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Recruitment, Selection and Appointment Procedure – Additional Appointments and Duties

Parent Policy

Remuneration, Selection and Appointment Policy

Preamble

The procedure is designed to enhance flexibility in the forms and mix of employment arrangements within the University by facilitating offers to staff with existing substantive appointments to undertake additional appointments and/or duties.

In all instances where staff are to undertake additional appointments and/or duties under the terms of this procedure, all required documentation must be completed and authorised prior to the commencement of such appointments and/or duties.

This procedure applies to all staff at the Australian campuses of the University.

Definitions

Enterprise Agreement: for the purposes of this procedure, means the Monash University Enterprise Agreement (Academic and Professional Staff) 2009, the Monash University Enterprise Agreement (Trades and Services Staff – Building and Metal Trades Staff) 2009, or the Monash University Enterprise Agreement (Trades and Services Staff – Catering and Retail, Cleaning and Caretaking, and Miscellaneous Services Staff0 2005, as applicable.

Faculty or Divisional Cluster: refers to a cluster of Faculties and/or administrative Divisions that is serviced by a particular HR Service Hub.

HR Service Hub: is the centre for human resources services and activities within a Faculty or Divisional Cluster.

Lead HR Business Partner: is a member of the Monash HR management team who operates as a senior HR Business Partner responsible for the strategic and operational management of the human resources services and activities in a HR Service Hub.

Rex: is the University's online recruitment system, which administers requests to advertise, selections and appointments and generates employment contracts.

Sessional appointment: means an appointment to an academic Teaching Associate position to undertake a single or specific number of sessions related to demonstrating, tutoring, lecturing, marking, supervision, academic research assistance, music accompanying with special educational service, undergraduate clinical nurse education or other required academic activity. For the purposes of this procedure, an appointment as a casual academic Research Assistant will be regarded as a sessional academic appointment.

Substantive appointment: means a staff member’s appointment under his/her contract of employment with the University as either:

a full-time, part-time, sessional, or casual academic staff member;
a full-time, part-time, or casual professional staff member; or
a full-time, part-time, or casual trades and services staff member.

Supervisor: means the person who is responsible for the supervision of staff member(s) and in most cases this will be the immediate line manager.

1. Additional Appointments

1.1 Additional sessional academic appointments

A staff member with an existing substantive appointment may only engage in an additional academic appointment on a sessional basis. The staff member may be offered an additional sessional appointment to undertake academic duties as described in Schedule 3 of the Enterprise Agreement (or, where applicable, the relevant AWA Terms and Benefits) where those duties are either unrelated to or identifiably separate from the normal duties of the staff member's existing substantive appointment. Where those duties are not unrelated or identifiably separate, they may be performed by the staff member either working overtime (professional staff only) or additional hours.

Any acceptance of an offer of additional sessional academic appointment must have the prior approval and authorisation of the staff member's current supervisor. Approval may be granted where the additional appointment will not:

create a conflict of interest for the staff member in his/her existing substantive appointment;
adversely affect the staff member's performance in his/her existing substantive appointment;
impose an unreasonable workload inconsistent with the continued health and safety of the staff member; or
be undertaken during the normal working hours of the staff member in his/her existing substantive appointment.

Where an additional sessional academic appointment entails four (4) contact hours or less of sessional work per week, the appointment will be presumed not to adversely affect the staff member's performance in his/her existing substantive appointment or to impose an unreasonable workload inconsistent with the continued health and safety of the staff member.

Offers of additional appointments entailing more than four (4) contact hours of sessional work per week may also be approved for acceptance, but are subject to the endorsement of the Lead HR Business Partner for the relevant HR Service Hub. Any endorsement of the Lead HR Business Partner will be based on consideration of a detailed written submission in support from the staff member and his/her supervisor.

Where a staff member makes a valid acceptance of an additional sessional academic appointment offer, two separate and distinct appointments will exist for the staff member - his/her original substantive appointment and the additional sessional academic appointment. The terms and conditions that apply to sessional academic staff will apply equally when the staff member performs his/her duties under the additional sessional academic appointment. Whilst the staff member will be paid the appropriate salary for his/her substantive appointment, the appropriate sessional salary rate will be paid for work performed under the additional sessional academic appointment. He/she will not be entitled to any other payment, such as overtime, nor any other entitlements, such as leave, for work performed under the additional sessional academic appointment.

For additional sessional academic appointment examples, refer to Examples of Additional Appointments or Duties.

Applying for additional sessional academic appointments

Prior to the staff member performing duties under an additional sessional academic appointment, an employment contract for the additional appointment must be generated, authorised and offered via the Rex system and accepted by the staff member. Authorisation will be requested from the primary organisational unit.

Payment for duties performed under the additional sessional academic appointment will be on the basis of the Casual Academic Sessional Time Sheet submitted (refer to Related Documents below). In accordance with the University's relevant workplace agreements, sessional academic staff are entitled to be paid within 22 days of submitting a completed valid claim for payment.

1.2 Additional non-sessional appointments

Most offers of additional appointment will be in the nature of additional sessional academic appointments. However, consideration will also be given to the approval of offers of additional non-sessional appointments. For professional staff, non-sessional appointments must be made at the same classification level as the staff member’s substantive position.

Application for approval of an offer of additional non-sessional appointment may be made by lodgement of a detailed written submission in support by the staff member concerned and his/her current supervisor to the Lead HR Business Partner in the relevant HR Service Hub. Approval of an offer of additional non-sessional appointment will be at the discretion of the Lead HR Business Partner and any approval granted will be on a case-by-case basis.

For approval to be granted, the Lead HR Business Partner will need to be satisfied that the additional appointment will not:

create a conflict of interest for the staff member in his/her existing substantive appointment;
adversely affect the staff member's performance in his/her existing substantive appointment;
impose an unreasonable workload inconsistent with the continued health and safety of the staff member; or
be undertaken during the normal working hours of the staff member in his/her existing substantive appointment.

In addition, the Lead HR Business Partner, in consultation with Workplace Relations (Monash HR), must be satisfied that the additional appointment will not prejudice the capacity of the University to meet its various employment obligations to the staff member. This includes the University's external obligations regarding superannuation contributions and income tax deductions, as well as its various workplace agreement obligations such as leave accruals, allowance and overtime payments, and access to incremental advancement.

2. Additional Duties

Where a staff member performs extra duties within his/her substantive appointment, such duties will either be undertaken within the staff member's normal working hours or as additional hours or, where applicable, overtime. Where extra duties are to be performed outside the scope of the staff member's substantive appointment and the option of an additional appointment is unavailable, this procedure will cover the performance of such duties (except where the payment of a higher duties allowance applies). Those duties will be referred to as additional duties.

All categories of staff are eligible to undertake additional duties in accordance with the terms of this procedure, excepting staff with an existing substantive appointment as a sessional academic staff member. The performance of additional duties by staff with an existing appointment as a sessional academic staff member will be in accordance with the additional appointments procedure outlined above. Where the additional duties to be performed by the sessional academic staff member are either full-time or part-time, his/her substantive appointment will be converted from sessional to full-time or part-time accordingly.

Staff members undertaking additional duties in accordance with the terms of this procedure continue to retain a single contract of employment with the University.

2.1 Additional duties for part-time staff members

Any acceptance of an offer of additional duties to a part-time academic, professional or trades and services staff member must have the prior approval of the staff member's current supervisor. Approval may be granted where the additional duties will not:

create a conflict of interest for the staff member in his/her existing substantive appointment;
adversely affect the staff member's performance in his/her existing substantive appointment;
impose an unreasonable workload inconsistent with the continued health and safety of the staff member;
be undertaken during the normal working hours of the staff member in his/her existing substantive appointment;
cause the staff member's combined fraction of employment to exceed 100%;
be paid at a salary rate other than that applying to the staff member's existing substantive part-time appointment; or
result in the staff member performing duties which do not correspond with his/her substantive appointment as either an academic staff member, a professional staff member, or a trades and services staff member.

Where a part-time staff member makes a valid acceptance of an additional duties offer, he/she will be paid the applicable rate for the work undertaken. Where the additional duties are ongoing, the staff member's contract of employment will be varied to reflect his/her combined fraction of employment.

For examples of additional duties for part-time staff members, refer to Examples of Additional Appointments or Duties.

Procedures for Part-Time Staff Members Undertaking Additional Duties

If the staff member is undertaking the additional duties in another cost centre(s), the Lead HR Business Partner/s for the relevant HR Service Hub/s, in consultation with the Heads of each Department or supervisors, must finalise the proposed arrangement and secure the agreement of all parties, including the proportions of the staff member's duties shared across the cost centres. The Lead HR Business Partner must ensure that the staff member’s substantive appointment is altered to reflect the additional duties undertaken (eg. fraction 0.5 changed to fraction 0.7). The staff member's category of employment, classification and salary will remain the same for all time worked.

The Lead HR Business Partner must record the agreed arrangement (including any properly authorised split-costing arrangement) in a memo and ensure that the memo is provided to HR Operations for payroll processing and filing on the staff member’s personnel file.

2.2 Additional duties for full-time staff members

Staff members HEW Level 7 or below

Any acceptance of an offer of additional duties to a full-time professional or trades and services staff member at HEW level 7 or below must have the prior approval of the staff member's current supervisor. Approval may be granted where the additional duties will not:

create a conflict of interest for the staff member in his/her existing substantive appointment;
adversely affect the staff member's performance in his/her existing substantive appointment;
impose an unreasonable workload inconsistent with the continued health and safety of the staff member;
be undertaken during the normal working hours of the staff member in his/her existing substantive appointment;
be paid on the basis of a salary rate other than that applying to the staff member's existing substantive appointment; or
result in the staff member performing duties which do not correspond with his/her substantive appointment as either a professional staff member or a trades and services staff member.

Where a full-time HEW level 7 or below staff member makes a valid acceptance of an additional duties offer, he/she will be entitled to payment of overtime at the salary rate applying to his/her substantive appointment for such additional duties if performed outside ordinary hours.

For an example of additional duties for a full-time staff member at HEW level 7 or below, refer to Examples of Additional Appointments or Duties.

Applying for additional duties for full-time staff HEW level 7 or below

If the additional duties are undertaken in more than one cost centre, the Lead HR Business Partner/s for the relevant HR Service Hub/s, in consultation with the Heads of each Department or supervisors, must finalise the proposed arrangement and secure the agreement of all parties. Payments will be charged to the cost centre in which the additional duties are undertaken, but each cost centre (if more than one) must have authorised this payment. The details of overtime are to be provided by the staff member on the relevant overtime timesheet (refer to Related Documents below).

Staff members HEW Level 8 or above

The approval requirements for offers of additional duties to full-time HEW level 7 or below staff members apply equally to offers of additional duties to full-time professional or trades and services staff members at HEW level 8 or above. Provided that HEW level 8 or above staff members are ineligible for payment of overtime and therefore have no entitlement to payment for additional duties undertaken. However, they will be entitled to time off in lieu of the period of additional duties worked in accordance with clause 76.10 of the Enterprise Agreement.

Academic Staff Members

The approval requirements for offers of additional duties to full-time HEW level 7 or below staff members apply equally to offers of additional duties to full-time academic staff members. Academic staff are not entitled to overtime but may be paid an above-engagement profile payment for the additional duties.

2.3 Additional duties for casual staff members

Any acceptance of an offer of additional duties to a casual professional or trades and services staff member must have the prior approval of the staff member's current supervisor. Approval may be granted where the additional duties will not:

entail duties other than casual professional staff or casual trades and services staff duties;
create a conflict of interest for the staff member in his/her existing casual appointment;
adversely affect the staff member's performance in his/her existing casual appointment;
impose an unreasonable workload inconsistent with the continued health and safety of the staff member;
be paid at a casual rate other than than applying to the staff member's existing casual appointment; or
result in the staff member performing duties which do not correspond with his/her substantive appointment as either a casual professional staff member or a casual trades and services staff member.

For an example of additional duties for a casual staff member, refer to Examples of Additional Appointments or Duties.

Applying for additional duties for a casual staff member

If the additional duties are undertaken in another cost centre, the Lead HR Business Partner/s for the relevant HR Service Hub/s, in consultation with the Heads of each Department or supervisors, must finalise the proposed arrangement and secure the agreement of all parties. Payments will be charged to the cost centre in which the additional duties are undertaken, but each cost centre (if more than one) must have authorised this payment.

A new casual employment contract must be generated, authorised and offered via the Rex system and accepted by the staff member.

The staff member also needs to complete the applicable timesheet (refer to Related Documents below) in order to receive payment for additional duties performed.

Responsibilities

Given that additional appointments / duties are more complex employment arrangements than a single appointment, it is essential that the relevant Lead HR Business Partner and the Faculty/ Division take particular care in ensuring that this procedure is followed.

In cases of any claims made against the University in relation to additional appointments / duties, the Faculty / Division responsible for approving the additional appointment /duties will be responsible for all costs associated with the claims or disputes including legal costs.

Staff member

The staff member is responsible for:

undertaking any additional appointments or duties only if approved within the requirements of this procedure; and
preparing a written submission to the Lead HR Business Partner in support of an application for any additional non-sessional appointments or additional sessional appointments that are greater than 4 hours per week, in consultation with his/her supervisor.

Supervisor

The staff member’s current supervisor is responsible for approving and authorising any additional appointments or duties and should assist the staff member in developing a written submission in support of an application for an additional appointment.

Lead HR Business Partner

The Lead HR Business Partner is responsible for:

considering the written submission prepared by the staff member and supervisor for an additional appointment;
endorsing additional sessional appointments that are greater than 4 hours per week and, subject to consultation with Workplace Relations, all additional non-sessional appointments, provided the applications are consistent with the requirements of this procedure;
ensuring an agreed payment arrangement is in place for additional duties performed in a different cost centre to that of the staff member’s substantive position; and
ensuring all additional appointments and duties are appropriately approved and documented and that the documentation is provided to HR Operations for payroll processing and filing.

HR Operations

HR Operations is responsible for ensuring that:

all approved and authorised additional appointments and duties are updated accordingly in payroll; and
the documentation is filed in the staff member’s personnel file (where relevant).

Related procedures

Related enterprise agreement clauses

Monash University Enterprise Agreement (Academic and Professionl Staff) 2009

Monash University Enterprise Agreement (Trades and Services Staff – Building and Metal Trades Staff) 2009

Clause 45 Overtime

Monash University Enterprise Agreement (Trades and Services staff [Catering and Retail, Cleaning and Caretaking, and Miscellaneous services staff] 2005)

Clause 36 Overtime