COVID-19 Information

Staff Association representatives are in regular contact with CSIRO Executives responsible for the organisation’s coronavirus (COVID-19) workforce response.

We believe that the safety of CSIRO staff should remain paramount and that financial disadvantage should be minimised for all employees – permanent, fixed-term, casual, contractor or labour-hire – as a direct result of management decisions or directions in response to COVID-19.

Comprehensive consultation with staff and their representatives must occur before decisions are made in relation to work conducted in CSIRO workplaces; as part of a gradual return of employees to physical work locations.

The Staff Association has also sought assurances from CSIRO on implementing stricter social distancing protocols at CSIRO workplaces, the implementation of control measures including modified workplace layout, increased cleaning and hygiene as well as measures to support staff with pre-existing medical conditions and susceptibility to illness.

This is a special resource for CSIRO Staff Association members. If you’re not yet a member of the union, join online today email us for more information about membership. This page will be updated regularly.

Assistance for members

Staff Association members that require specific advice or representation are encouraged to contact the union to arrange support. Contact us by email or speak to an organiser or workplace delegate.

Useful resource

• COVID response poster May 2020 – PDF

Working from home

CSIRO advice (12 May) states that all staff that can work from home – to support social distancing – should continue to work remotely. The Staff Association endorses this approach; CSIRO staff who can work from home and have the necessary resources, should do so. However, CSIRO have also indicated plans to slowly and gradually increase the density of employees working onsite from 18 May, in keeping with Federal Government and medical advice.

Capacity for working remotely

Staff should approach their line managers for any additional resources required to work from home. CSIRO have warned that the capacity of systems will be tested and are developing additional resources to cope with increased demand for remote access.

CSIRO has placed a priority on identifying alternative ways for staff to work from home if normal duties can’t ordinarily be done from home. Contact your line manager in the first instance.

Return to site plan 

CSIRO has outlined a gradual return to work process consisting of four phases to occur over several months, forecast to be completed by late September.

• Phase 1 – Currently underway until late June – involves the return of staff with priority work and project deadlines requiring access to labs, equipment or systems, or extenuating personal circumstances.
• Phase 2 – Starting in late June – workplaces remain in so-called ‘soft close’ with existing work from home arrangements encouraged to continue. However, those staff delivering important work not covered by phase one could expect to return to workplaces and affiliates performing essential work will also access worksites.
• Phase 3 – Early August – will see sites reopen for essential access and remaining staff, affiliates and students will return subject to assessment and approval from Business Unit leaders. Site density will be monitored closely, and overall workplace numbers will be balanced by the continuation of remote working arrangements.
• Phase 4 – Late September – sites open for wider access however measures to enforce social distancing are expected to remain in place.

As of 5 June, CSIRO Executive estimate that 30 per cent of staff are now working at sites in some capacity.

The Staff Association believes the safety and wellbeing of staff remains critically important and that comprehensive consultation should occur before return to work decisions are made in relation to work conducted in all CSIRO workplaces.

The range of return to work issues that are important to Staff Association members include:

• Social distancing requirements, including relating to staff in common areas, laboratories and field work;
• Assessing health and safety risks in consultation with Staff Association officials and health and safety representatives;
• Control measures, including workplace layout, usage, cleaning, hygiene, monitoring and reporting;
• Individual circumstances of staff, including consideration of vulnerable staff and their immediate family, as well as managing risks associated with anxiety and stress;
• Continuing to facilitate working from home for staff, including consideration of individual circumstances and preferences; and
• Providing consistency, accountability and transparency to staff in management decision making, across all of CSIRO’s Business Units.

Return to workplaces working group

The Staff Association is establishing a ‘Return to workplaces’ working group of members and delegates to provide timely and proactive advice to Staff Association officials and to better represent issues and concerns when making representations to CSIRO management.

More information here.

Business Transition Program

CSIRO has also indicated that long-term changes to work practices are already under consideration as part of the Business Transition Program (BTP).

This may include an ‘increase in blended working from home and the office arrangements, significantly reduced travel and an increase in the adoption of digital tools to enable collaboration’ on a permanent basis.

BTP participants are in the process of consulting with the CSIRO Leadership Team and ‘will soon be providing opportunities for people across CSIRO to help shape our new way of working.’

Leave applications

CSIRO has updated its leave provisions for staff in response to the COVID-19 crisis. These provisions were negotiated and are agreed with the Staff Association. Please see the new leave provisions on myCSIRO and contact the Staff Association if you require support or representation.

The most important thing to emphasise is that CSIRO staff should be working from home if work from home is possible. If you are unable to work from home, the following leave arrangements will apply.

• If schools or child care centres close, staff will be able to access paid carer’s leave. If paid carer’s leave credits are exhausted, staff will be able to access paid leave for specific purposes.
• If staff are required to self-isolate, as a government or public health requirement, staff will be able to access paid sick and carer’s leave. If paid sick and carer’s leave credits are exhausted, staff will be able to access paid leave for specific purposes.
• If staff are sick or caring for a sick family or household member, staff will use paid sick and carer’s leave. If paid sick and carer’s leave credits are exhausted, staff will be able to access paid leave for specific purposes.
• If staff are directed to leave a site because work is no longer being performed or to manage a HSE risk, staff will be able to access paid leave, in accordance with the Release From Duty procedure.

Casuals and labour hire

If you are a casual officer CSIRO will pay your normal average salary – including loading – if you are required to self-isolate, are sick or caring for a sick family or household member.

In you are a labour hire worker or contractor, these leave arrangements do not apply to you directly. However, please contact the Staff Association for support and representation.

Paid Leave for a Specified Purpose

Paid Leave for a Specified Purpose ‘allow(s) staff to be absent from work for… special circumstances that are not covered by other leave provisions.’

‘Paid Leave for Specified Purposes is intended to allow members of staff to be absent from work for specific purposes which are considered to be beneficial to the career development of the staff member concerned, to CSIRO and/or to the Commonwealth.’

‘There is no minimum amount of Leave With Pay for Specified Purposes that can be taken at any one time’ and while there is an upper limit for the secondments, emergency service activities and other specified examples, ‘maximum periods are not fixed for the other categories of Leave With Pay for Specified Purposes,’ specifically the category referred to as ‘other special circumstances.’

‘Staff seeking leave for specific purposes should forward their request with all relevant details, together with a Leave Application form, through their supervisor to their local Human Resources staff who will seek approval.’

A copy of the policy can be found in the Human Resources (HR) section of the CSIRO intranet. Staff with questions about applying for this form of leave should contact HR.

International travel

As of 16 March, CSIRO suspended all international travel until further notice. On 24 March, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the Commonwealth Government will implement a ‘do not travel’ ban on Australians travelling overseas.

Since 20 March, only Australian citizens, residents and immediate family members are permitted to travel to Australia. All international arrivals are required to self-isolate upon entry to Australia for a minimum 14 days.

Domestic travel

Domestic travel has effectively ceased due to government restrictions. Arrangements are being made for currently impacted staff and projects.

Site access

On site visitors are restricted and staff are encouraged to conduct meetings via video conference or phone hook-up.

Given the significant reduction in staff working on sites, CSIRO advises that ‘the availability of first aid officers and fire wardens may be limited… because of this we have reverted to ‘after hours’ mode across all CSIRO sites.’ Staff are to follow local instructions for after-hours protocol and to evacuate when required in the event of an emergency.

Although Staff Association access to sites is not legally prohibited, our organisers will be providing member support and representation activities by video and phone conference until further notice.

Visitor centres 

CSIRO Executive anticipate that visitor centres located at Parkes and Narrabri will open in early July to coincide with NSW school holidays.

No date has yet been set for the reopening at of the Discovery Centre at the Black Mountain site in Canberra.

 

Field work

From 18 May, fieldwork that needs to proceed may also recommence, providing it is carried out in line with any travel restrictions, and an updated HSE risk assessment is in place that addresses COVID-19 and other requirements.