Question about Tasmanian Health Service - Staff Location
Mrs Armitage (Launceston) to Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, Dr Vanessa Goodwin
With respect to question without notice on Tuesday, 16 August, whereby I sought an answer as to whether staff appointed to the administration and secretariat of the new single THS situated in Launceston but residing in the south of the state travel to and from home to their northern base in their own time or work time, the answer provided was -
The THS is based in Launceston. Executive staff travel in their own time if their point of departure is not Launceston, or returning from a period of THS service at another site.
Can the honourable Leader please clarify whether this means executive staff, for example, living in the south returning to their home from their Launceston work base, travel in work time? Does this further mean that executive staff returning to their southern home from another THS site, for example, the north-west coast, travel in work time? It would seem appropriate they should only travel from the north-west coast to the Launceston base in work time.
Answer from Dr Goodwin
Mr President, I thank the honourable member for Launceston for her question.
During work hours a permanently appointed THS executive, residing other than in Launceston, would travel both to and from Launceston, where THS is based, in their own time. If that executive member then travelled on work duties from Launceston to a distant centre, other than where they lived, the travel from and return to Launceston would be counted as work time.
THS executives have statewide portfolio responsibilities and in practice work additional hours, both after hours and on weekends. The actual time when hours are worked is flexible, consistent with contemporary workforce management. For example, an executive member may make up time used for travel on a later date.
Tasmanian Health Service - Staff Location
Mrs Armitage question to the Leader of Government in the Legislative Council, Dr Goodwin
I take that to mean, as we only have two permanent staff as the acting staff, they are travelling during work time because they have not yet been appointed to substantive positions - a question that I have on notice for the future.
Answer from Dr Goodwin
Mr President, I will take that supplementary on notice.