AEU Industrial Update #9 – August 2024 

Teacher and school leader transfer round 2025

The transfer round for classroom teachers is currently underway. It is anticipated that classroom teachers and school leaders will be informed of their placement for 2025 in early term 4.

To help you navigate transfer, we’ve published an FAQ addressing the issues that most frequently come to the AEU office.

Changes to workplace incident reporting

On 1 July 2024, the ACT Government launched a new system for reporting work health and safety hazards and incidents. The new system is called Safety Portal, and replaces the existing RiskMan system.

We have prepared a fact sheet on the changes to help guide your use of Safety Portal.

If you have experienced any issues with the implementation of the new system, please let us know by contacting us on aeuact@aeuact.org.au.

Did you know… your break times are defined in your Enterprise Agreement

If you’re working for five hours or more, you should have a break scheduled.

• Teachers (at schools and CIT) and school leaders should have a break of at least 30 minutes in the first five hours of work.
• School assistants should have a break of at least 45 minutes in the first five hours of work.
  
  

Your meal break is unpaid, so it’s your time. You can’t be directed to work during your meal break, or required to be on the school site during this time.

Planning for pregnancy, birth, and everything else: your guide to leave, rights and entitlements

We know that birth leave is confusing, so we’ve produced at guide to tell you everything you didn’t know to ask. The Planning for pregnancy, birth, and everything else: your guide to leave, rights and entitlements should be your first stop when seeking advice about your birth and parental leave entitlements and other rights. Please send it on to any other members who are planning for pregnancy.

Fixed term contract limitations

A fixed term contract is an employment contract which terminates at the end of a set period. For EDU and CIT employees, this might look like a contract which ends at the conclusion of a term or school year. (If you’re not sure what kind of contract you have, you can email the AEU and we’ll help you out).

The Fair Work Act stops employers misusing fixed term/temporary contracts. Repeated renewal of these kinds of contracts can mean a worker doesn’t have access to stable and secure employment.

The law puts some limits on fixed term/temporary contracts. They now can’t be for more than two years (including any extensions or renewals) and can’t include any option to renew or extend beyond two years or renew more than once. Basically, if it looks like ongoing and permanent work, then it should be.

There are also measures to crack down on employers avoiding compliance with the law, including by ending the employment before the end of the contract, not re-engaging the employee, or changing the type of work the employee does to avoid the contract becoming captured by the requirement.

The AEU office has become aware that some members have been told by their workplace that the new laws mean they can’t be offered another temporary contract, and they therefore need to become casual, despite performing the same role. This is not what is intended by the Fair Work Act. You should instead be made aware of an opportunity to convert to permanent employment.

If this has happened to you or someone you know, please contact the AEU office immediately for advice and assistance.

Further information about the changes to fixed term contracts can be found on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.