Workforce Planning
Non-School Locations
A key element of effective workforce management is the development of a workforce plan linked to the Department's Corporate and Business Plan. The plan should be within the context of projected budget allocations and contain clearly defined goals and work priorities which indicates:
- management structure and classification profile
- numbers of employees for each main function/program/project
- the mix of ongoing, fixed-term and casual employment.
General Managers and Regional Directors need to align their workforce planning with the budget process. The plan should be reviewed annually as part of the Division/Region's budget planning process.
The staff budget allocation process should enable managers of work units to move as quickly as possible to their preferred staffing profile. This profile must be funded within the annual staffing budget and, if not already in place, should be achievable over a specified period.
The workforce plan indicates how the workforce will be managed in order to deliver work unit priorities consistent with Department and Office Business Plans over this period. Division and region plans should take account of:
- recruitment needs
- changes in work demands
- projected employee movement
- workforce training needs
- succession planning requirements
- leave requests, including employees returning from leave
- potential unplaced employees
- flexible work options, including part-time and job share
- any special staffing issues such as recruitment difficulties.
General Managers and Regional Directors should work towards achieving a staffing profile which will provide the capacity to meet future needs. In this context, all employees must be accounted for in the workforce plan, including those on various forms of leave (eg. WorkSafe or Parental Absence) or those who have been temporarily transferred out of the work unit.
Prior to proceeding with any staffing action, General Managers are required to consider their current and projected workforce needs, and their overall budget position. Where reductions in staffing levels are identified, General Managers/Regional Directors are required to develop workforce management strategies to achieve specified levels, including the use of redeployment procedures. General Managers/Regional Directors must keep all employees fully informed throughout the process and advise the General Manager, Human Resources, who will ensure that there is appropriate consultation with the relevant union/s.
Schools | Non School Locations
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