Tasmania Justice Department Cuts Specialist Wellbeing Service Amid Budget Savings Drive
The Tasmanian Department of Justice has eliminated a dedicated safety and wellbeing program for its staff, replacing it with an expanded Employee Assistance Program as part of a broader cost-saving effort.
Following a review, the Tasmanian Department of Justice scrapped a targeted safety and wellbeing service that provided case management and psychological support to about 200 employees in high-stress roles. The government will instead broaden the existing Employee Assistance Program, which union representatives claim falls short of the specialised hub’s effectiveness. Critics, including the Community and Public Sector Union and Labor MPs, contend the move will harm morale, raise burnout risk and potentially drive staff away.
Attorney-General Guy Barnett defended the change as better aligned with workforce needs while maintaining a commitment to wellbeing. The decision aligns with a wider mandate for the department to identify $7.5 million in savings this financial year and $67.6 million over the next four years amid mounting state debt.
Why it matters
Cuts to mental-health support for justice workers could worsen staff stress and affect public safety.
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