NSWIn ForceAct
Ombudsman Act 1974
31OReasonable management action not prevented
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#### 31O Reasonable management action not prevented
31O Reasonable management action not prevented
> > (1) This Part does not prevent reasonable management action from being taken in relation to a person.
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> > (2) Without limiting subsection (1)—
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> > > (a) a person who takes reasonable management action in relation to another person does not commit a detrimental action offence or incur other liability under this Part, and
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> > > (b) action taken in relation to a person may be reasonable management action—
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> > > > (i) if the person is alleged to have committed a detrimental action offence—whether or not the person has been charged with the offence, and
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> > > > (ii) if the person has been convicted of a detrimental action offence—on the ground of the conduct to which the conviction relates and without further investigation of whether the conduct occurred, and
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> > > > (iii) whether or not the action is taken by a manager of the person.
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> > (3) In this Part, reasonable management action taken in relation to a person includes—
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> > > (a) a reasonable appraisal of the person’s work performance, and
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> > > (b) a reasonable counselling action, whether formal or informal, taken in relation to the person’s employment, and
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> > > (c) a reasonable suspension of the person from the person’s workplace, and
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> > > (d) a reasonable decision to investigate serious wrongdoing or other misconduct alleged or suspected to have been committed by the person, and
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> > > (e) a reasonable disciplinary action, whether formal or informal, taken in relation to the person’s employment, and
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> > > (f) a reasonable action to transfer, deploy or redeploy the person, and
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> > > (g) a reasonable action to terminate the person’s employment by redundancy or retrenchment, and
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> > > (h) a reasonable action to suspend, terminate or review a contract under which the person provides services, and
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> > > (i) a reasonable action resulting in or relating to the person’s failure to obtain a promotion, reclassification, transfer or benefit, or to keep a benefit, in relation to the person’s employment, and
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> > > (j) a reasonable action relating to an action mentioned in paragraphs (a)–(i).
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> > Example.
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> > The actions specified in the [Government Sector Employment Act 2013](/view/html/inforce/current/act-2013-040), section 69(4) and the [Police Act 1990](/view/html/inforce/current/act-1990-047), section 173(2) are examples of disciplinary action mentioned in paragraph (e).
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> > (4) However, action taken in relation to a person is not reasonable management action if—
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> > > (a) the way of taking the action is not reasonable, or
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> > > (b) the action is taken corruptly or fraudulently, or
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> > > (c) the action is taken to conceal, or avoid the consequences of, serious wrongdoing, or
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> > > (d) each of the following applies to the action—
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> > > > (i) the person taking the action, when taking the action, has a suspicion, belief or awareness, whether correct or mistaken, that the person in relation to whom the action is taken or a third person is a protected person,
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> > > > (ii) the suspicion, belief or awareness is a contributing factor to the taking of the action,
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> > > > (iii) the action is not taken for the purpose of reducing the risk of detrimental action being taken against the person in relation to whom the action is taken or a third person.
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> **s 31O:** Ins 2022 No 14, Sch 5\[9\].