Who is a 'public service officer'?

A public service officer is a fixed term, permanent or executive officer, who is employed in the Public Service (for a definition of these terms, see Public Sector Management Act 1994 (WA)). Broadly speaking, the Public Service is made up of departments and other government organisations.

Employees can find out whether they are a public service officer by looking at their letter of appointment. If the employee is appointed as either ‘permanent’ or ‘fixed term’ and the employer is a government department, the employee is probably a public service officer. Employees can also ask their employer’s HR department for details of their appointment.

Not all government employees are public service officers. For example, if an employee is appointed casually, they are probably not ‘public service officers’. Similarly, if an employee is appointed to assist a political office holder, they are not employees of the Public Service, and therefore they are not public service officers.

However, since public service officers are a type of government officer, they are able to make appeals to the Public Service Appeal Board and applications for reclassification to the Public Service Arbitrator as a government officer (For more information see the government officers section). In addition, public service officers can make specific appeals to the Public Service Appeal Board that are not available to other kinds of government officers. These appeals and applications are detailed below.

Appeals to the Public Service Appeal Board

Public service officers can make the following appeals to the Public Service Appeal Board using Form 8B:

• an appeal under section 78 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994 (WA), against a decision or finding referred to in section 78(1)(b) of that Act; or
• an appeal under section 172 of the Health Services Act 2016 (WA) against a decision or finding referred to in section 172(1)(b) of that Act; or
• an appeal, other than an appeal under section 78(1) of the Public Sector Management Act 1994 (WA) or section 172(2) of the Health Services Act 2016 (WA) against a decision that you are dismissed.
• an appeal against a decision of their employer in relation to an interpretation of any provision of the Public Sector Management Act 1994 (WA), and any provision of the regulations made under that Act, concerning conditions of service (other than salaries and allowances). This is an appeal only available to public service officers.

Applications to the Public Service Arbitrator

Public service officers can make an application for reclassification to the Public Service Arbitrator to have your salary, range of salary (classification level) or position title reviewed (section 80F of the Industrial Relations Act 1979 (WA)).