HRM-PR-009: Recognition of Prior Service - Teachers

• Directive - Recognition of Previous Service and Employment http://www.psier.qld.gov.au/direct/index.shtml
• Teachers Award State Part 1 to Part 11 (new window) http://iwww.qed.qld.gov.au/workdept/hr/er/t0110tchrsawd.pdf

Statement of intent

Recognition of Prior Service - Teachers applies to all teachers and applicants for the position of teacher, Bands 1,2 and 3. It is intended for use only in determining salary classification levels for currently employed teachers.

Prior service applications can be recognised as one of three Categories of Recognition for which the following rates of recognition apply:

• Category 1 service: Full recognition at 100%
• Category 2 service: Partial recognition at 50%
• Category 3 service: Partial recognition at 33%

Applications for recognition of prior service are to be received within one (1) month of a teacher's date of appointment. Further documentary evidence as required should be provided within a further three (3) month period. A teacher may seek recognition for multiple categories of prior employment in one application.

Upon receipt of an application for recognition of prior teaching service the approving officer considers the merits of the application. While not intending to make this process burdensome, the application should indicate that the duties performed by the applicant were directly related to educating in an appropriately affiliated or nationally registered educational institution.

Failure to meet the timelines will result in no retrospectivity for salary purposes. The salary classification will be adjusted from the date the full and correct finalised documentation is received by the Teacher Classification Team.

Responsibilities

• Ensure applications for recognition of prior service are received within one month of date of appointment.
• Ensure further documentary evidence that is required, is provided within a further three month period.
• Indicate in application, the duties performed in prior services that were directly related to educating in an appropriately affiliated or nationally registered educational institution.
• Ensure applications for recognition of previous employment in private enterprise relate to employment in an industry that is relevant to their current teaching role. For prior employment to be viewed as relevant, it should be current. Accordingly, recognition will only be given to employment that ceased in the five year period prior to the date of appointment. Employment that ceased outside this time period will not be recognised as service for alary classification purposes.
• Ensure application is accompanied by appropriate supporting documentary evidence.
• Ensure applications for an adjustment to salary classifications levels via the recognition of prior teaching or industry experience should be accompanied by a statement of service from the previous employer/s for which the affiliated/certified school or institution.
• In relation to duties performed in a self employed capacity, ensure the statement contains information that confirms:
  • The nature of the employment
  • The regular commitment, in hours or days, per week of the employment
  • The total commitment, in years, months and days, for the duration of the employment.

• Consider the merits of each application.
• Determine the appropriate category of recognition that applies to the application.
• Ensure applications are measured against the benchmark tasks against which all applications for full recognition of meritorious teaching service are measured.
• Be reasonably satisfied that the teacher's previous employment involved participation in at least a majority of the benchmark tasks.
• Ensure recognition is only given to employment that ceased in the five year period prior to date of appointment. Employment that ceased outside this time period is not recognised as service for salary classification purposes. The service needs to be continuous with breaks in employment of greater than twelve months breaking continuity. (This relates to industry experience not teaching experience).
• Receive and consider feedback on the application received from the teacher's principal or Head of Department with respect to the relevance of prior service to their current teaching role. (This relates to industry experience not teaching experience).
• No legislative provision exists for an officer to maintain parity of salary where they transfer to a position under the Teachers' Award-State. However, certain Education Queensland employees engaged as officers under the administrative and professional stream of employees in the Public Service Award may possess skills and experience of benefit to their role as a teacher. Regard this employment as category 2 for the purpose of allocating an appropriate ratio for recognition. Accordingly, if an application is accepted, this prior service attracts recognition at ratio 50%.
• Ensure that in order to recognise casual service, six or more consecutive days in one location is required, or a pattern of working consecutive weeks on the same days at the one location is established.
• Ensure that service performed while on special leave and outside of the Department, will not be recognised for adjustment to salary classification levels. As per the Teachers Certified Agreement 2006 the Department can only recognise teaching service with an outside agency for teachers who
  • Commence leave without pay after the date of certification
  • Are still on leave without pay as at date of certification but only the service worked in the period post certification can be recognised for classification purposes.
• If instances occur where an individual is unable to obtain the necessary documentation from a previous employment, be satisfied that the teacher has exhausted all reasonable avenues to obtain a statement of service before accepting statutory declarations. Prior approval from the Tam Leader of the Teacher Classification Team needs to be obtained prior to accepting a Statutory Declaration.
• Document and retain with the application, the circumstances preventing the teacher from obtaining the necessary documentation.
  

• Provide advice to the Teacher Classifications area in regard to the relevance of prior experience to the teacher's current teaching role. (Thisrelates to industry experience not teaching experience).

Forms

• Not Applicable

Grievances and Appeals

Grievances arising from a decision made by the approving officer are to be dealt with through the established grievance-handling procedures in accordance with the Office of the Public Service Commissioner Directive - Grievance Resolution . A Fair Treatment Appeal may also be lodged to the Public Service Commissioner in accordance with Office of the Public Service Directive - Appeals .

Other relevant documents

• Statement of Service/strategic/eppr/hr/hrmpr009/statement.html
• Categories of Recognition/strategic/eppr/hr/hrmpr009/categories.html
• Prior Teaching Service - Benchmark Tasks/strategic/eppr/hr/hrmpr009/benchmark.html

Contacts

For further information, please contact: No results from phone include!

• Recognition of Prior Service - Teachers - Version: http://iwww.qed.qld.gov.au/workdept/hr/pssu/salwage/recogteach.html