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🇦🇺 Australia /Crime & Justice

Tasmania Warned of 'Stress, Burnout' as Justice Staff Wellbeing Service Axed

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Tasmania's justice department is axing a specialist safety and wellbeing program for employees, citing budget savings.
  • Staff warn this decision will harm morale, increase burnout, and lead to higher turnover and psychological injury.
  • The department plans to expand its existing Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as a replacement, but staff deem it insufficient.

Workers within Tasmania's justice department have expressed strong dismay over the decision to eliminate a specialized safety and wellbeing program. They describe the cut as a "blow to staff morale and safety" and a sign of "complete lack of foresight and understanding." This move is part of a broader strategy by the state government to achieve budget savings amidst escalating debt.

demonstrates a complete lack of foresight and understanding

— Justice department workersDescribing the decision to abolish the specialist safety and wellbeing program.

The wellbeing program provided crucial case management and psychological support for justice employees, including corrections officers and lawyers, who often deal with difficult and traumatic work. It is understood to serve approximately 200 employees. However, following a departmental review, the program is being scrapped and will be replaced by an expanded Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Despite assurances from Attorney-General Guy Barnett that the revised model will "better meet the needs of the workforce" while maintaining a "strong commitment to employee wellbeing," staff surveyed by the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) find the EAP inadequate. They argue it is "not anywhere near as effective" as the dedicated wellbeing service.

better meet the needs of the workforce

— Guy BarnettAttorney-General Guy Barnett's statement on the revised employee wellbeing model.

Concerns are mounting that removing the wellbeing hub will exacerbate existing pressures. Staff members from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and WorkSafe Tasmania highlighted the demanding and high-pressure nature of their work, which can involve exposure to trauma, conflict, and aggression. They fear that without timely, specialized assistance, employees face increased stress, burnout, absenteeism, higher staff turnover, and greater risk of psychological injury. One community corrections staff member noted the service had been vital in helping them navigate "a very dark period at work," emphasizing that justice workers "deserve better than having their mental health support stripped away."

insufficient

— Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) survey respondentsDescribing the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as a replacement for the wellbeing service.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) is tasked with finding nearly $7.5 million in efficiencies this financial year and $67.6 million over the next four years. Projections indicate the state's debt could reach $9.5 billion by the end of the decade. The CPSU secretary, Thirza White, commented that cutting the wellbeing program demonstrates how limited some budgets are, calling it a "really valued service."

lead to greater numbers of prosecutors and defence lawyers leaving due to burnout and unresolved mental harm

— Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions staff memberWarning about the consequences of cutting the wellbeing hub.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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