One regional Centrelink office wants to use a stopwatch to monitor customer calls, but employees are not happy.

Management at the Bunbury Centrelink in Western Australia were going to start timing staff interactions last week to ensure they dealt with customers efficiently.

Centrelink is often called-out as one of the stressful work environments in the public sector, and with budget cuts and job losses looming it appears that pressure has only increased.

The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) says it has been informed that team leaders want the stopwatches to micro-manage staff, as the service faces a big push for efficiency to avoid more retrenchment.

But it now appears that the measure has been abolished before it could be put in place, with internal emails suggesting broad complaints showed it was not too good a plan.

In an email to staff obtained by media outlets, Centrelink management has advised that the program will be scrapped due to the amount of complaints, but suggested it would simply obtain the same information using other timing systems.

CPSU organiser Rory Lambert has told local ABC reporters that the measure is insulting.

“We couldn't see the point of the use of the stopwatches, $10 hand-held stopwatches, when there is multi-million dollar IT system in place ... capable of recording,” he said.

He said union members complained about feeling micromanaged and intimidated almost immediately.

The Department of Human Services has not commented on the matter.

Meanwhile, Government insurer Comcare will pay compensation to a Centrelink employee who was bullied and humiliated after returning to work from maternity leave.

Centrelink worker Amanda Kosteski made a workers’ compensation claim after being diagnosed with depression and anxiety and suffering a loss of appetite after her return to work.

She said the condition imposed by the new managers took a heavy toll, which led to her losing 17kg in just three months.

The claim was first rejected, but after an appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Comcare has been ordered to pay.

Ms Kosteski told the tribunal that she was bullied by management who stood over her while she sat at her desk, belittled and humiliated her in team meetings and “interrogated” her about her personal life when her part-time hours were reviewed every six weeks.

“Nobody appears to have taken responsibility at the appropriate time for assisting an employee who was showing clear signs of distress,” tribunal member Robin Handley wrote in the findings.

“Action was taken by Centrelink to address the problem subsequently but by that stage the damage had been done.

“I note the expert witnesses commented on the poor workplace handling of her situation,” Handley wrote.