The USU has continued constructive discussions with Eurobodalla Shire Council on a number of issues affecting members, with positive progress made on two key fronts: the treatment of unused “My Leave” entitlements, and a joint approach to addressing long standing vacancy and recruitment challenges and reporting to the JCC. Council has engaged cooperatively throughout these discussions, and members should be reassured that this working relationship continues to produce practical outcomes.

  1. Automatic Conversion of Unused “My Leave” to Sick Leave

Following representations from the organiser, Council has agreed to introduce an automatic conversion process whereby any unused “My Leave” balance remaining at the end of the relevant period will be transferred back into the employee’s sick leave balance, rather than being forfeited.

Key points for members:

  • The change removes the administrative burden currently placed on individual employees to manually request or track unused My Leave.
  • Members will no longer risk losing the value of unused leave simply due to oversight or workload pressures preventing them from taking it.
  • The conversion will be automatic, applied at the end of the applicable leave year, with no action required from staff.
  • Council and the union are continuing to finalise the operational and payroll processes required to implement this change smoothly.
  1. Risk Based Analysis for Vacancy Filling and Streamlined Recruitment

Members will be aware that under-resourcing in a number of council departments has been an ongoing concern, contributing to increased workload pressure on remaining staff. Your organiser has raised this directly with Council, and constructive discussions are underway to address the issue at its source: the length and complexity of the recruitment process itself.

What is being discussed:

  • Risk based analysis of vacant positions — Council is developing a framework to assess vacancies according to operational and workload risk, so that positions with the greatest impact on service delivery and staff wellbeing can be prioritised for backfill or recruitment.
  • Streamlined recruitment process — Discussions are focused on reducing unnecessary delays in the recruitment pipeline, particularly for under resourced departments, while maintaining fair and transparent hiring practices.
  • The goal of both measures is to reduce the time positions sit vacant, easing pressure on existing staff and improving continuity of service for the community. There is additional on going reporting to the JCC on vacant positions and timeframes for recruitment.

These discussions are ongoing, and no final framework has yet been agreed. Your organiser will continue to advocate for outcomes that genuinely relieve pressure on under resourced teams and will keep members informed as details are finalised.

A Note on the Working Relationship

It’s worth acknowledging that these discussions reflect a Council that has been genuinely willing to engage with the union on issues raised by members. Progress on both the My Leave conversion and the recruitment framework has come through constructive, good faith dialogue, and your organiser looks forward to continuing this cooperative approach as further details are worked through.