Background
For approximately 18 months, Legal Aid NSW (LANSW) has been reviewing Law Access processes. Most recently, the 色狼社区was invited to participate in consultation on behalf of affected members. Following the announcement of the review to staff, several 色狼社区members contacted the union to raise concerns about both the review process and its potential impact on employees.
Given the nature of work performed in LawAccess, the 色狼社区sought paid staff meetings to enable meaningful consultation with members. LANSW agreed to this request and meeting dates were scheduled.
However, LawAccess members reported significant difficulties in coordinating attendance. Members advised the 色狼社区that the highly structured and closely monitored nature of their work made it challenging to participate in union meetings, even where employees were willing to do so.
Members also raised concerns about workplace practices, including what they described as scrutiny of routine activities such as taking comfort breaks or obtaining a glass of water between calls. These reports have contributed to broader concerns among staff regarding the level of oversight and work-related pressures within LawAccess.
The 色狼社区notes that LawAccess management is well aware of the unique demands placed on staff in this area. Members have expressed disappointment that additional support was not provided to facilitate participation in the consultation process.
Some members believe that the practical difficulties surrounding the organisation of the meetings had the effect of frustrating meaningful consultation and members have raised serious concerns with the 色狼社区about the adequacy of the consultation process.
Recent deveopments
Members have continued to contact the 色狼社区to provide feedback and includes:
- Inadequate consultation period
The consultation period was only 11 days (13 July 鈥 24 July 2026), including a weekend.听Given the limited timeframe, the 色狼社区sought an extension to facilitate proper consultation with members. 听LANSW agreed to the request and extended the deadline for feedback to 31 July 2026.
- Unrealistic and impossible review timeframes
Management has allocated the following review periods for staff to consider the relevant materials:
- Service Delivery Operating Model(60 pages) 鈥撎50 minutes
- Marking Guide(46 pages) 鈥撎40 minutes
- Handbook(67 pages) 鈥撎70 minutes
In total, staff have been asked to review more than 170 pages of material within a combined allocation of 160 minutes.
These timeframes are inadequate and unrealistic, if not impossible, for staff to properly read, understand, analyse, and provide considered feedback on the proposed changes. The 色狼社区argues that this is not within the spirit of meaningful consultation.
- Practical barriers that render consultation nearly impossible
Staff have been directed to review the consultation documents at the start of their shift and during any downtime between calls.
Members have advised the 色狼社区that this guidance is disconnected from the reality of working in LawAccess for the following reasons:
- The start of each shift is already occupied by system setup, emails, correspondence, and workplace notifications.
- Two days within the consultation period were taken up by mandatory all-staff briefings.
- Weekend days are not available for review due to restrictions on working outside rostered hours.
- As a result, members estimate that only around听80 minutes remained across the entire consultation period to review the material.
The 色狼社区advised LANSW that members report there is effectively no downtime between calls, with calls occurring back-to-back due to the high-volume nature of LawAccess work.
Taken together, these constraints raise serious concerns about whether staff were provided with a genuine opportunity to review the material and provide meaningful feedback during the consultation period.
- Impact on part-time and casual staff
Members advise that a significant proportion of the Law Access workforce is employed on a part-time or casual basis. Many work only two days per week and have limited or no capacity to review consultation materials outside paid hours.
The current consultation timeframes effectively exclude many part-time and casual employees from meaningful participation in the consultation process.
If the information provided by members is accurate, this is highly concerning. The 色狼社区has advised LANSW that such arrangement may constitute a significant failure to ensure affected employees are provided with a reasonable opportunity to participate in consultation regarding a proposed workplace change.
- Problematic new KPIs
Members believe the proposed KPI framework includes a range of measures that are unrealistic, overly harsh and, in some cases, incapable of objective assessment.
A key concern is the inclusion of 鈥渆mpathy鈥 as a KPI. Members question how empathy can be measured objectively and consistently and are concerned that such a subjective criterion may expose employees to arbitrary or inconsistent performance assessments.
- Perceived lack of transparency in the consultation process
When the 色狼社区asked LANSW which officers would be responsible for reviewing staff feedback, the response provided was general in nature and did not identify the individuals involved in the decision-making process.
Members have also raised concerns that, by their estimation, the vast majority of the consultation process, including locally facilitated consultation sessions, has occurred while the Principal Manager of LawAccess听has been planned leave.
Members have questioned how meaningful consultation can occur in the absence of the person ultimately responsible for leading the area affected by the proposed changes. The apparent lack of involvement by the Principal Manager in both the consultation process and the review of staff feedback has given rise to concerns regarding transparency, accountability, and procedural fairness.
To date, members report that these concerns have not been adequately address by LANSW.
What鈥檚 next?
As outlined above, the 色狼社区has been receiving feedback from members. The 色狼社区has provided that feedback directly to LANSW management. You can view the 色狼社区submission to LANSW HERE.
The 色狼社区has asked that forward progress with the proposed changes be held off pending the return from leave of the Principal Manager of LawAccess.
Given the significant concerns raised by members and the urgency surrounding the review of the LawAccess 鈥 Quality Assurance Framework, the 色狼社区is convening a members鈥 meeting via videoconference. Meeting details are provided below.
It is important that affected members at LawAccess participate in this meeting as the 色狼社区wants to hear directly from you.
The meeting will be open to all affected LawAccess staff. Staff who are not union members are welcome to attend and observe the discussion.
However, any votes relating to industrial strategy, including potential work bans or other union action. Please share this email with your colleagues and encourage participation
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Microsoft Teams meeting
Date: Thursday, 6 August 2026
Time: 17:30pm
Join
Meeting ID 466 296 156 512 292
Passcode f39Wu6Au
Contacts