• Section 1 - Purpose
• Section 2 - Application
• Section 3 - Roles and Responsibilities
• Section 4 - Eligibility
• Section 5 - Application for Conversion
• Section 6 - Offer of Conversion
• Section 7 - Information about Conversion
• Section 8 - Approval Authority
• Section 9 - Exceptions to Policy

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) The University recognises that some casual professional staff member may be interested in applying for conversion to ongoing or fixed-term employment. This Policy sets out the process that applies if the staff member applies for conversion.

Section 2 - Application

(2) This Policy applies to eligible casual professional staff.

(3) Provisions relating to casual employment are detailed in the QUT Enterprise Agreement (Professional Staff). This Policy must be read in conjunction with the Agreement.

(4) This process is separate to the casual conversion process under the National Employment Standards (NES).

Section 3 - Roles and Responsibilities

Section 4 - Eligibility

(5) A professional staff member employed on a casual basis may apply for conversion to ongoing or fixed-term employment (including semester-based and part-time employment).

(6) To be eligible to apply for conversion, a casual staff member must be employed on a regular and systematic basis in the same or a similar and identically classified position in the same department (or equivalent), either:

1. over the immediately preceding period of twelve 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
2. over the immediately preceding period of at least 24 months.

(7) Occasional and short-term work performed by the staff member in another classification, position or department shall not affect the staff member's eligibility for conversion.

Section 5 - Application for Conversion

(8) An eligible casual staff member may apply in writing to the Vice-President (People) and Chief People Officer through their Supervisor for conversion to non-casual employment.

(9) An application for conversion shall not be unreasonably refused. However, an application may be refused on reasonable grounds. Reasonable grounds include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. The staff member is a student, or has recently been a student, other than where their status as a student is irrelevant to their engagement and the work required;
2. the staff member is a genuine retiree;
3. the staff member is performing work which will either cease to be required or will be performed by a non-casual staff member within 26 weeks (from the date of application);
4. the staff member has a primary occupation with the University or elsewhere, either as an employee or as a self-employed person;
5. the staff member does not meet the essential requirements of the position;
6. the work is ad hoc, intermittent, unpredictable or involves hours that are irregular.

(10) An application for conversion will be determined either by offering conversion to non-casual employment or by rejecting the application. If the application is rejected written reasons must be provided. If the application is accepted, the employee will be offered a non-casual position.

(11) A staff member whose application for conversion is rejected shall not be entitled to apply again within twelve months except where that rejection is solely based upon the ground that:

1. "the staff member is performing work which will either cease to be required or will be performed by a non-casual staff member, within 26 weeks (from the date of application)", and
2. that ground ceased to apply.

Section 6 - Offer of Conversion

(12) Conversion may be to either an ongoing appointment or to a fixed-term appointment consistent with subclause 39.3.4 of the QUT Enterprise Agreement (Professional Staff).

(13) The offer of conversion shall indicate the hours and pattern of work which, subject to due consideration of the University's operational requirements and the desirability of offering the staff member work which is as regular and continuous as is reasonably practicable, shall be consistent with the staff member's casual engagement.

(14) Conversion may be, but is not required to be, semester-based or part-time employment. Conversion of a casual staff member to semester-based or part-time employment may occur where by custom and practice the work has been performed by casual staff members on such a basis, or otherwise by agreement.

(15) The offer of non-casual employment may include a probationary period.

Section 7 - Information about Conversion

(16) Upon appointment, a casual staff member will be advised that, after serving qualifying periods, casual staff members may have a right to apply for conversion, and a copy of the conversion provisions will be made available.

(17) Reasonable steps will be taken from time to time to inform casual staff members of the conversion provisions.

Section 8 - Approval Authority

(18) The Vice-President (People) and Chief People Officer has the authority to approve an application for conversion and the offer of non-casual employment, where there is no requirement for the creation of an additional ongoing position. Where conversion of a casual staff member requires the creation of an additional ongoing position, approval of the new position must be sought from the relevant authorising officer prior to an offer of non-casual employment.

Section 9 - Exceptions to Policy

(19) The Vice-President (People) and Chief People Officer is authorised to approve variations to this policy in exceptional circumstances. Any such variation will be recorded by the Human Resources Department.