Office Restructure

Electorate Officer positions 

Each parliamentarian is allocated at least five Electorate Officer positions, to help the parliamentarian carry out their parliamentary and electorate responsibilities, but not responsibilities relating to party business.

There are three levels of Electorate Officer: 

• Electorate Officer A (EOA)
• Electorate Officer B (EOB)
• Electorate Officer C (EOC) - the highest level. 

Office structure and restructures

When employing Electorate Officers, a parliamentarian has to choose either of the two following combinations (a parliamentarian can substitute a position at a lower classification for any EOB or EOC position): 

Where a parliamentarian has an operational requirement to restructure their office, they should contact HR Advice to discuss.

Members with second and third electorate offices provided at the Commonwealth expense are respectively provided with six and seven full-time Electorate Officer positions. These positions are at the EOB classification. 

Personal employee positions

Parliamentarians may be provided with personal employee positions, as determined by the Prime Minister. These positions are in addition to the allocation of Electorate Officer positions.

A parliamentarian may only employ a person according to arrangements approved by the Prime Minister and subject to such conditions determined by the Prime Minister. 

Ministers and Assistant Ministers 

The Prime Minister determines the number and level of personal employee positions allocated to each Minister or Assistant Minister.

Ministerial staff are subject to a range of additional employment requirements, such as a negative vetting level 2 (NV2) security clearance, compliance with the statement of standards for Ministerial staff and statement of private interests.

Opposition 

The Prime Minister determines the allocation of personal employee positions to the Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition may allocate these positions to other Opposition Office Holders and Shadow Ministers. 

Minority Party and Independents 

The Prime Minister determines the allocation of personal employee positions to the Leader of a Minority Party. The Leader of a Minority Party may, at their discretion, allocate these positions to other members of the minority party. 

The Prime Minister may determine the allocation of personal employees to Independent Parliamentarians.

Whips 

The Prime Minister allocates personal employee positions to whips in the House of Representatives and the Senate. 

Relief staff

Relief electorate employees 

Each parliamentarian is provided with an electorate support budget (ESB) for the travel of electorate employees and the employment of relief electorate employees. Parliamentarians are advised of their ESB at the beginning of each financial year.  

Relief electorate employees can be employed to assist during peak workloads and to fill short-term vacancies (for example, to cover periods of annual leave). The ability to engage employees using the ESB is limited by the availability of funds in the ESB and the completion of appropriate employment documentation. No additional office facilities are provided for employees engaged under the ESB. 

MaPS does not debit from the ESB the costs of relief electorate employees who are employed against an established position such as: 

• filling positions that are vacant due to an employee resigning, retiring or having their employment terminated
• filling positions that are temporarily vacant due to an employee acting in a personal employee position
• an employee is absent on one week or more of personal leave  
• an employee is absent on most other types of leave, other than annual leave. 

Where an employee paid from the ESB takes leave, the cost of that leave and of any person employed as a ‘replacement’ is also a debit from the ESB. 

Relief personal employees 

A person may be employed on a non-ongoing or casual basis if a personal employee is, for a period of 12 weeks or more:

• on approved leave
• temporarily progressed (i.e. receiving Higher Duties Allowance)
• temporarily transferred to another office.

When a Minister or Assistant Minister’s personal employee is on leave for a shorter period, the Minister or Assistant Minister’s portfolio department is responsible for providing any relief required. Further information can be found in the Portfolio agency employees assisting a Ministerial office information sheet.

A vacancy of two weeks or more may be filled by the temporary progression of an ongoing employee within the parliamentarian’s office, or an employee from another parliamentarian’s office could also be transferred temporarily to fill the position.

Personal classifications

A personal classification permits a personal employee to be employed at a classification above the position they are currently employed against. For example, an individual might be employed as a Senior Adviser 1 in an Adviser position. The person would be paid a Senior Adviser 1 salary and have access to private-plated vehicle allowance.

Personal classifications are subject to demonstrating professional skillset and responsibilities required for the position and needs approval from the Prime Minister.

Personal classifications are attached to an individual and positions revert to their substantive classification when the individual transfers positions or leaves employment.

Departmental Liaison Officers

A Minister or Assistant Minister may, by arrangement with their departmental Secretary, appoint a Departmental Liaison Officer (DLO). The usual classification for a DLO is between Australian Public Service Level 5 and Executive Level 2. The number of DLOs in an office is set by the Prime Minister. All costs of these employees are covered by the portfolio department.

Salary classification

MOP(S) Act employees may be appointed at any salary point within their classification when they commence employment. Salary classification and rates are outlined in the Enterprise Agreement and classification advice documents (refer to Resources section below).

Ongoing employees

The employing parliamentarian may appoint ongoing employees at any salary point within the classification to which the appointment is made (and as approved by the Prime Minister for Government senior staff employees) based on the demonstrated and relevant skills and experience of the employee. Ongoing Electorate Officer A employees must be paid at least at the EOA-4 pay point.

Other than for senior staff, if the employee is transferring to an equivalent or lower classification, the new salary cannot be less than the current salary point that the employee transferred from if the salary point is within the range of the equivalent or lower classification.

Non-ongoing employees

The employing parliamentarian may appoint new non-ongoing employees at any salary point within the classification to which the appointment is made (and as approved by the Prime Minister for Government senior staff employees) based on the demonstrated and relevant skills and experience of the employee. Non-ongoing Electorate Officer A employees must be paid at least at the EOA-4 pay point.

Casual employees

Engagement of a casual employee can be at any salary point within a classification to which the engagement is made (and as approved by the Prime Minister for Government senior staff).

Hours of duty

A full-time MOP(S) Act employee works 38 hours per week (7 hours and 36 minutes per day). These hours are usually worked between 8.00am and 6.00pm, Monday to Friday.

Employees may agree with their employing parliamentarian for some of their ordinary hours to be worked outside the hours of 8.00am to 6.00pm, Monday to Friday.

Additional hours of work, over and above 38 hours per week, are recognised through the payment of electorate staff allowance, parliamentary staff allowance or, where allowances are not paid, time off in lieu.

Hours of duty for part-time employees

A part-time employee is an employee who works less than 38 hours per week.

Part-time hours are agreed between the MOP(S) Act employee and employing parliamentarian and should be specified in the employment agreement. Part-time employees receive salary, allowances and other entitlements on a pro rata basis for the number of hours they work when compared to full-time weekly hours.

Where more than one employee is employed against a full-time position, the total ordinary hours worked against the position must not exceed 38 hours per week.

Further information can be found in the Part-time Work Guideline.