Frequently Asked Questions
About PWSS
What is the PWSS?
The Parliamentary Workplace Support Service is a team of advisors helping to build and maintain a safe, respectful, and inclusive parliamentary workplace through:
- human resources advice
- training and professional development
- work, health and safety advice
- trauma-informed complaint resolution and counselling.
We support MOP(S) Act staff, parliamentarians and people who work or have worked in Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces across Australia.
What is a Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplace (CPW)?
Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces (CPWs) are the locations where parliamentarians, their staff (MOP(S) Act employees) work. CPWs include Australian Parliament House, electorate offices across Australia and Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices in each state.
Who can access PWSS services?
All PWSS services are available to current Parliamentarians and MOP(S) Act employees – not limited by location.
Other people currently working or volunteering in Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces (CPWs) across Australia, as well as former parliamentarians, staff and volunteers of CPWs – not limited by location – can access the 24/7 counselling and support services offered by the PWSS.
What explains the behaviour expected of Parliamentarians and MOP(S) Act staff in their workplace?
Both the Behaviour codes and standards apply in the course of employment for parliamentarians and MOP(S) Act staff. This includes when at social events, travelling for work, and outside normal business hours, both in person and online. Alcohol is no excuse for breaching the code or the standards.
Confidentiality and Privacy
Can PWSS comment on specific disclosures or complaints?
PWSS maintains strict confidentiality about the details of individual matters.
Can PWSS disclose the identity of individuals involved in complaints?
To protect their privacy, PWSS does not disclose the identities of people who have accessed services or who may be involved in complaints or resolution processes.
In some cases, people using our services will self-disclose their participation with the PWSS to media. This does not mean that the PWSS will comment on the details of individual matters.
Can individuals speak to the PWSS anonymously?
Yes, individuals can choose to remain anonymous while receiving support from a case coordinator. PWSS case coordinators are professionally trained counsellors, social workers and psychologists.
You can read more about reporting here.
How does PWSS protect personal information?
PWSS is required to comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.
Engagement and support
How does the PWSS engage with parliamentarians and their staff?
PWSS provides proactive support through:
- direct advisory services in person, via telephone and online,
- tailored training and development programs online and in offices across Australia,
- personal and office-wide consultation on HR and WHS matters, and
- confidential counselling and support services in person and by telephone.
What is the process for accessing counselling and support?
Eligible individuals can contact PWSS 24/7 via phone on 1800 747 977 (option 1) or text on 0487 112 755. They can email support@pwss.gov.au or reach someone in person at Suite M2.105, Parliament House.
Once someone has accessed PWSS counselling and support services, they are able to contact us as frequently as needed without a cap on services. Where people are referred to outside services, there may be limits to those services.
Complaints and serious allegations
How are complaints made and processed?
Conversations with the PWSS may include complaints or grievances made by a Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplace participant. These can be received over the phone, online or in person. It is important to note in many instances people want to ‘put things on the record’ through our counselling and support service, they often do not want any formal action taken.
Some people may want to come forward to share their experience of unacceptable workplace conduct, not to resolve their own experience, but to help others who may have a similar experience. Those conversations allow notes to be made and strategies to be discussed with the goal of helping a person to self-manage a difficult situation, with appropriate support. They also serve to highlight trends and emerging themes that can inform work by the PWSS.
Disclosing an experience to us may help improve CPWs for all participants. The collective efforts of all those who work in CPWs will assist in building and maintaining a positive working environment into the future.
When someone lodges a grievance directly with PWSS, we provide guidance and options to resolve the issue. We can offer local resolution to resolve the issue early if the person wants our assistance to engage with the other person.
Mediation is another process the PWSS can facilitate to resolve a complaint. Mediation is a voluntary process. Parties cannot be compelled by the PWSS to participate.
Where a complaint cannot be resolved through mediation or other local resolution, clients are advised of other pathways they may consider. Some clients may make a complaint to Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission (IPSC) or their complaint may be referred by a parliamentarian or the CEO of the PWSS, to the IPSC.
Complaints can also be made directly to the IPSC without going to the PWSS. The IPSC can conduct independent workplace investigations and issue sanctions, with the purpose of ensuring adherence to the behaviour codes and standards. Complaints to the IPSC must be made in writing and can be submitted to enquiry@ipsc.gov.au. Media enquiries to the IPSC must be sent in writing to media@ipsc.gov.au.
Service usage and statistics
How many people access PWSS services?
Statistics are published yearly in the PWSS annual report and explanatory notes.
As indicated in the most recent annual report, during the 2024 calendar year, PWSS received approximately 3,000 calls.
More than 50 per cent of those calls were people seeking HR advice (for both employers and employees), followed by calls about learning and development courses, counselling and support, and then work, health and safety.
While these calls are received during the calendar year, the incidents and circumstances discussed in calls may have occurred many years ago. The PWSS accepts calls about historic allegations and provides counselling to people who have worked in a Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplace in the past.