Employment variations

Introduction

Employment variations occur when a full-time, part-time, continuing or fixed term employee undertakes one of the following variation types:

  • Relieving Appointment
  • Variation in Hours (temporary or permanent)
  • Secondment
  • Additional Responsibilities
  • Academic Service Role

Employment variations are not appropriate in the following circumstances:

  • On a long-term basis (other than permanent variations in hours);
  • As a reward for good performance for work performed at the same level as the employee's substantive position;
  • As a measure where a job reclassification is more appropriate; 
  • When there is an increased volume of the tasks normally undertaken by the employee; or
  • In lieu of filling substantive positions.

At the conclusion of the variation, the employee will return to their original substantive employment arrangement. 

Types of variation

Relieving Appointments

Relieving Appointments are used when an employee is acting in a current vacant established position, and may be a result of:

  • Another employee being absent from their substantive position; or
  • A delay in a new appointee after the resignation of an employee.

Relieving appointments must be a minimum period of five consecutive working days. Employees will be paid a relieving allowance at the minimum salary for the equivalent higher-level position.

Where an employee is performing part of the duties of the higher-level position, a pro-rata payment may be payable based on the percentage of duties being performed at the higher level.

Incremental progression within a higher level salary band is payable after 12 months continuous service.

 

Secondments

A secondment is used when an employee is acting in a newly established position, that is not a relieving appointment. For example, a temporary project role.

Secondments are generally initiated when an employee has been the successful applicant of an internal recruitment process but may also arise from informal selection processes.

Prior to a selection or appointment process being undertaken, the role being filled must be appropriately classified. Where the secondment is tied to a higher salary range, incremental progression within a higher-level salary range will be payable after 12 months continuous service. 

Before applying for an internally advertised position, employees should discuss their intentions with their supervisors. Where the secondment is outside the work unit, approval from the releasing work unit must be obtained.

 

Variation in hours

Employees may request a variation in their hours of work on a temporary or continuing basis and should initially discuss their request with their supervisor.

The requirements of the workplace will be considered when evaluating a request.

Approval will only be given if the workplace will not be adversely affected by the changes proposed.

 

Additional responsibilities

Additional responsibilities are defined as the assignment of tasks which are not reasonably considered to be within the employee's current scope of responsibilities and which involve a higher level of complexity.

Additional responsibilities must not be used where a relieving appointment or secondment is appropriate. In addition, they must not result in an overall workload increase.

Please see below procedures for additional approval requirements.

Academic Service Roles

Academic role‑specific service appointments are typically allocated through the annual workload allocation process. Such roles include:

  • Associate Dean (Education)
  • Associate Dean (Research)
  • Chair of Discipline
  • Chair of Faculty Board
  • Director Higher Degrees Research
  • Director Professional Experience
  • Academic Integrity Officer

These roles do not attract additional remuneration, however will be recorded in the HR system to facilitate reporting work flows and publication on the University Staff Directory.

Relevant role statements are available on the People and Culture website.

 

Procedures

For any of the above employment variations, supervisors, in consultation with Heads of Work Unit, should complete the Employment variations form.

Supervisors must submit the fully completed form to hradvisor@scu.edu.au, with all required approvals, at least two weeks prior to the employee’s variation commencement date to ensure accurate pay and conditions are applied from the start of the variation (please note below exception for additional responsibilities).

For additional responsibilities requests, before any approvals or employee acceptances are obtained, the supervisor must send the Employment Variations form to the Director, People Partnering and Services for assessment via hradvisor@scu.edu.au at least 3 weeks prior. Once assessed, People and Culture will forward the form to Finance for the funding check and remaining approval workflow.