Casual staff are those staff who are employed and paid on an hourly basis, or in the case of casual academic staff, on an hourly or sessional basis. Sessional employment may be for a single session or, in the case of employment under clause 58, for a number of sessions over the course of one or more semesters.

It is not the intention of the University to utilise casual or sessional employment to fill positions of work that could reasonably be filled on a continuing or fixed term basis or to increase systematically the level of casual employment during the life of this Agreement.

Casual employment should be on the basis of merit, and be transparent, competitive and consistent with University policy.

Without limiting the University’s capacity to engage casual staff generally:

1. full-time and part-time staff may also be engaged on a casual basis outside their usual working hours to perform work other than their normal duties provided that the arrangements are mutually agreed and there is no impact on their normal work; and
2. students (including, postgraduate students) of the University may be engaged on a casual basis.

Casual general staff will be paid for a minimum of three hours except as follows:

Engagements for casual academic staff will be as specified in Schedule 1.

The performance of casual staff may be assessed in accordance with the University’s Performance Management and Development Program.

Except where expressly provided in this Agreement, periods of casual employment do not count as service for the purpose of determining a staff member’s entitlement to any benefit provided for under this Agreement which requires a minimum period of qualifying service or which is determined on the basis of length of service.

The rates of pay for casual staff, and in the case of Academic casual staff, the manner in which they are to be applied (including rates in respect of all marking not contemporaneous with a lecture, tutorial or other teaching session), are specified in Schedule 1. These rates include a 25% loading in lieu of all forms of paid leave, paid public holidays, notice of termination of employment and severance benefits. Where it is anticipated that a casual staff member will be employed over an anticipated timeframe, the University may spread payments equally over the timeframe. If the anticipated number of hours or sessions are not worked, the staff member’s payments will be adjusted accordingly.

Where the University establishes a continuing or fixed term position, a casual staff member who has performed the duties of the position, or a substantially similar position, on a regular and systematic basis preceding the establishment of the continuing or fixed term position may apply for conversion to continuing or fixed term employment provided that the staff member has:

1. been employed for a number of hours over the preceding 12 month period that would be equivalent to at least the hours applicable to a continuing or fixed term staff member employed on an 0.5 basis, or alternatively in the case of general staff, over the immediately preceding period of at least 24 months;
2. been employed on the basis of merit, through a transparent and competitive process that is consistent with University policy;
3. performed in the role in accordance with expectations set and adopted during their employment and has been assessed as at least satisfactory in accordance with the University’s Performance Management and Development Program; and
4. has demonstrated the capacity to meet the future expectations of the position, including any new duties or skills that may be required, according to their Performance Management and Development Program and the Faculty’s strategic directions.

The University may refuse an application for conversion on reasonable grounds, including the following:

1. the casual staff member is a student, and their status as a student was the primary reason for their appointment;
2. the casual staff member is a genuine retiree;
3. the work performed by the staff member is predominantly related to discontinued, or discontinuing programs;
4. the casual staff member has another primary role in the University, either as a staff member or an independent contractor;
5. the casual staff member has not performed in the role in accordance with expectations set and adopted during their employment and has been assessed as not meeting requirements;
6. the casual staff member has not demonstrated the capacity to meet the future expectations of the position, including any new duties or skills that may be required; or
7. another casual staff member has also satisfied the requirements specified in clause 55 and is rated more highly than the applicant on the basis of merit.

A casual staff member whose application for conversion is refused will be provided with written reasons for the refusal, and may not make a further application for conversion for at least 12 months except in circumstances where the staff member’s application has been refused on the grounds specified in clause 56(g) and a new vacancy arises.

To provide casual academic staff with increased certainty and security as to their employment, appointments may be made to perform a specified program of work on a sessional basis over an anticipated timeframe of one or more semesters. Staff employed on a sessional basis will receive a casual loading under clause 54.

Where for any reason it becomes necessary for the University to end a sessional arrangement before the end of a semester, the staff member concerned will be given at least one week’s advance notification of the cessation of their employment. If the staff member wishes to end their employment before the end of a semester, they will give the University at least one week’s notice. The University may consent to a shorter period of time on a case by case basis.

The University will review the incidence of casual academic employment within each Faculty on an annual basis, and where all academic casual staff (excluding staff who are students or who have other primary occupations) are performing more than five per cent of a Faculty’s face to face teaching hours at Level B and above, the Faculty will, as far as operational needs permit, establish sufficient teaching and research positions at Level A to reduce the use of casual employment to no more than five per cent of face to face teaching hours at Level B and above after two consecutive semesters of the situation persisting. In the second semester, a review will be undertaken to ensure that no more than five per cent of the Faculty’s face to face teaching hours at Level B and above is performed by casual staff (excluding staff who are students or who have other primary occupations) in the third and following semesters.

Casual staff who have performed at least 60% of a full-time teaching workload will have access to fixed term teaching focused roles, subject to satisfying the requirements in clause 217.