1. Eligibility for Conversion
1.1 A casual or fixed term staff member may apply, or their supervisor may recommend, to the delegate to convert their current employment to fixed term or standard employment if they have been employed by the University as follows:
- If a casual staff member has been employed on a regular and systematic basis in the same or a similar and identically classified position in the same area either:
(a) Over the immediately preceding period of 12 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
(b) Over the immediately preceding period of at least 24 months.
- If a fixed term staff member has been employed by the University for more than 12 months and they apply (or their supervisor makes a recommendation to the delegate) for conversion to standard employment not less than 3 months prior to the expiry of their fixed term employment agreement. Factors that will be considered are:
(a) the funding security for the position;
(b) the perfromance of the staff member;
(c) if a normal competitive selection process was unertaken initially and the staff member participated in this process.
The University may refuse the application/recommendation but will not unreasonably do so.
1.2 For the purposes of these procedures, occasional and short-term work performed by the staff member in another area will not:
a. affect the staff member’s eligibility for conversion: or
b. be included in determining whether the staff member meets or does not meet the eligibility requirements.
1.3 A staff member's employment will not be ceased, and the staff member will not be re-employed, or have his or her hours reduced in order to prevent them from meeting the criteria for conversion.
2. Applications for conversion
2.1 A staff member may apply in writing, or their supervisor may make a recommendation to the delegate for conversion of their casual or fixed term employment to fixed term or standard employment.
2.2 Applications for conversion should inlcude:
-the length of staff member's employment in current position with the University
- staff member's Curriculum Vitae
- Details to justify the request to convert their employment including if staff member participated in a competitive selection process for the position.
3. Consideration of applications
3.1 The University will decide to either:
a. accept the application and offer the staff member conversion; or
b. reject the application.
3.2 If the University refuses the application, the staff member must be provided with written reasons for refusal.
4. Approval for Conversion
Where approval is given for conversion, and subject to the University’s operational requirements, the fixed term or standard employment will be as consistent as is reasonably practicable with the pattern of work undertaken by the staff member during their casual or fixed term employment.
The staff member’s casual service (if applicable) will not count as service for the purpose of determining or calculating any entitlements; except that casual service will be counted for the purpose of determining eligibility for unpaid parental leave in accordance with the Staff Leave and Other Absences from the ANU policy and the Parental leave procedure.
The staff member's fixed term service will however count as service for the purpose of determining or calculating any entitlements.
5. Non-approval for Conversion
5.1 The University may not approve conversion of a casual or fixed term staff member’s employment to fixed term or standard employment where the staff member:
a. is not, in accordance with the above provisions, eligible to apply for conversion;
b. was employed under a specified employment scheme referred to in the Modes of Employment policy;
c. is a student, or has recently been a student, other than where his or her status as a student is irrelevant to his or her employment and the work required;
d. employed on a pre-retirement offer;
e. is performing work which will either cease to be required or will be performed by a fixed term or standard staff member within 26 weeks from the date of application;
f. has a primary position within the University or elsewhere, either as a staff member or as a self-employed person;
g. does not meet the essential requirements of the position;
OR
h. the work is ad hoc, intermittent, unpredictable or involves hours that are irregular or has irregular external funding.
6. Review
A staff member whose application for conversion has not been approved, may seek a Review of the Decision under the Review of Decision policy and procedure within 10 working days of the date of the written notification of non-approval.
7. Re-application
7.1 A staff member whose application for conversion is not approved may not apply again within 12 months if:
a. they have not sought a review of the decision within 10 working days of the date of notification of the rejection of the application for conversion; or
b. following processes provided for in the Review of Decision procedure, the decision has been confirmed.
A staff member may apply again within 12 months if the reason for non-approval was that the staff member is performing work which will either cease to be required or will be performed by a non-casual employee, within 26 weeks (from the date of application). |
