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@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
- 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 |
| Allegations of criminal conduct | NSW Police |
| Breaches of pecuniary interest provisions under the Local Government Act 1993 and about the conduct of local councillors | Office of Local Government |
| Discrimination | Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW |
| 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: NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal Privacy Complaints about beaches of an individual’s privacy can be made to the Privacy Commissioner, at |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Police misconduct | Law Enforcement Conduct Commission |
| 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 |
| Serious and substantial waste of NSW public money | The Auditor-General |
| Superannuation complaints | The superannuation fund concerned Superannuation Complaints Tribunal |
| Unfair dismissal claims under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) | Fair Work Commission |
| Unfair dismissal claims under the Industrial Relations Act 1996 | NSW Industrial Relations Commission |
| Work health and safety obligations including bullying | SafeWork NSW |
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.