This Act has been repealed and is no longer in force. It is retained for historical reference.
Jurisdiction
Commonwealth
Act Number
341 of 1913
Collection
legislative instrument
Plain English Summary
9/10 complexity
The Commonwealth Public Service Regulations 1913 are the federal “rulebook” for employment of Commonwealth officers, setting pay structures, hours, leave, conduct rules, transfers and promotion practices across the public service. Affecting everyone from messengers to senior professionals, they formalised merit-based careers, standardized conditions and limits on outside activities—founding the modern, professional Australian public service and reducing patronage.
Zoe can write the in-depth analysis on top of the summary above: how it works, who it affects and what each part actually does.
Current sections
Direct links to the current provisions in Commonwealth Public Service Regulations 1913.
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Source text: opening excerpt
Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
1 Commonwealth Public Service Regulations 1913
STATUTORY RULES.
1913. No. 341
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REGULATIONS UNDER THE COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC SERVICE ACT 1902-1911.
I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1902-1911 to come into operation forthwith.
Dated this nineteenth day of December, One thousand nine hundred and thirteen.
DENMAN,
Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command.
JOSEPH COOK.
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REGULATIONS UNDER THE COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC SERVICE ACT 1902-1911.
Part I.—Administration and Discipline.
Division I.—Preliminary.
Short title.
These Regulations may be cited as the Commonwealth Public Service Regulations 1913.
Application of award. Arbitration (Public Service) Act.
1a. Notwithstanding anything contained in these Regulations or in the award made by the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration on the twenty-eighth day of April, 1913, upon a claim submitted to the said Court in pursuance of the Arbitration (Public Service) Act 1911, the provisions of that award shall apply as from the date on which the award comes into operation, to all officers who are employed under the designations set forth in the award.
Division of Regulations.
1b. These Regulations are divided into Parts as follows:—
Part I.—Administration and Discipline.
Division I.—Preliminary.
Division II.—Attendance of officers.
Division III.—Duties of officers.
Division IV.—Miscellaneous.
Part II.—Classification of the General Division.
Part III.—Classification of the Clerical Division.
Part IV.—Classification of the Professional Division.
Part V.—Temporary Employment.
Part VI.—Employment of Married Women.
Part VII.—Promotion and Transfer with Promotion of Officers.
C.17442––Price, 1s. 3d.
Part VIII.—Travelling and other Allowances.
Division I.—General Allowances.
Division II.—Mode of Travelling.
Division III.—Special Allowances.
Division IV.—District Allowances.
Part IX.—Life Assurance and Superannuation.
Part X.—Appointments and Transfers.
Division I.—Professional Division.
Division II.—Clerical Division.
Division III.—General Division.
Division IV.—Miscellaneous.
Part XI.—Election of Divisional Representatives.
Part XII.—Offences : Boards of Inquiry.
Part XIII.—Boards of Appeal.
Part XIV.—Directions to be observed by Candidates at Competitive Examinations.
Part XV.—Instructions for the guidance of Superintendents at Competitive Examinations.
Part XVI.—Repeal of Previous Regulations.
Officers to be acquainted with regulations.
All officers are required to acquaint themselves with the Act and Regulations. Officers at the head of the various branches of each Department should send in requisitions for copies for the use of the officers under their control; and they are hereby directed to keep a copy of the Act and Regulations in each room to which officers of the Public Service commonly have access.
Communications, how to be made.
Except as otherwise provided, all communications intended for the Commissioner, relating to the Public Service or the administration thereof, or to any subject or matter referred to in the Act or Regulations, should be addressed to the “Secretary to the Commonwealth Public Service Commissioner.” All communications intended for the Inspector should be addressed to the Commonwealth Public Service Inspector.
Division II.—Attendance of Officers.
Hours of business.
(1) The hours of attendance to be observed by officers not subject to special Regulations or departmental arrangements in that behalf, or not specially exempted by the Commissioner or by the Permanent Head, shall be from 9 o’clock a.m. to 4.30 p.m., except on Saturdays, when the hours of attendance shall be from 9 o’clock a.m. to 12 noon. Where the nature of the work will not, in the public interest, admit of the general observance of this Regulation, the Permanent Head or Chief Officer shall recommend, and the Commissioner will prescribe, the hours of duty.
(2) The hours of attendance of officers in the General Division will be determined by the Commissioner from time to time, but the ordinary hours of duty for artisans, labourers, and similar classes should be, as far as practicable, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with half-an-hour off for luncheon, and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.
Attendance-books.
In every Department attendance-books shall be kept, and every officer supervising a division or branch shall have charge of the attendance-books to be used by himself and the officers under him, and he will be held responsible to the Chief Officer for the proper keeping of the attendance-books and the due observance of the regulation hours. The Commissioner may, in special circumstances, authorize the use of time recorders in place of attendance-books.
Entries in attendance books.
Every officer not specially exempted by the Commissioner or the Permanent Head shall enter daily in one of these books the times of his arrival and departure.
Attendance books, when accessible
Attendance-books shall be accessible for record and signature by officers before and up to 9.15 a.m. every day, when they shall be withdrawn, and a line ruled under the last signature therein, by the officer supervising the Division or Branch, and shall not be produced for recording departures until the proper time for ceasing work. The allowance of fifteen minutes before the withdrawal of the attendance-book must only be considered as a concession to meet emergent cases. Officers not subject to special Regulations in that behalf, or not specially exempted from attendance at that hour, must be in their offices at 9 a.m.
Certain officers not required to sign attendance books.
Officers of the Administrative Division and officers specially exempted by the Commissioner or the Permanent Head shall not be required to enter in the attendance-books the times of their arrival at and departure from their offices; but this exemption shall not be held to authorize any officer so exempted from absenting himself from duty during office hours.
Irregularity of attendance.
Any officer not subject to special Regulations in that behalf, or not specially exempted, arriving at his office after 9.15 a.m., shall report himself to the officer in charge or sub-charge, who shall record the time of his arrival in the attendance-book, and, if a satisfactory explanation be not made, his conduct shall be brought under the notice of the Chief Officer as a breach of the Regulations.
Officers not to leave their Offices.
No officer shall be 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 recorded in the attendance-book.
Absence during office hours.
If any officer is found to be habitually irregular in the time of his arrival or departure, or to absent himself without leave during office hours, his conduct shall be reported to the Chief Officer.
Time allowed for luncheon.
To officers who are required to attend on week days from 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., three-quarters of an hour will be allowed daily for luncheon, viz., from 1 o’clock p.m. to 1.45 p.m., or at such time as the officer in charge or sub-charge may arrange, so as to prevent any interference with the transaction of public business.
Absence from duty.
No officer shall be absent from duty, or shall leave his district without authorized leave, unless reasonable cause be shown. If an officer be prevented by illness or other emergency from attending to duty, he shall immediately report the fact through the head of the branch to the Chief Officer, and it shall be incumbent upon the officer to furnish such evidence of the illness or emergency as the Chief Officer may consider necessary. The duties of any absent officer shall be performed, if practicable, by his fellow officers, without additional salary or remuneration, in such manner as the superior officer of the branch or sub-department may authorize or direct; but, if not practicable, then in such manner as the Chief Officer may direct.
Absence without Leave.
In cases where an officer’s absence is not sanctioned, there shall be deducted from his salary his pay for each day of such absence.
Division III—Duties of Officer.
Responsibility of Permanent Heads.
The Permanent Head shall be responsible for the general working of the Department over which he presides, and for all the business thereof, and shall advise the Minister on all matters relating thereto.
Information to be furnished by Permanent Head.
Whenever the Commissioner directs, the Permanent Head shall forward to the Commissioner any information required by him in connexion with the administration of the Act, and, in particular, a return in duplicate showing the officers under his control, arranged under the head of the branches or sub-departments in which they are immediately employed; the offices they hold, specifying division, class, and subdivision of class or grade; the emoluments, salaries, allowances, and fees paid to, and an accurate description, in moderate detail, of the duties
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performed by each officer, the date of his birth, the date of his appointment, and the number of years he has been in the Service. The Permanent Head shall report to the Commissioner, whenever the necessity arises, what alterations, if any, are, in his opinion necessary or expedient for the more economic, efficient, or convenient working of his Department or any branch thereof. He shall further report to the Commissioner what alterations, if any, are in his opinion, necessary in the salaries, fees or allowances of any of the officers under his control; and shall also bring under the attention of the Commissioner any matter, whether in relation to any officer or to the work of any branch of his Department, with which he may think it desirable for the Commissioner to be acquainted. All such returns and reports will be filed as a record by the Commissioner.
(Repealed.)
(Repealed.)
Charges against officers.
If any officer is charged before any Court with, or is convicted of, any offence, whether punishable by summary conviction or otherwise, the officer in charge of the sub-branch in which the officer is employed shall immediately report the circumstances to the Chief Officer, who if he is of opinion that the offence is an offence within the meaning of section 46 of the Act shall deal with the case under that section.
Forfeiture of office upon indictment or presentment.
If an officer is on an indictment or presentment convicted of any offence he shall be deemed to have forfeited his office, and shall thereupon cease to perform his duties or receive his salary.
Return of punishments.
The Chief Office of each Department shall cause a return to be forwarded to the Commissioner monthly, showing all fines of the amount of five shillings and upward and punishments by deprivation of leave of absence imposed under the provisions of the Act or Regulations during the previous month. The return shall set forth the name of the officer, office held, offence, and punishment.
(Repealed.)
Insobriety.
If an officer in charge or sub-charge observes at any time that any one under his supervision is unfit to perform his duties properly by reason of over-indulgence in intoxicating liquor, he shall temporarily suspend him from duty, and immediately report the matter to the Chief Officer of the Department.
(Repealed.)
Officers of 60 years of age.
When any officer attains the age of 60 years the Permanent Head shall advise the Commissioner whether such officer is willing and fit to continue to perform the duties of his position or whether he should be retired from the service.
Return of officers over 60 years of age.
The Permanent Head shall furnish the Commissioner 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. Should the Permanent Head recommend the retirement of any officer over the age specified, he shall also state the reasons for such recommendation.
Officers of 65 years of age.
26a. Every officer reaching the age of 65 years shall inform the Chief-Officer of his Department, who shall notify the Permanent Head in order that he may make a recommendation to the Commissioner as to whether it is desirable or otherwise to continue the officer in the Service.
Death of officer.
The Chief Officer shall immediately report the death of any officer to the Inspector for transmission to the Commissioner.
Chief officer to furnish information.
Whenever requested by the Inspector the Chief Officer shall supply such returns or other information as may be required.
Quarterly return of temporary employés.
At the beginning of April, July, October, and January of each year the Chief Officer of each Department in each State shall furnish the Inspector, for transmission to the Commissioner, with a return showing the names (arranged in alphabetical order) of all persons temporarily employed during the previous quarter, the branch or office, and the capacity in which employed, their periods of employment, and rates of pay.
Creation of new offices, &c.
30. (1) The Permanent Head of each Department shall report to the Commissioner whenever it is deemed advisable—
(a) To create a new office in any Division in the Department under his control;
(b) To abolish any office in his Department;
(c) To raise or lower the classification or grading of any office, the duties of which have been materially changed.
(2) On receiving the report of the permanent Head, the Commissioner may make a recommendation on the subject to the Governor-General. Provided, however, that where, under section 13 (2) of the Act, the Permanent Head has assigned to the Chief Officer, either generally or in any particular cases or classes of cases, power and authority to report in respect of any of the matters specified in section 41, the Chief Officer shall himself report accordingly, and such report shall be sent to the Inspector for transmission to the Commissioner.
Report as to excess officers.
Whenever the Chief Officer finds that the number of officers under his control is greater than is required to perform the current work of the Department, he shall forthwith report the circumstances to the Permanent Head, who shall advise the Commissioner. Officers in sub-charge are required to report to the Chief Officer when it is considered that a reduction in staff can be made through reduction in amount of work or re-arrangement of duties.
Use of public buildings for residence.
(1) When any officer occupies for the purpose of residence the whole or part of a building belonging to or occupied by the Commonwealth, the Chief Officer shall notify the Permanent Head, who shall report the fact to the Commissioner. Postmasters and others who are provided with quarters are required to reside in them.
Sub-letting.
(2) Officers who rent Government buildings are prohibited from sub-letting any portion of same without the consent, in writing, of the Permanent Head of their several Departments.
Journals.
Unless otherwise ordered by the Permanent Head of the Department, every officer not immediately under supervision shall keep a journal showing daily the duties performed by him, and the time occupied therein, and shall furnish a copy of this journal when required to the officer under whose authority he is placed.
Obligations of senior officers.
Officers in charge of any sub-department,
This is an opening excerpt, not the complete document.