FLINDERS UNIVERSITY

ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT 2010 TO 2013

Briefing for Crossing the Ridges

Thursday, 20 October 2011

Agenda• Operation of the new Agreement• Salary increases• Leave entitlements• Fixed-term Appointment – specific circumstances• Two new types of appointment

– Sessional Fixed-term appointments (for eligible casual academic staff)

• Continuing Contingent-funded appointments (for eligible fixed-term staff)

• Provisions for academic staff (including casual academic staff)

• Provisions for general staff (including casual general staff)

• New legislated entitlements

Operation of the new Agreement

• The new Agreement commenced on 6 July 2011

• The nominal expiry date (NED) is 30 June 2013,

• The Agreement is “closed and comprehensive”

• University Consultative Committee

Remuneration• Salary increases

– 01 July 2011 – 3%– 30 June 2012 – 3.5%– 29 June 2013 – 4.5%

• Casual loading increase from 23 to 25%– Effective 6 July 2011

• Superannuation for casual staff– 9% regardless of any legislated monthly income threshold

LeavePersonal/Carer’s & Compassionate Leave

(“Personal Leave”)• This leave comprises:

– A pool of leave (15 working days p.a., pro rata for part-time staff, cumulative from year to year), that can be used for:

• personal illness/injury (formerly “sick leave”) and/or • for providing care and support for a family member who is ill or injured

(formerly “carer’s leave”)– Compassionate leave (paid leave of 2 days per occasion)– Entitlement to unpaid carer’s leave of two days per occasion

• Personal leave is not paid out at cessation of employment

Leave

Personal/Carer’s & Compassionate Leave (“Personal Leave”) cont/…

This entitlement is now standard for ALL STAFF and is therefore is a BIG CHANGE for most academic staff.

Transition arrangements for academic staff:• Starting balances have been provided, with effect from 6

July 2011, based on years of service (20 / 40 / 60 days, converted to hours, pro rata for part-time)

• All Personal Leave – to be booked on the Employee Self Service

LeaveSpecial Paid Leave (SPL)• Amendments are consequential to the introduction of

Personal Leave and still 5 days p.a., non-cumulative• Reasons – death of a family member ; attendance at an

emergency; participation in or fulfillment of cultural obligations - EXISITNG– Any other circumstance at discretion of DHR - NEW

Evidence (Personal Leave and SPL)• SPL – staff member must provide evidence if required• PL – must provide evidence where absence> 3 wkg days

& may be requested to provide in case of recurring absences of < 3 wkg days

LeaveParental Leave• entitlement to a further 12 months unpaid leave

Long Service Leave• now able to be taken as a single day• cash out now only requires 5 days’ leave to be taken

Annual Recreation Leave New arrangements for academic staff- leave will be booked automatically on the ESS,

commencing from the end of year closure, in Dec 2011- alternative bookings may be made by the staff member

Fixed-term Appointments

Limited to specific circumstances, as follows:• Specific task or project

… a definable work activity … completed within an anticipated time frame

• Research… appointment made to undertake research-only

functions • Non-recurrent funding

Funding sources other than the operating grant from Government or funding comprised of fees made by or on behalf of students

Fixed-term AppointmentsSpecific circumstances cont/...• Replacement employee

…Where it is necessary to replace (directly or indirectly) a staff member who is absent (on leave, secondment, higher duties) or who has resigned or retired and recruitment to replace the person has commenced…

• Uncertainty over future requirements…new area – where ongoing need not known (gen staff; up to

12 months) or disestablishment of an area (for the length of the phase out of the area)…

• Recent professional practice...where the curriculum in a professional or vocational area

requires a person who has recent practical or commercial experience (period of appointment to not exceed 2 yrs)

Fixed-term Appointments

Specific circumstances cont/...

• Trainees/employment schemes• Graduate Development program• Distinguished scholar (academic staff)• Level HEO10 and above (general staff) • Sessional fixed term (academic)• Pre-retirement/resignation• Student employment

Sessional Fixed-term appointments

• a NEW form of academic appointment• enables the University to convert the employment of an

casual academic to Sessional Fixed-term employment• Elegibiilty- employed as a casual in the area normally

for at least 1 semester in each of the preceding 2 yrs; performed satisfactorily; ability to meet the requirements of the fixed-term position

• Duration - 6 months to 2 years; renewable• work undertaken is the same as that undertaken by a

casual academic – ie lectures, tutes, demonstrating in pracs, marking, student contact, associated work

• Staff on Sessional Fixed-term appointments are not able to seek conversion to continuing

Continuing Contingent-funded Appointments

• A new form of employment for eligible fixed-term staff• A fixed-term staff member on non-recurrent funding may

apply for conversion to CCF appointment where– s/he has been employed continuously for at least 3 yrs– s/he has performed satisfactorily– s/he has/is about to be offered a second or subsequent

consecutive fixed term contract• Staff on CCF appointments will have similar conditions to

continuing staff with the exception that special notice and severance pay entitlements will apply in the event that the relevant external (non-recurrent) funding ceases.

ACADEMIC STAFF

• Casual academic rates – All marking to be paid separately (unless the marking is

performed during the delivery component eg during the tutorial)– No fractionalisation of rates L1 to L4 and the T rates– Rates M3 and D2 no longer available

• Annual leave - major change (dealt with earlier)• Personal (sick) leave - major change (dealt with earlier)• Other changes, concerning:

– Eligibility for promotion (for research-grant funded staff)– Research misconduct– Academic workload equalisation principles– Overseas Conference Leave

GENERAL STAFF• Linking - now available for existing positions

• Reclassification - where review of decision is needed, this will be done by an expert standing committee

• Minimum period of engagement of 3 hours for casual staff (but with certain exclusions)

• HEO8 - no overtime (allowance in lieu); keeping of timesheets / flexi-time / time off in lieu

• Performance Review and Development - process to be reviewed/simplified

New legislated entitlements

Two new employment flexibility arrangements are included in the Agreement:

• Individual Flexibility Arrangements

• Request for Flexible Working Arrangements for Care of a Child

Implementation of the new Enterprise Agreement

• Copies of the Enterprise Agreement– limited availability of hardcopies– e-version on the Web

• Policies and procedures (…and guidelines, forms etc)– currently being updated so that they are consistent with the

new EA– if in doubt, please ask HR– once the updating is complete, the HR Policies and

Procedures will provide the most complete source of information

Working with the new Enterprise Agreement

Useful link:HR home page: http://www.flinders.edu.au/hr/… provides:• the E-version of Agreement: • HR Forms• Salary scales • HR contacts• and much more

Questions?