When must I be employed on a temporary engagement?
If it is known that a teacher will be required to be employed in one engagement for a period of four weeks or more on a fulltime basis or for two terms or more on a part-time basis, they must be employed on a temporary engagement.
What if it isn’t known initially that the engagement will be ongoing?
It is possible that casual work can continue beyond four weeks on a full-time basis (or two terms on a part-time basis) where it wasn’t initially known that this would be the case. In those circumstances the teacher will continue to be employed as a casual teacher. At any point when it becomes known that the position will be vacant for a further four weeks or more on a full-time basis (or two terms or more on a part-time basis), the teacher must be employed on a temporary engagement.
What if it continues not to be known whether the engagement will be ongoing?
There are circumstances where teachers may continue to be employed as a casual for extended periods of time, including where relieving for a teacher on unplanned but ongoing leave. If it is not known that a position will be vacant and the employment extends beyond 10 working weeks in a school year on a full-time basis (or 30 working weeks in a school year on a part-time basis), the total period of casual service will be converted to temporary service at the request of the teacher. In these circumstances, conversion to temporary service will still occur even if it was not known at any point that the position would be vacant for a further four weeks or more on a full-time basis (or two terms on a part-time basis).
The request for conversion must occur within four weeks from the end of the casual employment and the conversion to temporary service will be from the date that the teacher commenced employment in that role.
What about if I have been engaged in multiple positions that add up to full-time employment?
There may be circumstances where a teacher is engaged as a temporary part-time teacher (or employed as a casual teacher on a part-time basis), and, in addition is engaged concurrently as a casual teacher in another part-time vacant position, and the combined engagements result in the teacher working five days per week for four weeks or more.
A teacher engaged in multiple vacancies will generally only be able to convert from casual to temporary service where it was known from the commencement of the vacancies that when amalgamated it would result in the employee working full time for four weeks or more (or part time for two terms or more), and:
- the vacancies are at the same school; or
- the teacher has the role of servicing a number of schools in accordance with Clause 19 of the Award.
Members are advised to seek further advice and support from Federation’s Professional Support section in relation to casual to permanent service conversions.