The ongoing Enterprise Services restructure has swept through CSIRO’s people function, with the finalisation of a new proposal that will shed almost 36 full time equivalent positions and includes a saving of $1.6 million in operating expenses.
However, persistent concerns over the impact of Enterprise Services (ES) cuts on workplace safety at CSIRO refuse to go away. CSIRO Health Safety and Environment (HSE) – already the site of separate restructures and job cuts in 2017 and 2020 and currently staffed at 2022 levels – is set to lose more roles under the new proposal.
It’s a situation perhaps best illustrated by an organisational chart mapping the new structure that includes only a single Mental Health Specialist, employed on an indefinite basis – this for a workforce of some five and a half thousand employees facing growing psychosocial risks due to increased and intensified workloads.
The new structure for People function is underpinned by the ‘simplified and sustainable ES reform principles’ including a ‘clear understanding of workload imposed on research stakeholders, managed by (an) integrated consultative approach and use of phasing.’
Furthermore, the process is informed by a need to ‘move at pace to minimise disruption and reduce the cost of change while honouring consultation obligations.’
However, arguably the paramount aim is to ‘achieve financial sustainability based on… 2025-26 forecasts and budget.’
Under the new structure, staffing across the People function will reduce from 207 down to 171.2 FTE positions. Operating expenses will reduce from $5.4 million to $3.8 million, a saving of $1.6 million.
CSIRO Executive have approved a final budget of $31.2 million, approximately $506,000 more than the original design target.
“While we will continue to monitor our costs carefully… there are currently no plans for further reductions,” said Chief People Officer Marcia Gough.
Those assurances may be met with some scepticism, especially by CSIRO staff in Health Safety and Environment. This current restructure marks the third round of job cuts in HSE in less than eight years.
This time, staff face a ‘reduction in leadership roles, a consolidation of unique roles and realignment of services within the HSE team,’ meaning staffing levels will reduce from 55.86 to 50 FTE, a reduction of 5.86 positions.
With the focus on savings, CSIRO seems increasingly reliant on staff volunteers in corporate citizenship roles to shoulder the load left due to HSE job cuts.
It’s a state of affairs perhaps best exemplified by the changes to the HSE role of Mental Health Specialist.
The new structure proposes a ‘reduction in Mental Health Specialists by one role, with the creation of one indefinite Mental Health Specialist.’
Accordingly, the new HSE organisational chart displays a single, solitary Mental Health Specialist CSOF5 role, tasked with the job of servicing a five and a half thousand workforce, spread across six states and two territories.
That’s a big job that’s only set to get bigger, largely as a flow-on effect of the ES restructure, as increased administrative burdens and support shortfalls increase workloads among research unit staff.
As a result, risks to the psychosocial health and wellbeing of CSIRO employees will continue to grow, especially after 1 July with the potential double whammy of work intensification and research funding pressure.
The situation that is being closely monitored by the Staff Association and has attracted the attention of workplace health and safety regulator Comcare. Union representatives have also raised the issue of workloads with new Science Minister Tim Ayres during a meeting in Canberra last week.