The Tax Office's technology boss has backed a memo urging staff to dob in colleagues taking long lunches and leaving work early, saying its public servants didn't want to be left with more than their fair share of work.
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Freedom of Information documents revealed the Australian Taxation Office told its public servants to report colleagues suspected of slacking off with extended breaks, and wasting time by eating breakfast or reading newspapers at work.
The memo, first reported by the ABC, has prompted rebukes from the Australian Services Union representing tax officials, which called the warning a "witch hunt" that diminished trust between bosses and staff.
ATO chief information officer Ramez Katf endorsed the memo but said most of the 20,600-strong agency's staff did the right thing.
"I don't think it's a bad thing to remind people, and frankly for our people to feel they're going to get support," he said.
Tax officials didn't want to feel like colleagues weren't pulling their weight, Mr Katf said.
"I don't think it was an unhelpful reminder."
The memo, titled "A clock-work worry", tells staff that recording their working hours incorrectly may amount to fraud, and urges them to report colleagues who regularly leave early.
"When a report is made it will be looked into but it doesn't prejudge the outcome. If there are reasonable explanations, these will be identified. If there aren't, appropriate action will be taken," the ATO told its public servants.
"For privacy reasons you may not always know what the outcome is, but rest assured it will be looked into."
ASU official Jeff Lapidos said many ATO staff had to leave their desk as part of their work.
"How are you to know if your colleague is off down the street on a private errand or in a work meeting? Are you expected to quiz your colleagues every time you notice they are away from their desk?" he said.
"What happened to trust in the ATO? The ATO's leadership tells us we have to trust taxpayers unless we have reason not to do so. It seems that ATO employees are not to be shown the same trust."
Mr Lapidos said the approach to monitoring hours outlined in the memo would destroy working relationships between bosses and staff.
Community and Public Sector Union deputy national president Rupert Evans said its members in the Tax Office were surprised and disappointed to read the memo.
"They've seen no evidence of the alleged conduct it raised and were understandably dismissive of a problem that doesn't exist," he said.
"Tax Office staff are encouraged to work collaboratively, and we think this message has unnecessarily undermined that culture of team work."
