The Payment Times Reporting Framework is under development, and a key question is whether it should apply universally, leave Commonwealth agencies under existing rules with similar intent, or something in between. Read More
The Australian Public Service Commissioner has provided a new practical example of how the rules on public commentary operate: if a member of parliament mentions you personally, you have a lot more freedom to opine on them in return. Read More
Michaelia Cash denies she knowingly misled the Senate, blaming her ministerial adviser's unilateral actions for her incorrect assertions. This shows the accountability deficit created by lax regulation of ministerial advisers, argues Yee-Fui Ng. Read More
"We have to do more", Michaelia Cash, Minister for Women, reminded a pre-International Women's Day breakfast. "60% of families with kids have a full time working dad and part time or stay at home mum. Reverse the situation and the statistic drops to just 3%." Read More
A new APS gender equality strategy launched by Martin Parkinson and Michaelia Cash aims to get more women into leadership roles and move agencies towards a "flexible by default" approach to work arrangements. Read More
Too many small, interpersonal matters are being dressed up as whistleblowing, says the nation's former integrity commissioner who will soon complete a statutory two-year review of the Commonwealth's disclosure law. Read More
By the end of April, the federal government will finally reveal the APS reforms designed to make its workforce more like the private sector. But as enterprise bargaining drags on, the reforms may not be as comprehensive as originally hoped. Read More
It's not true, says the public service minister, after reports of slashed domestic violence leave. As strike action ramps up, a working mother tells The Mandarin why part-time workers are squeezed out. Read More
The Public Service Minister flags an announcement "within weeks" about reforms to APS flexibility, recruitment processes, gender pay gap reporting and unconscious bias training. Read More
Don't know how to square off an HR diversity target with the idea of merit-based selection? You're not alone. Two top figures for the public service think the answer lies in how far selection panels are willing to go. Read More
After the longest audition in known public service history, Michelle Baxter has been confirmed as boss of Safe Work Australia for the next five years. Read More
Under the revised bargaining rules, agency heads will be provided with more flexibility by lifting the yearly wage increase cap from 1.5% to 2%. Although few offers so far have reached that cap, this may be the only way to get some deals though. Read More
