HR Policy – Hot Topics

Philip PearsonSenior Project OfficerPolicy and Employee Relations BranchHuman Resource Division

Parental Leave

Maternity Leave and the Christmas Vacation Period

The PolicyAn employee who is pregnant is required to absent herself from duty for the period commencing six weeks prior to the expected date of the child's birth until six weeks after the actual date of birth. An employee is permitted to attend for duty during any part of the required absence period provided that: • she will be fit for duty for the relevant period (proof of which is to be by medical

certificate supplied by the employee), and • the attendance sought by the employee is at a time employees ordinarily attend for duty. Where an employee is permitted to attend for duty during part of the required absence period before the birth of the child any paid maternity leave commences from the first day of absence from duty.

Staffing Cooperation

Staffing Cooperation Policy

Applies to staff employed across multiple school locations at the same time.

An administrative base school must be established.

The responsibility of the administrative base school principal is to ensure, in consultation with the other principals, that terms and conditions of employment of that employee are consistent with Departmental policy requirements and relevant legislative and industrial obligations.

Typical employees impacted by this policy: • Education support class (business managers or integration aides); • language teachers; and • instrumental music instructors.

Complications can present where one school no longer requires the services of the employee – potential excess.

Other Hot Topics

RetrenchmentThe Retrenchment process:• Ordinarily takes 5-6 months;• Administered by the Department centrally;• If it proceeds to termination, termination is processed centrally not at the school level;• School should continue to provide support to the employee

LWOP or AWOL?Q: Where an employee fails to attend for duty should you put them on LWOP or AWOL?A: If no leave has been authorised, the employee should be placed on AWOL not LWOP until such time an application for leave is approved.

Note:Section 2.4.34 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 specifies that an employee who is absent from duty other than on approved leave for a period of three months (including school holidays) ceases to be employed in the Teaching Service.

Questions?

OVER TO YOU – Any Questions??

Improving Business Practice– Recruitment in Schools

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Communication

SRU consultants require as a minimum • Name and employee ID of the

employees the query refers to

Emailing (Infra) schools.recruitment@edumail.vic.gov.auIn the subject header provide short accurate description of the enquiry for example• Termination date amended/adjustment• Sick leave replacement/backfill• Temporary Administration Transfer

request

This assists the consultant in attaining the right information and most helpful options for you/your principal/your school in the shortest possible time

of queries received by SRU have insufficient information to provide accurate advice to the client in the first instance

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The impact of retrospective leave entries in eduPay and teacher VIT registration

• Increased activity with VIT registration matters between November and the start of the new school year annually

• When sending correspondence to affected teachers and their principals SRU relies on the data from eduPay (a systemic response)

• When the data is inaccurate, not complete or not there; the result is increased volume of angst callers

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Excess Status Identification

When an excess employee applies for a vacancy with their employee profile in ROL, the system will validate whether their excess status is genuine or not. “Validated Y” will appear if the system has validated the status successfully.

Business Managers are encouraged to contact Schools’ Recruitment Unit to seek further clarification regarding whether the applicant is guaranteed an interview or not if “Validated N” appears.

Questions?

Any Questions???

HR update‘Lessons learned from recent reviews’

Edin Hrelja, Manager Schools HR Services

17 March 2015

eduPay

eduPay processing - leave:

• Employee self-service• Time taken to process absence• Requests pending action, i.e. ‘approve’, ‘deny’, ‘push back’• Unapproved leave in general, terminating employees,

overstating entitlement, liability created in particular• Excess annual leave• Payment of Long Service Leave on termination – email

reminders• Paid maternity leave, 14/28 weeks, code, parental absence

eduPay

eduPay processing – Principal class:

• Appointment confirmed, contract signed, timing• Hires, transfers, promotions done centrally – promotion to

principal class particular issue• Personnel files held centrally• Audited centrally

eduPay

eduPay processing – overrides:

• Tax Details• Work schedules• Crossing multiple financial year effect

eduPay

Checklists/forms:

• Selection process checklist• Personnel file checklist• Fortnightly payroll checklist• Long Service Leave election form

eduPay

Documentation:

• Commencements – letter of offer, acceptance and TFN Declarations

• Promotions – letter of offer, acceptance• Higher Duties – form/letter, authorisation, start and

end dates, classification/level• Terminations – resignation letter with all details,

acknowledgement letter• On personnel file and available if required

eduPay

Allowances:

• Special payments• Teacher class, education support class, paraprofessional

class, not principal class• Start and end dates• Amount – between $750 and $8,000 per annum• Lump-sum or annualised

• Higher Duties• Start and end dates• Classification• No overlapping periods please

eduPay

Payroll validation/certification:

• Timeliness or reviewing and taking action• Segregation of roles, validator and certifier, changes to roles• Accountability, time and date stamp• Certification messages• Email reminders

eduPay