Smart Casuals 5 ECU

Smart Casuals NTEU HANDBOOK FOR CASUAL AND SESSIONAL ACADEMIC STAFF AT EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY

www.nteu.org.au/ecu

www.unicasual.org.au

Contents Welcome...........................................................1

Rates................................................................ 10

NTEU is your Union.................................... 2

Things to Know........................................... 12

How to contact NTEU................................................... 2

The A to E of Academic Staff.....................................12

How to join....................................................................... 2

Superannuation.............................................................12

Special rates for casuals/sessionals.......................... 2

Leave..................................................................................12

NTEU and casuals......................................... 3 What’s the problem with casual employment?.....3 What is NTEU doing for academic casual employees?........................................................................3

Parental Leave.................................................................13 Student Evaluation of Teaching...............................13 Collegiality.......................................................................13 Intellectual property......................................................13 Intellectual Freedom.....................................................14

Being a casual ............................................... 4

Health and Safety...........................................................15

How is casual employment different from other employment?................................................................... 4

Workers’ Compensation..............................................15

Where do my rights come from?.............................. 4

Equal Employment Opportunity & Protection Against Discrimination...............................................15

What is a Sessional?....................................................... 4

Harassment and Bullying...........................................16

Your Rights...................................................... 5 Opportunities for more secure employment.........5 Scholarly Teaching Fellows..........................................5 Separate Pay for Marking..............................................5 Casual Loading................................................................ 6 Payment for Attendance at Meetings...................... 6 Unit Coordination Rates............................................... 6 Improved Superannuation.......................................... 6 Other local outcomes.................................................... 6

When You Start Work................................... 7 Letter of Appointment...................................................7 Tax........................................................................................7 Employee/Salary Number........................................... 8 Getting paid on time..................................................... 8

Once You’re At Work.................................... 9 Pay....................................................................................... 9

Grievances.......................................................................16 Termination.....................................................................16 Looking after your career...........................................16

Checklist.........................................................17 Getting the most out of your union membership................................................. 18 What is my Local Union Branch?.............................18 When should I contact the Union?.........................18 What if my supervisor is an NTEU member?.......18

What can NTEU do for me?..................... 19 Industrial advice.............................................................19 Lobbying Government................................................19 Enterprise Bargaining..................................................19 Communication with Members...............................19 Membership benefits...................................................20

How to get Involved................................... 21

Welcome Welcome to the 5th edition of Smart Casuals for ECU. Working as an academic casual is an exciting opportunity and can be personally and professionally rewarding. However, it is also a very challenging and responsible job, where you can feel quite isolated and worried about your own capabilities, your students and your rights.

Over the years, I have worked with many casual colleagues and have often felt that their enthusiasm and dedication is taken for granted with little demonstrated appreciation.

Hopefully, you have received positive student feedback – and also encouragement from your academic supervisor and other colleagues.

If every academic casual at my university had accessed this NTEU booklet, their working life would have been easier. I recommend that you read this closely, keep it at close hand as an important resource and pass onto colleagues. Whilst the information here has been specifically adapted for your university, you are also encouraged to contact your local NTEU Branch office if you have further questions.

The Union is working hard to improve your pay and working conditions. We have recently won you a wide range of improved pay and conditions which are outlined in this booklet.

You need to speak up if you are not receiving your correct pay and entitlements. Join the NTEU so we can assist you in this. Get involved in the Union so we can represent your and your colleagues’ interests even more effectively.

See www.unicasual.org.au for full details.

Jeannie Rea, NTEU National President

Smart Casuals is a publication of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU).

5th edition. ISBN 978-0-9946377-0-3 All Rights Reserved © 2015.

For more information, please contact the NTEU National Office

www.unicasual.org.au

Post:

Phone: Fax: Email: Web:

PO Box 1323, South Melbourne VIC 3205 (03) 9254 1910 (03) 9254 1915 national@nteu.org.au www.nteu.org.au

Welcome

1

NTEU is your Union The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) is the only union working exclusively in the tertiary education sector. NTEU has a strong and effective democratic structure, and gives university staff an authoritative and expert voice in current debates about Australian tertiary education.

NTEU is active around a broad range of professional and industrial issues of concern to tertiary education workers, and has a team of specialist research, industrial, recruitment and campaign staff maintaining high-level expertise and providing assistance direct to the membership. Members can also save money by accessing a wide range of services and benefits.

How to join Choose any method: • Fill in the form at the back of this booklet.

• Contact or visit your local NTEU Branch office.

• Join online or download a form at www.nteu.org.au/join

Special rates for casuals/sessionals For casual/sessional staff, NTEU fees are set at three levels, based on your estimated earnings. These low casual rates, established in recognition of the unpredictability of casual pay rates and work, afford you full NTEU membership. All values include GST. Your union fees are fully tax deductible.

Estimated salary range

6 month fee

12 month fee

$10,000 and under

$27.50

$55.00

$10,001 – $20,000

$38.50

$77.00

Over $20,000

$55.00

$110.00

How to contact NTEU NTEU has a staffed office at every Australian university.

Your local NTEU Branch office provides a range of information, including membership forms, commercial benefits, industrial advice and more details on your employment entitlements.

NTEU ECU Branch Office: Room 435 Bdg 8 Joondalup Campus, Edith Cowan University Phone: 08 6304 5969

Fax: 08 6304 5822

Email: ecu@nteu.org.au

Website: www.nteu.org.au/ecu

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NTEU is your Union

Smart Casuals

NTEU and casuals What’s the problem with casual employment?

While casual employment sometimes provides employees with important flexibility and can be seen as a “foot in the door” to more permanent academic employment, being a casual can also mean that staff experience a high level of job insecurity and financial uncertainty.

NTEU’s research has shown that casual academic employment is sometimes like a treadmill: sessionals are often re-engaged to perform casual work year after year rather than appointed to entry-level fixed term or continuing academic positions.

There can often be very little professional development offered to casuals and inadequate time for research due to high teaching loads. All of this can add to the difficulties in accessing a meaningful career path.

Whilst casuals receive a 25% loading, this can often fail to fully compensate for the broader benefits of a range of other entitlements that other staff receive, such as sick leave, paid parental leave and above the minimum Superannuation Guarantee contribution permanent academic staff in universities receive 17% superannuation, whereas casuals only receive 9.25%). Once account is taken of the amount of time needed for duties such as preparation, administration and student consultation, many academic casuals report underpayment for work performed.

In addition, the high level of job insecurity that casual employment brings with it means that casual employees usually cannot get access to home loans or other finance.

What is NTEU doing for academic casual employees?

Since the 90s, higher education has experienced a period of turmoil due to cuts to Commonwealth funding, changes to industrial relations legislation and a range of other national and international pressures. One of these changes has been rapid growth in casual employment.

A key priority of the Union is to improve the working conditions of casual employees, both by improving conditions directly and by ensuring universities provide opportunities for casuals to attain more secure jobs. In the last round of enterprise bargaining with management at your university, the Union won significant improvements in the conditions of casual staff, as detailed throughout this booklet.

These improvements have only been won through the activity of casual NTEU members who campaigned to achieve these major gains. In the recent round of bargaining, NTEU focussed on casuals and providing as many opportunities for on-going teaching work (to replace casual work) where possible.

www.unicasual.org.au

NTEU and casuals

3

Being a casual How is casual employment different from other employment?

A casual employee is one who is engaged and paid by the hour, rather than employed on an ongoing basis or for a set period on a salary.

Casual rates of pay include a loading of 25% to compensate for some of the leave and other entitlements casual employees do not receive.

Where do my rights come from?

Your rights as an employee are set out in legislation, in your Enterprise Agreement, in University policy and in your letter of appointment.

Your university’s Enterprise Agreement negotiated between the Union and university management is the key place where your employment rights are set out, and takes precedence over University policy.

If you are employed in casual work at more than one university, you should be aware that the Enterprise Agreements that cover your working conditions will be slightly different at each one.

The interpretation of all the sources of your rights can be quite complex. NTEU can assist you with any issues you might have.

For reference, you can get a copy of your Enterprise Agreement from our Branch Office, or it can be found on the NTEU website: www.nteu.org.au/rights/agreements

What is a Sessional? ‘Sessional’ is a term used in some universities to describe casual academic employees, as casual academics are often employed for ‘sessions’ or semester teaching periods.

In the Edith Cowan University Academic and Professional Staff Union Collective Agreement 2013 sessional academics are referred to as ‘Casual Academics’.

You should contact your NTEU Branch office if you have any questions or enquiries.

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Being a casual

Smart Casuals

Your Rights This is a list of the new rights enjoyed by casual staff at your university as a direct result of casual staff joining the NTEU and being active.

Opportunities for more secure employment The University has committed to maintaining the proportion of fixed-term and continuing staff to casual staff and has agreed that in each year of the Agreement the University will use its best endeavours to ensure that the total full time equivalent (FTE) number of casual academic staff of the University will not increase as a proportion of the total FTE number of academic staff employed on fixed term or ongoing contracts.

Scholarly Teaching Fellows In each of the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 the University will make a minimum of seven (7) new Teaching-Focused appointments (equivalent to 5% of the casual academic workforce in each year), as ongoing or three year fixed-term positions (where such positions meet the criteria for fixed-term appointment as specified in Clause 6 of the Agreement) Appointees to positions will: • Have previously been engaged in casual employment within the university sector but have not held on-going appointments or fixed-term position of greater than one (1) year duration.

• Undertake work that would otherwise have been performed by a Casual Academic Staff member.

• Will not undertake teaching work previously performed by a staff member who received an Employment Termination Payment in previous three years.

• Be appointed at the entry point relevant to their qualifications and they will be eligible to apply for promotion.

• Be teaching focussed appointments.

The combined percentage of Academic employees in Teaching Focused and Teaching Focused (Clinical and Professional) roles will not exceed 20% of the full-time-equivalent (FTE) academic workforce employed by the University (excluding Casual Academic Staff).

Separate Pay for Marking For many years some marking has been incorporated into a flat rate of pay. This was known as ‘reasonably contemporaneous marking’. The unclear definition of what constituted ‘reasonably contemporaneous marking’ resulted in marking performed by casual staff being either grossly underpaid or a major area of unpaid work. Whilst the Union was successful in winning large claims for backpay for some of our members, it was clear that this was an area that needed major reform in this round of enterprise bargaining.

www.unicasual.org.au

Your Rights

5

Due to the campaigning work of NTEU casual members, we won significant improvements under the new Enterprise Agreement. All marking that forms part of the assessment for a subject and which takes place outside the contact time of a lecture, tutorial or clinical session is now paid separately at the prescribed marking rate.

Casual Loading All casual staff are now paid a casual loading of 25%. The casual loading is paid in lieu of many of the paid leave entitlements provided to continuing staff.

Payment for Attendance at Meetings $42.14/hr

Unit Coordination Rates Minimum payment of 2 hours per week for 17 weeks per semester at the normal tutorial rate $126.22/hr.

Improved Superannuation An employer contribution of 9% (or the Superannuation Guarantee Charge whichever is the greater) shall be made in respect of casual staff.

Other local outcomes • Casual staff will have the right to access professional development opportunities.

• Casual staff will have the same access to library cards, out of hours access, email and network and intranet access as their academic colleagues including non-teaching periods throughout the calendar year.

• Casual staff will be included in the telephone directory.

• Casual staff will be eligible to apply for internal advertised University positions on an equal basis with other academic staff.

• Casual staff will be able to apply for internal funding opportunities including grants and professional development funds.

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Your Rights

Smart Casuals

When You Start Work These are a few of the essentials to take note of when you start work.

Letter of Appointment You will usually be given a letter of appointment either before or when you start work. Keep your letter of appointment and any other official documents relating to your employment in a safe place.

This letter is often referred to as a ‘Casual Contract’ or ‘Record of Casual Appointment’. If weeks pass and you still haven’t received a letter of appointment, you should follow it up with your supervisor.

It’s important to have this letter as it indicates what’s in your contract of employment – this will be crucial to know if there is any misunderstanding later on.

Your letter of appointment must stipulate the type of employment and the terms of your engagement in relation to: • The duties required.

• The number of hours required (e.g. 5 tutorials each week for 12 weeks).

• Rates of pay for each type of duty required.

• A statement that any additional duties required during the term will be paid for.

• Other main conditions of employment like reporting relationships and details of the Enterprise Agreement and relevant policies.

If you are unsure about any specific duties or it is not clear what the expectations are, seek a meeting with your supervisor for clarification. Ask that any clarification be put in writing. If your supervisor does not do so, write a letter to your supervisor or Head of Department setting out your understanding of the meeting and the University’s expectation of your work and ask that the supervisor correct any misunderstanding or misstatement on your part.

An example might be that it is unclear whether you are expected to attend lectures and whether you would be paid additionally for doing so. In this case, it would be worth seeking clarification in writing.

Try to get these kinds of issues clarified as soon as possible after commencing work.

Tax Make sure you provide your tax file number to the person responsible for administering your wages.

www.unicasual.org.au

When You Start Work

7

Employee/Salary Number Keep a record of your Employee or Salary number so you can quote it to the pay officer if any problems arise.

Getting paid on time It’s a good idea to finalise your employment details as quickly as possible to avoid missing a pay period. Check with your School/Departmental administrator about frequency of pay periods and whether there are cut-off dates for the lodgement of time sheets. In many cases, this is set out in your Enterprise Agreement.

The University is required to pay you within 22 days of submission of a signed time sheet to the appropriate person. You’ll need to find out who this is and make sure they get your timesheets as soon as possible after completing any work, and certainly by the cut-off date if there is one.

If you haven’t been paid within 22 days, contact your local NTEU Branch office.

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When You Start Work

Smart Casuals

Once You’re At Work Pay Casual pay rates depend on the type of work being performed. The following are extracts from your Agreement describing each type of casual work and the rates of pay you can expect for each.

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Once You’re At Work

9

Rates CODE

ACADEMIC ACTIVITY

COLUMN A Salary as at Lodgement Year 2013

COLUMN B 4% Increase Jul-13

COLUMN C 4% Increase Jul-14

COLUMN D 4% Increase Jul-15

COLUMN E 4% Increase Jul-16

LECTURING

A1

Specialised Lecture (1hr delivery, 4 hrs associated work time)

272.83

283.74

295.09

306.90

319.17

A3

Normal Lecture (1hr delivery, 2 hrs associated work time)

163.70

170.25

177.06

184.14

191.51

A4

Repeat Lecture (applies to subsequent lectures or substantially the same matter within 7 days of original lecture)

109.13

113.50

118.04

122.76

127.67

A17

Developed Lecture (1hr delivery, 3 hrs associated work time)

218.26

226.99

236.07

245.51

255.33

A18

Initial Lecture (Arts and Design)

163.70

170.25

177.06

184.14

191.51

116.89

121.57

126.43

131.49

136.74

TUTORIALS

A5

Normal Tutorial (1hr delivery, 2hrs associated work time)

A6

Repeat Tutorial

77.93

81.05

84.29

87.66

91.17

A18.1

Supervision Demonstration (Arts and Design)

54.57

56.75

59.02

61.38

63.84

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Rates

Smart Casuals

CODE

ACADEMIC ACTIVITY

COLUMN A Salary as at Lodgement Year 2013

COLUMN B 4% Increase Jul-13

COLUMN C 4% Increase Jul-14

COLUMN D 4% Increase Jul-15

COLUMN E 4% Increase Jul-16

42.14

43.82

45.58

MARKING

A21

Simple Marking

38.96

40.52

A32

Standard Marking

46.59

48.45

50.39

52.41

54.50

A17.1

Complex Marking

54.57

56.75

59.02

61.38

63.84

OTHER ACTIVITIES

A31

Other Required Academic Activity (see page 9 of the schedule)

38.96

40.52

42.14

43.82

45.58

A33

Writing units (per hour)

54.57

56.75

59.02

61.38

63.84

A5C

Casual Coordinators Allowance based on 2 hrs of a normal tutor

233.79

243.14

252.87

262.98

273.50

Community Programs

A14

Lecturer

70.94

73.78

76.73

79.80

82.99

A15.1

Lecturer (Access Program)

88.68

92.23

95.92

99.75

103.74

Practice Supervision

37.60

39.10

40.67

42.29

43.99

A24

Music Accompanying (1hr delivery, 1 hr preparation time)

77.93

81.05

84.29

87.66

91.17

A7

Vocal/Instrumental Tuition of Music

77.93

81.05

84.29

87.66

91.17

A9

Class Tuition

116.89

121.57

126.43

131.49

136.74

A10

Individual Tuition

77.93

81.05

84.29

87.66

91.17

A11

Repetiteur

54.57

56.75

59.02

61.38

63.84

A8

Demonstration

38.96

40.52

42.14

43.82

45.58

Practical Supervision

008 Music

www.unicasual.org.au

Rates

11

Things to Know The A to E of Academic Staff Academic staff are classified into five pay bands or ‘Levels’. Associate Lecturers are at Level A, Lecturers are at Level B, Senior Lecturers Level C, Associate Professors at Level D and Professors at Level E. There are steps, or pay increases, within each level that the staff member progresses through on an annual basis subject to acquiring new skills. Casual academic staff are engaged at the Level that corresponds to the standards attached to the Enterprise Agreement – generally at Level A or Level B.

Superannuation Under Federal legislation and the Enterprise Agreement, the University must contribute to a superannuation fund on your behalf.

At all Australian universities, the required recipient fund is UniSuper. NTEU strongly recommends UniSuper to staff on the basis of its good performance and low administration costs. Unisuper’s website is www.unisuper.com.au You should be provided with the necessary application forms for UniSuper when you start work. If not, ask your institution’s Human Resources Department.

Employer contributions are ‘preserved’ (not accessible) until the age prescribed by legislation and can earn significant interest during this time.

If you are in UniSuper, you will only have one account – even if you change university or work at more than one university.

If you leave the tertiary education sector the money can be rolled into another superannuation fund, or if your new employer offers a choice of funds, you can request new contributions be made directly to your account with UniSuper.

The university has superannuation officers who can advise you about your superannuation options, but if you think you’re missing out contact NTEU.

Leave Under our Agreements, the casual loading is paid in lieu of most types of leave received by other employees.

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Things to Know

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Parental Leave Under the National Employment Standards, if you have been employed on a regular and systematic basis for at least 12 months, and have a reasonable expectation that this will continue, you will be entitled to 12 months’ unpaid parental leave.

In addition to this entitlement, the Federal Government’s Paid Parental Leave Scheme and provides 18 weeks’ payment at the Federal minimum wage. Some casual employees will be able to qualify for this payment. One of the key determinants for eligibility to the Paid Parental Leave payment as a casual staff member is whether you satisfy the Government’s ‘Work Test’.

As the eligibility for the Government’s paid parental leave payment is different to the eligibility for 12 months’ unpaid parental leave under the National Employment Standards, it is crucial that you obtain expert advice from your Union office about your own situation.

Student Evaluation of Teaching Most teaching in universities is now subject to student teaching evaluation: your students will likely be asked to evaluate your teaching at the end of semester.

Make sure you keep copies of all your students’ teaching evaluation questionnaires, just in case any issues arise later.

Collegiality Ideally, the experience of working as a casual academic should include an opportunity to fully participate in the academic life of the Department. Unfortunately, while some Schools and Departments are inclusive of casual academics and welcome their contribution at School/ Departmental meetings, many exclude casual academics, often inadvertently. Treating casual academics as professional colleagues can go a long way to alleviating the stress casuals work under, especially given inadequate support facilities.

A good way to organise participation in Departmental meetings is to group together with other academic casual staff in your School or Department. Remember that if you are required to attend these meetings, you are entitled to be paid for this time.

Intellectual property Casual academics generally have the same rights as permanent academic staff to intellectual property created as part of their employment.

The general rule of thumb is that intellectual property in works created in the course of your employment (such as new course materials or a new course) belongs to the University.

However this position is often modified by University policy and/or the Enterprise Agreement: for example, if you have developed materials with market appeal, the University might grant you a license to sell that work in certain circumstances.

Remember that if you are not paid to do research, the University will have no claim over any intellectual property relating to your research activities.

www.unicasual.org.au

Things to Know

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Under Federal law, you also have moral rights in relation to works created in the course of your employment. Your moral rights include: • Attribution of authorship.

• The right to not have authorship of a work falsely attributed.

• The right to not have your work altered without your permission.

If an intellectual property issue arises in relation to your employment, make sure you get individual advice from your local NTEU Branch office.

Intellectual Freedom Casual academics should have the same rights and responsibilities with respect to academic freedom as ongoing and fixed term academic staff.

Intellectual freedom includes: • The rights of all employees of the University to participate in decision-making processes and structures within the University; including the right to express opinions about the operations of the University and higher education policy more generally.

• The rights of academic employees to pursue critical and open inquiry and to freely discuss, teach, assess, develop curricula, publish and research.

• The right to participate in public debates and express opinions about issues and ideas related to their discipline area and about the University or higher education issues more generally.

• The right of all employees to participate in professional and representative bodies and engage in community service without fear of harassment, intimidation or unfair treatment.

• The right to express unpopular or controversial views, but this does not mean the right to harass, vilify or intimidate.

Employees shall: • Not disclose confidential matters • Not purport to speak on behalf of the University nor in any way suggest that the views expressed by them are those of the University unless expressly authorised by the University to do so, and shall in appropriate circumstances clearly state that the views expressed are their own.

• Act in compliance with all legislation, and in particular legislation relating to equity, equal opportunity, affirmative action and diversity and University policies which facilitate the spirit and intent of these principles.

In relation to governance, the University will encourage employees to actively participate in the operation of the institution. The University will ensure that all governing bodies of the University operate in a transparent and accountable manner, encouraging freedom of expression and thought.

The University is bound by whistleblower protection under the Western Australian Public Interest Disclosure Act 2003. Employees who choose not to avail themselves of the procedures contained in the aforesaid Act, who feel victimised as a whistleblower, shall have the right to access the grievance provisions of this Agreement.

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Things to Know

Smart Casuals

NTEU has campaigned hard to ensure that Enterprise Agreements enshrine intellectual freedom – often against the opposition of university managements.

Your Agreement protects the rights of academic staff to engage in critical inquiry, intellectual discourse and public debate.

Health and Safety Under State legislation, your employer is obliged to ensure your safety at all times when on campus or engaged in activities related to your employment with the University. The University must provide: • Safe and well-lit corridors and walkways to prevent assaults occurring.

• Personal protective equipment, proper ventilation and other necessary precautions against dangers associated with the use of hazardous substances.

• Proper ventilation of class rooms to safeguard against personal discomfort and airborne disease.

• Safe equipment, including ergonomically safe chairs, desks, etc.

The University has Occupational Health and Safety representatives elected by employees or appointed by the Union who can raise any issues of concern about safety in the workplace.

Your local NTEU Branch office can put you in touch with your local representative.

Workers’ Compensation Casual staff are entitled to claim workers’ compensation if injured in the course of their work.

This includes injuries arising from work, injuries sustained during working time (whether on campus or whilst working elsewhere) and injuries sustained travelling between home, the University, other places of work and other educational institutions. Injuries for which claims may be made include: • Physical injury – e.g. back strains and muscle damage to hands and wrists sustained in the course of preparing or delivering classes.

• Ill health – e.g. poisoning or the contraction of disease in class or during clinical instruction.

• Emotional stress injury – e.g. stress associated with being overworked or subject to harassment by other staff or students.

Any work-related illness or injury should be reported as soon as possible to the University. You should also contact your NTEU Branch immediately for further advice and assistance.

Equal Employment Opportunity & Protection Against Discrimination Federal and State Laws designed to protect employees from discriminatory employment practices cover universities.

These laws protect people from discrimination on the basis of race, colour, sex, sexual preference, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, family or carer’s responsibilities, pregnancy, absence from work during maternity leave or other parental leave, religion, political opinion, trade union membership or activity, national extraction or social origin.

www.unicasual.org.au

Things to Know

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If you are denied employment or employment entitlements or are terminated because of a characteristic associated with one of these protected categories, you have a right to seek compensation. You should contact your local NTEU Branch office immediately.

Harassment and Bullying Unfortunately, harassment and bullying can sometimes happen in the workplace. You have the right to lodge a complaint should you experience sexual harassment or discrimination at work.

Bullying is recognised as behaviour aimed to demean, humiliate or intimidate. Under the Fair Work Act bullying is defined as when an individual or group: “repeatedly behaves unreasonably towards (a) worker or group of workers...and the behaviour creates a risk to health and safety�.

The University has a policy regarding workplace bullying.

If you experience any form of harassment or discrimination, make sure you contact your local NTEU Branch office for advice and assistance.

Grievances The University has internal grievance procedures designed to resolve work disputes.

If you feel you have been treated unfairly at work in any way, contact your local NTEU Branch office for confidential advice before lodging a grievance, as the procedures can be complex and are often not properly applied.

Termination If you have been employed on a regular and systematic basis for six months or more (e.g. teaching whole semesters, even if there are breaks such as midyear or long vacations) and you have a reasonable expectation of continued casual employment, you may have grounds for claiming unfair dismissal if you suddenly lose your job or are not given more work. If you are dismissed before the semester is over, you may also be entitled to pay for the balance of the semester.

Contact your local NTEU Branch office, which may also be able to pursue less formal means within the University to try to save your job or find you another.

Looking after your career Many permanent academic staff started their academic careers as casual staff. The teaching experience gained from casual tutoring and demonstrating can be invaluable when applying for permanent academic positions.

Make sure you keep an accurate record of your teaching experience, including tutorial / demonstration outlines, copies of any course materials you have developed, student evaluations etc. It’s also a good idea to get a reference from your supervisor at the end of the semester.

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Things to Know

Smart Casuals

Checklist your letter of appointment and any other official documents relating to your ❏❏Keep employment in a safe place.

❏❏Finalise your employment details as quickly as possible to avoid missing a pay period. with your School/Departmental administrator about frequency of pay periods, ❏❏Check whether there are cut-off dates for the lodgement of time sheets and how time sheets are lodged.

❏❏Provide your tax file number to the person responsible for administering your pay. a record of your Employee or Salary number so you can quote it to the pay officer if ❏❏Keep any problems arise. getting advice from the university’s superannuation officer or financial advice ❏❏Consider before making any decisions about superannuation www.unisuper.com.au. a copy of your Enterprise Agreement from the NTEU website for reference ❏❏Download www.nteu.org.au/rights/agreements. sure you have access to work facilities (desk, computer, email, photocopying, office ❏❏Make space etc). anything you are unsure of in relation to your duties with your supervisor as soon ❏❏Clarify as possible, preferably in writing.

❏❏Note down any extra hours worked over and above your allocated paid hours. ❏❏Keep copies of all your students’ teaching evaluation questionnaires. ❏❏Report any work-related illness or injury to your supervisor as soon as possible. ❏❏Keep copies of any course materials or other work you develop as a casual academic. ❏❏Get a reference from your supervisor at the end of the semester. sure any previous regular casual employment is counted as service for long service ❏❏Make leave if you gain a fixed term or ongoing position. ❏❏Contact the Union if any issues arise as soon as possible after they occur.

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Checklist

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Getting the most out of your union membership What is my Local Union Branch?

Your local NTEU Branch office is referred to throughout this handbook and is your first port of call for advice or assistance in relation to your job. The Branch office can provide you with more information about the Union and how it operates at your institution.

The Branch has elected representatives, including a Branch President and Secretary as well as a website with contact details and local news: www.nteu.org.au/ecu

When should I contact the Union?

You don’t have to suffer through employment problems. NTEU can help you devise a strategy for dealing with your issues, and assist in making you aware of your rights and options in confidence.

NTEU gives members confidential advice, and we will not raise individual cases with management without the permission of the member in question.

You should raise any concerns you have about your work, workplace or conditions with the Union as soon as possible.

What if my supervisor is an NTEU member?

Your issues will be dealt with confidentially. The NTEU will act for you, as the affected employee, regardless of whether your supervisor (who acts for the University) is an NTEU member or not.

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Getting the most out of your union membership

Smart Casuals

What can NTEU do for me?

Industrial advice While important improvements have been made for casual staff, NTEU knows that many casual academics still work unpaid hours, have difficulties accessing proper facilities at work and do not feel integrated into the collegial life of their Schools and Departments.

Over the life of this Enterprise Agreement, NTEU will be aggressively enforcing existing provisions and entitlements through legal and industrial avenues to ensure that your rights are protected.

NTEU employs staff in local Branch and State (Division) offices, and in the National Office.

They provide specialist advice and support to members on all matters related to the conditions of their employment, including appointments, promotion, classifications, contracts, unfair dismissal, disciplinary procedures, intellectual property, consultancies, research funding and a myriad of other issues. www.nteu.org.au/rights

Lobbying Government NTEU lobbies Government and all political parties on issues related to tertiary education funding, policy and employment. NTEU makes submissions to parliamentary inquiries, and liaises with employers, students and professional associations on issues affecting the work of university staff. www.nteu.org.au/policy

Enterprise Bargaining NTEU represents university staff in enterprise bargaining at every university. NTEU provides the resources and organisational strength to enhance our members’ bargaining power – but remember, our capacity to bargain effectively is directly linked to our strength on the ground.

If you want to have a say in negotiations affecting your pay and conditions, join the Union! www.universitybargaining.org.au

Communication with Members Connect is the national publication for casual academic staff produced by NTEU and CAPA. It is published and sent to all casual academic staff twice a year. It can also be read online in the resources section of our website dedicated to casual academic members at: www.unicasual.org.au

www.unicasual.org.au

What can NTEU do for me?

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NTEU provides a wide range of services to members, including regular information through newsletters and journals, seminars for members on professional issues, union training and access to ACTU financial services. The NTEU national website provides up-to-date information on all areas of the Union’s work: www.nteu.org.au NTEU’s national magazine, the Advocate, is sent to all members, including casuals, three times a year. Our academic casuals magazine, Connect, is sent to all academic casuals twice a year.

The women’s magazine, Agenda, is sent to all women members once a year. The Australian Universities’ Review, NTEU’s refereed academic journal, is published twice a year and is sent to all members who request it. www.nteu.org.au/advocate www.unicasual.org.au/publications/connect www.nteu.org.au/agenda www.aur.org.au Members also receive Branch and Division publications: • NTEU ECU Branch Newsletter • NTEU WA Division e-bulletin

Membership benefits All members have access to the NTEU Membership Benefits Program, administered in cooperation with Member Advantage, allowing you to save on essential purchases all year round. A casual member using our Member Advantage program just 2 or 3 times would be likely to save the equivalent of an entire year’s membership dues.

Find out more on our website: www.nteu.org.au/join/benefits

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What can NTEU do for me?

Smart Casuals

How to get Involved For the Union to continue to pursue these issues and to succeed in this important campaign to improve the rights of casual staff we need your help. Your involvement can be as simple as joining the NTEU, talking to your colleagues about issues affecting casual staff, participating in your local academic casuals’ network and online forums on www.unicasual.org.au and keeping in touch through our website www.nteu.org.au The Union organises a number of conferences, meetings and events for members to participate in. Your local NTEU Branch office has an elected committee that meets regularly, and we have working parties to deal with particular issues of local concern to staff.

At a State level, there are Division working groups and networks. Contact the Division office in your State to find out about local activities.

At a National level, there is an annual Women’s conference and an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander members’ forum. www.nteu.org.au/myunion/about_us/committees If you are interested in any of these events your local NTEU Branch office can give you information about getting involved. Elections for Branch Committee and other positions are held every two years, and casual staff who are NTEU members are eligible to both run and vote in these elections. www.nteu.org.au/myunion/get_involved

www.unicasual.org.au

How to get Involved

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22

Welcome

Smart Casuals

CASUAL MEMBERSHIP FORM

NATIONAL TERTIARY EDUCATION UNION

 I want to join NTEU  I am currently a member and wish to update my details The information on this form is needed for aspects of NTEU’s work and will be treated as confidential.

YOUR PERSONAL DETAILS TITLE

|SURNAME

GIVEN NAMES HOME ADDRESS

|STATE

CITY/SUBURB PHONE |WORK INCL AREA CODE

HOME PHONE INCL AREA CODE

|POSTCODE

|DATE OF BIRTH

MOBILE EMAIL HAVE YOU PREVIOUSLY BEEN AN NTEU MEMBER?

| MALE  FEMALE  OTHER

 YES: AT WHICH INSTITUTION?

ARE YOU AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL/TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER?  YES

YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYMENT DETAILS

|CAMPUS

INSTITUTION/EMPLOYER

|DEPT/SCHOOL

FACULTY

 SESSIONAL ACADEMIC  GENERAL/PROFESSIONAL STAFF CASUAL You may resign by written notice to the Division or Branch Secretary. Where you cease to be eligible to become a member, resignation shall take effect on the date the notice is received or on the day specified in your notice, whichever is later. In any other case, you must give at least two weeks notice. Members are required to pay dues and levies as set by the Union from time to time in accordance with NTEU rules. Further information on financial obligations, including a copy of the rules, is available from your Branch. ‡Associated bodies: NTEU (NSW); University of Qld Academic Staff Association (Union of Employees) at UQ; Union of Australian College Academics (WA Branch) Industrial Union of Workers at Edith Cowan University & Curtin University; Curtin University Staff Association (Inc.) at Curtin University; Staff Association of Edith Cowan University (Inc.) at ECU Office use only: Membership no.

PAYMENT DETAILS

|STEP/INCREMENT IF KNOWN

Pay by cheque, money order or credit card

CHOOSE YOUR SALARY RANGE  SELECT PERIOD OF MEMBERSHIP  TICK APPROPRIATE BOX Salary range

6 months

12 months

$10,000 & under: $10,001–$20,000: Over $20,000:

  

 $55  $77  $110

$27.50 $38.50 $55

 PLEASE ACCEPT MY CHEQUE/MONEY ORDER

OR

PAY BY CREDIT CARD:

NAME ON CARD CARD NO.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

EXPIRY SIGNATURE

|  MASTERCARD  VISA |$ |DATE

Description of goods/services: NTEU Membership Dues. To: NTEU, PO Box 1323, Sth Melbourne VIC 3205

YOUR EMPLOYMENT GROUP

|LEVEL LECTB, HEW4



POSITION

|MAIL/ BLDG CODE

I hereby apply for membership of NTEU, any Branch and any associated body‡ established at my workplace.

SEND SIGNED FORM TO NTEU

SIGNATURE

POST:

PO Box 1323, South Melbourne VIC 3205

FAX:

(03) 9254 1915

www.unicasual.org.au

DATE

EMAIL: national@nteu.org.au