Enquiries & Complaints

The role of the Public Service Commission

The Public Service Commission is responsible for leading the design and implementation of workforce management strategies for the NSW public sector. Find out more about the role of the Commissioner and the role of the Commission.

To access the full range of workforce information go to the Employment Portal.

Enquiries about workforce management can be directed to: enquiries@psc.nsw.gov.au.

Individual enquiries and complaints

The Public Service Commission does not provide individual employment advice nor does it review decisions made by employing agencies.

In addition, the Public Service Commissioner does not have a general complaints-handling function.

The following table has been developed to help direct you to the agency best able to deal with your enquiry or complaint where it does not fall within the responsibilities of the Public Service Commission or Commissioner.

Nature of enquiry or complaint	Where to get help
All individual employment matters, including: Allowances Leave arrangements Excess employees Fitness for duty assessments Leave and conditions of employment Performance management Recognition of prior service for extended leave purposes Recruitment processes & decisions Retirement on medical grounds Severance or redundancy payments and repayments upon re-employment in the public sector Termination of employment Transfers and secondments Transfer of services to non-government sector Workplace bullying	Please contact management or human resources area of your employing agency for advice. If you have already received advice from the agency and wish to take the matter further, please refer to your agency’s grievance policy and procedures.
Allegations of corrupt conduct	Independent Commission Against Corruption https://www.icac.nsw.gov.au Call: (02) 8281 5999 (Australia) + 61 2 8281 5999 (overseas) Toll free: 1800 463 909
Allegations of criminal conduct	NSW Police https://www.police.nsw.gov.au Crime Stoppers Call: 1800 333 000
Breaches of pecuniary interest provisions under the Local Government Act 1993 and about the conduct of local councillors	Office of Local Government http://www.olg.nsw.gov.au Call: (02) 4428 4100 Email: olg@olg.nsw.gov.au
Discrimination	Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW http://www.antidiscrimination.justice.nsw.gov.au Call: (02) 9268 5544 Toll free: 1800 670 812 (for regional NSW only) Email enquiries: adbcontact@justice.nsw.gov.au Email complaints: complaintsadb@justice.nsw.gov.au
Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA); or privacy by a NSW government agency	GIPA You can apply to have an agency’s decision on an access application internally reviewed by that agency or reviewed by: Information and Privacy Commission http://www.ipc.nsw.gov.au Email enquiries: ipcinfo@ipc.nsw.gov.au Call: 1800 472 679 NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal www.ncat.nsw.gov.au Call: 1300 006 228 Privacy Complaints about beaches of an individual’s privacy can be made to the Privacy Commissioner, at: Information and Privacy Commission http://www.ipc.nsw.gov.au Email enquiries: ipcinfo@ipc.nsw.gov.au Call: 1800 472 679
Individual employment matters for employees covered by federal industrial instruments under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (e.g., modern awards and enterprise agreements)	Fair Work Ombudsman https://www.fairwork.gov.au For enquiries about pay and entitlements call: 13 13 94
Maladministration of a NSW government agency, including unfair or unreasonable treatment by a NSW government agency (Note the NSW Ombudsman does not investigate individual employment matters)	NSW Ombudsman http://www.ombo.nsw.gov.au/complaints/making-a-complaint Call: 02 9286 1000 Toll free: 1800 451 524 General enquiries email: nswombo@ombo.nsw.gov.au
Police misconduct	Law Enforcement Conduct Commission https://www.lecc.nsw.gov.au/contact-us Call: (02) 9231 6700 Toll free: 1800 657 079 General enquiries email: contactus@lecc.nsw.gov.au
Public Interest Disclosures	See the PSC’s website for more information on making public interest disclosures. The NSW Ombudsman provides advice and guidance to public sector staff about reporting serious wrongdoing. NSW Ombudsman, PID Unit https://www.ombo.nsw.gov.au/what-we-do/our-work/public-interest-disclosures Call: (02) 9286 1000 Toll free: 1800 451 524 Email: pid@ombo.nsw.gov.au
Serious and substantial waste of NSW public money	The Auditor-General http://www.audit.nsw.gov.au Call: 02 9275 7100
Superannuation complaints	The superannuation fund concerned Superannuation Complaints Tribunal http://www.sct.gov.au
Unfair dismissal claims under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth)	Fair Work Commission https://www.fwc.gov.au Call: 1300 799 675
Unfair dismissal claims under the Industrial Relations Act 1996	NSW Industrial Relations Commission http://www.irc.justice.nsw.gov.au Call: (02) 9258 0866
Work health and safety obligations including bullying	SafeWork NSW http://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/health-and-safety/safety-representation/safety-complaints Call: 13 10 50

Nature of enquiry or complaint

Where to get help

All individual employment matters, including:

Allowances
Leave arrangements
Excess employees
Fitness for duty assessments
Leave and conditions of employment

Performance management

Recognition of prior service for extended leave purposes
Recruitment processes & decisions
Retirement on medical grounds
Severance or redundancy payments and repayments upon re-employment in the public sector
Termination of employment
Transfers and secondments
Transfer of services to non-government sector
Workplace bullying

Please contact management or human resources area of your employing agency for advice.

If you have already received advice from the agency and wish to take the matter further, please refer to your agency’s grievance policy and procedures.

Allegations of corrupt conduct

Independent Commission Against Corruption

https://www.icac.nsw.gov.au

Call: (02) 8281 5999 (Australia)

+ 61 2 8281 5999 (overseas)

Toll free: 1800 463 909

Allegations of criminal conduct

NSW Police

https://www.police.nsw.gov.au

Crime Stoppers
Call: 1800 333 000

Breaches of pecuniary interest provisions under the Local Government Act 1993 and about the conduct of local councillors

Office of Local Government

http://www.olg.nsw.gov.au

Call: (02) 4428 4100

Email: olg@olg.nsw.gov.au

Discrimination

Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW

http://www.antidiscrimination.justice.nsw.gov.au

Call: (02) 9268 5544
Toll free: 1800 670 812 (for regional NSW only)
Email enquiries: adbcontact@justice.nsw.gov.au
Email complaints: complaintsadb@justice.nsw.gov.au

Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA); or privacy by a NSW government agency

GIPA

You can apply to have an agency’s decision on an access application internally reviewed by that agency or reviewed by:

Information and Privacy Commission

http://www.ipc.nsw.gov.au

Email enquiries: ipcinfo@ipc.nsw.gov.au

Call: 1800 472 679

NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal

www.ncat.nsw.gov.au

Call: 1300 006 228

Privacy

Complaints about beaches of an individual’s privacy can be made to the Privacy Commissioner, at:

Information and Privacy Commission

http://www.ipc.nsw.gov.au

Email enquiries: ipcinfo@ipc.nsw.gov.au

Call: 1800 472 679

Individual employment matters for employees covered by federal industrial instruments under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (e.g., modern awards and enterprise agreements)

Fair Work Ombudsman

https://www.fairwork.gov.au

For enquiries about pay and entitlements
call: 13 13 94

Maladministration of a NSW government agency, including unfair or unreasonable treatment by a NSW government agency

(Note the NSW Ombudsman does not investigate individual employment matters)

NSW Ombudsman

http://www.ombo.nsw.gov.au/complaints/making-a-complaint

Call: 02 9286 1000

Toll free: 1800 451 524

General enquiries email: nswombo@ombo.nsw.gov.au

Police misconduct

Law Enforcement Conduct Commission

https://www.lecc.nsw.gov.au/contact-us

Call: (02) 9231 6700

Toll free: 1800 657 079

General enquiries email: contactus@lecc.nsw.gov.au

Public Interest Disclosures

See the PSC’s website for more information on making public interest disclosures.

The NSW Ombudsman provides advice and guidance to public sector staff about reporting serious wrongdoing.

NSW Ombudsman, PID Unit

https://www.ombo.nsw.gov.au/what-we-do/our-work/public-interest-disclosures

Call: (02) 9286 1000

Toll free: 1800 451 524

Email: pid@ombo.nsw.gov.au

Serious and substantial waste of NSW public money

The Auditor-General

http://www.audit.nsw.gov.au

Call: 02 9275 7100

Superannuation complaints

The superannuation fund concerned

Superannuation Complaints Tribunal

http://www.sct.gov.au

Unfair dismissal claims under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth)

Fair Work Commission

https://www.fwc.gov.au

Call: 1300 799 675

Unfair dismissal claims under the Industrial Relations Act 1996

NSW Industrial Relations Commission

http://www.irc.justice.nsw.gov.au

Call: (02) 9258 0866

Work health and safety obligations including bullying

SafeWork NSW

http://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/health-and-safety/safety-representation/safety-complaints

Call: 13 10 50

Matters to which the Public Service Commissioner can respond

While the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 (GSE Act) does not give the Public Service Commissioner specific complaint-handling powers, the GSE Act does enable the Commissioner to:

conduct an inquiry (or appoint someone else to conduct an inquiry) into any matter relating to the administration or management of the agency
require a government sector agency head to provide a report on matters relating to the employees or the employment policies and practices of the agency
issue directions to ensure compliance with the GSE Act, regulations or rules.

The Commissioner has discretion to determine whether a complaint warrants the exercise of such powers.

Please see the Guideline: Inquiries into the administration and management of government sector agencies for further information on inquiries under the GSE Act by the Commissioner or a person appointed by the Commissioner.

Complaints about PSC staff

If you have a complaint about a decision made by a PSC employee or the conduct of a PSC employee (including about the quality of service provided, or any policies, procedures and practices of the PSC) please refer to the Complaints Policy Procedure.

Public Service Commission

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