Smart Casuals 5 MQ

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

www.nteu.org.au/mq

www.unicasual.org.au

Contents Welcome...........................................................1 NTEU is your Union.................................... 2 How to contact NTEU................................................... 2 How to join....................................................................... 2 Special rates for casuals/sessionals.......................... 2

NTEU and casuals......................................... 3

Once You’re At Work...................................11 Pay...................................................................................... 11 Tutorials............................................................................ 11 Lectures............................................................................. 11 Other required academic activity.............................12

Rates................................................................ 13

What’s the problem with casual employment?.....3

Things to Know........................................... 14

What is NTEU doing for academic casual employees?........................................................................3

The A to E of Academic Staff.....................................14

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

Student Feedback/Evaluation of Teaching...........14

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

Superannuation.............................................................14 Collegiality.......................................................................15 Intellectual property......................................................15

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

Intellectual Freedom.....................................................16

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

Health and Safety...........................................................16

Your Rights...................................................... 5

Workers’ Compensation..............................................17 Equal Employment Opportunity..............................17

Scholarly Teaching Fellows (STFs).............................5

Harassment and Bullying...........................................17

Early Career Fellowships (ECFs)..................................5

Complaints procedures...............................................17

Conversion for Professional Staff casuals ............. 6

Termination.....................................................................18

Separate Pay for Marking............................................. 6

Looking after your career...........................................18

Increased Casual Loading........................................... 6 Payment for Attendance at Meetings...................... 6 Unit Coordination Rates............................................... 6 Other Casual Rates (Academic)..................................7 Professional Development (Academics)..................7 Improved Superannuation...........................................7 Long Service Leave.........................................................7 Parental Leave...................................................................7

Checklist........................................................ 19 Getting the most out of your union membership.................................................20 What is my Local Union Branch?............................20 When should I contact the Union?........................20 What if my supervisor is an NTEU member?......20

Facilities for Casuals (Academics)............................. 8

What can NTEU do for me?..................... 21

Facilities for Casual Staff (all staff).............................. 8

Industrial advice.............................................................21

Review of Casual Employment.................................. 8

Lobbying Government................................................21

When You Start Work................................... 9 Letter of Appointment.................................................. 9 Tax..................................................................................... 10 Employee/Salary Number......................................... 10 Getting paid on time................................................... 10

Enterprise Bargaining..................................................21 Communication with Members...............................21 Membership benefits................................................... 22

How to get Involved...................................23

Welcome Welcome to the 5th edition of Smart Casuals for Macquarie University.

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 Industry Union (NTEU) is the only union working exclusively in the tertiary education sector. The Union has a democratic and effective structure, and gives all 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. We have a team of specialist research, industrial, training, recruitment and campaign staff who maintain high-level expertise and directly assistmembers. 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 Casual staff membership of the NTEU is set at three levels, based on your estimated earnings. These discounted casual rates were established to recognise the unpredictability of casual pay rates and work. All values include GST. NTEU membership is 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 Macquarie Branch Office: WRA 405 Phone: 98507643 Email: mq@nteu.org.au

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NTEU is your Union

Website: www.nteu.org.au/mq

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 workers are sometimes described as sessional workers, because casual staff are often employed for a semester.

However, the term ‘sessional’ does not appear in the academic agreement, and staff designated as sessional have the same rights and conditions as casual staff

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

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Being a casual

Smart Casuals

Your Rights Below 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 particularly during the last round of enterprise bargaining negotiations.

Scholarly Teaching Fellows (STFs) Clause 3.6.8-16 Academic Staff Agreement 2014 Over the life of the current academic agreement, University management will be required to establish a minimum of 20 (full-time equivalent) ongoing STF positions. 8 positions must be advertised by June 30 each year.

STF’s will be targeting the teaching work traditionally performed by casual teaching staff and and are aiming to reduce the reliance of University management on casual workers.While we are hoping that a number of these positions will be secured by existing Macquarie casual employees applications for these positions will be invited from people who have previously been employed for at least 1 session in an academic role on a casual or fixed term basis at an Australian university within the past 5 years.

STF’s will be appointed at Level A at an entry point relevant to their qualifications. These positionswill provide greater job security and opportunities for promotion and progression to those casual staff who are able to secure one of these new positions.STFs will receive regular feedback, training, career planning and mentoring through normal University processes including Performance Development and Review.

Early Career Fellowships (ECFs) Clause 3.6.20 (m) Academic Staff Agreement 2014 While the new Agreement does not mandate a specific number of ECF positions, these positions have proven to be important openings for a number of casual staff looking for more secure entry into the academy.

ECFs are Level A or Level B teaching and research or research only appointments of two years duration. Appointment to ECFs will be through a competitive selection process.

Eligibility to apply for ECFs will be restricted to casual Academic Staff who have: • been awarded a PHD and performed casual teaching work for the University in at least 3 entire teaching periods over the past 5 years;or • been active candidates for their PHD for at least 2 years and performed casual teaching work for the University in at least 5 entire teaching periods, over the last 5 years.

www.unicasual.org.au

Your Rights

5

At the end of the ECF, an assessment will be made as to whether a further fixed term appointment of two years will be made.

Conversion for Professional Staff casuals Clause 3.7.32-38 Professional Staff Agreement 2014 Professional staff casual may apply for conversion to fixed term employment and/or continuing employment if certain conditions are met.

Casual staff may apply for conversion to continuing or fixed term employment on the same salary and classification where the staff member has been employed on a regular and systematic basis for either: • At least an average of 50% of the ordinary weekly hours that would have been worked by a full time employee during the preceding 12 month period; or • Over the immediately preceding period of at least 24 months

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 back pay for some of our members, it was clear that this was an area that needed major reform in this round of enterprise bargaining.

Due to the campaigning work of NTEU casual members, we won significant improvements under the last 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.

Increased Casual Loading All casual staff are now paid a casual loading of 25%, up from 23% in previous agreements. The casual loading is paid in lieu of many of the paid leave entitlements provided to continuing staff.

Payment for Attendance at Meetings Casual academic staff at Macquarie are now required to be paid for attendance at induction, Departmental and/or Faculty meetings and briefings with staff as required. The rates for attendance are paid in accordance with other academic activity at Schedule 2 of the Academic Enterprise Agreement.

Unit Coordination Rates Unit/subject coordination is recognised in the casual payment schedule at Schedule 2 of the Agreement.

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Your Rights

Smart Casuals

Other Casual Rates (Academic) Schedule 2 of the Academic Staff Enterprise Agreement provides details of all the applicable rates applying to the different forms of work performed by casuals (eg, lecture/Tutorial rates, marking, other academic activity etc). These rates are tied to the enterprise bargaining pay increases and will increase in line with the delivery dates of these.

Professional Development (Academics) Each Faculty of the University will provide opportunities to casual staff to assist with their professional and career development. The University will pay casual staff members to attend (including the equivalent of attendance for online professional development activities) approved professional development, at the appropriate hourly rate.

Casual staff will be eligible to apply for internally advertised University positions.

Casual academic staff will be invited to attend Department and Faculty meetings on the same basis as continuing and fixed term staff.

Improved Superannuation Casual staff at Macquarie receive the legislated superannuation contribution guarantee in place from time to time where wages are $450 or more per calendar month or who earn less than $450 per calendar month but more than $2,788 (or the amount notified by UniSuper from time to time) in either of the 6 month periods between 1 January and 30 June and 31 December each year.

Long Service Leave Casuals at Macquarie who have continuous service of ten years or more are entitled to long service leave. At Macquarie University it accrues on a proportionate basis of full-time entitlement.

Note that continuous service may include periods of marking performed after regular teaching is finished. If you have questions about whether your service counts as continuous, please contact the branch office.

Parental Leave Paid parental leave is available to casuals at Macquarie on a proportionate basis to full time employment. 26 weeks paid leave is available after 12 months of continuous service.

If you have questions about whether your service counts as continuous, please contact the branch office.

www.unicasual.org.au

Your Rights

7

Facilities for Casuals (Academics) Casual academic staff members will be provided with: • library cards • out of hours access • email accounts • network and intranet access • inclusion in the University’s telephone and web directory • access to shared department printer/s • access to meeting space for consultation with students.

Facilities for Casual Staff (all staff) Many work areas and Faculties at Macquarie University provide more than the minimum described above. Check with your work area what resources and facilities are available for casual staff.

Review of Casual Employment The new Academic Staff Enterprise Agreement provides the means for NTEU to monitor the ongoing utilisation of casual labour at the University.

Clause 4.7.19 of the Agreement states that the University will provide the Macquarie University Consultative Committee (MUCC) with statistical data relating to casual academic employment on an annual basis including: • FTE and headcount figures.

• Rates of transition from casual to fixed term and continuing employment.

• Numbers of years of engagement of casual staff.

• Proportions of casual staff still engaged as casuals by initial year of engagement.

The MUCC will also be provided with a report of the University’s responses to the recommendations, as set out in the report of the Casual Academic Employment Working Party, which will include the University’s feasibility assessment of the recommendations.

Finally, the MUCC will review guidelines in relation to the process of employing casual Academic Staff.

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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. This 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 classification, level and salary on commencement; • The reporting relationship • Specific information about the days, times and times of the year for which the employment is available, if relevant.

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

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 School 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.

www.unicasual.org.au

When You Start Work

9

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

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 Department administrator about frequency of pay periods and whether there are cut-off dates for the lodgement of time sheets.

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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.

Check against details of your own Branch – the following are extracts from the Monash Agreement

Tutorials The term tutorial means any education delivery described as a tutorial, session, design studio or seminar in a course or subject outline, or in an official timetable issued by the University, that is a supplementary form of educational delivery which is a facilitated discussion where matters already covered elsewhere in a program are discussed, clarified or elaborated.

A casual academic required to deliver or present a tutorial (or equivalent delivery through other than face to face teaching mode) will be paid for each hour of tutorial according to the rates detailed in Schedule 2 of the Academic Agreement.

The hourly rate in a repeat tutorial applies to a second or subsequent delivery of substantially the same tutorial in the same course matter within a period of 7 days, and any marking and student consultation contemporaneous with it.

Lectures ‘Lecture’ means any education delivery, described as a lecture in a course subject outline, or in an official timetable issued by the University, that is a primary form of educational delivery where information on the subject topic is delivered to the students for the first time..

A casual academic required to deliver a lecture (or equivalent delivery through other than faceto-face teaching mode) of a specified duration and relatedly provide directly associated non contact duties will be paid for at a rate for each hour of lecture delivered.

For the purposes of payment of a lecture or repeat lecture rate, ‘associated work’ may encompass the following activities: • Preparation of lectures.

• Contemporaneous marking arising from the lecture.

• Reasonable student consultation.

• Student consultation immediately prior and following the lecture.

• Administration associated with the lecture.

www.unicasual.org.au

Once You’re At Work

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‘Contemporaneous marking’ means marking that is not course wide undertaken during a lecture, tutorial or practical session, laboratory, or other teaching session. Marking after the lecture, tutorial or practical session, laboratory, or other teaching session that is not course wide, is also regarded as contemporaneous marking.

Non-contemporaneous assessment is marking undertaken outside of the lecture, tutorial or practical session, laboratory, or other teaching session that is course wide, will be paid for separately according to Schedule 2 – Non-Contemporaneous Assessment in the Academic Staff Enterprise Agreement.

Other required academic activity ‘Other required academic activity’ shall include work that a person acting on behalf of the University requires the staff member to perform, and that is performed in accordance with any such requirement, being work of the following nature: • The conduct of practical classes, demonstrations, workshops, student field excursions.

• The conduct of clinical sessions other than clinical nurse education.

• Consultation with students, including being available online for student enquiries.

• Supervision.

• Attendance at departmental and/or faculty meetings and briefings with staff as required.

Note that consultation with students – in person or online – is not included as part of the standard tutorial rate, so should be paid in addition to original or repeat tutorial rates.

The above list is not intended to be exhaustive, but is provided by way of examples and guidance.

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Once You’re At Work

Smart Casuals

Rates 20/03/2014

19/03/2015

31/03/2016

30/03/2017

Lectures (per lecture) Casual Loading Salary Increases Basic Lecture

25%

25%

25%

25%

3%

3%

3%

3%

$182.23

$187.69

$193.33

$199.13

Repeat Lecture (Level B Step 2 x 2hr)

$121.48

$125.12

$128.88

$132.74

Developed Lecture (Level B, Step 2 x 4hr)

$242.97

$250.26

$257.76

$265.50

Specialised Lecture (Level B, Step 2 x 5hr)

$303.71

$312.82

$322.20

$331.87

Casual Loading

25%

25%

25%

25%

Salary Increase

3%

3%

3%

3%

Tutorials

Normal(Level A, Step 2 x 3hr)

$130.72

$134.64

$138.68

$142.84

Normal, PHD/subject coordination rate (Level A, Step 6 x3hr)

$155.61

$160.28

$165.09

$170.04

$87.15

$89.76

$92.46

$95.23

$103.74

$106.85

$110.06

$113.36

25%

25%

25%

25%

Repeat Normal (Level A, Step 2 x 2hr) Repeat, PHD/subject coordination (Level A, Step 6 x 2hr) Non-Contemporaneous Assessment Casual Loading Salary Increases

3%

3%

3%

3%

Routine (Level A, Step 2)

$43.57

$44.88

$46.22

$47.61

Routine, PHD/subject Coordination (Level A, Step 6)

$51.87

$53.43

$55.03

$56.68

High Level Assessment (Level B Step 2)

$60.74

$62.56

$64.44

$66.37

25%

25%

25%

25%

Other Academic Activity Casual Loading Salary Increase

3%

3%

3%

3%

Normal Rate (Level A, Step 2)

$43.57

$44.88

$46.22

$56.68

PHD/Subject coordination (Level A, Step 6)

$51.87

$53.43

$55.03

$56.68

www.unicasual.org.au

Rates

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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 Universitymust contribute to a superannuation fund on your behalf.

At all Australian universities, the required recipient fund is UniSuper. NTEU strongly recommends UniSuper on the basis of its good performance and low administration costs. 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.

Student Feedback/Evaluation of Teaching Most teaching in universities is now subject to student teaching evaluation. At Macquarie casual staff members who undertake student evaluation of their teaching will be entitled to seek and receive feedback on their teaching at the Departmental level.

This includes assistance with interpreting student feedback results and advice on appropriate professional development to address any concerns with their teaching practice and performance.

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Things to Know

Smart Casuals

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 Departments and Faculties are inclusive of casual academics and welcome their contribution at Faculty/ Departmental meetings, many exclude casual academics, often inadvertently or thoughtlessly.

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 Faculty or Department. Remember that if you are required to attend these meetings, you are entitled to be paid for this time.

There are also some training opportunities made available for casual staff at Macquarie University. Contact your Human Resource Services representative for more information.

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. You are also not required to submit, or accept your research being submitted, to the university’s research performance systems like IRIS. 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.

www.unicasual.org.au

Things to Know

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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 staff: •

Staff members have the right express opinions about the operation of the University and higher education policy more generally; opinion and expression.

•

The rights of Staff to pursue critical open enquiry and to discuss freely, teach, assess, develop curricula, publish and research within the limits of their professional competence and professional standards;

•

The right to participate in public debates and express opinions and ideas related to their discipline area;

•

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

•

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

In addition, the University will encourage staff to participate actively in the operation of the institution and in the community.

Academic Staff Agreement Clause 2.10, Professional Staff Agreement Clause 2.10 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.

•

On-campus after-hours security escorts to ensure night security for staff walking to cars or transport.

The University has Occupational Health and Safety representatives 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.

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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 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.

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. The University has a policy regarding workplace bullying available from the policy library.

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

Complaints procedures The University has internal complaints 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.

www.unicasual.org.au

Things to Know

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Termination If you have been employed on a regular and systematic basis for six months or more (eg 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 valuable 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, and the university is now required to provide a statement of your teaching service on request.

However, many permanent academic appointments increasingly require research publication records in addition to teaching experience. Hence, it is important to consider balancing time spend teaching with developing your research profile. One suggestion is to make time to discuss what you would need to do to be competitive for permanent academic positions with a supervisor or mentor.

Given the decline in permanent academic positions relative to student numbers, over the longer term access to permanent positions for casual staff also depends on collective action to ensure more permanent positions are created. While building your teaching and research profile, we would also encourage you to be active in our Union’s and Branch’s efforts to win more permanent positions. Your local branch office can advise you how you can be involved.

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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.

www.unicasual.org.au

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/macquarie

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 such as online e-bulletins and newsletters.

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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24

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