Katy White

In order to improve citizens experience of government and deliver fair outcomes, the current risk control measures associated with the protection of front line staff's psychosocial well being needs to be reviewed.
Staff undertaking front line duties are not in a position to provide adequate long term service delivery within the existing environment. Unplanned leave, and subsequent reduced capacity, can be greatly reduced if proactive, rather reactive control measures are implemented.
Urgent consideration needs to be given to providing this cohort with a greater opportunity to undertake non customer contact duties on a regular, rotating basis.
Front line staff in both Call and Service Centres are psychosocially ill equipped to provide consistent, high quality customer service as a result of mental fatigue associated with performing monotonous, repetitive work.
The introduction of greater work variety at this level would increase employee satisfaction, reduce unplanned leave and improve work place culture.
If this approach was implemented by the organisation, and communicated to staff as being a strategy to assist in managing health and well being, the organisation would significantly benefit in that it would demonstrate a visible and proactive approach to employee wellbeing.