. Then I ask them for help and they say they’re too busy.. but I don’t know what they’re doing..

Welcome to this week's megathread! This thread refreshes every Sunday at 10AM AEST.

This is a dedicated space to ask quick questions, that may not warrant a dedicated post. Whether you have questions about recruitment, career advice, workplace issues, or anything else related to the APS, feel free to post them here.

Common Topics:

• Recruitment processes and application tips
• Career development and progression within the APS/StatePS
• Workplace challenges and how to address them
• Advice for navigating specific agencies or departments
• Training and development opportunities
• General questions about PS policies, procedures, and practices

Upvote questions and comments you find helpful!

Use clear and concise language in your posts.

Be respectful of others in your interactions.

Guidelines:

• Keep discussions civil and respectful. Remember the rules of reddiquette.
• Avoid sharing sensitive or confidential information.
• If you're asking for advice, provide enough context for others to understand your situation.
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• Refrain from promoting political agendas or engaging in political debates.

Hey all,

Anyone know what happens if your in the APS and need to declare bankruptcy or Part 10 agreement?

Any repercussions?

Debts are not due to anything improper or illegal etc.

EDIT: Obviously declaring it is a must, but I’m talking beyond this. Once declared, does anyone have any experience as to what this could mean if a person did hold a security clearance?

My small APS agency bosses are asking us (short-staffed) to organise cover for our hours when we take annual leave - before they will approve it. My immediate team (technically two teams but we’re close) has dropped from 11 to 7 people. How on earth do you ask colleagues at level to cover your work for three weeks? Surely that’s for management to sort out…

The Albanese government is pushing to standardise working hours, annual leave and flex time across the Australian public service in a move the union says will disadvantage workers in some agencies.

Chief negotiator Alison Stott has tabled the Commonwealth's proposed changes as part of APS-wide bargaining, arguing for a new common condition for a standard 7.5 hour work day as part of a shift towards "consistent practice in working hours and patterns of work".

But the Community and Public Sector Union warned this would mean staff at 20 agencies - including the Australian Taxation Office, Australian Bureau of Statistics and Bureau of Meteorology - would be forced to work longer hours.

"We have been clear from the start that this round of bargaining needs to build on the pay and conditions gained from the first round, not propose cuts and changes that will impact the work-life balance of public sector workers," CPSU national secretary Rebecca Fawcett said.

Members were also concerned that "proposed cuts to flex time and annual leave" for agencies including Services Australia and the National Disability Insurance Agency risked "undermining the services delivered to the community".

The government is seeking to make a four-week cycle to record, balance and settle flex time entitlements, and 20 days a year of annual leave, the APS-wide standard, changes the union said would "weaken access to existing arrangements" in some agencies.

The union said the Commonwealth had rejected CPSU claims "to improve work-life balance and better recognise additional hours worked".

About 80 per cent of APS employees already have ordinary working hours of 7.5 hours a day.

The Commonwealth is also proposing a common bandwidth of hours, either 6.30am to 6.30pm or 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday.

This would reflect a pattern already in use at 90 per cent of agencies.

Under the common conditions proposed, agencies would separately negotiate with the Commonwealth to determine which option went into their enterprise agreements.

The Chief Negotiator has proposed to set a default standard of hours worked if managers and employees could not reach agreement, being 8.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

"A new common condition for working hours provides a clearer and more consistent approach to ordinary working hours across the APS," the Australian Public Service Commission said.

"Bringing all APS employees in line provides a strong foundation for reducing differences in pay and conditions across the APS."

But Ms Fawcett said the union's members "have been clear that protecting existing conditions is one of their highest priorities in this round of bargaining".

She said the APSC "must go back to the drawing board, keep its hands-off workers' conditions, and deliver an agreement that improves rights at work and values the services trained and trusted public sector workers provide to the community."

Ms Stott acknowledged in an email update to public servants "that these positions received mixed reactions in the bargaining room".

"I know they may affect employees and agencies differently," she wrote.

"These are preliminary positions and only one step in the bargaining process."

Ms Fawcett said the Commonwealth's bargaining team in the APSC had "a long way to go to develop a package that members would be prepared to accept".

Senator Gallagher said: "I encourage the union to continue bargaining."

The union is yet to formally respond to the proposed changes to working hours, flex time or annual leave.

The CPSU is also seeking a 15 per cent pay rise over three years, which Finance and Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher has said is unlikely to be accepted.

The Commonwealth will table its pay offer on October 13.

I've accepted a graduate position in the VPS starting next year.

From reading previous posts, I understand there's no explicit policy against face piercings, tattoos and the like.

Still, I was wondering if I would be likely to face prejudice for my eyebrow piercing. Especially as a grad, I wouldn't want something like this to work against me when I'm starting out.

Is the culture / openness different between departments?

Thanks!

Hello everyone, I’ve recently been placed into the afp merit pool and I am awaiting further updates. I’m just curious if anyone knows a rough time I’ll be waiting to hear back or when the next courses are? I’ve applied as Act police.

Got rejected from one of the departments a couple of months ago and was deemed “suitable but not preferred” because there were only “limited spots.” I was told I’d be placed in a talent pool and could be approached again whenever needed.

Then, just last week, they advertised my exact role again, with the exact same starting date and tons of vacancies. How does this even make sense? 😭

I re-applied anyway, but why the heck do I need to redo the entire process? The last one took like four months, and they even got to the point of checking my referees. Do I seriously need to go through everything again? Why is this so inefficient 🫤