After a long wait, teachers can once again submit applications to have prior eligible service recognised for salary purposes. For some teachers, this process will need to be completed by November this year so they can qualify for a review. Have you ever:
- taught at an independent or Catholic school in NSW
- taught in other Australian states or territories
- taught students aged 5 to 18 years at a school overseas
- spent time as the full-time carer of your children
- had a break of five or more years in employment with the Department?
Months of painstaking negotiations between the Federation and the Department of Education mean you may now be eligible to have these criteria recognised to progress up the pay scale. The Standards Based Teacher Salary Procedure was released on 29 May and the Department is now processing applications.
Are you a temporary/casual teacher who began working for the Department before 2016?
If you are looking to have relevant service outside of NSW public schools recognised from before 2016, you have six months from the date of publication of the procedure (up to 29 November 2017) to submit an application, including all supporting documentation. After that time, only relevant service completed after the start of 2016 will be considered.
Did you already apply and get knocked back?
If you submitted an application for a salary review (or recognition of prior service) between January 2016 and May 2017, you are eligible to have that application reviewed under the new provisions. You need to submit a new application, and attach the original application and documentation to your submission. The Department will use the earlier date as the application date, and any pay adjustments will apply from the first pay period following that date.
If you have not previously submitted an application, you should do so as soon as possible. If you have records of having made inquiries with the Department and were told you could not apply, you should submit those records with your application.
Did you already apply and are unhappy with the determination?
If your application was processed under the Assessment of Prior Service procedure (which applied until the end of 2015), you are not able to have the Department reconsider your application or have your service reapplied to your salary. However, the procedure which was implemented from 1 January 2016 has been rescinded, so any application processed after this date may be able to be resubmitted. Check the procedure to see if any service previously denied is now considered relevant service.
Detailed advice on the new procedure and how to make an application is included in a new Industrial Bulletin, “Service recognition for determining salary under standards based remuneration”, available in the members’ area of Federation’s website.