July 2020 Temporary to permanent conversion This document is issued for general guidance only. It does not constitute professional advice. The issues with which it deals are complex and the document necessarily deals only with general principles. No reader should rely on this document for the purpose of making a decision as to action but should seek the appropriate advice from the Union on the particular circumstances of that reader. The Union accepts no responsibility for the consequences should any person act in reliance on this document without obtaining the appropriate advice from the Union. The Department of Education State School employment of two years in the same role will be Teachers’ Certified Agreement 2019, negotiated eligible for conversion to tenured status, provided by the QTU, again secured a clear process to that: support the continued conversion to tenured status (permanency) of temporary teachers. The 2019 • breaks in employment during the certified agreement (CA) captures the Department accumulation of the two years’ of Education’s (DoE) “commitment to the employment do not exceed a total of three maximisation of permanent employment and the months during designated school terms; maintenance of job security for permanent and employees”. • employment will be deemed to include The Temporary State School Teachers and periods of casual employment where the Instrumental Music Instructors Conversion to casual employment undertaken during the Permanency Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) two years’ employment does not exceed exists alongside the 2019 CA. This MOA, along with 20 per cent of the total period of the associated business process, explains employment undertaken by the teacher in temporary to permanent conversion processes in any one school year. detail. Three months is defined as 60 working days, Teachers who have been engaged in a continuous excluding days which fall during school vacation capacity for at least two years will receive an periods. School vacation periods include the period invitation, via email, informing them of their of time prior to the end of the school year in those eligibility and inviting them to participate in the schools in which programs finish or when there temporary to permanent conversion process. may be operational requirements to cease From the outset, it is important to note the temporary engagements prior to the last day of the following. school year. 1. Once a teacher accepts an invitation into the Identification process conversion process, the department has the The review of eligibility for conversion from obligation to offer them ongoing and continuous employment. temporary to permanency will occur each term. A report that identifies those potentially eligible is 2. It is unlikely that the offer of permanency will generated and provided to regional HR for be to a teacher’s current school. There is also validation and endorsement. no guarantee that the offer of permanency will be to a neighbouring or nearby location. Invitation to participate in conversion Permanent offers pertain to a vacancy within process the department, not necessarily to a position at a school. Offers of permanency may be Temporary teachers who have been identified as made to areas outside listed geographic eligible to receive an offer to participate in the preferences. Providing a list of geographic process will be sent an email invitation. Invitations preferences informs DoE of where you would are sent once per term, and teachers receive their like to work, but DoE is under no obligation to invitation in the next tranche of invitations after provide offers to these locations. becoming eligible. It is vital that the invitation is accepted (or declined) within the timeframe Eligibility advised. Teachers who do not respond will be deemed as declining to participate in the Temporary teachers with two years continuous conversion process. employment in the same role or cumulative Authorised by Graham Moloney, General Secretary, Queensland Teachers' Union, P O Box 1750, Milton LPO Qld 4064 Web: www.qtu.asn.au Email: [email protected] Phone: 07 3512 9000 Fax: 07 3512 9050 Temporary to permanent conversion – July 2020 Page 2 of 6 DoE will email eligible teachers via their that temporary offer is rejected by the invitee, DoE @eq.edu.au email address. is no longer obliged to offer ongoing temporary employment. The right to a permanent position The invitation email will: remains, in accordance with the conversion • advise teachers of their eligibility for process timelines set out below. conversion to tenured status and provide Permanency process links to further information on the process Permanent offers are made throughout the year as • confirm the department’s commitment to vacancies arise, taking into consideration the ongoing temporary employment until a department’s teacher transfer commitments. permanent offer is made Permanent offers may be made for any DoE school statewide (unless exceptional hardship personal • advise that any exceptional hardship circumstances are accepted). There is no circumstances are to be provided to the guarantee that an eligible temporary teacher will department for consideration, with receive an offer of permanent employment in the relevant supporting documentation departmental region within which they are working (circumstances will be considered in at the time they become eligible for conversion. accordance with the exceptional hardship The DoE has an obligation to teachers participating parameters in the teacher transfer in the transfer process, and they take priority for guidelines) appointments in desirable locations. • confirm that it is a condition of permanent Timing of permanent offers employment that teachers can be required to teach anywhere in the state of For teachers accepting their invitations in Terms 1- Queensland 3, DoE has until the first student free day of the • advise the teacher they will not be next school year to make a permanent offer. For considered for conversion to tenured Term 4 invitees, DoE has all of the next year and status for a further one year should they: until the first student free day of the following year to make a permanent offer. o elect to not participate in the conversion process when invited; When a permanent vacancy arises, eligible or temporary teachers who have accepted the invitation to participate in the conversion process o fail to respond to the invitation to will be contacted by regional human resources participate in the conversion officers, either via telephone or another form of process; or correspondence. The departmental officer will: o accept the invitation to participate • make an offer of employment subject to in the conversion process and appointment at a specified location anywhere subsequently decline an offer of in Queensland (subject to consideration of permanent employment made to personal circumstances) them. • advise that should you decline the offer of DoE will then collate invitation responses, prepare permanent employment made under the a final report and make this available to regional conversion to permanency process, you will HR teams. not be considered for conversion to tenured Conversion process status until such time as required under the memorandum of agreement, currently one The conversion processes will take effect from the year (Note: A direct offer of permanent date the teacher accepts the invitation to employment can still be made to the participate in the conversion process. employee, outside of the conversion process). The department has an obligation to offer ongoing All verbal offers of a permanent position are to be and continuous temporary employment to teachers followed with confirmation in writing (email). who have accepted the invitation to participate in the process, until the conversion to permanency Sometimes, regional HR contact teachers to gauge process is completed. Details of temporary their interest in forthcoming positions. Because of employment for the following term should be the consequences of rejecting offers of temporary communicated to a temporary teacher by the final and permanent employment, it is important to week of the prior school term. clarify with HR whether they are making an offer or simply alerting you to a potential position. If a reasonable offer of temporary employment is made to temporary teachers who have accepted their invitation into the conversion process and Authorised by Graham Moloney, General Secretary, Queensland Teachers' Union, P O Box 1750, Milton LPO Qld 4064 Web: www.qtu.asn.au Email: [email protected] Phone: 07 3512 9000 Fax: 07 3512 9050 Temporary to permanent conversion – July 2020 Page 3 of 6 Declining offers of permanency provided, the review panel will not be able to support the application for compassionate Where an offer of permanent employment is made consideration. You will be deemed eligible for under this conversion process and the offer is placement anywhere in the state. declined, the teacher will be able to participate in the conversion process again after one year, noting A joint DoE and Queensland Teachers’ Union that participation remains subject to eligibility committee will consider the evidence of personal requirements in relation to continuity of circumstances that may affect the employee’s employment. initial permanent appointment. Where a direct offer of permanent employment is Upon panel review, the teacher will receive written made outside the conversion process and the offer notification of the panel outcome