❓ Hon Steve Martin asks about the re-employment of staff who previously accepted voluntary redundancies within the Department of Training and Workforce Development and the associated costs. The Department provides data on voluntary redundancies and costs from 2017-18 to 2024-25 and states compliance with regulations regarding re-employment after redundancy.
AnsweredQoN 1126Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to all employees of the Department of Training and Workforce Development and I ask: (a) as of 30 June 2025, how many staff employed by the Department had previously accepted a voluntary redundancy for a former role at the Department, earlier iterations of the Department (e.g. after machinery of government changes), or any other Western Australian Government Department(s) or their earlier iterations: (i) at least once; (ii) at least twice; (iii) at least three times; (iv) at least four times; (v) at least five times; and (vi) more than five times; (b) for each of the following years, how many voluntary redundancies were taken by staff employed by the Department: (i) 2017-18; (ii) 2018-19; (iii) 2019-20; (iv) 2020-21; (v) 2021-22; (vi) 2022-23; (vii) 2023-24; and (viii) 2024-25; and (c) for each of the years in (b) what was the total cost of paying out voluntary redundancies for staff employed by the Department?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
24 February 2026
Responded by
Leader of the House representing the Minister for Skills and TAFE
Response time
5 days
(a)
The Public Sector Management (Redeployment and Redundancy) Regulations 2014 require that a person who has accepted a voluntary redundancy is not re-employed in the Western Australian public sector during the mandatory restriction period prescribed under Regulation 17. Where a public sector employee returns to public sector employment within the mandatory restriction period, repayment of relevant entitlement is required. The Department ensures compliance with these employment regulations for all current employees.
(b)-(c)
The information requested is provided in the table below.
Year
Staff
Total Amount
2017-18
43
$4,061,000
2018-19
21
$1,673,000
2019-20
6
$399,000
2020-21
1
$184,000
2021-22
6
$532,000
2022-23
1
$163,000
2023-24
1
$192,000
2024-25
2
$369,000
The Public Sector Management (Redeployment and Redundancy) Regulations 2014 require that a person who has accepted a voluntary redundancy is not re-employed in the Western Australian public sector during the mandatory restriction period prescribed under Regulation 17. Where a public sector employee returns to public sector employment within the mandatory restriction period, repayment of relevant entitlement is required. The Department ensures compliance with these employment regulations for all current employees.
(b)-(c)
The information requested is provided in the table below.
Year
Staff
Total Amount
2017-18
43
$4,061,000
2018-19
21
$1,673,000
2019-20
6
$399,000
2020-21
1
$184,000
2021-22
6
$532,000
2022-23
1
$163,000
2023-24
1
$192,000
2024-25
2
$369,000
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