Part D

D4. Casual Appointments

D4.1 Introduction
D4.2 Policy statement
D4.3 Procedures
   D4.3.1 What is casual employment?
   D4.3.2 Appointment process
   D4.3.3 Concurrent appointments
   D4.3.4 Employment of close relatives
   D4.3.5 Non-renewal of contracts
   D4.3.6 Induction
   D4.3.7 Casual and short-term employment pool
   D4.3.8 Records
   D4.3.9 Conversion - general employees

D4.1 Introduction

Policy reference number	D4 Casual Appointments
Scope and application	These policy and procedures apply to all casual general and casual academic appointments
HR contacts	HR Client Services Team
Policy type/category	Management
Related legislation/ regulations/guidelines	University of Southern Queensland Certified Agreement 2005 - 2008.
Associated USQ policies	Human Resources Policy Manual, Section E10: Human Resources Files
Delegations authority	Delegate	Authority
	Category 4 Delegate or above	Approval of all casual appointments. Approval must be gained from the relevant Delegate's supervisor where the person being appointed is a close relative of the Delegate Approval allowing employees currently employed on a full-time basis to undertake additional casual employment.
	Executive Director, Human Resources	Administrative arrangements
Approval authority	Council for policy statements Vice-Chancellor or General Manager for procedures
Review date/s	Written June 1998 Amended Section D4.4.7 ‘Casual and Short-Term Employment Pool', July 2001 Updated Section D4.5 'Delegations', March 2005 Updated October 2005

D4.2 Policy statement

The University may engage a casual employee without advertising the vacancy or conducting formal selection procedures.

(Approved by Council June 1998)

D4.3 Procedures

D4.3.1 What is casual employment?

D4.3.1(a) A casual employee is engaged and paid on an hourly basis, with a loading to compensate for benefits (such as sick and recreation leave) for which a casual employee is not eligible.

D4.3.1(b) A casual general employee is appointed to work an irregular pattern of hours on an intermittent or irregular basis, up to the full-time equivalent of 72 hours per fortnight. Employment ceases at the end of the engagement. Casual general employee salaries are in accordance with Schedule E – Casual General Employee Salaries contained in the Certified Agreement. The minimum period of engagement for casual general employees is three hours per day with the exception of PALS and PROCTORS which is two hours per day. A casual general employee may request a minimum engagement of less than three hours per day where this is suitable for both the employee and the University. The three hour minimum period of engagement is applicable only once per day, eg if a casual employee works for three hours in the morning, then has a break and works again for one hour in the afternoon (on the same day), the employee is entitled to 4 hours pay only and does not receive the three hour minimum for the second period of work.

D4.3.1(c) A casual academic employee is appointed to work an irregular pattern of hours on an intermittent or irregular basis, up to the full-time equivalent. Employment ceases at the end of the engagement. Casual academic salaries are in accordance with Schedule B - Casual Academic Salaries contained in the Certified Agreement.

The circumstances in which academic casual employment will normally be used includes: work of an irregular or intermittent nature; supervision of practical teaching; covering short-term absences; provision of employment opportunities to postgraduate students; or provision of industry or professional experience to teaching programs.

D4.3.2 Appointment process

D4.3.2(a) An appointment to a casual position may be made by the Category 4 Delegate or above without advertising the vacancy or applying the University's selection procedures. Where one or more persons are considered suitable for an appointment the merit principle will apply. No signature from the Executive Director, Human Resources is necessary.

D4.3.2(b) To make an appointment, the employing cost centre completes the Casual Appointment form and obtains approval from the Category 4 Delegate or above. The employee is required to sign the form accepting the appointment and the conditions of employment as outlined therein. A casual employee will be provided with documentation specifying the duties required to be performed; the number of hours required; the salary to be paid; and a statement that any additional duties required will be remunerated accordingly.

D4.3.2(c) The appropriate appointment form including all required signatures must be completed and forwarded to Human Resources prior to the employee commencing duty.

D4.3.2(d) Irrespective of the source of funding (research grants etc) all appointments will normally be made at step one of the classification level unless authorised by the Category 4 Delegate or above. The exceptions are casual academic salaries as outlined in Schedule B of the Certified Agreement.

D4.3.2(e) Faculties and sections must lodge the completed Casual Employment Payment Claim Form to Payroll for processing in accordance with normal pay timelines.

D4.3.2(f) The University will pay a casual employee within 22 calendar days of submission to Human Resources of a valid and completed Casual Employment Payment Claim Form.

D4.3.3 Concurrent appointments

D4.3.3(a) An employee will not normally hold concurrent appointments. When an employee is required to do additional work (irrespective of whether the work is for another faculty or section) a variation to their terms of engagement will be made.

D4.3.3(b) The Executive Director, Human Resources will advise the employee, in writing, of the variation to their conditions prior to the additional work being carried out. Faculties or sections will be required to organise the reimbursement of employment costs where applicable.

D4.3.3(c) Employees currently employed on a full-time or fractional basis may be permitted to undertake additional casual employment as paid work at the University.

D4.3.3(d) If additional casual work is offered within or outside their faculty or section, the employee must obtain permission from the Category 4 Delegate or above relevant to their substantive role. Approval is conditional on the additional work not constituting more than a full-time equivalent position in total when combined with the employee's substantive role. Employees must complete the Request to Undertake Additional Work form stating either:

i. the additional work will be performed outside the hours specified for their substantive role; or

ii. a temporary reduction in appointment fraction has been negotiated with the Category 4 Delegate or above relevant to the employee's substantive role;

and obtain their supervisor's recommendation and approval from the Category 4 Delegate or above relevant to their substantive role.

D4.3.3(e) The employing cost centre must complete the Casual Appointment form and attach a copy of the approved Request to Undertake Additional Work form.

D4.3.3(f) Approvals must be obtained prior to the employee commencing duty.

D4.3.4 Employment of close relatives

If the proposed employee is a close relative of the Delegate recommending appointment, the approval of the Delegate's supervisor is required.

D4.3.5 Non-renewal of contracts

D4.3.5(a) Casual employment contracts will not be extended. Subsequent casual employment requires a new casual employment contract.

D4.3.5(b) Where casual employment is terminated for valid reasons, the University will give the employee one hour's notice.

D4.3.5(c) The employing faculty or section will provide the terminating employee with a separation certificate if requested; and will handle enquiries from government agencies concerning the employee's employment.

D4.3.6 Induction

The employing faculty or section must provide a new employee with an appropriate workplace induction which includes a workplace health and safety component. This induction programme will cover the necessary components as outlined by Human Resources.

D4.3.7 Casual and short-term employment pool

Faculties and sections are encouraged to use the Casual and Short-Term Employment Pool administered by Human Resources. In the event that a suitable candidate is not able to be located from this pool, faculties and sections may contact the University's preferred external employment agency as an alternate supplier of casual staff.

D4.3.8 Records

Human Resources and the employing faculty or section will retain a hard copy record of each appointment. All documents, including the Casual Appointment form, relating to casual employees will be retained within Human Resources, for the minimum retention period specified in Section E10: Human Resources Files.

D4.3.9 Conversion - general employees

D4.3.9(a) Upon appointment, the University will advise a casual general employee that, after serving qualifying periods as provided below, casual employees may have a right to apply in writing for conversion to non-casual employment.

D4.3.9(b) A casual general employee may be eligible to apply for conversion, if they have been employed on a regular or systematic basis in the same or a similar and identically classified position in the same work area for a period of 12 months and worked at least 50% of the full-time equivalent hours; or if they have worked over the immediately preceding period of at least 24 months.

D4.3.9(c) Occasional and/or short-term work performed by the employee in another classification, job or department will not:

affect the employee's eligibility for conversion;
be included in determining whether the employee meets or does not meet the eligibility requirements.

D4.3.9(d) The University may refuse an application for conversion on reasonable grounds which include, but are not limited to, the following:

(i) the employee is a student, or has recently been a student, other than where their status as a student is irrelevant to their engagement and the work required;

(ii) the employee is a genuine retiree;

(iii) the employee is performing work which will either cease to be required or will be performed by a non-casual employee, within 26 weeks (from the date of application);

(iv) the employee has a primary occupation with the University or elsewhere;

(v) the employee does not meet the essential requirements of the position; or

(vi) the work is ad hoc, intermittent, unpredictable or involves hours that are irregular.

In relation to D4.4.9(d)(vi) above, whether there are reasonable grounds to refuse conversion will depend upon the entirety of the circumstances in the particular case. However, as general propositions, employees who work a limited number of weeks each year, even if those weeks are regular (including persons such as exam invigilators and persons employed to assist in enrolment periods), will be seen as working on an "intermittent" basis and could be refused conversion. Conversely, an employee who works from March to November each year, and who does not work for example on weekends, during semester breaks and over the long vacation, would not be considered "intermittent" for the purpose of the clause".

D4.3.9(e) The University must determine an application for conversion either by offering conversion to non-casual employment or by rejecting the application. If the University rejects the application, it must provide written reasons for rejecting it. If the application is accepted, the employee will be offered a non-casual position.

D4.3.9(f) Conversion may be to either a continuing appointment or to a fixed term appointment. The offer of conversion will indicate the hours and pattern of work which, subject to due consideration of the employer's operational requirements and the desirability of offering the employee work which is as regular and continuous as is reasonably practicable, will be consistent with the employee's casual engagement.

D4.3.9(g) Conversion may be, but is not required to be, to full-time, sessional, fractional, term or annualised hours employment. Conversion of a casual employee to any of these modes of employment may occur where by custom and practice the work has been performed by casual employees on such a basis, or otherwise by agreement between the University and, where requested by an employee, their nominated representative.

D4.3.9(h) Employees converted under these arrangements will not have their casual service count as service for the purpose of calculating any other existing entitlements except for:

(i) Long service leave, if, at the time of conversion, the University provides casual employees with an entitlement to long service leave. In such a case casual service with the University would count for the purposes of any qualifying period for long service leave; and

(ii) Any applicable parental leave.

D4.3.9(i) An employee whose application for conversion is rejected will not be entitled to apply again within 12 months, except where that rejection is solely based upon the ground set out in D4.4.9(d) and that ground ceased to apply.

D4.3.9(j) Any dispute arising out of the application of this process shall be dealt with in accordance with the dispute procedures set out in the Certified Agreement.