Home page
> APS legislative framework > Circulars and advices
> Employment policy and advice
‹ Previous page

Circulars and advices

The Australian Public Service Commission issues advices and circulars to agencies outlining changes in APS people and performance management. The following advices and circulars are current under the Public Service Act 1999 unless otherwise indicated. This includes advices issued with the release of the Public Service Act 1999.

Inquiries

Inquiries of a general nature including policy or conditions should be directed to your agency's HR or corporate area. APS agencies' senior managers and HR/corporate areas can contact the Commission's Employment Policy Adviceline on phone (02) 6202 3859 or email employmentadvice@apsc.gov.au if they require further assistance or information.

Employment policy

The information in individual advices/circulars may have been amended or updated by subsequent publications or circulars. A list of current operative publications and circulars - listed by subject heading - can be found on our employment policy page.

Select a year
2010	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003	2002	2001	2000

2010

Workplace Relations Advice 4 of 2010: Agreement Making During a Caretaker Period
From 1 July 2010 responsibility for Australian Government policies for public sector agreement-making, classification structures, APS pay and employment conditions, work level standards and workplace relations advice, has been transferred from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to the Commission.

Workplace Relations Advice 3 of 2010: Interpretation of the Australian Government Employment Bargaining Framework from 1 July 2010
During the caretaker period, the business of government continues and ordinary matters of administration still need to be addressed. However, successive governments have followed a series of practices, known as the 'caretaker conventions', which aim to ensure that their actions do not bind an incoming government and limit its freedom of action.

Circular 2010/3: Changes to timeframes for lodging Review of Actions
The Public Service Act 1999 provides that an APS employee is entitled to review of any APS action relating to his or her employment, subject to the Public Service Regulations 1999. Under the Regulations an action may not be reviewable if the application for review is made outside the time limit established for review.

Circular 2010/2: Engagement of people with disability through disability employment service providers
This circular advises that the Public Service Commissioner’s Directions 1999 have been amended to provide greater flexibility for APS agencies to employ people with disability.

Circular 2010/1: Engagement of redundancy benefit recipients
This circular relates to certain restrictions on the employment in the APS of persons who have received a redundancy benefit from an APS agency or from the Australian Parliamentary Service.

2009

Circular 2009/6: Protocols for online media participation
This circular, which has been prepared in conjunction with the Australian Government Information Management Office, is to advise agencies of new guidance for APS employees participating in online media that encourages involvement in robust policy conversations in a professional and respectful manner.

Circular 2009/5: Service for redundancy pay purposes – Employees with prior service with the ACT Public Service
The Australian Capital Territory’s Commissioner for Public Administration has advised that recent amendments to the ACT Public Sector Management Standards 2006 will impact on the calculation of redundancy benefits for certain APS employees who have prior service with the ACTPS.

Circular 2009/4: Disclosure of official information
This circular reminds agencies of the responsibilities and rights of APS employees in relation to the disclosure of official information, particularly when dealing with non-Government members of the Parliament

Circular 2009/3: Reintegration of statutory office holders into the APS
Where a person resumes duties as an ongoing APS employee following a period as a statutory office holder in an APS agency, there is now scope for an Agency Head to promote the person without the normal advertising and selection process

Circular 2009/1: Revised edition of Merit and Transparency policy and guidelines
The purpose of this circular is to advise agencies that a revised edition of the policy and guidelines Merit and Transparency: Merit-based selection of APS agency heads and APS statutory office holders is now available on the Commission’s website

2008

Circular 2008/7: Code of Conduct for Ministerial Staff
This circular provides information on the Government’s Code of Conduct for Ministerial Staff and how it will operate

Circular 2008/6: Revised edition of Handling Misconduct publication
The purpose of this circular is to advise agencies that a revised edition of the publication Handling Misconduct – a human resources practitioner’s guide to the reporting and handling of suspected and determined breaches of the APS Code of Conduct is now available on the Commission’s website and, for the first time, in hard copy

Circular No 2008/5: Electronic publication of the APS Employment Database Manual 2008
The purpose of this circular is to advise agencies that the revised APS Employment Database (APSED) manual 2008 is now available on the Commission's website.

Circular No 2008/4: Requirements relating to the Lobbying Code of Conduct and post separation contact with Government
The circular follows the release of the Government's Lobbying Code of Conduct, which requires all professional lobbyists who approach Government representatives to be registered with the The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, to provide details of who they represent and to maintain particular standards of integrity in their lobbying work.

Circular No 2008/3: Providing information on Code of Conduct investigation outcomes to complainants
This circular provides guidance about what information Australian Public Service (APS) agencies can or should give complainants about the outcome of their complaints.

Circular No 2008/2: APSjobs website enhancements
The www.APSjobs.gov.au website, launched in August 2007, provides a single entry point for Australian Public Service employment opportunities. The website now has a number of new features and enhancements. Attached is a summary of all features now available.

Circular No. 2008/1: Amendments to the Public Service Commissioner's Directions 1999 — Engagement of non-ongoing Senior Executive Service employees
The purpose of this circular is to advise agencies of a change that has been made to the Public Service Commissioner's Directions 1999. The change clarifies the capacity of APS agencies to engage a Senior Executive Service (SES) employee on a non-ongoing basis for no more than 12 months without the employment opportunity needing to be notified.

2007

Circular No 2007/5: Involvement of public servants in public information and awareness initiatives
This circular provides new APS-wide policy guidelines on the participation of public servants in public information and awareness initiatives.

Circular No 2007/4: APSjobs website and the Australian Public Service Gazette
There have been recent changes to the presentation of the Australian Public Service Gazette (APS Gazette) with the release of a new website, www.APSjobs.gov.au.

Circular No 2007/3: Post Separation Employment: Policy Guidelines
The Commission has issued revised policy guidelines on the management of possible conflicts of interest and other probity issues when employees leave the APS to take up employment in fields that are aligned to their APS responsibilities.

Circular No 2007/2: The Privacy Act and employee information concerning Code of Conduct matters
This circular clarifies the circumstances in which information can be provided concerning Code of Conduct matters when APS employees move from one APS agency to another. The circular takes into account the Privacy Act 1988.

Circular No 2007/1: Declarations of personal Interests: Revised Policy Guidelines
This circular advises changes to APS-wide policy on the requirement for some APS employees to submit written declarations of their financial and other personal interests.

2006

Circular No 2006/7: Planning for influenza pandemic issues – APS employment issues
This circular provides information to agencies on the range of powers available to them under the Public Service Act 1999 which may be of assistance in preparing for and responding to possible scenarios arising in the lead up to and during an influenza pandemic.

Circular 2006/6: Use of special measures to fill employment opportunities for people with intellectual disability
This circular outlines the measures that can be used by agencies in recruitment exercises to increase the representation of people with disability in the APS.

Circular No 2006/4: APS staff selection exercises – Use of external providers
This circular provides additional advice to agencies in respect of staff selection exercises.

Circular No 2006/3: Amendment to the Public Service Regulations 1999
This Circular provides advice on the amendment to the Public Service Regulations 1999 (the Regulations) concerning the disclosure of information.

Circular No 2006/1: Use of identified criteria and special measures to fill employment opportunities
This circular outlines the difference between these options when used in APS recruitment exercises.

2005

Circular No 2005/5: Amendments to the Prime Minister's Public Service directions 1999 – Leave without pay
The purpose of this circular is to advise of an amendment to the arrangements set out in the Prime Minister’s Public Service Directions 1999 dealing with mandatory leave without pay for APS employees to take up a full time statutory appointment.

Circular No 2005/2: Advice to agencies on the continuation of allocating AGS numbers
The purpose of this circular is to advise agencies about the use of Australian Government Staff Numbers (AGSNs) with regards to the introduction of ComSuper’s new Public Sector Superannuation Scheme Accumulation Plan (PSSAP).

2004

Circular No 2004/3: Amendments to the Public Service Regulations 1999 and the Public Service Commissioner's Directions 1999 — Election Candidates And Other Technical Amendments
The purpose of this circular is to advise agencies of a number of changes that have been made to the Public Service Regulations 1999 (the Regulations) and the Public Service Commissioner's Directions 1999 (the Directions).

Circular No 2004/1: Amendments to the Public Service Regulations 1999 and to the Public Service Commissioner's Directions 1999-(A) mobility between the Australian Public Service and the Parliamentary Service and (B) judgement debts
The purpose of this circular is to advise agencies of changes to the Public Service Regulations 1999 (the Regulations) and to the Public Service Commissioner's Directions 1999 (the Directions) dealing with the mobility arrangements between the Australian Public Service (APS) and the Parliamentary Service, and minor changes to the Regulations relating to judgement debts.

2002

Circular 2002/10: Attachment of salaries to satisfy a judgment debt
This Circular advises agencies of the amendment to the Public Service Regulations which took effect on 12 September 2002 regarding the satisfaction of judgment debts

Circular 2002/5: Breaches of the Code of Conduct - reduction in salary for a specified period
This Circular clarifies the position in relation to a sanction of reduction in salary for a specified period

2001

Circular 2001/6: Mobility arrangements between the Australian Public Service and the Parliamentary Service
The purpose of this circular is to advise of the changes recently made to the Parliamentary Service Act 1999 which ensure mobility between the APS and the Parliamentary Service.

Circular 2001/5: Electronic Transactions Act 1999
The purpose of this circular is to provide an update on the implication of the Electronic Transactions Act 1999 for communication arising as a consequence of action under various provisions of the Public Service Act 1999.

Circular 2001/4: Whistleblowers' reports
The purpose of this Circular is to clarify the interaction of an agency's investigation of whistleblowers' reports and procedures to determine whether misconduct has occurred; the role of the the Commissioners when a whistleblower's report is made to them; and the extent of an agency's obligation to inform a person making a whistleblower's report about any misconduct action that may arise.

Circular 2001/3: Supplementary information for APS employees contesting elections
This Circular has two purposes: to provide supplementary information for APS employees who wish to contest an election in the Australian Capital Territory or South Australia; and to highlight the importance of the APS Values in these circumstances.

Circular 2001/2: Requirements for APS employees seeking to contest an election
This Circular reminds agencies of the requirements of the Constitution and of the Public Service legislation regarding APS employees who wish to contest a federal, state or territory election.

Circular 2001/1: Cooperative arrangements between the Commonwealth and the states
This circular advises agencies of the implications of the High Court's decision in R V Hughes (2000 171 ALR 155) on the conferral of State powers on Commonwealth officials. Includes form.

2000

Circular 2000/7: Amendments to the Public Service Commissioner's Directions
This circular advises agencies of changes to the Public Service Commissioner's Directions, made under the Public Service Act 1999

Circular 2000/6: Public Service Amendment Regulations 2000 (No 1)
This circular advises agencies of changes to the Public Service Regulations, made under the Public Service Act 1999

Circular 2000/5: Termination of employment under paragraph 29(3)(d) of the Public Service Act 1999 - inability to perform duties because of physical or mental incapacity
Concerns the use of the Public Service Act 1999 to terminate the employment of an APS employee because of incapacity where the employee is not eligible for invalidity benefits under superannuation legislation

Circular 2000/4: Resignation and failure to return to duty
Explains how resignation under the Public Service Act 1999 is different in some respects from resignation under the old PS Act

Site help

Site menu