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Engagement of an ongoing employee, movement and promotion
About engagement:
The engagement and any subsequent movements or promotions of an ongoing employee is strictly governed by the Public Service Act 1999, the Public Service Regulations 1999 and the Public Service Commissioner's Directions 1999. The legislative instruments govern matters such as release dates and whose agreement is required so that the transfer is effective.
Current directive publications, circulars & advices:
- Ongoing Employment - Recruitment and related issues (as amended by 2006/2, 2006/4)
- Conditions of Engagement
- Citizenship in the Australian Public Service
- Probation (2003) (as amended by 2003/7)
- Circular No 2008/3: Providing information on Code of Conduct investigation outcomes to complainants
- Circular No 2007/2: The Privacy Act and employee information on Code of Conduct matters
- Circular No 2006/7: Planning for influenza pandemic issues - APS employment issues
- Circular No 2006/1: Use of identified criteria and special measures to fill employment opportunities (as amended by 2006/6)
- Circular No 2003/4: New Apprenticeships
- Advice No 14: Promotion Reviews (as amended by 2000/6)
- Advice No 15: Independent Selection Advisory Committees
- Advice No 16: Machinery of Government changes
- Advice No 17: Reciprocal Mobility - Replacement Arrangements (as amended by 2001/6, 2004/1)
- Advice No 24: Miscellaneous Issues (as amended by 2001/3, 2002/10, 2004/1, Conditions of Engagement)
- Advice No 29: Limitations on the engagement of persons who have received a redundancy benefit (as amended by 2003/5, 2006/5)
- Advice No 31: Gazette notifications (as amended by 2000/6, 2000/7, 2004/3, 2007/4, 2008/2)
- Advice No 36: Engagement of ongoing and non-ongoing non-SES employees
Current good practice advice
Reference archive
- The Essentials: Appointment and Probation (1997)
- The Essentials: Recruitment and Selection (1996)
- Circular No 1999/3: Probationary Appointments to the Australian Public Service (APS) - Effect of the Australian Public Service Award 1988 (APS Award) and Amendments to the Workplace Relations Regulations Note - 1999/3 and 1999/4 should be read together
- Circular No 1999/4: Probationary Appointments to the Australian Public Service (APS) - Disallowance of Amendments to the Workplace Relations Regulations Note - this Circular rescinds some of the changes notified in 1999/3; Note - 1999/3 and 1999/4 should be read together
Frequently asked questions
- An employment agency has forwarded an application for an advertised vacancy - is the APS agency bound to consider it?
- Are there any special legislative provisions relevant to selection of staff on, or anticipating, maternity leave?
- Can a person have dual employment in the APS?
- Can a work area use one selection exercise to select for employment opportunities at different classifications?
- Can an agency use generic selection criteria for individual selection exercises or for bulk recruitment exercises across different work areas?
- Can an employment agency seek placement fees from the APS?
- Can an employment decision be cancelled?
- Can I be employed in the Australian Public Service within 12 months after accepting a redundancy benefit?
- Can I get a job in the Australian Public Service if I have a criminal record or have been declared bankrupt?
- Do opportunities to perform duties temporarily at a higher classification level (higher duties) need to be advertised?
- Does an excess employee have any special status in a selection process?
- Does an unsuccessful election candidate have a right of return to the APS?
- How do I apply for graduate postions in the APS?
- How do I find out what employment opportunities are available in the Australian Public Service?
- How do I impose a health, character and/or security clearance as a condition of engagement?
- I am applying for an Australian Public Service job and the selection criteria specify knowledge of the following:
- workplace diversity - sometimes still referred to as equal employment opportunity (EEO) as it was known under the former Act;
- cooperative workplace relations - sometimes still referred to as Industrial Democracy (ID) as it was known under the former Act;
- occupational health and safety (OH&S).
- I am a non-ongoing (temporary) employee. How can I become an ongoing (permanent) employee?
- I have been acting in my job for a long time - can I be automatically promoted to it?
- If an applicant declines an offer of employment do they stay on the order of merit?
- Must a person be released to take up other duties?
- Must a selection decision be based on advertising and competitive processes?
- What are the administrative law principles relevant to recruitment and selection?
- What are the APS employment classifications?
- What are the rules about advertising to supplement a Gazette notification?
- What are the rules about providing feedback and releasing selection documentation?
- What guidelines must be followed in a staff selection exercise?
- What happens when the government implements administrative re-arrangements?
- What is a promotion?
- What is the basis for selecting a person for temporary higher duties?
- What is the best selection process for a non-ongoing employment opportunity that may become ongoing?
- What is the practice when an agency decides that work performed by a non-ongoing employee should be performed by an ongoing employee?
- What limitations are there on assigning different duties to an employee?
