At least 12 Public Trustee staff across Queensland have lodged a co-ordinated series of complaints

Just weeks after a scathing report called for a sweeping overhaul of the chronically troubled Public Trustee, more problems have emerged.

A dozen frontline Public Trustee workers have lodged a co-ordinated series of complaints about unbearable workloads, inadequate staffing to meet demand and a lack of training.

BUCKLING UNDER PRESSURE

Just weeks after a scathing report called for a sweeping overhaul of the chronically troubled Public Trustee of Queensland, more alarming problems have emerged.

City Beat has learned that at least a dozen frontline workers from across the state have lodged a co-ordinated series of complaints about unbearable workloads, inadequate staffing to meet demand and a lack of training.

The issues have been raised with Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, an arm of the government’s WorkSafe division, which has now launched an investigation.

One staffer, who has spent time across a number of regional offices over the past five years dealing with financial issues for clients with extreme disabilities, has even gone on indefinite stress leave because of the pressures.

Samay Zhouand, CEO and Acting Public Trustee of Queensland.

“I was told consistently that it would change, that it would be fine. It never happened,’’ she revealed to your diarist this week.

After seeking help from numerous senior executives, she spoke to an HR manager in late 2019 and was stunned at the response.

“She said it would be detrimental to my career if I was to put in a formal complaint. I was gobsmacked. I was under the impression that HR is supposed to be there for employees and they seemed very employer focused.’’

Working up to 10 hours a day, she started suffering from heightened anxiety and chronic insomnia before stepping back.

“I love my job but this is about the impact on my physical and mental health. They need more staff and better training,’’ she said.

A spin doctor for the Public Trustee, headed by acting boss Samay Zhouand, would not comment Friday on the Workplace probe. But he maintained that several “internal initiatives’’ had already helped staff boost efficiencies and reduce frontline workloads.

This latest drama to hit the agency, which continues to recruit for senior management jobs, follows the release of a damning report by Public Advocate Mary Burgess.

She found that hundreds of vulnerable PT clients have been overcharged for services and had their money mismanaged. Burgess, who made 32 recommendations to address the problems, also called for greater transparency.

Meanwhile, Zhouand, who apologised for the shocking performance failures, alerted his troops this week that chief operating officer Jeanette Miller had taken leave immediately for unspecified “personal reasons’’.

He poached her in late 2019 from the offices of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, where she had served as the senior director for economic policy the previous four years.

SCOMO SHOUT OUT

The gang at Brisbane-based charity Kids Helpline celebrated the 30th anniversary of their launch on Friday and even got a shout-out from the PM.

No drinks in the boardroom or beers at the pub for this lot, who have fielded almost 8.5 million calls from distressed young people since 1991.

Instead, it was a morning tea for boss Tracy Adams and her 200-strong crew, who were surprised with a prerecorded video from Scott Morrison lauding their efforts.

ScoMo lavished praise on workers at the 24/7 enterprise for listening to all those troubled teens.

He went on to thank the staff for “valuing them, respecting them, ensuring their safety and their protection and empowering them’’.

Sounds like a laundry list of what needs to happen with women!

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