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Part XI.—Examinations.

Division I.—Third Division.

Division II.—Fourth Division.

Division III.—Miscellaneous.

Definitions.

3. In these Regulations, unless the contrary intention appears—

“the Act” means the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1922, and if at any time that Act is amended, means that Act as so amended;

“the inspector” means a person appointed as a Public Service Inspector and doing duty in the matter in relation to which the expression is used;

“the Service” means the Commonwealth Service as defined in section 10 of the Act.

Repeal.

4. All Regulations made under the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1902-1918, in force at the commencement of these Regulations, are hereby repealed.

Address of communications

5. Subject to these Regulations, all communications intended for the Board and relating to the Service or the administration thereof, or to any subject or matter referred to in the Act or these Regulations, shall be addressed “Secretary, Commonwealth Public Service Board.” All communications intended for an Inspector shall be addressed “Commonwealth Public Service Inspector.”

Applications, how made.

6. The application of any officer upon any matter affecting him as an officer of the Service shall be made by that officer, through the head of his branch, to the Chief Officer. Where the matter is one which the officer desires shall be considered by the Board, the application shall be addressed to the “Secretary, Commonwealth Public Service Board,” and shall be forwarded by the Chief Officer, with any remarks considered necessary, to the Inspector for transmission to the Board.

Part II.—Administration.

Division I.—Attendance and Duties of Officers.

Officers to acquaint themselves with Act and Regulations.

7. All officers are required to acquaint themselves with the Act and these Regulations.

Act and Regulations to be available to officers.

8. Officers in charge of branches or sections of Departments shall requisition for sufficient copies of the Act and these Regulations to

enable officers working under their direction to have ready access to the Act and these Regulations.

Hours of business.

9. (1) Where the circumstances of public business permit, and except where otherwise determined by the Board, the hours of attendance to be observed in the Commonwealth Offices shall, subject to these Regulations, be from 9 a.m. to 4.45 p.m., with an interval of one hour for luncheon, except on Saturdays, when the hours of attendance shall be from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

(2) The ordinary hours of attendance of artisans, labourers, and similar classes shall be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an interval of one hour for luncheon, except on Saturdays, when the hours of attendance shall be from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

(3) Where the nature of the duties of any officer or class of officers does not, in the public interest, permit of attendance as prescribed in the last two preceding sub-regulations, other hours of duty may, subject to the directions of the Board, be specified in departmental instructions by the Chief Officer or any officer authorized by the Chief Officer.

Records of attendances.

10. Such means of recording the attendance of officers as are approved by the Permanent Head shall be provided in every Department and in every section of a Department where departmental convenience so demands. The officer in charge of each section provided with means of record of attendance shall be responsible for their use in accordance with these Regulations.

Obligation to record attendances.

11. (1) Every officer, not being an officer of the First or Second Division, and not being an officer exempted from the provisions of this regulation by the Board upon recommendation of the Permanent Head, shall record daily in an attendance book or other means of record approved by the Permanent Head, the actual time of his arrival on duty and his departure therefrom.

(2) The exemption of any officer from the obligation to record his attendance shall not be deemed to authorize that officer to absent himself from duty or to leave his office except on official business within his hours of duty.

Accessibility of attendance records.

12. The approved means of record of attendance shall be accessible at the ordinary time of arrival of officers, and shall be made available at the ordinary time of ceasing duty and not before.

Late attendances.

13. An officer arriving on duty later than ten minutes after the ordinary time of commencing duty shall not record his attendance, but shall report himself to the officer in charge, by whom the record shall be made, together with the officer’s explanation for late attendance.

Reports of late attendances.

14. Where a satisfactory explanation of late attendance is not furnished, or where the officer—

(a) is frequently late in arrival after the ordinary hour of commencing duty, whether or not such attendances are ten minutes late,

(b) leaves duty without authority before the ordinary time of departure,

(c) absents himself without authority during office hours, or

(d) records incorrectly the time of his arrival or departure,

it shall be the duty of the officer in charge to report the conduct of the officer to the Chief Officer as a breach of these Regulations.

Absence from duty during office hours.

15. (1) No officer shall to allowed to leave his office during office hours, except on official business or by express permission of the Chief Officer or head of the branch, and the period of such absence, if not on official business, shall be duly recorded.

(2) At the discretion of the Chief Officer leave for such absence may be granted with or without pay, or may be deducted from recreation leave:

Provided that leave with pay shall not be granted in any case where the officer receives payment for at least an equivalent period of overtime worked during the thirty days succeeding the day upon which the leave is granted.

Absence from duty in case of illness or emergency.

16. (1) No officer shall be absent from duty or shall leave his district without proper authority, unless reasonable cause is shown.

(2) If an officer is prevented by illness or other emergency from attending to duty, he shall immediately report the fact through the head of his branch to the Chief Officer, and the officer shall furnish, in the case of illness, such evidence as is prescribed, and, in the case of emergency, such evidence as the Chief Officer considers necessary.

17. Unless otherwise ordered by the Permanent Head, every officer not immediately under supervision shall keep a journal daily showing the duties performed by him, and the time occupied in those duties, and shall, whenever required, produce this journal or furnish a copy thereof to the officer under whose authority he is placed or to any other officer authorized by the Permanent Head or the Board to inspect the journal.

Responsibilities of Permanent Heads.

18. The Permanent Head shall report to the Board, whenever the necessity arises, any alterations which are, in his opinion, necessary or expedient for the more economical, efficient or convenient working of his Department or any branch thereof. He shall also report to the Board what alterations, if any, are in his opinion necessary in the salaries or allowances of any of the officers under his control, and shall bring under the attention of the Board any matter, whether in relation to any officer or to the work of any branch of his Department, with which he thinks it desirable for the Board to be acquainted.

Creation and abolition of offices.

19. The Permanent Head shall report to the Board whenever he deems it advisable—

(a) to create a new office in any Division;

(b) to abolish any office; or

(c) to raise or lower the classification of any office.

Redundant officers.

20. Whenever the Permanent Head or the Chief Officer, or an officer in charge under a Chief Officer, finds that the number of officers under his control is greater than the business demands, or can be reduced through re-arrangement of duties or improved methods of working, he shall forthwith report accordingly. Such report shall be transmitted through or by the Chief Officer or the Permanent Head to the Board.

Report as to officers attaining 60 years.

21. When any officer attains the age of 60 years, the Permanent Head shall report to the Board as to the willingness and fitness of such officer to continue to perform the duties of his position.

Return of officers over 60 years of age.

22. (1) The Permanent Head shall furnish the Board, in the month of April in each year, with a return of officers in his Department who have attained the age of 60 years or over, together with a report in each case as to whether the officer is able and willing to continue to perform his duties.

(2) If the Permanent Head is of the opinion that any such officer should be retired on account of inability to perform his duties, he shall recommend accordingly, stating his reasons for so doing.

Returns and information generally.

23. Whenever requested by the Board, or any officer authorized by the Board, the Permanent Head or Chief Officer shall supply such returns or other information as is required for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the Act or these Regulations.

Return of punishments.

24. The Chief Officer of each Department shall cause a return to be forwarded monthly to the Inspector showing all fines exceeding five shillings imposed under the provisions of the Act or these Regulations during the previous month. The return shall set forth the name of the officer, office held, offence, and punishment.

Resignation, death, transfer or reduction.

25. The Chief Officer shall immediately report to the Inspector, for the information of the Board, the resignation, death, transfer as punishment, or reduction as punishment of any officer.

Occupancy of quarters.

26. The Chief Officer shall notify the Board of the occupancy by an officer, for the purpose of residence, of the whole or any part of any building belonging to or occupied by the Commonwealth, and shall state whether or not such occupancy involves an obligation of supervision or general control by the officer over personnel or property, and, in the latter case, the rent to be paid and other conditions of the occupancy.

Subletting prohibited.

27. Officers who occupy for the purpose of residence any building belonging to or occupied by the Commonwealth are prohibited from subletting any portion of the building without the consent in writing of the Chief Officer.

Repairs to Government buildings.

28. All officers shall be held responsible for the careful use and preservation of all Government property in their occupation, possession, custody, or care. Officers in charge of public buildings shall, in the event of repairs being required, report to the Chief Officer, and shall not allow the buildings to fall into decay, or to become permanently injured for the want of repairs without reporting the circumstances to the Chief Officer.

Maintenance of order.

29. Officers in charge of any sub-department, branch, or section of the Public Service shall be responsible for the maintenance of good order, and shall afford the utmost assistance to the Chief Officer and Permanent Head.

Breaches of Regulations to be reported.

30. All officers in charge of any sub-department, branch, or section of the Public Service shall report to the Chief Officer any breaches of these Regulations which come to their knowledge.

Report of officers incapacitated through liquor or drugs.

31. If an officer in charge or sub-charge observes at any time that any officer or employee under his supervision is unfit to perform his duties properly by reason of over-indulgence in intoxicating liquor or drugs, he shall suspend him from duty, and immediately report the matter to his immediate superior officer or to the Chief Officer of the Department.

Obligations as to duty and behaviour.

32. Every officer shall—

(a) during the hours of official business, devote himself exclusively and zealously to the discharge of his public duties;

(b) behave at all times with courtesy to the public, giving prompt attention to all reasonable requirements;

(c) obey promptly all instructions given to him by any officer under whose control or supervision he is placed;

(d) promptly and correctly carry out all duties appertaining to his office, or any other duty he is directed to perform; and

(e) in due course and at proper times comply with, and give effect to, all enactments, regulations, and authoritative instructions made or issued for his guidance in the performance of his duties.

Appeals against instructions.

33. (1) If any officer considers he has grounds of complaint arising out of an official instruction, or from any other cause, he may appeal, in regard thereto, to the Chief Officer through his immediate superior officer, who shall forward the appeal forthwith to the Chief Officer, but he shall nevertheless, as far as possible, carry out any instruction given him until it is countermanded by competent authority.

(2) If an officer, having appealed to the Chief Officer, in pursuance of this regulation, is dissatisfied with the decision, the Chief Officer shall on request forward the appeal to the Permanent Head, who, if the appeal is not allowed, shall transmit it to the Board for determination.

Public comment on administration.

34. An officer shall not—

(a) publicly comment upon any administrative action or upon the administration of any Department; or

(b) use for any purpose, other than for the discharge of his official duties, information gained by or conveyed to him through his connexion with the Service.

Information not to be given.

35. Except in the course of official duty, no information concerning public business or any matter of which an officer has knowledge officially shall be

This is an opening excerpt, not the complete document.