‘Not feeling safe and well at work’: Teachers Registration Board hit with work culture concern

The Teachers Registration Board is the latest Tasmanian government agency to be hit with staff workplace culture complaints.

Labor's Josh Willie released the email from Education Department secretary Tim Bullard, revealing concerns that Teachers Registration Board staff were “not well and thriving”.

The Teachers Registration Board will undergo an independent review following higher-than-usual staff absences and claims some employees were “not feeling safe and well at work”.

Late last month, Education Department secretary Tim Bullard sent an email to all board staff members, advising he’d been made aware of concerns that “may be a sign of a workplace where people are not well and thriving”.

Mr Bullard said he had appointed Rikki Mawad, an independent workplace relationship specialist and leadership coach, to review the board’s office culture and identify risks to safety and wellbeing in its workplace.

All staff members have been offered the chance to meet with Ms Mawad for a confidential session.

The email was released to the media by Labor Education spokesman Josh Willie, who said the board was simply the latest government agency “to be hit by concerns about a toxic workplace culture”.

Tim Bullard, Department of Education secretary. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“These sorts of workplace issues have become all too common, with allegations of bullying in government agencies, government business enterprises and ministerial offices, and are symptomatic of wider cultural problems under the minority Liberal government,” Mr Willie said.

Mr Willie said the news came in the wake of recent government business enterprise hearings revealing workplace concerns at TasNetworks and TasPorts, in addition to bullying allegations in the office of former Attorney-General Elise Archer.

“This is a culture that is symptomatic across many agencies and it is very concerning,” he said.

“As the head of the government, Jeremy Rockliff is responsible for this culture of deceit, lack of honesty and transparency, and appalling behaviour that has seeped into all parts of government.”

Mr Willie said it was good Mr Bullard was dealing with the board’s issues, “but it shouldn’t come to this”.

“It’s very concerning that people don’t feel safe at work in a government job. We need good leadership, we need solid workplace practices,” he said.

The Tasmanian Teachers Registration Board is responsible for registering teachers, investigating complaints, taking disciplinary action and maintaining a code of professional ethics.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff said $4.5 million had been invested across the government to improve workplace culture.

“A whole-of-government approach is to improve workplace culture, and any review into workplace culture is there to identify how we can make improvements,” he said.

“Every single person that goes to work to do their job has to be assured that workplace is a safe environment, an inclusive environment, and that encourages aspiration for people to do their absolute best.”

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