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Frequently asked questions
Policy FAQs
Questions on:
These frequently asked questions are a consolidation of questions from a number of sources and are indicative of the questions posed to the Commission's Employment Policy Adviceline and the Policy Group in the Commission.
About the APS
- What is the Australian Public Service (APS)?
- What are the APS employment classifications?
- How do I find out more about the Australian Public Service and its departments and agencies?
- What does a ‘career-based’ service mean?
The Gazette
- What is the Gazette?
- Where can I access previous Gazettes?
- What are the rules about advertising to supplement a Gazette notification?
- Can private companies and government agencies advertise their products and services on the Gazette?
- Are there other Gazettes published by the Commonwealth Government?
- Who can I contact if I have further queries about Gazette lodgements and searches?
Getting a job in the APS
- How do I find out what employment opportunities are available in the Australian Public Service?
- How do I apply for a job in the Australian Public Service?
- Do I need to sit the Public Service Board test to gain employment in the APS?
- Why is there an Australian citizenship requirement for APS jobs?
- What are conditions of engagement?
- Can I get a job in the Australian Public Service if I have a criminal record or have been declared bankrupt?
- Can I be employed in the Australian Public Service within 12 months after accepting a redundancy benefit?
- How do I apply for graduate positions in the APS?
- Can a person have dual employment in the APS?
- Does an unsuccessful election candidate have a right of return to the APS?
Applying for APS jobs
- 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).
Where can I get information on these?
- What privacy rules apply when engaging an APS employee?
Conditions of engagement
- When can a condition be imposed?
- Can I impose a condition after someone has been engaged?
- How long can a condition of engagement last for?
- What happens when a condition is met?
- What happens if a condition is not or cannot be met?
- How do I engage someone who is not an Australian citizen?
- What is meant by a condition of engagement relating to formal qualifications?
- Do new employees need a health, character and/or security clearance?
- How do I impose a health, character and/or security clearance as a condition of engagement?
- What about if I use a recruitment company? (see below)
Ongoing (permanent) staffing
- I am a non-ongoing (temporary) employee. How can I become an ongoing (permanent) employee?
- What is a promotion?
- I have been acting in my job for a long time - can I be automatically promoted to it?
- Must a person be released to take up other duties?
- What is the practice when an agency decides that work performed by a non-ongoing employee should be performed by an ongoing employee?
Non-ongoing (temporary) staffing
- Do opportunities to perform duties temporarily at a higher classification level (higher duties) need to be advertised?
- 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?
- Must a person be released to take up other duties?
- What kinds of secondment arrangements are possible to, from or within the APS?
Selection of staff
- What guidelines must be followed in a staff selection exercise?
- Must a selection decision be based on advertising and competitive processes?
- What are the administrative law principles relevant to recruitment and selection?
- Does an excess employee have any special status in a selection process?
- Are there any special legislative provisions relevant to selection of staff on, or anticipating, maternity leave?
- Can an employment decision be cancelled?
- What are the rules about providing feedback and releasing selection documentation?
- What happens when the government implements administrative re-arrangements?
- 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?
- Are there any limitations on who can be included on a selection committee?
- How long does an agency need to keep selection records?
- What limitations are there on assigning different duties to an employee?
- If an applicant declines an offer of employment do they stay on the order of merit?
APS Code of Conduct
- What is involved in an internal complaint process?
- What information can be given to a complainant about the outcome of a Code of Conduct or whistleblowing investigation?
- What can employees expect in terms of natural justice (procedural fairness) during a Code of Conduct investigation or a Whistleblowing inquiry?
- If I am not satisfied with the outcome of a Code of Conduct investigation about me, do I have any rights to have the outcome reviewed?
- If an employee makes a complaint against me and the investigation finds that the allegation was false – what recourse do I have?
- Can anyone other than an APS employee report a suspected breach of the Code of Conduct?
- As a complainant, what rights of review do I have if my agency decides that my whistleblowing report is vexatious and/or frivolous and is therefore not pursued or if I do not agree with the outcome of the investigation?
APS Values
- Is it a conflict of interest to have an employee supervising a relative?
- Why can’t I use the Frequent Flyer points I have earned through work, for my own personal use?
Review of employment matters (appeals)
Employment agencies
- An employment agency has forwarded an application for an advertised vacancy - is the APS agency bound to consider it?
- Can an employment agency seek placement fees from the APS?
