Staff at the new Police Assistance Line and Online Reporting (PAL&OLR) opened a month ago by the state government have been told they are out of a job following a poor take-up of the service.

A message sent to some of Serco's PAL staff in Ballarat yesterday and obtained by The Courier outlines the reasons for the layoffs, rumoured to affect three-quarters of casual employees at the 24-hour contact centre.

"As you are aware, the PAL&OLR that we provide to the members of the public is a new service for our client the Victoria Police. When the contract was established in July 2018, assumptions where (sic) made around the expected call and on-line reporting volumes...

"Since this time both call and OLR volumes have been below... expected levels... Regrettably this means there will be a requirement to reduce our staffing levels. The decision making process has been a difficult one..."

The Courier understands around 300 potential staff underwent training, with about 50 of those never actually getting a start at the centre.

It's also understood about 150 of those currently employed, mostly casual, may be laid off. The Courier is waiting to confirm those numbers with Serco and the state government.

A state election promise costed at $212 million, the PAL contact centre was proposed for Ballarat in July last year. Potential staff were told by employment agencies that the majority of work would be full time. This was not the case, sources now tell The Courier.

The state government says Serco has over-recruited, rather than rather than a reduction in the amount of predicted calls being placed to the Police Assistance Line, which they say has grown from 40,000 to 60,000 calls per month since launching at the beginning of July.

In a statement provided to The Courier, a government spokesperson said:

'Our expectation is that once the Police Assistance Line is running at full capacity, Serco will meet the quality and employment requirements to deliver this service - this will see 200 jobs for the Ballarat community.'

'It is our understanding that Serco over-recruited to ensure they they could manage demand over expectations.'

'We continue to promote the new assistance line to the Victorian community and expect that numbers will continue to grow.'

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One former staff member who resigned before the news told The Courier the layoffs were a blow for the many people who saw the positions as giving some kind of a secure, ongoing job in Ballarat.

He said some people he had spoken to in the induction process had applied for over 200 jobs while at Centrelink.

Another employee said she had spoken to staff members who had left secure positions at other employment in the hope of a future in the centre.

A third employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they received an email from Serco on Tuesday.

"It was the usual stuff: 'Serco values its employees, we want to be supportive,' that sort of thing," they told The Courier.

"After I left work I got a phone call, which I missed. When I tried to return the call, I couldn't get through - but any person, and some people I know, who answered the call was told to 'come in for a chat' - for a one-on-one interview, where they were fired.

"I don't think the staff had any idea what was going on, but the atmosphere in the centre was tense."

The employee told The Courier they had left other work in the hope of getting stable employment at the PAL.

"I was looking for a change from casual work," they said.

"I wanted a civil job, with time off and security, so I did the interview in March, and (Serco) were offering full-time and part-time shifts. I quit good work: now I'm facing unemployment.

"In the past 14 days I have been offered two shifts. Everyone's shifts were getting cut, aside from the full time employees. I have a mortgage and kids, just like every other person there who's now facing insecurity.

"We were sold false promise; we drank the Kool Aid. Everything (Serco) told us has not come through."

The $212 million Victoria Police Assistance Line is located in the Flecknoe building of Federation University in Albert Street.

It opened last month, with Minister for Police and Emergency Services Lisa Neville, local member Michaela Settle and acting Chief Commissioner Shane Patton both saying the new police assistance line and the online portal were a big step forward for the police and the community.

At the time of its commission, Serco Citizen Services managing director Peter Welling said the centre would support regional employment, and 'about 350 people would be employed at the centre.'

"Recruitment has already begun and I encourage local people to apply for roles - we are looking for a diverse range of people from different backgrounds," Mr Welling wrote at the time.

Serco wrote its contract for operation was expected to commence in January 2019, with an estimated total contract value over a five-year term of approximately $95 million.

In a statement Serco told The Courier:

'Serco employees at the Ballarat-based Police Assistance Line centre were informed yesterday that a number of positions would no longer be required. Initial recruitment levels were based on expected contact levels by the public. These contacts are lower than expected.

'Affected staff will be contacted individually and supported through a range of employee services. Serco is fully committed to regional employment in Victoria with some 3000 staff around the state including about 285 people locally in Ballarat. Where opportunities arise to increase employment, we will do so.'

TOMORROW: unions, more staff respond.