B/4.10 Conversion from casual to non-casual employment - professional staff

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4.10.1 Application
4.10.2 Eligibility
4.10.3 Application for conversion
4.10.4 Offer of conversion
4.10.5 Information about conversion
4.10.6 Approval authority
Related Documents
Modification History

4.10.1 Application

This policy applies to eligible casual professional staff.

Provisions relating to casual employment are detailed in the QUT Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (Professional Staff) . This policy must be read in conjunction with the Agreement.

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4.10.2 Eligibility

A professional staff member employed on a casual basis may apply for conversion to ongoing or fixed-term employment (including semester-based and part-time employment).

To be eligible to apply for conversion, a casual staff member must be employed on a regular and systematic basis in the same or a similar and identically classified position in the same department (or equivalent), either:

• over the immediately preceding period of twelve months and in those immediately preceding twelve months the average weekly hours worked equalled at least 50% of the ordinary weekly hours that would have been worked by an equivalent full-time employee or;
• over the immediately preceding period of at least twenty-four (24) months.

Occasional and short-term work performed by the staff member in another classification, position or department shall not affect the staff member's eligibility for conversion.

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4.10.3 Application for conversion

An eligible casual staff member may apply in writing to the Human Resources Director through their supervisor for conversion to non-casual employment.

An application for conversion shall not be unreasonably refused. However, an application may be refused on reasonable grounds. Reasonable grounds include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) the staff member is a student, or has recently been a student, other than where her/his status as a student is irrelevant to her/his engagement and the work required;

(b) the staff member is a genuine retiree;

(c) the staff member is performing work which will either cease to be required or will be performed by a non-casual staff member within twenty-six (26) weeks (from the date of application);

(d) the staff member has a primary occupation with the University or elsewhere, either as an employee or as a self-employed person;

(e) the staff member does not meet the essential requirements of the position;

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

An application for conversion will be determined either by offering conversion to non-casual employment or by rejecting the application. If the application is rejected written reasons must be provided. If the application is accepted, the employee will be offered a non-casual position.

A staff member whose application for conversion is rejected shall not be entitled to apply again within twelve months except where that rejection is solely based upon the ground that:

• " the staff member is performing work which will either cease to be required or will be performed by a non-casual staff member, within twenty-six (26) weeks (from the date of application) " ; and
• that ground ceased to apply.

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4.10.4 Offer of conversion

Conversion may be to either an ongoing appointment or to a fixed-term appointment consistent with subclauses 38.1 and 38.2 of the QUT Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (Professional Staff) .

The offer of conversion shall indicate the hours and pattern of work which, subject to due consideration of the University's operational requirements and the desirability of offering the staff member work which is as regular and continuous as is reasonably practicable, shall be consistent with the staff member's casual engagement.

Conversion may be, but is not required to be, semester-based or part-time employment. Conversion of a casual staff member to semester-based or part-time employment may occur where by custom and practice the work has been performed by casual staff members on such a basis, or otherwise by agreement.

The offer of non-casual employment may include a probationary period.

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4.10.5 Information about conversion

Upon appointment, a casual staff member will be advised that, after serving qualifying periods, casual staff members may have a right to apply for conversion, and a copy of the conversion provisions will be made available.

Reasonable steps will be taken from time to time to inform casual staff members of the conversion provisions.

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4.10.6 Approval authority

The Human Resources Director has the authority to approve an application for conversion and the offer of non-casual employment, where there is no requirement for the creation of an additional ongoing position. Where conversion of a casual staff member requires the creation of an additional ongoing position, approval of the new position must be sought from the relevant executive dean of faculty / head of division prior to an offer of non-casual employment.

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Related Documents

QUT Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (Professional Staff)

MOPP Appendix 3 – Schedule of Authorities and Delegations

QUT Human Resources Department web site

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Modification History

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