This procedure is made under the Recruitment and Appointment Policy.
This procedure applies to all staff at the University.
1.1 The University may employ a staff member in the following types of employment:
2.1 A staff member engaged in contingent-funded research may apply to the dean for, or the dean may offer the staff member, a Research Continuing Employment (Contingent-Funded) contract (an RCECF) where the staff member:
2.2 The dean may, at their absolute discretion, offer a RCECF notwithstanding not all of the above criteria are satisfied.
2.3 The staff member applying for an RCECF will make an application in writing to the dean and the dean will advise the staff member in writing of the outcome within 30 days of receiving the application.
2.4 The dean may refuse an application on reasonable grounds including where:
2.5 A staff member employed under an RCECF will receive the same entitlements as other continuing staff, including superannuation in accordance with the Superannuation Procedure.
2.6 The following policies and their accompanying procedures do not apply to staff employed under an RCECF:
2.7 Where the funding that supports a staff member’s RCECF ceases:
2.8 Where the funding that supports a staff member’s RCECF ceases and subsequently, during the notice period specified below:
2.9 Where the funding that supports a staff member’s RCECF ceases and subsequently, during the notice period specified below and an application for renewal of the funding for the position is still pending, then by mutual agreement:
2.10 The dean or head of budget division may terminate a RCECF when:
2.11 If a staff member’s employment is terminated for reasons other than during a probationary period or as a result of the University’s disciplinary procedures, and alternatives to termination outlined above have been unsuccessful, the dean will provide notice to the staff member and severance payments.
2.12 Where the employment of a staff member is terminated in the circumstances described above, the staff member will be provided with a minimum of 4 weeks’ notice of termination, or 5 weeks if the staff member is over 45 years of age, which the University may pay out in lieu of notice.
2.13 Severance payments for eligible staff on RCECFs will be in accordance with the following table, subject to any greater period provided for in applicable legislation.
Length of Continuous Service | Severance payment |
1 year or more and up to 2 years | 4 weeks pay |
2 years or more but less than 3 years | 6 weeks pay |
3 years or more but less than 4 years | 7 weeks pay |
At least 4 years but less than 5 years | 8 weeks pay |
At least 5 years but less than 6 years | 10 weeks pay |
At least 6 years but less than 7 years | 11 weeks pay |
At least 7 years but less than 8 years | 13 weeks pay |
At least 8 years but less than 9 years | 14 weeks pay |
At least 9 years but less than 10 years | 16 weeks pay |
10 years and over | 12 weeks pay |
2.14 Severance pay will not be paid to a staff member where:
3.1 The University may not employ a staff member on a fixed-term contract unless he or she is engaged in work activity that falls within one of the following categories:
3.2 These categories are defined in Schedule A – Categories of Fixed Term Contract with any additional conditions attached to each category.
3.3 The circumstances giving rise to early termination of a fixed term contract and the staff member’s entitlements are set out in the Leaving the University Policy and Leaving the University Procedure.
4.1 The maximum term for any casual contract is 12 months and all casual staff members must sign a contract of employment prior to their engagement. The head of department/head of budget division will keep the contract of employment for seven years in the department or budget division.
4.2 A casual staff member will be employed for a minimum period of three hours except where another minimum period is requested by the staff member and agreed by the head of department/budget division, and except that the following minimum period of engagement applies to a casual professional staff member who is:
4.3 A casual staff member’s entitlement to salary, superannuation, overtime and other benefits is set out in the Remuneration, Recognition and Working Conditions Policy.
4.4 Guidelines for the employment and payment of casual staff are on the Human Resources website.
4.5 A head of department/budget division will use their best endeavours to provide a casual staff member with the facilities and resources appropriate to enable the fulfilment of his or her duties which may include telephone access, PC access, an email account, a work desk, a library card and designated space.
4.6 A casual professional staff member is eligible to apply in writing for conversion to continuing or fixed-term employment where the staff member has been employed on a regular and systematic basis in the same or a similar classified position in the same department (or equivalent), either:
4.7 A casual professional staff member is not precluded from applying for conversion by reason of his or her performance of occasional and short-term work in another classification, job or department, but such work will not be included in determining whether the staff member is eligible to apply for conversion.
4.8 The University will not engage or re-engage a casual professional staff member or reduce the hours worked by the staff member in order to avoid any obligation to consider an application for conversion.
4.9 An eligible casual professional staff member may, after discussing the matter with their supervisor, apply in writing for conversion:
4.10 The application for conversion must include their name and employee number and a brief statement setting out the reasons why the staff member believes he or she meets the eligibility for conversion criteria.
4.11 The head of budget division or level 2 delegate may, after consultation with the local Human Resources Consultant:
4.12 The head of budget division or level 2 delegate will not unreasonably refuse an application for conversion but may refuse an application on reasonable grounds, including where:
4.13 Where the pattern of previous work determines, head of budget division or level 2 delegate may approve conversion to a seasonal, part-year or annualised hours contract.
4.14 A casual professional staff member whose application for conversion is rejected will not be entitled to apply again within 12 months except where the reason for rejecting the application has been that the work the staff member was performing would cease to be required within 26 weeks of the application for conversion, and that reason has ceased to apply.
5.1 The University will accord a sessional staff member the same entitlements that accrue to a casual staff member.
5.2 A sessional staff member will be paid the salary rate set out in the Remuneration, Recognition and Working Conditions Policy, with payments made fortnightly according to the following formula:
5.3 Guidelines for the employment and payment of sessional staff are on the Human Resources website.
5.4 If a sessional staff member has been unable to work or complete the agreed hours, he or she will advise the level 2 delegate and the level 2 delegate and the sessional staff member may either make alternative arrangements to complete the task, or the level 2 delegate may arrange for the staff member's payment to be adjusted accordingly.
5.5 If arrangements cannot be made for the sessional staff member to complete the agreed hours or the task or the staff member refuses or fails to complete the hours or tasks, the level 2 delegate will:
5.6 In addition to the facilities provided to all casual staff, a head of department will use his or her best endeavours to provide a sessional staff member with the following facilities for 3 months after their contract ceases, if it is likely that the sessional staff member will have further employment with the University within 3 months:
5.7 The sessional staff member must agree to comply with University policy in relation to these matters during this three month period.
6.1 A head of budget division may offer to employ a professional staff member on a seasonal or part year basis only where the professional staff member has converted to continuing or fixed-term seasonal or part year employment from casual employment.
6.2 Other conditions of employment for a staff member employed on a seasonal or part year basis are set out in Schedule B – Conditions of Employment.
7.1 A head of budget division may offer to employ a professional staff member on an annualised basis only where the professional staff member:
7.2 Subject to the contract of employment, the head of budget division will determine the time and manner in which the annual ordinary hours are rostered over the period of the year and may determine that the annual hours be rostered over a period of less than 12 months.
7.3 Other conditions of employment for a staff member employed on an annualised basis are set out in Schedule B – Conditions of Employment.
Term | Definition |
annualised hours employment | Employment for a specific number of ordinary hours within any one year (which may be a calendar year) where the time and manner in which the ordinary hours are worked is at the discretion of the University. |
campus | Refers to all the University's campuses, field and research stations, buildings, grounds, vehicles, farms, commercial operations and other locations under the University's control. |
casual employment | Employment by the hour which is paid on an hourly basis that includes a loading related to benefits for which a casual employee is not eligible to receive. |
contingent funded research | Research funded by limited term funding provided from external sources, but not funded through an operating grant from Government or funding comprised of payment of fees made by or on behalf of students. |
continuing employment | Ongoing employment with no fixed end date and includes Research Continuing Employment (Contingent-funded). |
fixed-term employment | Applies only where a staff member is to be engaged in a work activity that falls within one of the categories listed in this Procedure and means the employment is for a specified term or ascertainable period for which the contract specifies the starting and finishing dates of that employment (or in lieu of a finishing date, the circumstances or contingency relating to a specific task or project upon the occurrence of which the term of the employment will expire) and during the term of employment, the contract is not terminable by the University, other than during a probationary period or for serious or wilful misconduct. |
full-time employment | For professional staff, employment for a maximum of 36.25 ordinary hours per week. For academic staff, employment for such hours required to perform duties in accordance with the relevant Minimum Standards for Academic Levels. |
part-time employment | For professional staff, employment to work a fixed number of hours per week which is less than the ordinary weekly hours of work for a full-time staff member (36.25 hours per week) in the same classification. For academic staff, employment to perform a workload less than the ordinary workload for a full-time staff member in the same classification, and that would be expected to be performed in less than the ordinary hours worked for a full-time staff member. |
seasonal or part-year employment | Employment to work one or more periods or seasons in each year (which may be a calendar year). |
The Executive Director, Human Resources is responsible for the development, compliance monitoring and review of this procedure and any associated guidelines.
The Director, HR Specialist Services, Human Resources is responsible for the promulgation and implementation of this procedure in accordance with the scope outlined above. Enquiries about interpretation of this procedure should be directed to the implementation officer.
This procedure is to be reviewed by 30 June 2015.
Version | Approved By | Approval Date | Effective Date | Sections Modified |
1 | Senior Vice-Principal | 24 Aug 2012 | 24 Aug 2012 | New version arising from the Policy Simplification Project. Loaded into MPL as Version 1. |
2 | Senior Vice-Principal | 17 Sep 2013 | 17 Sep 2013 | Update to section 4.1. |