Staying in Touch
The monthly e-newsletter for members on parental leave
Vol. 2 No.1 | February 2011 | www.qieu.asn.au/maternity
Early administration of new PPL Scheme welcomed
Welcome Welcome to Staying in Touch, the e-newsletter for members on maternity, adoption or parental leave. If you have a question or an information suggestion that you would like published in the next Staying in Touch, please contact IEUA-QNT Organiser Susan O’Leary at soleary@qieu.asn.au
Parental Leave: IEUA-QNT members with benefits Members on parental leave are eligible to receive a range of IEUA-QNT membership benefits that can help parents keep in touch with workplace issues and save on baby items when shopping. For the reduced fee of $90 while on unpaid leave, you have access to all the benefits included with a complete IEUA-QNT membership, including: •
advice on your proportion of salary entitlements (are they correct upon proceeding on maternity leave?);
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full representation to assist you when returning to work after maternity leave;
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your rights if you need to access subsequent maternity leave;
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industrial issues and what is happening in your workplace through Union publications eg: The Independent Voice, newsletters and Chapter Briefings;
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assistance when negotiating parttime employment or job share arrangements on your return; and
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access to a range of other membership benefits, including the Union Shopper service.
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For the first time in Australia, eligible working parents will receive federal government payments from the Paid Parental Leave Scheme (PPL Scheme) from 1 July 2011 or earlier depending on their employer’s payment arrangements. Many education sectors and independent school employers have elected to begin administering PPL Scheme payments from 1 January 2011. Of our relevant education sectors, the following have nominated a start date for their PPL Scheme payments to take effect. Catholic Sector
Brisbane Catholic Education: 1 January 2011
Rockhampton Catholic Education: 1 July 2011
Toowoomba Catholic Education: 1 July 2011
Lutheran Sector
Individual employers may elect to begin their PPL Scheme payments prior to 1 July 2011 depending on their workplace payment arrangements.
Anglican Sector
Individual employers may elect to begin their PPL Scheme payments prior to 1 July 2011 depending on their workplace payment arrangements.
C&K
1 January 2011
Edmund Rice
Northern (QLD) Region: 1 January 2011
If you are working in an independent school or are wanting to know of your employer’s nominated date for administering PPL Scheme payments, please contact your employer in the first instance. For further information on the PPL Scheme, please contact the IEUA-QNT office on Freecall 1800 177 938 or email enquiries@qieu.asn.au The PPL Scheme has been achieved through the collective strength of Australia unions working together to achieve a significant outcome for working families. All eligible working parents will be provided with 18 week payments at the federal minimum wage of $569.90 per week. These government payments are in addition to any payments your employer currently provides in a collective agreement and do not replace the employer-paid leave entitlements which exist in your collective agreement.
Remember, as an IEUA-QNT member you gain special benefits from Union Shopper; ME Bank; and the Health e-Start service from Teachers’ Union Health (TUH). The Health e-Start service is one of TUH’s value added services provided at no extra cost to TUH members.
The Independent Education Union of Australia - Queensland and Northern Territory Branch www.qieu.asn.au
Staying in Touch
The monthly e-newsletter for members on parental leave Page 2 of 3
www.qieu.asn.au/maternity
Members on maternity leave benefit from IEUA-QNT information session Members on parental leave gained valuable insight regarding their professional development opportunities after attending an IEUA-QNT information session on Thursday, 2 December 2010. The informal session incorporated “Continuing Professional Development” and “Return to Teach” and focused on flexible and creative ways for members to record their continuing professional development while on maternity or family leave. “A way to make sure you maintain your level of professional development is to make sure you set time aside per week to browse the internet and read the latest information relating to your profession,” IEUA-QNT Research Officer Miriam Dunn said. Miriam encouraged members to keep a diary and record how many hours each week they spent reading information and experimenting with new skills that could be transferred into the classroom. “The Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) wants to see some individually identified knowledge, to show that teachers on maternity leave are still reading up on their areas of expertise and speaking to colleagues to keep up-to-date with teaching developments,” Miriam said. “It is important for members on maternity leave to think creatively and incorporate current skills into their diary as continuing professional development.”
Clockwise from top: (Top) Members and their children at the maternity leave session (Far right) Vicky Lorrimer with son Hayden (Middle) Tash McEniery with son Alex and (Far left) IEUA-QNT Research Officer Miriam Dunn presents information on Queensland College of Teacher (QCT) and professional development requirements at the session.
about what is happening in your school or profession?
Common programs and books can be • Professional associations - do you contribute to a professional counted towards continuing professional association or receive regular updates? development, including: • Using PowerPoint - how are you Miriam also presented an outline of the enhancing your skills in the classroom QCT requirements for members who through learning new PowerPoint were interested in returning to work on full time, part time or job share techniques? • Reading books, journals and websites - arrangements.
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what new information are you learning IEUA-QNT members Tash McEniery that will enhance your classroom and Vicky Lorrimer are both looking to return to work on a part time basis once practice? Professional conversations - do you their maternity leave period ends. still converse with your colleagues “To have flexibility in the workplace is
important,” Vicky said. “I may have to take full time work but I will be working towards going part time in the next few years,” she said. Both Vicky and Tash support the new national Paid Parental Leave Scheme that came into effect on 1 January 2011. “It gives people more time to have off with their child, especially if constrained by finance,” Tash said. For information on the current “Return to Teach” programs available, please email IEUA-QNT Research Officer Miriam Dunn on mdunn@qieu.asn.au or call (07) 3839 7020
The Independent Education Union of Australia - Queensland and Northern Territory Branch www.qieu.asn.au
Staying in Touch
The monthly e-newsletter for members on parental leave Page 3 of 3
www.qieu.asn.au/maternity
Want to learn more about Job Share? Don’t miss out on our next information session!
Make your Voice Count: Join our Equity Committee! As an IEUA-QNT member, you can actively contribute to professional issues and policy development by joining a Committee.
SPECIALȱINVITATIONȱ ȱ
This year, the IEUA-QNT Equity Commitee will begin developing a policy to advise members and school management on breastfeeding requirements upon returning to work.
FORȱOURȱMEMBERSȱONȱ MATERNITYȱ/ȱFAMILYȱLEAVEȱ ȱ
The IEUA-QNT Equity Committee has direct input into IEUA-QNT Council by helping to guide policy development, and has so far addressed equity issues such as the Paid Parental Leave Campaign. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Equity Committee, or would like more information, contact the IEUA-QNT Office on FREECALL 1800 177 937 or email enquiries@qieu.asn.au Watch out for the next Equity Committee meetings on 1 February and 16 March 2011.
Website page for members on maternity or parental leave Whether you are about to go on maternity leave or getting ready to return to work, the IEUA-QNT website has a dedicated page for all your maternity leave enquiries at www.qieu.asn.au/maternity Professional advice on workplace matters is our forte, so remember to regularly check our webpage for updated information on issues including job share and flexible work arrangements; rights and obligations when returning to work; accessing paid parental leave; teacher registration and professional development requirements; and returning to work provisions.
EVERYTHINGȱYOU’VEȱEVERȱWANTEDȱTOȱKNOWȱABOUTȱ
JOBȱSHAREȱ ANDȱHOWȱTOȱMAKEȱ‘WORKȱ/ȱLIFEȱBALANCE’ȱWORKȱFORȱYOU!ȱ ȱ
TUESDAY,ȱ15ȱMARCHȱ2011ȱ 11:30ȱamȱtoȱ1ȱpmȱ ȱ
QIEUȱOffice,ȱLevelȱ1ȱTrainingȱRoomȱ 346ȱTurbotȱStreet,ȱSpringȱHillȱ ȱ
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Thisȱinformalȱ‘informationȱsession’ȱhasȱbeenȱdevelopedȱespeciallyȱforȱourȱ membersȱonȱmaternityȱ/ȱfamilyȱleave.ȱȱWeȱwantȱyouȱtoȱfeelȱveryȱcomfortableȱ comingȱalong,ȱwithȱyourȱchildren,ȱtoȱtalkȱaboutȱtheȱrulesȱandȱregsȱofȱJOBȱ SHAREȱ–ȱandȱhowȱitȱcanȱworkȱforȱyou.ȱȱȱ ȱ ȱ Refreshmentsȱwillȱbeȱprovidedȱforȱ youȱandȱyourȱchildrenȱ ȱ
A’ȱtoyȱbox’ȱwillȱbeȱonȱhand,ȱ toȱhelpȱkeepȱkidsȱamusedȱ ȱ
Freeȱparkingȱoppositeȱtheȱunionȱofficeȱ isȱavailableȱforȱtheȱdurationȱofȱtheȱmeetingȱ (pleaseȱseeȱflyerȱattached)ȱ
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Howȱtoȱregisterȱyourȱinterest:ȱ PleaseȱcontactȱTessaȱMcKenzieȱonȱ3839ȱ7020ȱorȱ tmckenzie@qieu.asn.auȱbyȱFriday,ȱ11ȱMarchȱtoȱensureȱ sufficientȱquantitiesȱofȱinformationȱsheetsȱandȱcateringȱ
Our April edition of Staying in Touch will present a ‘Breastfeeding and Work’ theme, and will focus on support for members breastfeeding and expressing upon returning to work.
Parking is available at Kings Parking, underneath Cathedral Square.
Do you have an idea for our maternity webpage? Please email IEUA-QNT Communications Officer Belinda Hogan-Collis on bhogan@qieu.asn.au
Members are asked to bring their parking voucher to the front desk when they arrive, so that it can be validated by the receptionist.
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Follow Turbot Street past Wharf Street and turn right into Perry Street (just before Woolworths)
The Independent Education Union of Australia - Queensland and Northern Territory Branch www.qieu.asn.au