{"id":"nsw:sl-2014-0065","name":"Government Sector Employment (General) Rules 2014","slug":"government-sector-employment-general-rules-2014","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"nsw","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"65 of 2014","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":177917,"registerId":"nsw-nsw:sl-2014-0065-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Part 1","sectionType":"part","heading":"Preliminary","content":"# Part 1 Preliminary\n\nPart 1 Preliminary","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Name of Rules","content":"#### 1 Name of Rules\n\n1 Name of Rules\n\n> These Rules are the [Government Sector Employment (General) Rules 2014](/view/html/inforce/current/sl-2014-0065).\n> \n> **rule 1:** Am 2016 (811), Sch 1 \\[1\\].","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"2","sectionType":"section","heading":"Commencement","content":"#### 2 Commencement\n\n2 Commencement\n\n> These Rules commence on 24 February 2014 and are required to be published on the NSW legislation website.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Definitions","content":"#### 3 Definitions\n\n3 Definitions\n\n> > (1) In these Rules—\n> > \n> > above-level means—\n> > \n> > > (a) in the case of a non-executive employee—at a higher classification of work than the employee’s current classification or in a senior executive band, or\n> > \n> > > (b) in the case of an executive employee—in a band higher than the band in which the executive is employed.\n> > \n> > agency head means—\n> > \n> > > (a) in relation to a Public Service employee—the head of the Public Service agency in which the employee is employed, or\n> > \n> > > (b) in relation to an employee of a government sector agency (other than a Public Service agency)—the head of that agency.\n> > \n> > Note.\n> > \n> > The employer functions of the head of a Public Service agency may be delegated under section 27 or 32 of the Act. Accordingly, references to the agency head (in the case of a Public Service agency) will include a reference to any such delegate.\n> > \n> > assessor means a person carrying out a comparative assessment.\n> > \n> > at-level means—\n> > \n> > > (a) in the case of a non-executive employee—at the same classification of work as the employee’s current classification, or\n> > \n> > > (b) in the case of an executive employee—within the same band as the band in which the executive is employed.\n> > \n> > capability-based assessment means a process that assesses a person’s capabilities against those required for a role.\n> > \n> > comparative assessment—see rule 17.\n> > \n> > employment decision—see rule 16.\n> > \n> > external advertising means the process of advertising on the NSW Government jobs website. It may also include any other form of advertising that is accessible to the general public.\n> > \n> > focus capabilities for a role means the capabilities, of those required for the role, decided by the employer as being the most important for the effective performance of the role.\n> > \n> > government sector employee means a person who is employed in a government sector agency.\n> > \n> > performance management system means a performance management system under section 67 of the Act.\n> > \n> > pre-established standards for a role means the capability, knowledge and experience standards for the role.\n> > \n> > Public Service non-executive employee means an employee referred to in Division 5 of Part 4 of the Act.\n> > \n> > special office temporary employee means a person who is employed in temporary employment in the Public Service—\n> > \n> > > (a) as an executive assistant to the Governor, or\n> > \n> > > (a1) to provide direct assistance of a personal or administrative nature to the Governor, or\n> > \n> > > (b) as the tipstaff or associate of a judicial officer, or\n> > \n> > > (c) to provide direct assistance of a personal or administrative nature to a former Governor or former Premier.\n> > \n> > suitability assessment—see rule 18.\n> > \n> > talent pool—see rule 19.\n> > \n> > the Act means the [Government Sector Employment Act 2013](/view/html/inforce/current/act-2013-040).\n> > \n> > Note.\n> > \n> > The Act and the [Interpretation Act 1987](/view/html/inforce/current/act-1987-015) contain definitions and other provisions that affect the interpretation and application of these Rules.\n> \n> > (2) Notes included in these Rules do not form part of these Rules.\n> \n> **rule 3:** Am 2014 (624), Sch 1 \\[1\\]; 2016 (811), Sch 1 \\[2\\] \\[3\\]; 2019 (443), Sch 1 \\[1\\]; 2025 (451), Sch 1\\[1\\] \\[2\\].","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"4","sectionType":"section","heading":"Delegation by Secretaries of Departments of functions relating to Public Service senior executives","content":"#### 4 Delegation by Secretaries of Departments of functions relating to Public Service senior executives\n\n4 Delegation by Secretaries of Departments of functions relating to Public Service senior executives\n\n> > (1) The following functions cannot be delegated by the Secretary of a Department under section 27 of the Act—\n> > \n> > > (a) the initial engagement of a Public Service senior executive and the consequent assignment of the senior executive to a role,\n> > \n> > > (b) the temporary assignment of a Public Service senior executive under rule 11 for a period of more than 12 months,\n> > \n> > > (b1) the assignment of a Public Service senior executive to a different role under section 38 of the Act,\n> > \n> > > (c) the termination of the employment of a Public Service senior executive under section 41, 68 or 69 of the Act.\n> \n> > (2) However, the Secretary of a Department may delegate to the head of a Public Service executive agency related to the Department a function referred to in subrule (1) (a) in relation to executives in that related agency. If any such function is delegated to the head of the related agency the function cannot be subdelegated.\n> \n> > (3) A reference in this rule to an assignment to a different role does not include an assignment consequent on the engagement of an existing executive to a role following recruitment action to fill a vacancy in that role.\n> \n> **rule 4:** Am 2018 (502), Sch 1 \\[1\\].","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"4A","sectionType":"section","heading":"NSW Police Force excluded from Rules","content":"#### 4A NSW Police Force excluded from Rules\n\n4A NSW Police Force excluded from Rules\n\n> Except for Part 6, these Rules do not apply in relation to the NSW Police Force.\n> \n> **rule 4A:** Ins 2017 (594), Sch 4 \\[1\\].","sortOrder":5},{"sectionNumber":"Part 2","sectionType":"part","heading":"General Public Service employment provisions","content":"# Part 2 General Public Service employment provisions\n\nPart 2 General Public Service employment provisions","sortOrder":6},{"sectionNumber":"5","sectionType":"section","heading":"Probation periods","content":"#### 5 Probation periods\n\n5 Probation periods\n\n> > (1) The head of a Public Service agency may determine that the engagement of a person in ongoing employment in the Public Service for the first time or following the cessation of any previous employment in the Public Service is subject to the condition that the person is required—\n> > \n> > > (a) to serve a period of probation on commencing his or her employment, and\n> > \n> > > (b) to satisfy the requirements for the role in which the person is employed during that period of probation.\n> \n> > (2) The period of probation—\n> > \n> > > (a) for a Public Service senior executive is to be no more than 3 months, or\n> > \n> > > (b) for a Public Service non-executive employee is to be 6 months or such longer period as the agency head directs.\n> \n> > (3) A period of probation for a Public service non-executive employee may, before the period expires, be extended for such further period as the agency head directs.\n> \n> > (4) However, the probation period for a Public Service non-executive employee cannot exceed 12 months.\n> \n> > (5) If a Public Service employee is required to serve a period of probation, the employer may, at any time during or at the end of the probation period—\n> > \n> > > (a) confirm the person’s employment, or\n> > \n> > > (b) in the case of a Public Service senior executive—terminate the person’s employment under section 41 of the Act, or\n> > \n> > > (c) in the case of a Public Service non-executive employee—terminate the person’s employment under section 47 of the Act on the ground that the person has not satisfied the requirements for the role in which the person is employed.\n> \n> **rule 5:** Am 2016 (811), Sch 1 \\[4\\].","sortOrder":7},{"sectionNumber":"6","sectionType":"section","heading":"Citizenship or residency requirements","content":"#### 6 Citizenship or residency requirements\n\n6 Citizenship or residency requirements\n\n> > (1) A person is not to be employed as a Public Service employee unless the person is—\n> > \n> > > (a) an Australian citizen, or\n> > \n> > > (b) a permanent resident of Australia, or\n> > \n> > > (c) a New Zealand citizen with a current New Zealand passport, or\n> > \n> > > (d) a citizen of another country with a current visa that allows the person to work in Australia.\n> \n> > (2) A person is not to be offered employment in the Public Service if that employment would exceed any limitation imposed by or in accordance with law as to the person’s entitlement to work in Australia.","sortOrder":8},{"sectionNumber":"7","sectionType":"section","heading":"Formal qualifications","content":"#### 7 Formal qualifications\n\n7 Formal qualifications\n\n> > (1) This rule applies to a Public Service employee whose engagement in a Public Service agency is made subject to a condition that the person is required to have such qualifications as the employer may determine to be necessary for performing the duties of the role to which the person is to be assigned.\n> \n> > (2) A person who is required to have any such qualifications but who has not provided evidence of the qualifications may be employed on the condition that the person provides that evidence in the time and manner determined by the employer.","sortOrder":9},{"sectionNumber":"8","sectionType":"section","heading":"Security and other clearances","content":"#### 8 Security and other clearances\n\n8 Security and other clearances\n\n> > (1) This rule applies to a Public Service employee whose engagement in a Public Service agency is made subject to a condition that the person is required to have such security or other clearances as the employer determines are necessary for performing the duties of the role to which the person is to be assigned.\n> \n> > (2) A person who is required to have any such security or other clearances must ensure that those clearances are maintained.","sortOrder":10},{"sectionNumber":"9","sectionType":"section","heading":"Health assessment","content":"#### 9 Health assessment\n\n9 Health assessment\n\n> > (1) This rule applies to a Public Service employee whose engagement in a Public Service agency is made subject to a condition that the person’s fitness to perform the duties of the role to which the person is assigned has been confirmed by a health assessment.\n> \n> > (2) For the purposes of this rule, fitness to perform the duties of a role includes the ability to carry out the role without endangering the health and safety of the public, of other persons employed in the Public Service agency or of the person concerned.\n> \n> > (3) The form of the health assessment may include (but is not limited to) any one or more of the following—\n> > \n> > > (a) a declaration (which may be a statutory declaration if required) provided by the person concerning any illness, disability or condition of which the person is aware that might make the person unfit to carry out the role,\n> > \n> > > (b) a medical examination by a medical practitioner approved by the agency head or the Commissioner,\n> > \n> > > (c) an examination, by a medical practitioner, optometrist or other appropriately qualified health care professional, approved by the agency head or the Commissioner, of a particular aspect of the person’s health likely to detrimentally affect the person’s capacity to carry out the role.\n> \n> > (4) The person’s employer is to give the health care professional providing a health assessment referred to in subrule (3) (b) or (c) any requested information about the role concerned that is reasonably required for the purpose of providing the assessment.\n> \n> > (5) (Repealed)\n> \n> **rule 9:** Am 2014 (742), Sch 1 \\[1\\]–\\[4\\].","sortOrder":11},{"sectionNumber":"10","sectionType":"section","heading":"Maximum period of temporary employment","content":"#### 10 Maximum period of temporary employment\n\n10 Maximum period of temporary employment\n\n> > (1) The maximum total period for which a Public Service non-executive employee may be employed in temporary employment in the same Public Service agency is 4 years within any continuous period of 5 years.\n> \n> > (1A) Despite subrule (1), a Public Service non-executive employee may be employed in temporary employment in the same Public Service agency for a further period or periods of up to 4 years (the maximum temporary period) if the decision to employ the person for any such further period is based on a comparative assessment after external advertising. The recruitment process should be commenced not later than 3 months before the start of the proposed further period of temporary employment.\n> \n> > (1B) If a person is employed under subrule (1A) after a comparative assessment (the initial assessment) for less than the maximum temporary period and the person is subsequently employed for a further period within the maximum temporary period, a further comparative assessment is not required in connection with the decision to employ the person for that further period if—\n> > \n> > > (a) the person is to be assigned to the same role as the role to which the person was assigned after the initial assessment, or\n> > \n> > > (b) the agency head is satisfied that it is appropriate to rely on the initial assessment for the role to which the person is to be assigned.\n> \n> > (2) The period of 4 years referred to in subrule (1) or (1A) may, with the approval of the Commissioner in any particular case, be extended for an additional period of up to 12 months.\n> \n> > (3) The Commissioner may determine classes of exceptions to this rule. Any such determination is to be made publicly available on a website provided and maintained by the Commissioner.\n> \n> > (4) This rule does not apply to special office temporary employees.\n> \n> **rule 10:** Am 2014 (624), Sch 1 \\[2\\]; 2014 (742), Sch 1 \\[5\\] \\[6\\].","sortOrder":12},{"sectionNumber":"11","sectionType":"section","heading":"Temporary assignments","content":"#### 11 Temporary assignments\n\n11 Temporary assignments\n\n> > (1) A person employed in a Public Service agency may be temporarily assigned to another role in the agency (including, in the case of a Public Service senior executive, to another role in another Public Service agency) if—\n> > \n> > > (a) the person who is usually assigned to that other role is unavailable for any reason, or\n> > \n> > > (b) there is no person assigned to that other role.\n> > \n> > Note.\n> > \n> > The regulations under the Act provide for an allowance in the case where the temporary assignment involves a higher role.\n> \n> > (2) A temporary assignment under this rule may be made by—\n> > \n> > > (a) if the Public Service employee assigned is a Public Service senior executive—the employer of the executive, or\n> > \n> > > (b) if a non-executive employee is assigned to the role of a Public Service senior executive—the employer of the executive, or\n> > \n> > > (c) in any other case—the agency head.\n> \n> > (3) A Public Service senior executive may not be assigned under this rule to a role in another agency without the agreement of the head of that other agency.\n> \n> > (4) A temporary assignment under this rule may be terminated at any time by the relevant employer or agency head.\n> \n> > (5) On completion of a person’s temporary assignment under this rule, the person, unless assigned to a different role under section 38 or 46 of the Act, continues to have the role assigned to the person under section 38 or 46 of the Act immediately before the start of the temporary assignment.\n> \n> > (6) Sections 38 and 46 of the Act do not apply to a temporary assignment under this rule.","sortOrder":13},{"sectionNumber":"12","sectionType":"section","heading":"Conversion of temporary or term employment to ongoing employment at-level","content":"#### 12 Conversion of temporary or term employment to ongoing employment at-level\n\n12 Conversion of temporary or term employment to ongoing employment at-level\n\n> > (1) An agency head may convert the temporary or term employment of a person to ongoing employment in the agency if—\n> > \n> > > (a) the ongoing employment is at-level, and\n> > \n> > > (b) the person has been employed in that temporary or term employment for a period of at least 12 months.\n> \n> > (1A) The requirement under subrule (1) (b) applies only if the advertisement for the temporary or term employment did not refer to the availability or potential availability of ongoing employment.\n> \n> > (2) The conversion to ongoing employment under this rule—\n> > \n> > > (a) must be based on the results of a comparative assessment after external advertising (whether a previous comparative assessment or a new comparative assessment) and on the employee’s most recent performance under the agency’s performance management system, and\n> > \n> > > (b) is subject to the satisfactory conduct of the employee.\n> \n> > (2A)–(8) (Repealed)\n> \n> > (9) A reference in this rule to the head of the agency in which a person is employed is, in the case where the person is a Public Service senior executive, taken to be a reference to the employer of the executive.\n> \n> **rule 12:** Am 2014 (742), Sch 1 \\[7\\]; 2016 (811), Sch 1 \\[5\\]–\\[8\\]; 2018 (502), Sch 1 \\[2\\]; 2025 (451), Sch 1\\[3\\].","sortOrder":14},{"sectionNumber":"13","sectionType":"section","heading":"Excess non-executive employees","content":"#### 13 Excess non-executive employees\n\n13 Excess non-executive employees\n\n> > (1) The head of a Public Service agency may determine a person who is employed in ongoing employment in the agency other than as a Public Service senior executive to be excess to the requirements of the relevant part of the agency in which the person is employed.\n> \n> > (2) In making any such determination and in dealing with any such excess employee, the agency head is to have regard to any relevant government policies that were in force immediately before 24 February 2014 and are notified by the Commissioner for the purposes of this rule. Any such policies are to be made publicly available on a website provided and maintained by the Commissioner.","sortOrder":15},{"sectionNumber":"14","sectionType":"section","heading":"Termination of employment","content":"#### 14 Termination of employment\n\n14 Termination of employment\n\n> > (1) The employment of a Public Service non-executive employee may not be terminated under section 47 of the Act unless—\n> > \n> > > (a) the employee is, to the extent that it is reasonably practicable to do so, notified of the proposed termination and given a reasonable opportunity to make submissions in relation to the proposed termination, and\n> > \n> > > (b) the agency head has taken any such submissions into consideration.\n> \n> > (2) This rule does not limit any of the other requirements under these Rules that relate to the termination of employment of a Public Service non-executive employee.","sortOrder":16},{"sectionNumber":"Part 3","sectionType":"part","heading":"Merit-based employment","content":"# Part 3 Merit-based employment\n\nPart 3 Merit-based employment","sortOrder":17},{"sectionNumber":"15","sectionType":"section","heading":"Application of Part","content":"#### 15 Application of Part\n\n15 Application of Part\n\n> > (1) Except as provided by these Rules and subrule (2), this Part applies to employment in the Public Service.\n> \n> > (2) This Part does not apply to the decision to employ a person under the Act in temporary or term employment for a period of up to 2 years if—\n> > \n> > > (a) the purpose of the employment is to provide assistance in response, or is otherwise related, to the COVID-19 pandemic, and\n> > \n> > > (b) on the basis of an assessment of the person’s capabilities, experience and knowledge, the agency head is satisfied that the person is suitable for the role to which the person is to be assigned and for the needs of the Public Service agency.\n> \n> **rule 15:** Am 2014 (624), Sch 1 \\[3\\]. Subst 2020 (120), cl 3(1).","sortOrder":18},{"sectionNumber":"16","sectionType":"section","heading":"Merit principles to be applied in employment decisions","content":"#### 16 Merit principles to be applied in employment decisions\n\n16 Merit principles to be applied in employment decisions\n\n> > (1) This rule applies to any of the following decisions (an employment decision)—\n> > \n> > > (a) the employment of persons in any kind of employment and the assignment under section 38 or 46 of the Act of persons to roles,\n> > \n> > > (b) the transfer or secondment of an employee to a Public Service agency from another agency,\n> > \n> > > (c) the conversion to ongoing employment of an employee’s temporary or term employment.\n> \n> > (2) Any employment decision relating to a role in the Public Service is to be based on an assessment of the capabilities, experience and knowledge of the person concerned against the pre-established standards for the role to determine the person best suited to the requirements of the role and the needs of the relevant Public Service agency.\n> \n> > (2A) If an employment decision is based on a comparative assessment—\n> > \n> > > (a) the process provided for in rule 17(2) must be completed before the assessors give a report about the assessment (an assessors’ report) to the person who will make the employment decision, and\n> > \n> > > (b) the assessors’ report must take into account all of the information obtained for the comparative assessment, and\n> > \n> > > (c) the assessors’ report must—\n> > > \n> > > > (i) reflect the consensus of the assessors, or\n> > > \n> > > > (ii) in the absence of a consensus—include the recommendation of each assessor.\n> \n> > (2B) Subrule (2A) does not apply to recruitment action commenced before the commencement of the [Government Sector Employment (General) Rules (Amendment No 14—Miscellaneous) 2025](/view/pdf/asmade/sl-2025-451).\n> \n> > (3) Without limiting subrule (2), the following principles apply in relation to employment decisions—\n> > \n> > > (a) any recruitment action (whether for ongoing employment, temporary or term employment or casual employment) is to take into account—\n> > > \n> > > > (i) long and short term capability needs to meet the objectives of the relevant agency, and\n> > > \n> > > > (ii) existing workforce capabilities,\n> > \n> > > (b) pre-established standards for the capabilities required for a role are to be expressed as levels against each capability,\n> > \n> > > (c) any assessment for a role is to include appropriate methods to assess different requirements,\n> > \n> > > (d) except in the case where a development opportunity is being provided, a person may be employed in a role only if the person meets the pre-established standards for the role,\n> > \n> > > (e) any employment decision is to be made on balance taking into account all the results provided by the assessment process.\n> \n> > (4) This rule does not apply to the employment of a person as a special office temporary employee.\n> \n> Note.\n> \n> The Commissioner may issue guidance in relation to the application of the merit principles to the assignment of persons to roles.\n> \n> **rule 16:** Am 2014 (624), Sch 1 \\[4\\]; 2019 (443), Sch 1 \\[2\\] \\[3\\]; 2025 (451), Sch 1\\[4\\].","sortOrder":19},{"sectionNumber":"17","sectionType":"section","heading":"Comparative assessment","content":"#### 17 Comparative assessment\n\n17 Comparative assessment\n\n> > (1) A comparative assessment for a role is the process of assessing an individual’s claim against—\n> > \n> > > (a) the pre-established standards for the role, and\n> > \n> > > (b) any other claimants for the role.\n> \n> > (1A) For the purposes of subrule (1)(a), the assessment of the individual’s claim against the pre-established standards for the capabilities required for the role must include, at a minimum, an assessment of the individual’s claim against the pre-established standards for the focus capabilities for the role.\n> \n> > (2) The process is to include the following—\n> > \n> > > (a) screening for essential requirements such as a qualification or licence,\n> > \n> > > (b) reviewing an application and resume,\n> > \n> > > (c) at least 3 capability-based assessments, one of which is an interview,\n> > \n> > > (d) referee checks.\n> \n> > (3) To avoid doubt, referee checks under subrule (2)(d)—\n> > \n> > > (a) may be carried out in relation to a candidate undergoing a comparative assessment, and\n> > \n> > > (b) must be carried out in relation to a candidate who is proposed to be offered employment following a comparative assessment.\n> > \n> > Note—\n> > \n> > Rule 19(5) and (6) set out the requirements for referee checks in relation to talent pools.\n> \n> > (4) A comparative assessment must be carried out by 2 or more assessors.\n> \n> > (5) For the assessment of a candidate for a non-executive role—\n> > \n> > > (a) an independent assessor is required if an assessor is the direct supervisor of another assessor, and\n> > \n> > > (b) the independent assessor must be a person who is not employed in the same part of the Public Service agency in which the other assessors are employed and in which the non-executive role is being filled.\n> \n> > (6) For the assessment of a candidate for an executive role—\n> > \n> > > (a) an independent assessor is required if an assessor is the direct supervisor of another assessor, and\n> > \n> > > (b) the independent assessor must be a person who is not employed in the same Public Service agency in which the executive role is being filled.\n> \n> > (7) Subrules (3)–(6) do not apply to recruitment action commenced before the commencement of the [Government Sector Employment (General) Rules (Amendment No 14—Miscellaneous) 2025](/view/pdf/asmade/sl-2025-451).\n> \n> **rule 17:** Am 2019 (443), Sch 1 \\[4\\] \\[5\\]; 2025 (451), Sch 1\\[5\\].","sortOrder":20},{"sectionNumber":"18","sectionType":"section","heading":"Suitability assessment","content":"#### 18 Suitability assessment\n\n18 Suitability assessment\n\n> > (1) A suitability assessment is the process of assessing an individual’s claim against the pre-established standards for a role (and not against other persons).\n> \n> > (1A) For the purposes of subrule (1), the assessment of the individual’s claim against the pre-established standards for the capabilities required for the role must include, at a minimum, an assessment of the individual’s claim against the pre-established standards for the focus capabilities for the role.\n> \n> > (2) The process is to include the following—\n> > \n> > > (a) screening for essential requirements such as a qualification or licence,\n> > \n> > > (b) reviewing a resume,\n> > \n> > > (c) at least 2 capability-based assessments, one of which is an interview,\n> > \n> > > (d) referee checks.\n> \n> **rule 18:** Am 2019 (443), Sch 1 \\[6\\]–\\[8\\].","sortOrder":21},{"sectionNumber":"19","sectionType":"section","heading":"Talent pools","content":"#### 19 Talent pools\n\n19 Talent pools\n\n> > (1) A talent pool is a list of those persons (whether or not existing Public Service employees) who have satisfied the pre-established standards for a role through a comparative assessment.\n> \n> > (2) A talent pool may be used for recruitment to ongoing employment or for temporary or term employment.\n> \n> > (3) A talent pool may, without limitation, be established jointly by more than one Public Service agency and may be used for recruitment purposes by any Public Service agency.\n> \n> > (4) A person may be included in a talent pool for no longer than the period of 18 months following the completion of the comparative assessment that entitled the person to be included in the talent pool.\n> \n> > (5) For the purposes of this rule, the comparative assessment that entitles a person to be included in a talent pool for a role is not required to include referee checks.\n> \n> > (6) Before a person included in a talent pool is offered employment, the referee checks exempted under subrule (5) must be carried out in relation to the person.\n> \n> > (7) (Repealed)\n> \n> **rule 19:** Am 2019 (443), Sch 1 \\[9\\]–\\[11\\]; 2025 (451), Sch 1\\[6\\].","sortOrder":22},{"sectionNumber":"20","sectionType":"section","heading":"Ongoing employment","content":"#### 20 Ongoing employment\n\n20 Ongoing employment\n\n> > (1) The following decisions must be based on a comparative assessment after external advertising—\n> > \n> > > (a) the decision to employ a person in ongoing employment in a particular classification of work or band and the initial assignment of the person to a role in that classification or band,\n> > \n> > > (b) any subsequent decision to employ the person in a different classification of work or in a different band and the initial assignment of the person to a role in that classification or band.\n> \n> > (2)–(6) (Repealed)\n> \n> **rule 20:** Am 2014 (742), Sch 1 \\[8\\]; 2019 (443), Sch 1 \\[12\\].","sortOrder":23},{"sectionNumber":"20A","sectionType":"section","heading":"Employment at higher level following completion of graduate program","content":"#### 20A Employment at higher level following completion of graduate program\n\n20A Employment at higher level following completion of graduate program\n\n> > (1) This rule applies to a Public Service employee who has successfully completed a graduate program approved by the Public Service Commissioner (a graduate employee).\n> \n> > (2) Despite rule 20, a comparative assessment after external advertising is not required to employ a graduate employee at a higher level for the first time following completion of the graduate program if—\n> > \n> > > (a) the agency head is satisfied that—\n> > > \n> > > > (i) the graduate employee meets the pre-established standards for the role in which the employee is being employed at the higher level, and\n> > > \n> > > > (ii) the graduate employee’s conduct is satisfactory, and\n> > \n> > > (b) the graduate employee’s work performance while undergoing the graduate program has, having regard to the employee’s performance agreement, been assessed as exceeding expectations.\n> \n> > (3) In this rule—\n> > \n> > higher level, in relation to a graduate employee, means—\n> > \n> > > (a) the classification or grade that is immediately higher than the classification or grade in which the employee was employed on completion of the graduate program, or\n> > \n> > > (b) in cases considered to be exceptional by the agency head—a classification or grade that is 2 levels higher than the classification or grade in which the employee was employed on completion of the graduate program.\n> \n> **rule 20A:** Ins 2018 (502), Sch 1 \\[3\\]. Am 2019 (443), Sch 1 \\[13\\].","sortOrder":24},{"sectionNumber":"21","sectionType":"section","heading":"Temporary or term employment for up to 12 months","content":"#### 21 Temporary or term employment for up to 12 months\n\n21 Temporary or term employment for up to 12 months\n\n> > (1) The decision to employ a person in temporary or term employment for a period of up to 12 months must be based on either a suitability assessment or a comparative assessment.\n> \n> > (2) If the person is employed in temporary or term employment on the basis of a suitability assessment, the person cannot continue in that employment after 12 months unless the person does so on the basis of a comparative assessment after advertising across the Public Service. In such a case, action to undertake the additional requirements of a comparative assessment should commence not later than 9 months after the commencement of the person’s temporary or term employment.\n> \n> > (2A) Subrule (2) does not apply if the continuation of the person’s employment is for a period of up to 2 years and is—\n> > \n> > > (a) to provide assistance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, or\n> > \n> > > (b) otherwise related to the COVID-19 pandemic.\n> \n> > (2B) (Repealed)\n> \n> > (3) Subrule (2) does not prevent any additional form of advertising from also being used for the purposes of the comparative assessment.\n> \n> > (4) This rule does not apply to special office temporary employees.\n> \n> **rule 21:** Am 2014 (624), Sch 1 \\[5\\]; 2016 (811), Sch 1 \\[9\\] \\[10\\]; 2018 (502), Sch 1 \\[4\\]; 2020 (120), cl 3(2); 2025 (451), Sch 1\\[7\\].","sortOrder":25},{"sectionNumber":"22","sectionType":"section","heading":"Temporary or term employment for more than 12 months","content":"#### 22 Temporary or term employment for more than 12 months\n\n22 Temporary or term employment for more than 12 months\n\n> > (1) The decision to employ a person in temporary or term employment for a period of more than 12 months must be based on a comparative assessment after advertising across the Public Service. This rule does not prevent any additional form of advertising from also being used for the purposes of the comparative assessment.\n> \n> > (1A) (Repealed)\n> \n> > (2) This rule does not apply to special office temporary employees.\n> \n> **rule 22:** Am 2014 (624), Sch 1 \\[6\\]; 2016 (811), Sch 1 \\[11\\]; 2018 (502), Sch 1 \\[5\\]; 2025 (451), Sch 1\\[8\\].","sortOrder":26},{"sectionNumber":"22A","sectionType":"section","heading":"Employment of special office temporary employees","content":"#### 22A Employment of special office temporary employees\n\n22A Employment of special office temporary employees\n\n> > (1) The decision to employ a person as a special office temporary employee must be based on the person’s appropriateness for the role concerned having regard to the nature of the role and the person’s qualifications, skills and experience.\n> \n> > (2) The person who is to be assisted by a special office temporary employee may be involved in the process of determining a person’s appropriateness for the role in which the person is to be employed.\n> \n> **rule 22A:** Ins 2014 (624), Sch 1 \\[7\\].","sortOrder":27},{"sectionNumber":"22B","sectionType":"section","heading":"Use of initial suitability and comparative assessments when extending period of temporary or term employment","content":"#### 22B Use of initial suitability and comparative assessments when extending period of temporary or term employment\n\n22B Use of initial suitability and comparative assessments when extending period of temporary or term employment\n\n> If a person is employed in accordance with rule 21 or 22 after a suitability or comparative assessment (the initial assessment) and the person’s temporary or term employment is subsequently extended for a further period, a further suitability or comparative assessment is not required in connection with the decision to employ the person for that further period if—\n> \n> > (a) the person is to be assigned to the same role as the role to which the person was assigned after the initial assessment, or\n> \n> > (b) the person’s employer is satisfied that it is appropriate to rely on the initial assessment for the role to which the person is to be assigned.\n> \n> Note.\n> \n> The extension of a person’s temporary employment in the same agency is limited by the maximum period of temporary employment under rule 10 (unless an exception under rule 10 (3) applies).\n> \n> **rule 22B:** Ins 2014 (742), Sch 1 \\[9\\].","sortOrder":28},{"sectionNumber":"22C","sectionType":"section","heading":"Exemption from rules 21 and 22 for temporary employees employed under former recruitment provisions","content":"#### 22C Exemption from rules 21 and 22 for temporary employees employed under former recruitment provisions\n\n22C Exemption from rules 21 and 22 for temporary employees employed under former recruitment provisions\n\n> > (1) This rule applies to a temporary employee who—\n> > \n> > > (a) is employed under the former recruitment provisions as referred to in clause 3 of Schedule 4 to the [Government Sector Employment Regulation 2014](/view/html/inforce/current/sl-2014-0060), and\n> > \n> > > (b) is an employee to whom an exception under rule 10 (3) applies.\n> \n> > (2) The decision to extend the period of employment of any such temporary employee is not required to comply with rule 21 or 22.\n> \n> **rule 22C:** Ins 2014 (742), Sch 1 \\[9\\].","sortOrder":29},{"sectionNumber":"22D","sectionType":"section","heading":"Re-employing previous temporary employees","content":"#### 22D Re-employing previous temporary employees\n\n22D Re-employing previous temporary employees\n\n> > (1) This rule applies in relation to a person who is or has been employed in temporary employment if the assessment on which the decision to employ the person was based (the original assessment) was a comparative assessment after external advertising.\n> \n> > (2) Despite rule 21(1), the person may be re-employed in temporary employment and assigned to a role without further comparative assessment or advertising if—\n> > \n> > > (a) the person is re-employed—\n> > > \n> > > > (i) by the same Public Service agency, and\n> > > \n> > > > (ii) in the same classification of work, and\n> > \n> > > (b) the original assessment—\n> > > \n> > > > (i) related to the classification of work in which the person is to be re-employed, and\n> > > \n> > > > (ii) was undertaken within 5 years before the decision to re-employ the person.\n> \n> > (3) Before deciding to re-employ a person under this rule, the agency head must be satisfied that—\n> > \n> > > (a) it is appropriate to rely on the original assessment, and\n> > \n> > > (b) within the 18 months preceding the decision—\n> > > \n> > > > (i) the person’s performance as an employee has been assessed as satisfactory under the agency’s performance management system, and\n> > > \n> > > > (ii) the person’s conduct as an employee has been satisfactory, and\n> > \n> > > (c) the person’s capabilities, experience and knowledge have been assessed against the pre-established standards for the role.\n> \n> **rule 22D:** Ins 2014 (742), Sch 1 \\[9\\]. Am 2016 (811), Sch 1 \\[12\\]. Rep 2019 (443), Sch 1 \\[14\\]. Ins 2025 (451), Sch 1\\[9\\].","sortOrder":30},{"sectionNumber":"23","sectionType":"section","heading":"Limited advertising of vacancies arising from agency restructure","content":"#### 23 Limited advertising of vacancies arising from agency restructure\n\n23 Limited advertising of vacancies arising from agency restructure\n\n> > (1) If, during the course of a major restructure affecting one or more Public Service agencies (an affected agency), the head of an affected agency considers that a significant number of employees in that or any other affected agency are likely to be determined to be excess employees, the agency head may, in taking recruitment action to fill a vacancy in a non-executive role that arises as part of the restructure, limit the recruitment to the following candidates—\n> > \n> > > (a) persons employed in ongoing employment in affected agencies,\n> > \n> > > (b) persons who have been employed in temporary employment in affected agencies for a period of at least 12 months.\n> \n> > (2) This rule has effect despite any requirement under these Rules for external advertising in relation to the role concerned.","sortOrder":31},{"sectionNumber":"Part 4","sectionType":"part","heading":"Review of promotion decisions","content":"# Part 4 Review of promotion decisions\n\nPart 4 Review of promotion decisions","sortOrder":32},{"sectionNumber":"24","sectionType":"section","heading":"Request for review of promotion decisions relating to non-executive roles","content":"#### 24 Request for review of promotion decisions relating to non-executive roles\n\n24 Request for review of promotion decisions relating to non-executive roles\n\n> > (1) A Public Service non-executive employee (the relevant employee) may request a review of the decision to offer, following a selection process, another Public Service non-executive employee ongoing employment in a role for which the relevant employee has unsuccessfully applied (being a role that has a higher remuneration level than the level paid to both the relevant employee and the other employee immediately before the decision was made). Any such decision is referred to in this Part as a promotion decision.\n> \n> > (2) A request for the review of a promotion decision may only be made on the ground that the whole or any part of the selection process for the role concerned was irregular or improper. The review is not a review of the merit of the relevant employee for the role.\n> \n> > (3) A request for the review of a promotion decision—\n> > \n> > > (a) must be in writing to the head of the Public Service agency in which the role to which the promotion decision relates is to be carried out, and\n> > \n> > > (b) may only be made within the period of 10 business days after the relevant employee is advised of the promotion decision.\n> \n> > (4) If a request for the review of a promotion decision is made, the engagement of the other employee in the role to which the decision relates cannot be implemented until the review is completed.\n> \n> > (5) A reference in this rule to a role is a reference to a role with a salary that does not exceed the maximum salary for a clerk (grade 12) in the Public Service.\n> \n> **rule 24:** Am 2015 (358), Sch 1 \\[1\\].","sortOrder":33},{"sectionNumber":"25","sectionType":"section","heading":"Conduct and findings of review","content":"#### 25 Conduct and findings of review\n\n25 Conduct and findings of review\n\n> > (1) The review of a promotion decision is to be conducted by a Public Service senior executive (the reviewer) who was not involved in the selection process to which the decision relates and who is appointed by the agency head to whom the request for the review is made.\n> \n> > (2) The reviewer is to conduct the review within 10 business days after the request for the review is made.\n> \n> > (3) After conducting a review of a promotion decision, the reviewer may—\n> > \n> > > (a) if satisfied that the selection process was not in any way improper or irregular, confirm the promotion decision, or\n> > \n> > > (b) if satisfied that the selection process was in any way improper or irregular, make a recommendation to the agency head that the agency head revoke the promotion decision and carry out another selection process for the role concerned.\n> \n> > (4) The relevant employee is to be notified in writing of the reviewer’s decision.\n> \n> > (5) The decision of the reviewer in respect of the review is final.","sortOrder":34},{"sectionNumber":"Part 5","sectionType":"part","heading":"Workforce diversity","content":"# Part 5 Workforce diversity\n\nPart 5 Workforce diversity","sortOrder":35},{"sectionNumber":"26","sectionType":"section","heading":"Employment of eligible persons","content":"#### 26 Employment of eligible persons\n\n26 Employment of eligible persons\n\n> > (1) An eligible person may be employed by the head of a government sector agency in a non-executive role in the agency.\n> \n> > (2) The agency head must be satisfied that the eligible person employed in a role under this rule is suitable for the role and have the greatest merit of the eligible persons seeking to be employed in the role.\n> \n> > (3) In the case of a Public Service agency, Part 3 applies for the purposes of subrule (2) but with such modifications as are necessary to facilitate the employment of eligible persons. Without limiting the operation of this subrule, the capabilities of eligible persons must be assessed against the pre-established standards for the role using such capability-based assessments as the agency head considers relevant.\n> \n> > (3A) In the case of a government sector agency other than a Public Service agency, the agency’s recruitment and selection policies or procedures (if any) for non-executive roles apply for the purposes of subrule (2) but with such modifications (except in the case of those policies or procedures required by law) as are necessary to facilitate the employment of eligible persons in the agency.\n> \n> > (4) In this rule—\n> > \n> > eligible person means any of the following—\n> > \n> > > (a) an Aboriginal person or Torres Strait Islander,\n> > \n> > > (b) a person with a disability,\n> > \n> > > (c) a person under the age of 25 years,\n> > \n> > > (c1) a person who, on or after 1 December 2015, enters or has entered Australia on a Refugee and Humanitarian (Migrant) (Class XB) visa issued by the Commonwealth,\n> > \n> > > (d) a person who belongs to a group of persons designated by the Commissioner as being disadvantaged in employment.\n> > \n> > government sector agency includes the service of a State owned corporation but does not include a university.\n> > \n> > role includes position.\n> \n> > (5) The designation by the Commissioner of any such group of persons is to be made publicly available on a website provided and maintained by the Commissioner.\n> \n> > (6) A person referred to in paragraph (c1) of the definition of eligible person is not to be considered to be an eligible person for the purposes of this rule after the end of the period of 5 years following the date on which the person enters Australia in the manner referred to in that paragraph.\n> \n> **rule 26:** Am 2016 (275), Sch 1 \\[1\\]–\\[6\\].","sortOrder":36},{"sectionNumber":"27","sectionType":"section","heading":"Information relating to workforce diversity","content":"#### 27 Information relating to workforce diversity\n\n27 Information relating to workforce diversity\n\n> The head of a government sector agency is to ensure that information relating to workforce diversity within the agency is collected and is able to be provided to the Commissioner if required to do so under section 16 of the Act.\n> \n> Note.\n> \n> Under section 16 of the Act, the Commissioner may require the head of a government sector agency (which for the purposes of that section includes SOCs and universities) to provide reports and information relating to workforce diversity in the agency.","sortOrder":37},{"sectionNumber":"Part 6","sectionType":"part","heading":"Transfers and secondments","content":"# Part 6 Transfers and secondments\n\nPart 6 Transfers and secondments","sortOrder":38},{"sectionNumber":"28","sectionType":"section","heading":"Application of Part","content":"#### 28 Application of Part\n\n28 Application of Part\n\n> > (1) This Part applies, as provided by section 64 of the Act, to transfers or secondments between government sector agencies but not to transfers or secondments within the same government sector agency.\n> \n> > (2) This Part does not apply in relation to a government sector agency comprising the service of a State owned corporation or (except as provided by subrule (4)) to any service in which persons excluded from the Act by section 5 of the Act are employed.\n> \n> > (2A) This Part does not apply to the transfer or secondment of administrative employees in the NSW Police Force to another government sector agency.\n> > \n> > Note.\n> > \n> > See Part 5 of the [Government Sector Employment (NSW Police Force) Rules 2017](/view/html/inforce/current/sl-2017-0594) which deals with the transfer or secondment of NSW Police Force administrative employees to other government sector agencies.\n> > \n> > Section 64 (4B) of the Act excludes police officers from this Part.\n> \n> > (3) A reference in this Part to the agency head in relation to a government sector employee is, in the case where the employee is a Health Service senior executive, a reference to the person who, in accordance with section 116 of the [Health Services Act 1997](/view/html/inforce/current/act-1997-154), exercises employer functions in relation to the executive.\n> \n> > (4) In this Part—\n> > \n> > > (a) a reference to a government sector agency includes a reference to any of the following—\n> > > \n> > > > (i) the Audit Office,\n> > > \n> > > > (ii) the service in which persons are employed under section 47B of the [Constitution Act 1902](/view/html/inforce/current/act-1902-032), and\n> > \n> > > (b) a reference to a government sector employee includes a reference to any of the following—\n> > > \n> > > > (i) a member of staff of the Audit Office employed under the [Government Sector Audit Act 1983](/view/html/inforce/current/act-1983-152),\n> > > \n> > > > (ii) a person employed under section 47B of the [Constitution Act 1902](/view/html/inforce/current/act-1902-032), being an officer or employee of either House of Parliament or any officer or employee under the separate control of the President or Speaker, or under their joint control.\n> \n> > (5) Subrule (4) applies only in relation to transfers or secondments initiated by the government sector employee concerned.\n> \n> **rule 28:** Am 2016 (422), Sch 1 \\[1\\]; 2016 (811), Sch 1 \\[13\\] \\[14\\]; 2017 (594), Sch 4 \\[2\\]; 2018 (502), Sch 1 \\[6\\] \\[7\\]; 2023 No 35, Sch 3.5.","sortOrder":39},{"sectionNumber":"29","sectionType":"section","heading":"Transfer of employees between government sector agencies","content":"#### 29 Transfer of employees between government sector agencies\n\n29 Transfer of employees between government sector agencies\n\n> > (1) A government sector employee may be transferred to the service of another government sector agency by agreement between the agency heads.\n> \n> > (2) Except where the employee initiates the transfer or consents to a transfer at a lower level, a government sector employee may only be transferred to another agency at the same or equivalent grade or level.\n> \n> > (2A) Before a government sector employee is transferred under this rule, the head of the government sector agency to which the employee is transferred is to ensure that the employee is suitable for the role, position or work to be assigned to the employee in that agency.\n> \n> > (3) A government sector employee who requests a transfer must do so in writing to the head of the agency in which the person is employed.\n> \n> > (4) Unless it is initiated by the employee, the person who initiates a transfer must—\n> > \n> > > (a) provide reasonable notice to the employee of the transfer, and\n> > \n> > > (b) advise the employee that the employee may request a review of the transfer within 10 business days after the employee is notified of the transfer.\n> > \n> > Note.\n> > \n> > Section 64 (2) of the Act also requires the employee to be consulted.\n> \n> > (5) The transfer of a government sector employee to another agency has effect only if it is confirmed in writing by the agency heads concerned. A copy of the confirmation is to be provided to the employee.\n> \n> > (6) (Repealed)\n> \n> **rule 29:** Am 2016 (811), Sch 1 \\[15\\]; 2018 (502), Sch 1 \\[8\\].","sortOrder":40},{"sectionNumber":"30","sectionType":"section","heading":null,"content":"#### 30\n\n30 (Repealed)","sortOrder":41},{"sectionNumber":"31","sectionType":"section","heading":"Secondment of employees between government sector agencies","content":"#### 31 Secondment of employees between government sector agencies\n\n31 Secondment of employees between government sector agencies\n\n> > (1) A government sector employee may be seconded, for a period not exceeding 2 years, to the service of another government sector agency by agreement between the agency heads.\n> \n> > (2) Any such agreement is to set out the following—\n> > \n> > > (a) the period of the secondment,\n> > \n> > > (b) the financial responsibilities of the agencies in relation to the employee’s entitlements,\n> > \n> > > (c) the procedure to be followed on completion of the secondment,\n> > \n> > > (d) the circumstances in which the secondment may be terminated and the form of notice to be given to terminate the secondment before the end of the agreed period.\n> \n> > (3) A copy of the agreement must be provided to the employee concerned.\n> \n> > (4) An employee who requests a secondment must do so in writing to the head of the government sector agency in which the person is employed.\n> \n> > (5) Unless it is initiated by the employee, the person who initiates a secondment is required—\n> > \n> > > (a) to provide reasonable notice of the secondment to the employee, and\n> > \n> > > (b) to advise the employee that the employee may request a review of the secondment within 10 business days after the employee is notified of the secondment.\n> > \n> > Note.\n> > \n> > Section 64 (2) of the Act also requires the employee to be consulted.\n> \n> > (6) Before a government sector employee is seconded to another government sector agency, the head of that other agency is to ensure that the employee is suitable for the role, position or work to be assigned to the employee in that agency.\n> \n> > (7) (Repealed)\n> \n> > (8) A government sector employee who is seconded to another agency is, on completion of the secondment, entitled to return to the government sector agency from which the employee was seconded at the same work level at which the person was employed immediately before being seconded.\n> \n> > (9) (Repealed)\n> \n> **rule 31:** Am 2016 (811), Sch 1 \\[16\\]; 2018 (502), Sch 1 \\[10\\].","sortOrder":43},{"sectionNumber":"32","sectionType":"section","heading":null,"content":"#### 32\n\n32, 33 (Repealed)","sortOrder":44},{"sectionNumber":"34","sectionType":"section","heading":"Review of employer-initiated transfers or secondments","content":"#### 34 Review of employer-initiated transfers or secondments\n\n34 Review of employer-initiated transfers or secondments\n\n> > (1) This rule applies in relation to the transfer or secondment of a government sector employee that has not been initiated by the employee (referred to in this rule as an employer-initiated transfer or secondment).\n> \n> > (2) The government sector employee in respect of whom an employer-initiated transfer or secondment applies may apply to the head of the government sector agency in which the person is employed for a review of the transfer or secondment.\n> \n> > (3) If an application is made for the review of an employer-initiated transfer or secondment, the transfer or secondment (as the case requires) of the employee to the service of another government sector agency does not have effect until the review is completed.\n> \n> > (4) An application by an employee for the review of an employer-initiated transfer or secondment must be made—\n> > \n> > > (a) in writing to the head of the government sector agency in which the person is employed, and\n> > \n> > > (b) no later than 10 business days after the day on which the employee is notified of the transfer or secondment.\n> \n> > (5) The review of an employer-initiated transfer or secondment is to be conducted by a senior executive (the reviewer) who was not involved in the decision to transfer or temporarily second the employee to another government sector agency.\n> \n> > (6) The reviewer is to conduct a review of the employer-initiated transfer or secondment within 10 business days after the application for review is made.\n> \n> > (7) The employee may make submissions to the reviewer, including reasons why the proposed transfer or secondment would cause undue hardship to the employee.\n> \n> > (8) In conducting a review, the reviewer is—\n> > \n> > > (a) to assess whether or not the employer-initiated transfer or secondment is appropriate having regard to all relevant circumstances (including any submissions provided by the employee), and\n> > \n> > > (b) to make such findings as the reviewer thinks appropriate.\n> \n> > (9) Any such findings are to be notified to the agency head.\n> \n> > (10) The agency head is to make a decision in relation to the matter subject to the review and notify the employee concerned in writing of the decision.\n> \n> > (11) Any decision by the agency head in relation to the matter is final.","sortOrder":46},{"sectionNumber":"Part 7","sectionType":"part","heading":"Performance management","content":"# Part 7 Performance management\n\nPart 7 Performance management","sortOrder":47},{"sectionNumber":"35","sectionType":"section","heading":"Core requirements of performance management systems","content":"#### 35 Core requirements of performance management systems\n\n35 Core requirements of performance management systems\n\n> > (1) The core requirements of a performance management system are as follows—\n> > \n> > > (a) to set and clarify expectations for employees,\n> > \n> > > (b) to guide and review employee performance,\n> > \n> > > (c) to develop employee capability,\n> > \n> > > (d) to recognise employee achievements,\n> > \n> > > (e) to improve employee performance,\n> > \n> > > (f) to resolve unsatisfactory employee performance,\n> > \n> > > (g) to evaluate and strengthen practices.\n> \n> > (2) The Commissioner may determine the essential elements of those core requirements.\n> \n> **rule 35:** Am 2018 (502), Sch 1 \\[11\\].","sortOrder":48},{"sectionNumber":"36","sectionType":"section","heading":"Dealing with unsatisfactory performance","content":"#### 36 Dealing with unsatisfactory performance\n\n36 Dealing with unsatisfactory performance\n\n> > (1) The person who exercises employer functions (the employer) in relation to a person employed in a government sector agency (the employee) may not take any action under section 68 (2) of the Act in relation to the employee unless—\n> > \n> > > (a) the employee’s performance is determined by the employer to be unsatisfactory in accordance with the agency’s performance management system, and\n> > \n> > > (b) reasonable steps have been taken to advise the employee that the employee’s performance is unsatisfactory and the basis on which it is unsatisfactory, and\n> > \n> > > (c) the employee is notified that the employer is proposing to take specified action under section 68 (2) of the Act in respect of the employee, and\n> > \n> > > (d) the employee is given a reasonable opportunity to respond to the notice, and\n> > \n> > > (e) the employer has taken any such response into consideration.\n> \n> > (2) (Repealed)\n> \n> **rule 36:** Am 2016 (422), Sch 1 \\[2\\]–\\[5\\]; 2017 (594), Sch 4 \\[3\\].","sortOrder":49},{"sectionNumber":"Part 8","sectionType":"part","heading":"Misconduct—procedural requirements","content":"# Part 8 Misconduct—procedural requirements\n\nPart 8 Misconduct—procedural requirements","sortOrder":50},{"sectionNumber":"37","sectionType":"section","heading":"Definition","content":"#### 37 Definition\n\n37 Definition\n\n> In this Part—\n> \n> government sector agency has the same meaning as in section 69 of the Act but does not include the NSW Police Force.\n> \n> Note.\n> \n> See Part 6 of the [Government Sector Employment (NSW Police Force) Rules 2017](/view/html/inforce/current/sl-2017-0594) which relates to the procedural requirements for dealing with misconduct by NSW Police Force administrative employees.\n> \n> **rule 37:** Subst 2017 (594), Sch 4 \\[4\\].","sortOrder":51},{"sectionNumber":"38","sectionType":"section","heading":"Initial stage for dealing with allegations of misconduct","content":"#### 38 Initial stage for dealing with allegations of misconduct\n\n38 Initial stage for dealing with allegations of misconduct\n\n> > (1) An allegation of misconduct by an employee of a government sector agency may be made by any person to the person who exercises employer functions in relation to the employee.\n> \n> > (1A) The employee in respect of whom the allegation is made is referred to in this Part as the relevant employee and the person who exercises employer functions in relation to the employee is referred to in this Part as the employer.\n> \n> > (2) After making an initial assessment of the allegation, the employer may decide not to proceed with the matter if the employer is satisfied that—\n> > \n> > > (a) the allegation is vexatious or trivial, or\n> > \n> > > (b) the incident or conduct concerned does not amount to misconduct, or\n> > \n> > > (c) there is likely to be difficulty in establishing the facts of the matter.\n> \n> > (3) If, after making an initial assessment, the employer decides to proceed with the matter, the relevant employee is to be advised—\n> > \n> > > (a) of the details of the allegation of misconduct, and\n> > \n> > > (b) of the action that may be taken under section 69 (4) of the Act against the employee.\n> \n> > (4) The relevant employee is to be given a reasonable opportunity to make a statement in relation to the allegation.\n> \n> > (5) The employer may, as a result of any such statement by the relevant employee—\n> > \n> > > (a) decide to proceed to deal with the matter in accordance with this Part, or\n> > \n> > > (b) decide not to proceed any further with the matter.\n> > \n> > The relevant employee is to be notified of the employer’s decision.\n> \n> > (6) The person making an allegation of misconduct is to be informed of any decision by the employer under this rule not to proceed with the matter.\n> \n> **rule 38:** Am 2016 (422), Sch 1 \\[3\\] \\[6\\] \\[7\\].","sortOrder":52},{"sectionNumber":"39","sectionType":"section","heading":"Inquiries","content":"#### 39 Inquiries\n\n39 Inquiries\n\n> > (1) The employer may, in dealing with an allegation of misconduct, conduct such inquiries as the employer thinks appropriate for the purposes of determining whether the misconduct has occurred.\n> \n> > (2) A formal hearing involving the legal representation of the relevant employee or any other person and the calling and cross-examination of witnesses is not to be held in relation to an allegation of misconduct and the taking of any action with respect to the employee.\n> \n> **rule 39:** Am 2016 (422), Sch 1 \\[8\\].","sortOrder":53},{"sectionNumber":"40","sectionType":"section","heading":"Findings by employer","content":"#### 40 Findings by employer\n\n40 Findings by employer\n\n> > (1) The employer may, in dealing with an allegation of misconduct—\n> > \n> > > (a) make a finding of misconduct by the relevant employee (in which case the employee is to be notified of the finding in writing), or\n> > \n> > > (b) make a finding that misconduct by the relevant employee has not occurred (in which case the employer is to dismiss the allegation and advise the relevant employee in writing).\n> \n> > (2) The employer may not take any action under section 69 (4) of the Act in relation to an employee unless—\n> > \n> > > (a) the employee is notified of the proposed action to be taken, and\n> > \n> > > (b) the employee is given a reasonable opportunity to make submissions in relation to the proposed action, and\n> > \n> > > (c) if any such submissions are made, the employer has taken those submissions into consideration.\n> \n> > (3) If the employer makes a finding of misconduct in relation to an employee, the employer may, instead of taking action under section 69 (4) of the Act, require the conduct of the employee to be monitored over a specified period notified to the employee.\n> \n> > (4) If, during that specified period, the employer is satisfied that the employee has engaged in misconduct of the same or similar kind as the misconduct the subject of the previous finding, the employer may take any action under section 69 (4) of the Act in respect of the employee.\n> \n> > (5) In that case, the employee is not required to be given an opportunity to make submissions in relation to the action proposed to be taken by the employer.\n> \n> **rule 40:** Am 2016 (422), Sch 1 \\[3\\] \\[9\\].","sortOrder":54},{"sectionNumber":"41","sectionType":"section","heading":"Records relating to misconduct","content":"#### 41 Records relating to misconduct\n\n41 Records relating to misconduct\n\n> > (1) If an allegation of misconduct by an employee of a government sector agency is made under this Part, the employer is to keep a written record of the proceedings and action taken in respect of the allegation.\n> \n> > (2) Any personnel file kept by the employer on such an employee is to include information about any finding of misconduct by the employee that is, in the opinion of the employer, in the public interest to be included. In forming that opinion, the employer is to have regard to the nature and seriousness of the misconduct and the need to minimise any unnecessary or prejudicial information being kept on a person’s file.\n> \n> **rule 41:** Am 2016 (422), Sch 1 \\[3\\] \\[10\\].","sortOrder":55},{"sectionNumber":"Part 9","sectionType":"part","heading":"Additional provisions relating to Public Service senior executives","content":"# Part 9 Additional provisions relating to Public Service senior executives\n\nPart 9 Additional provisions relating to Public Service senior executives","sortOrder":56},{"sectionNumber":"42","sectionType":"section","heading":"Report on termination of employment of Public Service senior executives","content":"#### 42 Report on termination of employment of Public Service senior executives\n\n42 Report on termination of employment of Public Service senior executives\n\n> > (1) If the employment of a Public Service senior executive is terminated by the executive’s employer under section 41 of the Act, the employer is, as soon as practicable after terminating the executive’s employment, to provide a written report to the Commissioner on the termination.\n> \n> > (2) The report is to be signed by the agency head and include the following—\n> > \n> > > (a) a summary of the process taken by the employer in terminating the employment,\n> > \n> > > (b) the reasons for terminating the employment.\n> \n> > (3) For the purposes of this rule, the employer of a Public Service senior executive does not include a Minister.","sortOrder":57},{"sectionNumber":"43","sectionType":"section","heading":"Model contracts of employment for Public Service senior executives (including Secretaries of Departments and other agency heads) and for statutory officers","content":"#### 43 Model contracts of employment for Public Service senior executives (including Secretaries of Departments and other agency heads) and for statutory officers\n\n43 Model contracts of employment for Public Service senior executives (including Secretaries of Departments and other agency heads) and for statutory officers\n\n> > (1) The contract of employment specified in Schedule 1 is, for the purposes of section 39 (3) of the Act, prescribed as the model contract of employment for a Public Service senior executive other than the Secretary of a Department or the head of any other Public Service agency.\n> \n> > (2) The contract of employment specified in Schedule 2 is, for the purposes of section 39 (3) of the Act, prescribed as the model contract of employment for the Secretary of a Department or the head of any other Public Service agency.\n> \n> > (3) The contract of employment specified in Schedule 3 is, for the purposes of section 39 (3) of the Act, prescribed as the model contract of employment for a statutory officer—\n> > \n> > > (a) to whom the senior executive employment provisions apply under and in accordance with the Act under which the statutory officer is appointed, and\n> > \n> > > (b) who is appointed to office after the commencement of the [Government Sector Employment Rules (Amendment No 4—Model Contracts) 2015](/view/pdf/asmade/sl-2015-358).\n> > \n> > Note.\n> > \n> > See also clause 14 of Schedule 4 to the Act which provides that the senior executive employment provisions do not apply in relation to certain statutory officers who were holding office on 4.7.2014.\n> \n> > (4) For the purposes of subrule (3), the senior executive employment provisions are the provisions of or made under the [Government Sector Employment Act 2013](/view/html/inforce/current/act-2013-040) relating to the employment of Public Service senior executives.\n> \n> > (5) The provisions of a model contract of employment prescribed under this rule—\n> > \n> > > (a) are mandatory (except any provisions that are not applicable as indicated in the model contract), and\n> > \n> > > (b) are subject to the Act, the [Government Sector Employment Regulation 2014](/view/html/inforce/current/sl-2014-0060) and these Rules.\n> \n> > (6) Subrule (3) does not apply in relation to a Deputy Ombudsman or an Assistant Ombudsman.\n> \n> > (7) The amendments to Schedules 1 and 2 made by the [Government Sector Employment Rules (Amendment No 4—Model Contracts) 2015](/view/pdf/asmade/sl-2015-358) do not apply to contracts of employment entered into before the commencement of those amendments.\n> \n> **rule 43:** Am 2015 (358), Sch 1 \\[2\\].","sortOrder":58},{"sectionNumber":"44","sectionType":"section","heading":"Requirement to comply with contract of employment","content":"#### 44 Requirement to comply with contract of employment\n\n44 Requirement to comply with contract of employment\n\n> A Public Service senior executive must comply with any of the obligations imposed on the executive under the executive’s contract of employment.","sortOrder":59},{"sectionNumber":"45","sectionType":"section","heading":"Contract of employment subject to conditions of engagement being satisfied","content":"#### 45 Contract of employment subject to conditions of engagement being satisfied\n\n45 Contract of employment subject to conditions of engagement being satisfied\n\n> The contract of employment of a Public Service senior executive is subject to all the conditions to which the engagement of the executive is subject being satisfied.","sortOrder":60},{"sectionNumber":"46","sectionType":"section","heading":"Ongoing conditions of employment","content":"#### 46 Ongoing conditions of employment\n\n46 Ongoing conditions of employment\n\n> > (1) A Public Service senior executive must ensure that the executive at all times holds and maintains—\n> > \n> > > (a) the citizenship or other residency requirements for employment as a Public Service employee, and\n> > \n> > > (b) the formal qualifications or clearances (if any) required for his or her role.\n> \n> > (2) The employer of a Public Service senior executive may attach a specific condition of employment to a particular role.\n> \n> > (3) If the Public Service senior executive assigned to a role to which any such condition is attached is assigned to a different role that does not have the condition of employment attached to it, the condition no longer applies in relation to the executive.","sortOrder":61},{"sectionNumber":"47","sectionType":"section","heading":"Assignment to other role—payment of allowances","content":"#### 47 Assignment to other role—payment of allowances\n\n47 Assignment to other role—payment of allowances\n\n> If an allowance of a particular kind is payable in relation to the role of a Public Service senior executive and the senior executive is assigned to another role in respect of which the allowance is not payable, the senior executive is no longer entitled to the allowance.","sortOrder":62},{"sectionNumber":"48","sectionType":"section","heading":"Part-time work","content":"#### 48 Part-time work\n\n48 Part-time work\n\n> > (1) The employer of a Public Service senior executive may approve a request by the executive to undertake work on a part-time basis (namely, that the executive is not available for duty during the whole or part of a normal working day).\n> \n> > (2) An agreement between the employer and the Public Service senior executive about part-time work must specify the days or parts of days when the executive is available for duty.\n> \n> > (3) The remuneration of the executive is to be calculated on a pro-rata basis (excluding allowances in the nature of reimbursement where the part-time employee will receive the same amount as a full-time employee in the same circumstances).","sortOrder":63},{"sectionNumber":"49","sectionType":"section","heading":"Performance management","content":"#### 49 Performance management\n\n49 Performance management\n\n> > (1) A Public Service senior executive must, in accordance with the performance management system applying to the executive under section 67 of the Act—\n> > \n> > > (a) enter into a performance agreement with his or her employer, and\n> > \n> > > (b) have his or her performance reviewed at least annually.\n> \n> > (2) A Public Service senior executive may be employed under a contract of employment even though the agency’s performance management system has not been implemented or the executive has not entered into a performance agreement. In that case, the executive’s contract of employment is to be construed accordingly.","sortOrder":64},{"sectionNumber":"50","sectionType":"section","heading":"Capability-based assessments","content":"#### 50 Capability-based assessments\n\n50 Capability-based assessments\n\n> A Public Service senior executive (other than the Secretary of a Department) must participate in—\n> \n> > (a) periodic capability-based assessments, and\n> \n> > (b) any assessment relating to the technical requirements of the executive’s role.","sortOrder":65},{"sectionNumber":"51","sectionType":"section","heading":"Certain leave or payments not available","content":"#### 51 Certain leave or payments not available\n\n51 Certain leave or payments not available\n\n> A Public Service senior executive is not entitled to any flex leave for working flexible hours or to be paid for working overtime.","sortOrder":66},{"sectionNumber":"52","sectionType":"section","heading":"Appointment of Secretaries of Departments","content":"#### 52 Appointment of Secretaries of Departments\n\n52 Appointment of Secretaries of Departments\n\n> > (1) Before a person is appointed as the Secretary of a Department a report relating to the proposed appointment is required to be provided to the Minister—\n> > \n> > > (a) for a report relating to the proposed appointment of the Secretary of the Premier’s Department or Secretary of the Cabinet Office—by the Commissioner, or\n> > \n> > > (b) otherwise—by the Secretary of the Premier’s Department or the Secretary of the Cabinet Office.\n> \n> > (2) A report by the Secretary of the Premier’s Department or Secretary of the Cabinet Office is to be prepared after consultation with the Commissioner and the senior Minister to whom the relevant Department is responsible.\n> \n> > (3) However, a report is not required to be provided under subrule (1)—\n> > \n> > > (a) if the person is being re-appointed as the Secretary of a Department, or\n> > \n> > > (b) if the person was the Secretary of another Department at the time of the appointment or within 3 months before the appointment, or\n> > \n> > > (c) if the Commissioner, Secretary of the Premier’s Department or Secretary of the Cabinet Office (as the case requires) does not provide a report within 21 days after being notified of the proposed appointment, or\n> > \n> > > (d) if the appointment is effected by an administrative arrangements order under Part 7 of the [Constitution Act 1902](/view/html/inforce/current/act-1902-032).\n> \n> > (4) Part 3 does not apply to the Secretaries of Departments.\n> \n> > (5) (Repealed)\n> \n> **rule 52:** Ins 2014 (624), Sch 1 \\[8\\]. Subst 2015 (192), Sch 1. Am 2023 (356), sec 3(1)–(5).","sortOrder":67},{"sectionNumber":"53","sectionType":"section","heading":"Appointment of heads of Public Service agencies (other than Secretaries of Departments)","content":"#### 53 Appointment of heads of Public Service agencies (other than Secretaries of Departments)\n\n53 Appointment of heads of Public Service agencies (other than Secretaries of Departments)\n\n> > (1) In this rule—\n> > \n> > agency head means—\n> > \n> > > (a) the head of a Public Service executive agency, or\n> > \n> > > (b) the head of a separate Public Service agency whose office is established by section 28 of the Act.\n> > \n> > existing Public Service head means a person who is the Secretary of a Department or an agency head or who was the Secretary of a Department or an agency head within the previous 3 months.\n> > \n> > existing senior executive means a person who is a Public Service senior executive or who was a Public Service senior executive within the previous 3 months.\n> > \n> > Public Service senior executive includes a senior executive in the Health Service, the Transport Service or the NSW Police Force.\n> \n> > (2) Part 3 does not apply to the appointment of a person as an agency head (and subrule (3) applies instead)—\n> > \n> > > (a) if the person is being re-appointed as the agency head, or\n> > \n> > > (b) if the person is an existing Public Service head, or\n> > \n> > > (c) if the person is an existing senior executive who is being employed in the same band as the band in which the person was employed as an existing senior executive.\n> \n> > (3) Any such appointment of a person as agency head may be made if the person making the appointment is satisfied that the person is suitable for appointment to the office concerned.\n> \n> **rule 53:** Ins 2015 (192), Sch 1. Subst 2017 (184), Sch 1.","sortOrder":68},{"sectionNumber":"Schedule 1","sectionType":"schedule","heading":"Model contract of employment for Public Service senior executives (other than Secretaries and agency heads)","content":"# Schedule 1 Model contract of employment for Public Service senior executives (other than Secretaries and agency heads)\n\nSchedule 1 Model contract of employment for Public Service senior executives (other than Secretaries and agency heads)\n\n(Rule 43)\n\n**Contract of employment under section 39 of the [Government Sector Employment Act 2013](/view/html/inforce/current/act-2013-040)**\n\n**This contract of employment is made**\n\non the day of 20  \n\n**Between**\n\nTHE GOVERNMENT OF NEW SOUTH WALES\n\n**and**\n\n\\[*Insert full name*\\] (the “Senior Executive”)\n\n**Parties**\n\n> 1.1\n> \n> This contract of employment is between the Senior Executive and the Government of New South Wales.\n\n**Commencement**\n\n> 2.1\n> \n> The employment of the Senior Executive under this contract commences on \\[*insert date*\\].\n\n**Definitions**\n\n> 3.1\n> \n> In this contract—\n> \n> “Employer” of the Senior Executive means the person who exercises the employer functions of the Government of New South Wales in relation to the Senior Executive.\n> \n> “GSE Act” means the [Government Sector Employment Act 2013](/view/html/inforce/current/act-2013-040).\n> \n> “GSE Regulation” means the [Government Sector Employment Regulation 2014](/view/html/inforce/current/sl-2014-0060).\n> \n> “GSE Rules” means the [Government Sector Employment (General) Rules 2014](/view/html/inforce/current/sl-2014-0065).\n\n> 3.2\n> \n> Terms used in this contract that are defined in the GSE Act have the same meanings as they have in the GSE Act.\n\n**Band**\n\n> 4.1\n> \n> The Senior Executive is employed in Band \\[*specify band*\\].\n\n**Role**\n\n> 5.1\n> \n> The role in the Public Service assigned to the Senior Executive is described in Appendix A.\n\n> 5.2\n> \n> The Employer may vary the description of the role to which the Senior Executive is assigned at any time.\n\n> 5.3\n> \n> The Senior Executive acknowledges that he or she may be assigned to another role in any Public Service agency, or be transferred to another government sector agency and assigned to a role, in the band in which the Senior Executive is employed.\n\n> 5.4\n> \n> The Senior Executive must perform the duties and responsibilities of the role to which the Senior Executive is duly assigned.\n\n**Core values**\n\n> 6.1\n> \n> The Senior Executive agrees to perform the duties and responsibilities of the assigned role in accordance with the government sector core values under section 7 of the GSE Act.\n\n**Probation period**\n\n> 7.1\n> \n> The Senior Executive’s employment is subject to a probation period of \\[*insert number of months—not exceeding 3 months*\\].\n> \n> \\[OR\\]\n> \n> The Senior Executive’s employment is not subject to a probation period.\n\n**Duration of employment**\n\n> 8.1\n> \n> The employment of the Senior Executive under this contract is ongoing employment (that is, employment that continues until the Senior Executive resigns or the Senior Executive’s employment is terminated).\n> \n> \\[OR\\]\n> \n> The employment of the Senior Executive under this contract is, unless the Senior Executive sooner resigns or the Senior Executive’s employment is sooner terminated, for the period ending on \\[*specify date*\\]. The period of employment may be extended by the Employer.\n\n**Annual performance agreement**\n\n> 9.1\n> \n> The Senior Executive is required to enter into an annual performance agreement with the Employer setting out the performance obligations of the Executive, and reviews of performance, for the year. The performance agreement continues until a new agreement is entered into.\n\n> 9.2\n> \n> (Repealed)\n\n**Capability-based assessments**\n\n> 10.1\n> \n> The Senior Executive agrees to participate in periodic capability-based assessments.\n\n> 10.2\n> \n> The Senior Executive agrees to the use of these assessments for workforce planning purposes.\n\n**Total remuneration package and allowances**\n\nNote—\n\nThe total remuneration package is for full-time work. Under the GSE Regulation, pro-rata remuneration is payable for part-time work.\n\n> 11.1\n> \n> The total remuneration package (comprising monetary remuneration and employment benefits) of the Senior Executive is specified in Appendix B.\n\n> 11.2\n> \n> The Senior Executive may elect from time to time to allocate the total remuneration package as between monetary remuneration and employment benefits in accordance with the GSE Act.\n\n> 11.3\n> \n> The Senior Executive is entitled to the allowances specified in Appendix B and any allowances conferred under the GSE Act and GSE Regulation.\n\n> 11.4\n> \n> The Employer may, subject to the GSE Act, vary the total remuneration package and allowances of the Senior Executive from time to time.\n\n**Progression**\n\n> 12.1\n> \n> If the Senior Executive meets the performance requirements under the agency’s performance management system, the Senior Executive’s total remuneration package may be increased within the range of remuneration applicable to the assigned role of the Senior Executive. Any such increase is at the discretion of the Employer and is not an entitlement.\n\n> 12.2\n> \n> This clause does not limit the Employer’s power to increase or reduce the Senior Executive’s total remuneration package in accordance with the GSE Act.\n\n**Hours of duty**\n\n> 13.1\n> \n> The Senior Executive must work the hours necessary to perform the duties and responsibilities of the Senior Executive’s role.\n\n> 13.2\n> \n> The Senior Executive’s total remuneration package compensates the Senior Executive for any hours worked.\n\n**Part-time work**\n\n> 14.1\n> \n> If the Employer agrees to the Senior Executive undertaking work on a part-time basis, the Senior Executive must work the agreed days or parts of days.\n\n**Leave**\n\n> 15.1\n> \n> The Senior Executive is entitled to leave in accordance with the GSE Act, the GSE Regulation and the GSE Rules.\n\n**Notice of resignation**\n\n> 16.1\n> \n> The Senior Executive may resign his or her employment by providing 4 weeks written notice to the Employer or as agreed to by the Employer.\n\n> 16.2\n> \n> If notice of resignation is provided, the Employer may direct the Senior Executive to cease duties immediately or at some other specified time during the notice period. Any such direction does not affect the Senior Executive’s entitlement to receive remuneration or to accrue leave during the notice period.\n\n**Compensation for termination**\n\n> 17.1\n> \n> The Senior Executive is entitled to the payment of compensation, on the termination of employment by the Employer, as determined by clause 39 of the GSE Regulation.\n\n> 17.2\n> \n> If the Senior Executive’s employment is terminated with compensation, the Senior Executive agrees that if the Senior Executive is re-employed in the public sector (as referred to in section 41 of the GSE Act) within the period to which the compensation relates the Senior Executive will repay the proportionate amount, as calculated in accordance with clause 39 of the GSE Regulation, before the commencement of that re-employment. This obligation continues even though the contract of employment is terminated.\n\n**Confidentiality**\n\n\\[*The following provisions are mandatory to the extent that the contract must contain obligations relating to confidentiality. However, the following provisions may be substituted by a different set of obligations (that are not inconsistent with the following provisions) to suit the particular requirements of the Public Service agency concerned.*\\]\n\n> 18.1\n> \n> During his or her employment, the Senior Executive will not disclose, without lawful authority, any confidential or secret information acquired as a consequence of the employment.\n\n> 18.2\n> \n> On termination of employment the Senior Executive will not, without lawful authority, disclose or make \\[*commercial*\\] use of any confidential or secret information acquired by the Senior Executive as a consequence of his or her employment.\n\n**Intellectual property**\n\n> 19.1\n> \n> Subject to any written agreement to the contrary between the parties, all intellectual property developed by the Senior Executive in the course of his or her employment is the sole property of the Employer.\n\n**Employment policies**\n\n> 20.1\n> \n> The Senior Executive agrees to act in accordance with any applicable employment policies of the Employer.\n\n> 20.2\n> \n> However, those employment policies do not form part of this contract and do not create any express or implied contractual rights or obligations between the Senior Executive and the Employer.\n\n**Variation**\n\n> 21.1\n> \n> This contract may only be varied in accordance with the GSE Act and this contract.\n\n**APPENDICES**\n\nThe Appendices to this contract may be substituted by the Employer.\n\n> **Appendix A—Assigned role**\n> \n> \\[*insert description of assigned role*\\]\n\n> **Appendix B—Remuneration package and allowances**\n> \n> The total remuneration package of the Senior Executive is \\[*insert $ value of package*\\], comprising \\[*insert components of remuneration package*\\]—\n> \n> The Senior Executive is entitled to allowances under the GSE Regulation and the following additional allowances \\[*insert any additional allowances*\\]—\n\n**Signatures**\n\n**The Employer**\n\nSigned  \n\nDate  \n\nName  \n\n\\[*Insert job title and office*\\]  \n\npursuant to the GSE Act on behalf of the Government of NSW.\n\n**The Senior Executive**\n\nSigned  \n\nDate  \n\nName in full \\[*printed*\\]  \n\n**sch 1:** Am 2015 (358), Sch 1 \\[3\\]–\\[14\\]; 2016 (811), Sch 1 \\[19\\]–\\[25\\].","sortOrder":69},{"sectionNumber":"Schedule 2","sectionType":"schedule","heading":"Model contract of employment for Secretaries of Departments and heads of other Public Service agencies","content":"# Schedule 2 Model contract of employment for Secretaries of Departments and heads of other Public Service agencies\n\nSchedule 2 Model contract of employment for Secretaries of Departments and heads of other Public Service agencies\n\n(Rule 43)\n\n**Contract of employment under section 39 of the [Government Sector Employment Act 2013](/view/html/inforce/current/act-2013-040)**\n\n**This contract of employment is made**\n\non the day of 20  \n\n**Between**\n\nTHE GOVERNMENT OF NEW SOUTH WALES\n\n**and**\n\n\\[*Insert full name*\\] (the “Secretary/Agency Head”) \\[*both here and elsewhere in this contract, delete whichever is not applicable*\\]\n\nThis contract constitutes the Secretary/Agency Head’s instrument of appointment to office.\n\n**Parties**\n\n> 1.1\n> \n> This contract of employment is between the Secretary/Agency Head and the Government of New South Wales.\n\n**Commencement**\n\n> 2.1\n> \n> The employment of the Secretary/Agency Head under this contract commences on \\[*insert date*\\].\n\n**Definitions**\n\n> 3.1\n> \n> In this contract—\n> \n> “Employer” of the Secretary/Agency Head means the person who exercises the employer functions of the Government of New South Wales in relation to the Secretary/Agency Head.\n> \n> “GSE Act” means the [Government Sector Employment Act 2013](/view/html/inforce/current/act-2013-040).\n> \n> “GSE Regulation” means the [Government Sector Employment Regulation 2014](/view/html/inforce/current/sl-2014-0060).\n> \n> “GSE Rules” means the [Government Sector Employment (General) Rules 2014](/view/html/inforce/current/sl-2014-0065).\n\n> 3.2\n> \n> Terms used in this contract that are defined in the GSE Act have the same meanings as they have in the GSE Act.\n\n**Band**\n\n> 4.1\n> \n> The Secretary/Agency Head is employed in Band \\[*specify band*\\].\n\n**Office**\n\n> 5.1\n> \n> The Secretary/Agency Head is appointed to the office described in Appendix A.\n\n> 5.2\n> \n> The Secretary/Agency Head must perform the duties and responsibilities of the office to which the Secretary/Agency Head is appointed.\n\n**Core values**\n\n> 6.1\n> \n> The Secretary/Agency Head agrees to perform the duties and responsibilities of the office in accordance with the government sector core values under section 7 of the GSE Act.\n\n**Duration of employment**\n\n> 7.1\n> \n> The employment of the Secretary/Agency Head under this contract is ongoing employment (that is, employment that continues until the Secretary/Agency Head resigns or the Secretary/Agency Head’s employment is terminated).\n> \n> \\[OR\\]\n> \n> The employment of the Secretary/Agency Head under this contract is, unless the Secretary/Agency Head sooner resigns or the Secretary/Agency Head’s employment is sooner terminated, for the period ending on \\[*specify date*\\]. The period of employment may be extended by the Employer.\n\n**Annual performance agreement**\n\n> 8.1\n> \n> The Secretary/Agency Head is required to enter into an annual performance agreement with the Employer setting out the performance obligations of the Secretary/Agency Head, and reviews of performance, for the year. The performance agreement continues until a new agreement is entered into.\n\n> 8.2\n> \n> (Repealed)\n\n**Capability-based assessments**\n\n\\[*The following provisions only apply in relation to Agency Heads. In the case of Secretaries they should not be included in the contract and the following clauses should be renumbered accordingly.*\\]\n\n> 9.1\n> \n> The Agency Head agrees to participate in periodic capability-based assessments.\n\n> 9.2\n> \n> The Agency Head agrees to the use of these assessments for workforce planning purposes.\n\n**Total remuneration package and allowances**\n\n> 10.1\n> \n> The total remuneration package (comprising monetary remuneration and employment benefits) of the Secretary/Agency Head is specified in Appendix B.\n\n> 10.2\n> \n> The Secretary/Agency Head may elect from time to time to allocate the total remuneration package as between monetary remuneration and employment benefits in accordance with the GSE Act.\n\n> 10.3\n> \n> The Secretary/Agency Head is entitled to the allowances specified in Appendix B and any allowances conferred under the GSE Act and GSE Regulation.\n\n> 10.4\n> \n> The Employer may, subject to the GSE Act, vary the total remuneration package and allowances of the Secretary/Agency Head from time to time.\n\n**Progression**\n\n> 11.1\n> \n> If the Secretary/Agency Head meets the requirements of the annual performance agreement, the Secretary/Agency Head’s total remuneration package may be increased within the range of remuneration applicable to the office of the Secretary/Agency Head. Any such increase is at the discretion of the Employer and is not an entitlement.\n\n> 11.2\n> \n> This clause does not limit the Employer’s power to increase or reduce the Secretary/Agency Head’s total remuneration package in accordance with the GSE Act.\n\n**Hours of duty**\n\n> 12.1\n> \n> The Secretary/Agency Head must work the hours necessary to perform the duties and responsibilities of the office.\n\n> 12.2\n> \n> The Secretary/Agency Head’s total remuneration package compensates the Secretary/Agency Head for any hours worked.\n\n**Leave**\n\n> 13.1\n> \n> The Secretary/Agency Head is entitled to leave in accordance with the GSE Act, the GSE Regulation and the GSE Rules.\n\n**Notice of resignation**\n\n> 14.1\n> \n> The Secretary/Agency Head may resign his or her employment by providing 4 weeks written notice to the Employer or as agreed to by the Employer.\n\n> 14.2\n> \n> If notice of resignation is provided, the Employer may direct the Secretary/Agency Head to cease duties immediately or at some other specified time during the notice period. Any such direction does not affect the Secretary/Agency Head’s entitlement to receive remuneration or to accrue leave during the notice period.\n\n**Compensation for termination**\n\n> 15.1\n> \n> The Secretary/Agency Head is entitled to the payment of compensation, on the termination of employment by the Employer, as determined by clause 39 of the GSE Regulation.\n\n> 15.2\n> \n> If the Secretary/Agency Head’s employment is terminated with compensation, the Secretary/Agency Head agrees that if the Secretary/Agency Head is re-employed in the public sector (as referred to in section 41 of the GSE Act) within the period to which the compensation relates the Secretary/Agency Head will repay the proportionate amount, as calculated in accordance with clause 39 of the GSE Regulation, before the commencement of that re-employment. This obligation continues even though the contract of employment is terminated.\n\n**Other paid work**\n\n> 16.1\n> \n> The Secretary/Agency Head will not undertake any other paid work without the permission of the Employer.\n\n**Confidentiality**\n\n\\[*The following provisions are mandatory to the extent that the contract must contain obligations relating to confidentiality. However, the following provisions may be substituted by a different set of obligations (that are not inconsistent with the following provisions) to suit the particular requirements of the Public Service agency concerned.*\\]\n\n> 17.1\n> \n> During his or her employment, the Secretary/Agency Head will not disclose, without lawful authority, any confidential or secret information acquired as a consequence of the employment.\n\n> 17.2\n> \n> On termination of employment the Secretary/Agency Head will not, without lawful authority, disclose or make \\[*commercial*\\] use of any confidential or secret information acquired by the Secretary/Agency Head as a consequence of his or her employment.\n\n**Intellectual property**\n\n> 18.1\n> \n> Subject to any written agreement to the contrary between the parties, all intellectual property developed by the Secretary/Agency Head in the course of his or her employment is the sole property of the Employer.\n\n**Employment policies**\n\n> 19.1\n> \n> The Secretary/Agency Head agrees to act in accordance with any applicable employment policies of the Employer.\n\n> 19.2\n> \n> However, those employment policies do not form part of this contract and do not create any express or implied contractual rights or obligations between the Secretary/Agency Head and the Employer.\n\n**Variation**\n\n> 20.1\n> \n> This contract may only be varied in accordance with the GSE Act and this contract.\n\n**APPENDICES**\n\nThe Appendices to this contract (other than Appendix A) may be substituted by the Employer.\n\n> **Appendix A—Office**\n> \n> \\[*insert office to which appointed*\\]\n\n> **Appendix B—Remuneration package and allowances**\n> \n> The total remuneration package of the Secretary/Agency Head is \\[*insert $ value of package*\\], comprising \\[*insert components of remuneration package*\\]—\n> \n> The Secretary/Agency Head is entitled to allowances under the GSE Regulation and the following additional allowances \\[*insert any additional allowances*\\]—\n\n**Signatures**\n\n**The Employer**\n\nSigned  \n\nDate  \n\nName  \n\n\\[*Insert office*\\]  \n\npursuant to the GSE Act on behalf of the Government of NSW.\n\n**The Secretary/Agency Head**\n\nSigned  \n\nDate  \n\nName in full \\[*printed*\\]  \n\n**sch 2:** Am 2015 (358), Sch 1 \\[3\\] \\[5\\]–\\[7\\] \\[15\\]–\\[24\\]; 2016 (811), Sch 1 \\[19\\] \\[26\\]–\\[30\\].","sortOrder":70},{"sectionNumber":"Schedule 3","sectionType":"schedule","heading":"Model contract of employment for statutory office holders","content":"# Schedule 3 Model contract of employment for statutory office holders\n\nSchedule 3 Model contract of employment for statutory office holders\n\n(Rule 43)\n\n**Contract of employment under section 39 of the [Government Sector Employment Act 2013](/view/html/inforce/current/act-2013-040)**\n\n**This contract of employment is made**\n\non the day of 20  \n\n**Between**\n\nTHE GOVERNMENT OF NEW SOUTH WALES\n\n**and**\n\n\\[*Insert full name*\\] (the “Office Holder”)\n\n\\[*This contract may constitute the Office Holder’s instrument of appointment if the Minister is authorised to make the appointment*\\]\n\n**Parties**\n\n> 1.1\n> \n> This contract of employment is between the Office Holder and the Government of New South Wales.\n\n**Appointment to office**\n\n\\[*Include this provision if this contract constitutes the instrument of appointment*\\]\n\n> 2.1\n> \n> The Office Holder is appointed to the office described in Appendix A on \\[*insert date*\\] and the Office Holder’s employment under this contract commences on that date.\n\n**Commencement of employment**\n\n\\[*Include this provision if the Office Holder is appointed by a separate instrument of appointment*\\]\n\n> 2.1 The employment of the Office Holder under this contract commences on the date the Office Holder is appointed to the office described in Appendix A.\n\n**Definitions**\n\n> 3.1\n> \n> In this contract—\n> \n> “GSE Act” means the [Government Sector Employment Act 2013](/view/html/inforce/current/act-2013-040).\n> \n> “GSE Regulation” means the [Government Sector Employment Regulation 2014](/view/html/inforce/current/sl-2014-0060).\n> \n> “GSE Rules” means the [Government Sector Employment (General) Rules 2014](/view/html/inforce/current/sl-2014-0065).\n> \n> “Minister” means the Minister administering the provisions of the Act under which the Office Holder is appointed.\n\n> 3.2\n> \n> Terms used in this contract that are defined in the GSE Act have the same meanings as they have in the GSE Act.\n\n**Band**\n\n> 4.1\n> \n> The Office Holder is employed in Band \\[*specify band*\\].\n\n**Office**\n\n> 5.1\n> \n> This contract applies to the office described in Appendix A.\n\n> 5.2\n> \n> The Office Holder must perform the duties and responsibilities of the office to which the Office Holder is appointed.\n\n**Core values**\n\n> 6.1\n> \n> The Office Holder agrees to perform the duties and responsibilities of the office in accordance with the government sector core values under section 7 of the GSE Act.\n\n**Term of appointment**\n\n\\[*Include this provision if this contract constitutes the instrument of appointment*\\]\n\n> 7.1\n> \n> The Office Holder is appointed for \\[*specify term of office in accordance with the Act under which the person is appointed*\\], and the Office Holder’s employment under this contract is for that period, unless the Office Holder vacates office sooner in accordance with the Act under which the Office Holder is appointed or \\[*include only if the Act under which the Office Holder is appointed provides that the provisions of the GSE Act relating to the termination of employment of Public Service senior executives apply to the Office Holder*\\] the Office Holder’s employment is sooner terminated.\n\n**Duration of employment**\n\n\\[*Include this provision if the Office Holder is appointed by a separate instrument of appointment*\\]\n\n> 7.1\n> \n> The Office Holder is employed under this contract for the period of \\[*specify term of office in accordance with the Act under which the person is appointed*\\] unless the Office Holder vacates office sooner in accordance with the Act under which the Office Holder is appointed or \\[*include only if the Act under which the Office Holder is appointed provides that the provisions of the GSE Act relating to the termination of employment of Public Service senior executives apply to the Office Holder*\\] the Office Holder’s employment is sooner terminated.\n\n**Total remuneration package and allowances**\n\n> 8.1\n> \n> The total remuneration package (comprising monetary remuneration and employment benefits) of the Office Holder is specified in Appendix B.\n\n> 8.2\n> \n> The Office Holder may elect from time to time to allocate the total remuneration package as between monetary remuneration and employment benefits in accordance with the GSE Act.\n\n> 8.3\n> \n> The Office Holder is entitled to the allowances specified in Appendix B and any allowances conferred under the GSE Act and the GSE Regulation.\n\n> 8.4\n> \n> The Minister may, subject to the GSE Act, vary the total remuneration package and allowances of the Office Holder from time to time.\n\n**Progression**\n\n> 9.1\n> \n> The Office Holder’s total remuneration package may be increased within the range of remuneration applicable to the office. Any such increase is at the discretion of the Minister and is not an entitlement.\n\n> 9.2\n> \n> This clause does not limit the Minister’s power to increase or reduce the Office Holder’s total remuneration package in accordance with the GSE Act.\n\n**Leave**\n\n> 10.1\n> \n> The Office Holder is entitled to leave in accordance with the provisions of the GSE Act, the GSE Regulation and the GSE Rules relating to leave. For that purpose, those provisions apply to the Office Holder as if a reference in any such provision to a Public Service senior executive included a reference to the Office Holder.\n\n**Compensation for termination**\n\n\\[Note.\n\nIf the Office Holder is removed from office by the Governor under section 77 of the GSE Act, the Office Holder is entitled to compensation in accordance with section 78 of that Act.\\]\n\n\\[*The following provisions are to be included only if the Act under which the Office Holder is appointed provides that the provisions of the GSE Act relating to the termination of employment of Public Service senior executives apply to the Office Holder*\\]\n\n> 11.1\n> \n> The Office Holder is entitled to the payment of compensation, on the termination of employment by the Minister, as determined by clause 39 of the GSE Regulation.\n\n> 11.2\n> \n> If the Office Holder’s employment is terminated with compensation, the Office Holder agrees that if the Office Holder is re-employed in the public sector (as referred to in section 41 of the GSE Act) within the period to which the compensation relates the Office Holder will repay the proportionate amount, as calculated in accordance with clause 39 of the GSE Regulation, before the commencement of that re-employment. This obligation continues even though the contract of employment is terminated.\n\n**Resignation**\n\n> 12.1\n> \n> The Office Holder may resign by instrument in writing addressed to the Minister.\n\n**Confidentiality**\n\n\\[*The following provisions are mandatory to the extent that the contract must contain obligations relating to confidentiality. However, the following provisions may be substituted by a different set of obligations (that are not inconsistent with the following provisions) to suit the particular requirements of the statutory office concerned.*\\]\n\n> 13.1\n> \n> During his or her employment, the Office Holder will not disclose, without lawful authority, any confidential or secret information acquired as a consequence of the employment.\n\n> 13.2\n> \n> On termination of employment the Office Holder will not, without lawful authority, disclose or make \\[*commercial*\\] use of any confidential or secret information acquired by the Office Holder as a consequence of his or her employment.\n\n**Intellectual property**\n\n> 14.1\n> \n> Subject to any written agreement to the contrary between the parties, all intellectual property developed by the Office Holder in the course of his or her employment is the sole property of the Minister.\n\n**Variation**\n\n> 15.1\n> \n> This contract may only be varied in accordance with the GSE Act and this contract.\n\n**APPENDICES**\n\n> **Appendix A—Office**\n> \n> \\[*insert office to which appointed*\\]\n\n> **Appendix B—Remuneration package and allowances**\n> \n> \\[*This Appendix may be substituted by the Minister*\\]\n> \n>   \n> The total remuneration package of the Office Holder is \\[*insert $ value of package*\\], comprising \\[*insert components of remuneration package*\\]—\n> \n>   \n> The Office Holder is entitled to allowances under the GSE Regulation and the following additional allowances \\[*insert any additional allowances*\\]—\n\n**Signatures**\n\n**The Minister**\n\nSigned  \n\nDate  \n\nName  \n\npursuant to the GSE Act on behalf of the Government of NSW.\n\n**The Office Holder**\n\nSigned  \n\nDate  \n\nName in full \\[*printed*\\]  \n\n**sch 3:** Ins 2015 (358), Sch 1 \\[25\\]. Am 2016 (811), Sch 1 \\[19\\] \\[31\\].","sortOrder":71}],"analysis":{"summary":{"complexity_score":5,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The instrument was renamed from 'Government Sector Employment Rules 2014' to 'Government Sector Employment (General) Rules 2014', suggesting that the original single set of rules was likely split or reorganised — with 'General' added to distinguish these rules from other more specific rules made under the same parent Act. This indicates the scope was refined or partitioned over time, rather than remaining identical to the original intent."},"complexity_factors":["The actual substantive text of the Rules was not provided — only metadata — making full complexity assessment impossible","Extensive amendment history (16+ versions since 2014) suggests accumulated layers of changes that can be difficult to navigate","Rules under a parent Act (Government Sector Employment Act 2013) meaning full understanding requires reading both instruments together","Applies across a large and diverse workforce (entire NSW government sector), requiring broad applicability across varied employment contexts","Renaming of the instrument adds minor confusion for those cross-referencing older versions or citations","Complexity score is moderate/mid-range given the metadata-only nature of this extract — actual rules on public sector employment frameworks are typically moderately to highly complex"],"plain_english_summary":"## Government Sector Employment (General) Rules 2014 (NSW)\n\n**What is this?**\nThis is a set of rules (subordinate legislation made under a parent Act) that governs how NSW government sector employees are hired, managed, and employed. It applies to public servants working in NSW government departments and agencies.\n\n**Who does it affect?**\n- Current and prospective NSW public servants (government employees)\n- NSW government departments, agencies, and their managers/HR teams\n- People applying for jobs in the NSW public sector\n\n**Why does it matter?**\nThese rules set the day-to-day operational standards for NSW public sector employment — think recruitment processes, how roles are filled, employment conditions, and related workforce management matters. If you work for (or want to work for) the NSW government, these rules directly shape your rights and obligations as an employee.\n\n**Important note:** The document provided contains only the administrative metadata (version history, publication details) from the NSW legislation website — **not the actual content of the Rules themselves**. The substantive provisions (the actual rules about employment) are not included in the text provided, so a detailed analysis of specific rights and obligations cannot be made from this extract alone.\n\n**What we do know from the metadata:**\n- Originally called the *Government Sector Employment Rules 2014* — renamed to add \"(General)\"\n- Has been amended **at least 16 times** since it was first made in February 2014, showing it is actively maintained and updated\n- The most recent version took effect **29 August 2025**\n- It is a **NSW-specific** instrument, not a federal law"},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.6","source":"moonshot-batch-reanalyse","citationCount":17,"completionTokens":5332},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":7,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"Since their original commencement, the Rules have expanded significantly beyond a general employment framework through successive amendments. Notable scope changes include carving out the NSW Police Force from most provisions; inserting emergency health pandemic exemptions (COVID-19) that bypass standard merit-based hiring and temporary employment limits; adding dedicated appointment pathways for graduate program completers and statutory office holders; and creating increasingly granular exceptions to comparative assessment and external advertising requirements across temporary, ongoing, and senior executive appointments."},"complexity_factors":["Over 20 defined terms in Rule 3 alone, plus additional local definitions throughout later rules (e.g., eligible person, existing senior executive, agency head)","Extensive cross-referencing to the Government Sector Employment Act 2013, associated Regulation, and other statutes such as the Constitution Act 1902 and Health Services Act 1997","Multiple overlapping assessment pathways (comparative assessment versus suitability assessment) with differing procedural steps, advertising requirements, and assessor independence rules","Nested exceptions to general rules, particularly for temporary employment duration limits, COVID-19 pandemic roles, and merit-based advertising exemptions for senior executives and graduates","Three distinct mandatory model employment contract schedules with variable clauses for senior executives, Secretaries/agency heads, and statutory office holders","Fragmented legislative history visible in the text, including repealed and re-inserted provisions (e.g., Rule 22D, Rules 30, 32, 33)"],"plain_english_summary":"**What these rules do**\nThese are the main workplace rules for people employed in the New South Wales Public Service and other government sector agencies. They set out how people are hired, moved, managed, and disciplined.\n\n**Who is covered**\nMost rules apply to Public Service employees, from frontline staff to senior executives. Some parts also cover employees in other government sector agencies. The NSW Police Force is largely excluded.\n\n**How people are hired**\n- Hiring must generally be based on **merit**, measured against pre-set standards for the role.\n- There are two main assessment types:\n  - **Comparative assessment**: The applicant is compared against other candidates. This usually requires advertising to the public, at least two assessors, multiple capability-based assessments, and referee checks.\n  - **Suitability assessment**: The applicant is assessed only against the role requirements, not against other people.\n- **Talent pools** can be created for up to 18 months for people who pass a comparative assessment.\n- There are exceptions for temporary COVID-19 response roles, graduate program completions, staff in special offices (such as executive assistants to the Governor), and roles created during agency restructures.\n\n**Types of employment**\n- **Ongoing employment**: Permanent roles, usually requiring a comparative assessment after external advertising.\n- **Temporary or term employment**: Usually capped at 4 years in any 5-year period. Extensions are possible if a fresh assessment is done. Short-term roles up to 12 months can use a suitability assessment.\n- **Conversion**: A temporary employee can be converted to ongoing employment after 12 months if properly assessed.\n\n**Conditions of employment**\n- **Probation**: Up to 3 months for senior executives; 6 to 12 months for other employees.\n- **Citizenship and visas**: Employees must be Australian citizens, permanent residents, New Zealand citizens, or hold a valid visa allowing work in Australia.\n- Employers can require formal **qualifications**, **security clearances**, and **health assessments** as conditions of employment.\n\n**Moving between roles and agencies**\n- Employees can be temporarily assigned to other roles, or transferred and seconded between agencies.\n- If an employer initiates a transfer or secondment, the employee can request a review and has a right to return to their original level after a secondment.\n\n**Performance and misconduct**\n- Agencies must run **performance management systems** that set expectations, review performance, and resolve unsatisfactory performance.\n- **Misconduct** allegations must follow a set process: the employer assesses the allegation, gives the employee details and a chance to respond, conducts inquiries, and makes a finding. Formal hearings with lawyers and cross-examination are not allowed.\n\n**Senior executives**\n- Special **model contracts** apply to senior executives, Secretaries of Departments, and statutory office holders (senior officials appointed under specific laws).\n- Senior executives must enter performance agreements, participate in capability assessments, and cannot claim overtime or flex leave.\n- Appointments of Secretaries and certain agency heads have special reporting requirements and are sometimes exempt from standard advertising rules.\n\n**Workforce diversity**\n- Special rules help employ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disabilities, young people, refugees, and other disadvantaged groups by modifying standard recruitment processes."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The instrument has been expanded and refined since initial drafting through added carve-outs, exceptions and new procedural prescriptions. Examples in the text include: the exclusion of the NSW Police Force from most of the Rules except Part 6 (rule 4A), COVID-related temporary recruitment exceptions for up to 2 years (rule 15(2) and rule 21(2A)), a graduate progression exception to comparative-assessment requirements (rule 20A), and additions/updates to comparative-assessment and assessment sequencing requirements (rules 17(7), 16(2A)). The Rules also introduce model contracts and mandatory contract clauses for senior executives and agency heads (rule 43 and Schedules 1–3) and impose reporting obligations for senior-executive terminations (rule 42). These changes alter who is covered, when open advertising and comparative assessment apply, and the centralised controls over senior-executive contracts and oversight."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple interlocking procedural requirements for recruitment (comparative vs suitability assessments) with specified minimum steps (rule 17; rule 18).","Numerous exceptions and special cases (graduate progression rule 20A; COVID-related exceptions rule 15(2) and rule 21(2A); special office temporary employees rule 22A; NSW Police exclusion rule 4A).","Time limits and sequencing requirements (probation limits rule 5; maximum temporary employment rule 10; talent pool duration rule 19(4); review/request windows rules 24(3), 34(4)).","Cross-references to the Act, the Regulation and model contract Schedules (rule 3, rule 43 and Schedules 1–3) that affect contractual terms and termination entitlements.","Administrative obligations on agency heads and employers (advertising, referee checks, record-keeping, reporting to Commissioner) spread across many provisions (rules 17, 19, 27, 41, 42).","Significant delegated discretion for agency heads and employer functions with some non-delegable limits for Secretaries (rule 4), producing operational variability.","Procedural protections for employees (notice, opportunity to make submissions, review mechanisms) layered across termination, misconduct and transfer provisions (rules 14, 36, 38–41, 34).","Separate rules and terminology for different classes of workers (Public Service senior executives, non-executives, government sector employees, special office temporary employees) increasing interpretive complexity (rule 3 and Parts 2, 3, 9)."],"plain_english_summary":"What these Rules do (mechanics)\n\n- Establish detailed procedures for hiring, assigning, managing and disciplining people who work in NSW government sector agencies (the Public Service and other government sector agencies). Key procedural controls include: probation terms (rule 5), citizenship/residency and qualification checks (rules 6–9), limits on the length of temporary employment (rule 10), and the mechanics for temporary assignments (rule 11) and conversion of temporary to ongoing employment (rule 12).\n\n- Require merit-based processes for most hires and role assignments in the Public Service. For ongoing positions and many temporary/term appointments the default is an open comparative assessment after external advertising (rules 16, 20, 21, 22). Comparative assessments are prescribed in some detail (minimum screening steps, at least three capability-based assessments including an interview, referee checks, and multiple assessors) (rule 17). Suitability assessments (assessing a single candidate against role standards) have fewer prescribed steps (rule 18).\n\n- Create talent pools (lists of candidates who have passed comparative assessments) that agencies can use for future recruitment, subject to time limits and referee-check requirements (rule 19).\n\n- Set out processes for transfers, secondments and employer-initiated moves between government agencies, including who must agree, notice and review rights, and limits on level equivalence (Part 6; rules 28–31, 34).\n\n- Specify what performance management systems must cover and set minimum procedural steps before taking action for unsatisfactory performance (rules 35–36).\n\n- Prescribe procedural steps for dealing with misconduct allegations (initial assessment, inquiries, what process is not required, findings, record-keeping) and require written records and selective inclusion of misconduct findings on personnel files (Part 8; rules 37–41).\n\n- Add extra rules for Public Service senior executives: limits on delegation for employer functions (rule 4), mandatory participation in capability assessments (rule 50), special contract templates and mandatory contract clauses for senior executives and agency heads (rule 43 and Schedules 1–3), reporting of terminations to the Commissioner (rule 42), and contract-based obligations on confidentiality, IP and remuneration (Schedules 1–3).\n\nWho this affects\n\n- Agency heads, their delegates and those who exercise employer functions in government sector agencies: they make decisions and carry compliance obligations across hiring, dismissal, secondment, misconduct management and performance management (multiple rules; e.g. rules 5, 10, 12, 16, 36, 38–41, 42).\n\n- Government sector employees: non-executive employees and Public Service senior executives are covered by different rules and thresholds (definitions at rule 3, and distinct provisions across Parts 2, 3 and 9).\n\n- Candidates and prospective hires from the public (external advertising requirement, rule 20) and specific eligible groups listed for workforce diversity measures (rule 26).\n\n- The NSW Police Force: largely excluded from these Rules except for Part 6 transfers/secondments (rule 4A).\n\nWhy it matters (practical effects, incentives and trade-offs)\n\n- Centralised merit procedures and minimum assessment steps (rules 16–19, 20) increase the administrative work and cost for agencies when recruiting: agencies must run multi-step comparative assessments (screening, application review, three capability-based assessments including an interview, referee checks, and two or more assessors) (rule 17). That creates a predictable hiring standard but imposes time and resource costs on agencies.\n\n- External advertising requirements for ongoing appointments and many temporary appointments (rules 20, 22) open roles to public competition rather than internal appointment only. This shifts the supply of candidates from an agency-focused pool to the broader public, affecting who competes for roles.\n\n- Talent pools (rule 19) let agencies re-use previous comparative assessment outcomes for subsequent hiring for up to 18 months, reducing repeated assessment costs for frequently filled roles but imposing an ongoing obligation to conduct referee checks before final offers (rule 19(6)).\n\n- Agency heads and employers retain significant discretion in several areas: setting probation lengths within limits (rule 5), deciding to extend probation, converting temporary to ongoing employment (rule 12) provided comparative assessment requirements are met, treating employees as excess (rule 13), deciding whether to proceed with or discontinue misconduct investigations after initial assessment (rule 38), and choosing to monitor conduct instead of taking immediate action (rule 40(3)). These discretionary powers concentrate decision-making authority in agency leadership (see rules 4, 5, 12, 13, 38, 40, 42).\n\n- There are explicit process protections for employees: notice and opportunity to make submissions before termination or proposed disciplinary action (rules 14, 36, 40), time-limited windows to request reviews of promotion or employer-initiated moves (rules 24, 34), and requirements that employer-initiated transfers/secondments not take effect until review is complete (rule 34(3)). These procedural safeguards impose compliance tasks on employers.\n\n- The Rules carve out exceptions and special cases that change incentives in practice: special office temporary employees have different rules (rule 22A), graduates who complete approved programs can be promoted without a comparative assessment in certain circumstances (rule 20A), and temporary hires connected to COVID-19 response have relief from some comparative-assessment requirements for up to 2 years (rule 15(2), 21(2A)). Those exceptions reduce hiring friction where specified.\n\n- The model contracts (Schedules 1–3) standardise terms for senior executives, Secretaries and some statutory officers (rule 43). That reduces negotiation scope for many contract elements (they are prescribed as mandatory except where a provision is inapplicable) and centralises contractual form in the Rules and schedules.\n\nCompliance burden and who pays\n\n- Agency heads (and those exercising employer functions) bear the administrative and legal compliance costs: conducting assessments, advertising, recording misconduct investigations, collecting workforce diversity data (rule 27), reporting senior-executive terminations to the Commissioner (rule 42), and ensuring performance systems meet core requirements (rule 35).\n\n- Individual employees and candidates must meet nationality, residency and qualification requirements (rules 6–7) and submit to capability and suitability assessments when required (rules 17–18, 50). Candidates in talent pools must complete referee checks before offers (rule 19(6)).\n\nImplementation risks, substitution effects and focused impacts\n\n- Agencies that face tight budgets or urgent resourcing needs may rely on allowed exceptions (e.g. rules 15, 21(2A), 22D) or on internal redeployments and temporary assignments (rules 11, 23) to meet short-term needs. Those substitutions are authorised by the Rules but shift where oversight and assessment effort falls.\n\n- Benefits are concentrated: those who secure appointments via the permitted exceptions (graduates, internally seconded staff, some temporary hires) or are selected under agency discretion gain direct advantage. Costs (administrative overhead, longer hiring lead times) are more diffuse across agencies’ HR budgets.\n\n- The Rules centralise some controls (e.g. model contracts, reporting to the Commissioner, limitations on delegation by Secretaries in respect of senior executive initial engagements — rule 4), which reduces local contractual variation but increases the role of central agencies and the Commissioner in oversight.\n\nTrade-offs highlighted by the source text\n\n- Openness and uniform minimum standards (comparative assessments, external advertising) trade off against time and resource costs for agencies (rules 16–22).\n\n- Discretion for agency heads (probation, monitoring rather than action, conversion to ongoing employment) allows managerial flexibility but concentrates decision power and creates reliance on internal judgement (rules 5, 12, 40).\n\n- Exceptions (graduate progression, COVID responses, special office employees, limited advertising during major restructures) reduce procedural barriers where the Rules allow, at the cost of departures from the default merit/advertising approach (rules 20A, 15, 22A, 23).\n\nSource citations (selected): rules 3, 4, 4A, 5–12, 13–14, 15–22, 23, 24–25, 26–27, 28–34, 35–41, 42–53, Schedules 1–3."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/government-sector-employment-general-rules-2014","history":"/api/acts/government-sector-employment-general-rules-2014/history","analysis":"/api/acts/government-sector-employment-general-rules-2014/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/government-sector-employment-general-rules-2014/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/government-sector-employment-general-rules-2014/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/government-sector-employment-general-rules-2014/documents"}}