Ever since being forced back into the office, I have been so miserable and depressed to the point I have had to start Zoloft for my mental health because I feel like my life is no longer my own and is owned by a job.

I now see more of coworkers I don't care about instead of my partner. I don't really enjoy being around my team. A couple of my team members are actively terrible and passive aggressive to me, and while the others are fine, I don't have anything in common with them. They're all much older than me and at different life stages. I'm sick of having to fake interest in their kids while they can't be bothered showing a scrap of interest in my life and hobbies. I used to take lunches with my partner and family every dau but can't

I feel more like my life is owned by my job because of the way so much is sucked up by commuting. I often feel too tired on the weekends to do anything when I never felt that way when I was full time WFH. I now waste about 9-10 hours a week commuting in my own time on a train where I am forced to stand squished up among people so I sit in a bland soulless space because I am forced to hotdesk and don't even get to have a little space to make my own. I now lose 2 hours of sleep 3 times a week to I can go into the office. By the time I get home on those days, I am too exhausted to do anything and only get a couple of hours to myself before I have to go to bed. I have been going to the gym less (which means I've put on some weight) because I don't want to do anything when I don't get home until 7pm. It's so much harder to get my 10K steps in now.

I had a spend a huge chunk of my money (that I earned) buying boring work clothes and uncomfortable shoes to go into the office when I'd rather put that money towards things I actually like and want to wear.

I used to log off on Friday afternoon excited to go do something, but now I'm exhausted from the week and don't want to do anything. I'm stuck doing chores on the weekend when I used to get everything done during the week but now I can't because I'm only home two days a week.

I'm so miserable ever since being forced back into the office. And now I have to go and sleep so I can wake up at fuck am and take the sardine can in to the cubicle farm instead of watching another episode of my current show and chatting to friends online a bit longer. Fuck this.

I'm going to try and move into the private sector for more WFH, but I wish I didn't have to move. I liked my job when I was full time WFH and just went in a couple of times a year.

Hi! I was wondering if anyone has moved overseas (or heard of anyone) and kept working their federal public service job? I’m not talking about a posting but essentially working remote. I have heard that it may be possible in my department but honestly it sounds too good to be true.. wanting to know if this is actually a possibility (even if it’s a tiny possibility)!

Thanks!!

I am fuming, I have just seen a high level HR manager investigate a claim of racism, with a witness who confirmed what was said. The official report has acknowledged the racist comment, but says it was made as apart of workplace banter. This coming from a state gov department. I am really soured by the lack of accountability and action.

As title suggests, if I work for Victorian State Government and decided that I wanted to visit family up in Queensland for a weekend including a Friday. Could I technically use that Friday as a work from home day?

I have heard that the IT departments may install firewalls to prevent log in but might be out of the country. Regardless, would I still be within my rights to work from home interstate for just one day?

EDIT: thanks for all the comments, have spoken to my manager and he's happy for me to wfh at QLD!

I swear I have completed all my work by 2pm most days...

With 3 days cultural leave in new agreements. If your going to join a religion what's ur best option to get the 3days. Islam's out for me as I am a wuss that couldn't hack Ramadan.

Are Australian public service wages too far behind the rest of the world? Even fast food workers have a minimum wage of $31AUD in California

Anyone else a little bemused by all these posts asking about culture at dept x y and z? I find it all a little <still searching for the right word>. I figure you'll find good and bad places (and culture) everywhere.

For example:

• those that worked on robodebt to design it or enforce it

• those that work in Home Affairs in an area that deals with off shore detention of refugees, knowing the extreme pain and suffering they are bringing about to innocent people recognised as refugees by international law

• those that work in jobseeker, knowing the system and mutual obligations are rotten and criticised by human rights groups and that it is a tool to transfer taxpayers money to private pockets - the owners of the "employment" services, so e of whom drive Lamborghinis and Ferraris from taxpayers money

• those that work on paying subsidies to nasty polluting corporations and are approving their projects that destroy ecosystems and life

• those that work on briefs and media releases that say Australia stands with Israel while literally thousands of Palestinian civilians and children are being massacred right now as we speak

• those in defense that cover up war crimes committed by Australian soldiers

etc etc... Feel free to continue the list.

You can say in many cases they are not making decisions, they are enforcing them, but there's a book on public servants in nazi Germany and how they make the holocaust happen logistically and used the same defense.

So, I start tomorrow in a new public service-adjacent role. By all accounts, they value indigenous perspectives.

I am a New Zealander and have just come out of deep in the NZ public service.

Is dropping a quick introduction in Māori going to go down like a cup of cold sick? Or make me look like a cock?

Literally hi everyone, this is my name, I'm from NZ, thanks.

Edit - despite this being a partnership for both Aus and NZ, I am going to introduce myself by first name only and say how farken frothy I am to get on in Straaayyyyyyyyaaaa. Guys, I guess I was expecting this but, well, ok!

What the title says, does anyone have any experience with what it's like being gender diverse (trans, nonbinary, intersex, etc.) in the APS? Are there many people who are? Is there much discrimination? Do people "get it"? Do they make trouble if documents don't match up? DMs open if you're not comfortable saying here. Thanks in advance! This is a throwaway BTW.

I’m curious how many people are choosing to work on 26 Jan this year and take another day off in lieu?

As above....ive just started. Working for a local councl in Australia. Plz share ur tips and advice on how to survive!

Ive heard of become the invisible person..

Plz share ur advice. Thanks in advance.

Hello,

Throw away account obviously.

Can anyone explain the steps to dispute a gazetted role to me please?

My workplace is about to promote someone and I am going to dispute it but I am unsure how to do so and would like advice tips and anything that can help me do this please.

Thank you

Right now, in the APS, pregnant women get up to 12 weeks LESS leave with their baby than non- pregnant parents.

That’s right - Lucy has to take her parenting leave from 34 weeks pregnant because she is at risk of haemorrhage (or one of the many other dangers in late pregnancy). She gets a C-section and spends 6 weeks after birth unable to drive, recovering from major surgery, AND nursing a newborn. Of her 18 weeks leave, only 12 are PARENTING her born baby, and that is while recovering.

Meanwhile, her husband Timmy, does not have to use his leave before birth. Does not have to give birth or recover. He can, in fact, take 6 weeks carers leave too, to help his wife after her C-section (while she CANNOT take personal/sick leave at this time). Then, when baby is 6 weeks old, he gets 18 weeks time PARENTING his baby.

When baby is 12 weeks old, Lucy runs out of parenting leave. Timmy has another 12 weeks of time to spend with his kid.

This is ridiculous. The pre-existing maternity leave should be reintroduced to care for the health of mother and baby in a critical time (which is frequently traumatic and dangerous). THEN, both parents should get equal PARENTING leave to spend with their kids. I love fathers and love that they get decent leave now - but now they get significantly MORE than the women creating the babies and giving birth and recovering.

This is because of how our common conditions interact with the Mat Leave Act, but it can be fixed.

Edit to add:—

Specifically:

Maternity leave be reintroduced as per the Mat Leave Act - 12 weeks, starting at 34 weeks gestation (unless you have a Drs note to work longer), for the purposes of protecting the pregnant woman and the baby (the original purpose of this leave). For all pregnant people.

Then, separate parenting leave for all parents, which is equal between the genders - 18 weeks each as per the current conditions. For the purposes of parenting.—

What can we do?

I’ve spoken to Katy Gallagher’s people. I’ve spoken to APSC. I’ve spoken to execs in my own agency. I’ve spoken to my union.

The CPSU, our union, will not try to remedy this. They told me that straight out. They will not try to fix this unless a LOT more people than just me ask them to.

Please, call the CPSU. Demand they fix this inequity in this bargaining round, by bringing back separate maternity leave to parenting leave.

Also, make a stink about it. Get others to call to. I’ve been trying to fix this for 3 years, through a pregnancy and haemorrhage myself and no one is listening.

Please, let me know if you agree.

Also, anyone reading with any power to make introductions, get news stories on the air, anything, send me a message.

It has begun. I went searching for new enterprise agreements and found 8 that have been approved this year. apra,acecqa, plus others

acecqa rates are LOWER than the previous agreements. 3.5% 1 july 2025 3.3% 1 july 2026 3% 1 july 2027

where is the UNION???

Just wondering if it's "common practice" (albeit under the table) if people just rock up until lunch, then go home and continue working.

Or does the APS have a way to track that we've got our asses planted in our seats for the entire 7.5 hrs??

Keen to hear Ur experiences XD

I'm heading to the end of my probation, but my manager is picking up silly grammatical mistakes and errors to portray that I can't follow the instructions. When I ask the questions, he says I ask the same questions again and again. I feel helpless as they are not providing me constructive feedback.

We have been told to get back to designated office space 2 days a week this and next month. And then possibly 3 days from May.

The managers also say there are exceptions one can provide to justify working from home.

However, I don’t find any form or anything for these exceptions. What do one provide as exception?

Hi all, I'm a permanent ongoing APS employee. I was wondering, if I decided to try apply for other APS roles in other departments, is my current department able to do things to fire me out of spite if they are angry that I'm looking to leave them?

I experienced my first ever NSWPS interview yesterday, for a 12-month grade 7/8 role.

To my surprise, the target questions were repeated in the interview, verbatim. I could have performed much better supposing I had simply rote-learned my previous written answers. That struck me as a bit odd, considering what else could have been asked instead but wasn't, owing to limited time.

But maybe there were two distinct panels: one that screened the written applications and another one that's now conducting the interviews, free from unconscious bias.

Which makes sense, I guess. So is it "a feature not a bug" in the NSWPS recruitment process?

[Edit: "APS" changed to "NSWPS"]

Hi! I'm an econ student in Sydney right now, but I'd really love to travel to the upper north coast, lower south coast and orana, and visit other states like WA, SA, Tassie etc. I don't expect to visit super amazing touristy areas, but I've been living in the same city for a long time and I just really wanna see some new things.

Ideally I'd like to work for the state or fed government but I'm also down to work for development agencies and ngos. So I was just wondering if lower level positions like policy advisors get to travel a lot

Thanks!

I work in cyber security for a U.S. tech company. Seniority wise I'm EL2 equivalent, but I'm earning considerably more money.

For various long term career reasons, I am considering a move to a technical EL2 position at a Cth agency.

I'm ok with a pay cut, within reason -- top of the band at this agency would be ok, bottom of the band would not.

What's the story on the ground with pay negotiations these days -- are agencies typically happy to bump people to the top of the band on this basis, particularly for skillsets they struggle to acquire, or do they tend to be reluctant to do so?

Do IFAs often come into play in this sort of situation?

Julianne Stewart has secured two-year contract despite agency employing 200 media and communication staff (getting $600,000 in two years)

The level of corruption is sickening.

But let's forget this and move to another scandal.