Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Act 2023

The policy development function of the PWSS is to determine policies and procedures:

relating to workforce strategies for the employment of MOPS employees; or

for the purposes of supporting parliamentarians to discharge their obligations in relation to the employment of MOPS employees; or

relating to work health and safety matters that arise in connection with the duties of parliamentarians, MOPS employees or designated workers; or

for the purposes of supporting Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces to be safe and respectful.

It is not a function of the PWSS under subsection (1) to determine a policy or procedure:

that applies only to a specified Commonwealth parliamentary workplace participant; or

for the terms or conditions of employment of a MOPS employee.

A policy or procedure determined under subsection (1) may declare that it is a mandatory policy or procedure.

A parliamentarian must comply with a requirement of a mandatory policy or procedure that applies to the parliamentarian.

The PWSS may take action in relation to a parliamentarian who fails to comply with such a requirement: see Division 4.

A mandatory policy or procedure must be determined by the CEO, by legislative instrument.

Before the CEO determines a mandatory policy or procedure:

the CEO must consult the PWSS Consultative Committee about the proposed mandatory policy or procedure; and

the CEO must have referred the proposed mandatory policy or procedure to the PWSS Advisory Board under section 44; and

one of the following must have occurred:

the PWSS Advisory Board was taken to have approved the proposed mandatory policy or procedure under subsection (4) of that section;

the PWSS Advisory Board has notified the CEO that it has decided to approve the proposed mandatory policy or procedure.

The PWSS must publish a policy or procedure determined under this section on its website.