The Department of Human Services is understaffing the DHS child protection services in Loddon Mallee, causing injury and illness to workers, the Community and Public Sector Union claims.
A Provisional Improvement Notice given to the DHS Bendigo office on March 23 and seen by the Bendigo Advertiser states the DHS is failing to provide a safe work environment for employees.
“Staff are allocated and required to work with excessive workload and caseload demands that cannot be reasonably met in their contracted 38 hour working week,” the notice states.
It goes on to say staff are reporting “significant health problems related to uncontrolled systems of work, excessive work demands and work overload”.
The union claims that the DHS revealed at an April 18 Fair Work Australia hearing that they did not have the funds to continue employing 146 child protection positions across Bendigo, Swan Hill and Mildura and would have to shed 15 jobs.
The union claims only 131 positions are currently filled and the other 15 were being deliberately left vacant to save money.
A DHS spokesman confirmed there were 131 workers, but said this was due to a departmental restructure several months ago.
“There have been no job cuts,’’ the spokesman said.
“There are currently 131 FTE (full time positions) and (those jobs) are ongoing. “
CPSU industrial officer Mandy Coulson said staff were suffering under the workload.
“The workloads are so extreme in the Bendigo office in particular,’’ she said. “They haven’t been filling vacancies and workers are being hurt and suffering significant illnesses. The workers work so hard because they want to protect vulnerable children but it’s at a huge cost to their own health.”
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