October 27 fixed-term contracts deadline

If you are working on a fixed-term contract of one year or more in a Victoria Catholic school, Friday October 27 is an important date – this is when schools must provide you with written notice regarding the conclusion of your position.

If your employer does not intend to employ you in 2024 they must supply you with a notice of conclusion letter.

If you are informed that your contract will not be renewed after 27 October, you will be owed pay in lieu.

Here is the relevant clause in the Agreement:

"An Employee engaged for a specified period of time of one school year or more who will not be immediately re-employed or whose employment will not be extended shall, not less than seven weeks in term time prior to the conclusion of the specified period, be issued with a letter advising them that their employment is terminating. In the event that the Employer fails to issue the letter, the Employee will be paid an amount equal to their ordinary wages for any part of the seven weeks’ notice not provided."

Get in touch with your Organiser to make sure you understand your personal situation.

Fixed Term Contracts (FTC) are now under the microscope, with the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act 2022 about to outlaw practices which keep workers with ongoing employment on temporary arrangements with inadequate entitlements.

From 6 December 2023, fixed term contracts for two years or more (whether through a single contract or renewal) are prohibited unless an exception applies. A fixed term contract includes a 'contract of employment for a specified period of time, for a specified task or for the duration of a specified season'.

A single fixed term contract must not be for a period greater than 2 years. An FTC cannot be renewed if this new contract would exceed the two year limit. And an FTC cannot be renewed more than once even if the period would be less than 2 years.

Basically, this means an employer cannot ask you to enter a third year on consecutive fixed-term contracts.

Insecure work is an issue that disproportionately affects women in their roles and females occupy most education support roles. Many schools have used fixed term contracts in an abominable way, endlessly rolling staff on to one-year FTC’s, permanently denying them job security.

Schools are also required to furnish members on fixed term contracts with a “Fixed Term Contract Information Statement”.

This is a great piece of legislation that affords far more protection for members to have much more secure employment into the future.

So make sure your employer is letting you know their intention on October 27 - and get in touch with the IEU if you need any assistance or advice!