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Industrial and Legislative Environment for Human Resources Policy

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Section 1 - Purpose

(1) The purpose of this Policy is to set out the framework of industrial agreements and legislation under which the University’s human resources function operates.

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Section 2 - Application

(2) This Policy applies to all QUT staff, regardless of mode of employment.

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Section 3 - Roles and Responsibilities

Position Responsibility
Council Approves human resources policies, other than policies developed through industrial agreements/instruments or relating to operational staffing matters.
Vice-Chancellor and President Approves human resources policies, developed through industrial agreements/instruments, and human resources policies relating to operational staffing matters.
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Section 4 - Relationship to TEQSA Threshold Standards

(3) This Policy assists the University to satisfy the provision of Standards within 6.2 Corporate Monitoring and Accountability, specifically Standard 6.2.1a, of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021, to “comply with the requirements of the legislation under which the provider is established, recognised or incorporated, any other legislative requirements and the University’s constitution or equivalent”.

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Section 5 - QUT Employment Categories

(4) There are three broad categories of staff at QUT:

  1. Academic staff, which includes research only academic staff;
  2. Professional staff, which includes research only professional staff; and
  3. Senior staff, comprising all positions classified Senior Staff Group A-E (SSGA to SSGE). For the purposes of Council elections, Heads of School, Executive Deans of faculty, the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research), the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic) and the Provost/Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor are deemed to be members of the academic staff.
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Section 6 - Industrial Environment for Human Resources

(5) Staff at the University will be employed under one of the following industrial instruments:

  1. QUT Enterprise Agreement (Professional Staff);
  2. QUT Enterprise Agreement (Academic Staff); or
  3. Senior staff employment arrangements.

(6) Each industrial instrument contains the current conditions of employment for those staff to whom the instrument covers. Persons appointed to honorary and visiting appointments are excluded from the provisions of the enterprise agreements.

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Section 7 - Relevant Legislation

(7) There are a number of State and Commonwealth Acts of Parliament which impact upon the employment of staff at QUT. These include:

  1. Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld);
  2. Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth);
  3. Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth);
  4. Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cth);
  5. Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth);
  6. Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth); and
  7. Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld).

(8) Other relevant Acts are referenced within University policy as they relate to each University matter.

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Section 8 - Delegations

(9) Refer to the Register of Authorities and Delegations (C007, C011) (QUT staff access only).