Such is the unhappiness in the public guardians office that all three senior guardians were on leave at one point in November, with two still off work.
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The exodus leaves more-junior guardians and temporary staff managing some of the caseload.
Public guardians look after people who can't make decisions for themselves, making decisions about health care, housing and other aspects of their lives. The ACT government is merging the guardians' office with the public trustee's office, which is charged with managing people's finances on court orders and for other reasons.
The guardians have declined to comment on the stoush but, in a submission, the unit said it had an "acute philosophical and ethical antipathy" to merging the offices, which should be "aggressively separated" to protect clients.
There are fears that crucial decisions about medical care or housing will be confused by financial considerations if the two offices operate as one, and the man already heading both offices, Public Trustee Andrew Taylor has already suggested people could be charged for the guardianship services. Attorney-general Simon Corbell has since insisted that the government has no intention of charging, but Mr Taylor's comments have raised eyebrows.
The office has a principal guardian and two senior guardians, plus three more-junior guardian positions. The Liberal Opposition was told that all three senior guardians were on leave for a time in November as a result of the ructions over the merger. One has since left, another remains on open-ended leave and the third is back at work. The workload has been shared among more junior staff and seconded staff.
A spokesman for the Justice and Community Safety directorate said the guardianship unit had eight staff (including the three senior guardians, the three junior guardians, and an advice officer and a professional support officer at ASO5 and 6 level).
One guardian role was vacant after the employee moved to ACT Health.
"During November, as with every other month of the year, some staff were unavailable as a result of various types of leave," he said. "During such periods of absence continuity of service delivery is met by skilled staff within the office undertaking professional development opportunities through higher duties and the advocacy and guardianship functions of the officer working collegiately and collaboratively to manage cases."
The merger is to take effect in March once legislation is passed in the new year.
Liberal Leader Jeremy Hanson said the Opposition had become aware of significant disquiet, "particularly regarding some sensitive workplace related issues", with concerns raised by "various individuals, including stakeholder and community groups".
Any reforms must work for the guardians' clients and provide "a safe and efficient workplace for the staff", he said.
In 2014-15, the office was a guardian of last resort for 205 Canberrans, with the principal guardian looking after about 10 of the most complex cases and the two full-timers responsible for about 35 cases each.
During the year it made 510 decisions for clients, according to its annual report.
In one case, it acted to ensure a 68-year-old woman with schizophrenia stayed in hospital against her wishes while decisions were made about her foot being amputated. She didn't want the amputation but without it she was expected to die. After four weeks in hospital on anti-psychotic drugs she agreed to the amputation.
The office intervened to reunite two elderly people, both of whom had been in concentration camps during World War II, but who had been separated by the step-son of one.
Another client was a 20-year-old asylum seeker granted a temporary visa but struggling to make a life in the community. She was arrested and taken to the mental health unit. After her visa was cancelled the guardianship unit helped her with lawyers and court hearings. But after another stint in the mental health unit she was returned to immigration detention.
