Key steps for new starters

Congratulations on your new role, and welcome to the Essential Services Commission! This page helps new employees ensure they've completed all required forms and processes before they start working at the commission. Please read through each of the sections below to ensure you complete critical steps, including:

• filling out payroll and employee documentation
• accessing information about superannuation and your entitlements
• applying for recognition of prior service.

For any queries, email our people and culture team at people.culture@esc.vic.gov.au.

Fill out your payroll and employee documentation

Complete the following documents and email them to people.culture@esc.vic.gov.au and HR.Shared.Services@education.vic.gov.au before you start working for us.

• new employee personal details form
• banking details form
• declaration and management of private interests form
• tax file number declaration
• superannuation standard choice form
• statutory declaration form
• code of conduct policy sign off form

Ensure your superannuation information is correct

Our employer-nominated super fund is Aware Super. For more information, please visit the Aware Super website.  You are welcome to choose your preferred super provider. If you have a preferred provider, ensure you note this when you complete the payroll superannuation standard choice form (listed in the bullet points above).

Statutory declaration

The statutory declaration requires any preferred candidates to disclose any previous workplace misconduct investigations. This aims to increase the integrity of the Victorian Public Service with its employees occupying positions of trust in the community. Candidates will not be unfairly prevented from getting a job where their history of misconduct is not relevant (copy of the statutory declaration form template can be found in the bullet point list above).

For more information, refer to Victorian Public Sector Commission Pre-employment screening of misconduct in the Victorian Public Service.

Apply for recognition of prior service

If you have previously worked for another public entity (such as the Australian Government or another state government), you can apply to have your prior service recognised. To apply, complete the recognition of prior service form and email it to people.culture@esc.vic.gov.au. You may have transferred from another Victorian Government department or agency. In most instances, your prior service will be automatically recognised. Once you start working for us, make sure this has happened by contacting HR shared services on 9651 1000 or emailing people.culture@esc.vic.gov.au.

Eligibility to work in Australia

To be eligible to work within the Victorian Public Service you need to be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent resident or hold an eligible work permit. Candidates on work permits can only be employed on fixed-term contracts that do not exceed the current visa term.

Evidence of permanent status

Provide a certified copy of the relevant pages from your passport showing a stamp, which confirms your permanent residence in Australia. Your name must appear on the copy. If you are a British citizen who migrated to Australia prior to 1974, evidence of residence in Australia prior to 1974 is required. New Zealand citizens are regarded as Australian citizens for employment purposes, but evidence of New Zealand citizenship is required.

Work permits

If you are not a permanent resident, but have a work permit that allows the type and duration of work for which you are applying, such evidence must be provided directly via the Visa Entitlement Online system (VEVO). It is your responsibility to ensure that verification is provided to people and culture (people.culture@esc.vic.gov.au) prior to commencing work at the commission.

For more information, refer to Careers.Vic

Read about your employee entitlements

If you are a Victorian public sector (VPS) grade 1-7 employee, the terms and conditions of your employment are set by the Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement 2024. We recommend that you familiarise yourself with its contents. If you are an executive, you can find information about your conditions of employment in the Victorian Public Service Executive Employment Handbook. Under the Commonwealth Fair Work Act 2009, we must provide all new employees with a fair work information statement, which contains information about national employment standards. The Code of Conduct for Employees reinforces Victorian public sector values by describing expected standards of behaviour. All employees (including Victorian public sector and executive employees) must understand the requirements of the code and use it to guide their decisions.

Review useful resources

If you're new to government employment, the Victorian Public Sector Commission's About the Public Sector page has some valuable information and resources about working in the Victorian public sector. If you'd like to find out more information about the commission, read about us and what we do. We look forward to working with you!