2.2 Casual Employment and Loading

2.2.1. Casual employment is employment by the hour which is paid a rate on an hourly basis. A casual staff member, including a sessional staff member, will be paid a salary which is calculated in accordance with the weekly base rate derived from the relevant classification, plus a casual loading of 25%. This loading is in compensation for the casual nature of the appointment and all paid leave entitlements which casual staff members are not eligible to receive; including but not limited to personal leave, public holidays, annual leave, long service leave (other than where, in accordance with the Fair Work Act 2009, an applicable award or a State Act provides an entitlement) and annual leave loading.

2.2.2. The parties to this agreement recognise that casual employment is appropriate in limited circumstances. Therefore, casual staff members will only be engaged where:

1. it is not practicable to make a fixed-term appointment to fill:
   1. A short-term vacancy caused by the absence or departure of a staff member;
   2. A short-term appointment to assist in the completion of a specific task or project during periods of peak workflow; or,
2. an appointment funded from a research grant, consultancy, or similar arrangement to ‘buy out' research or teaching time (academic staff), or to perform specific tasks (academic or professional staff).
3. the work to be performed is irregular to the degree that it is not possible to predict the hours of work that may be offered from week to week or the number of weeks of engagement;
4. the content of the course and subject material that the appointee will teach requires recent industrial or professional experience;
5. there is a peak load for part of a semester or term;
6. the casual staff member is a postgraduate or Honours student and performing teaching work that relates to the student's study;
7. the casual staff member is a student at ACU and engaged as a casual professional staff member or teacher (under Schedule 4);
8. where the casual staff member has primary employment other than with the University;
9. there is an operational need caused by a natural disaster;
10. other unplanned and unforeseeable situations of a similar nature; or
11. where the casual staff member has been offered and has declined the role on a continuing or fixed-term basis.

‘Short term' in this clause 2.2.2 means no more than 6 months.

2.2.3. The minimum salary paid to academic staff employed on a casual and sessional basis will be the rates provided for in Schedule 2 of this Agreement in accordance with the relevant formulae.

1. Lecturing and higher marking rate:
   The base rate applicable to lecturing or for purposes of the higher marking rate is determined by reference to the second step of the full-time Level B scale.
2. Rate applicable to performance of other duties involving full-time subject coordination or possession of a relevant doctoral qualification:
   The base rate applicable where the duties include full subject coordination or where the academic possesses a relevant doctoral qualification is determined by reference to the sixth step of the full-time Level A scale.
3. Rate applicable to all other academic duties:
   The base rate applicable to all other duties including tutoring rates not covered above is determined by reference to the second step of the full-time Level A scale.
4. Casual academic researcher:
   The minimum salary paid to a research academic staff member engaged to undertake research-only related activities and employed on a casual basis will be an hourly rate derived from the full-time rates set out in Schedule 1, Part A, together with a 25% loading. This loading is in compensation for the casual nature of the appointment and all leave entitlements including personal leave, public holidays, annual leave, long service leave and annual leave loading.

2.2.4. An academic staff member employed on a sessional basis who is unable to deliver the face-to-face component of a lecture, tutorial, musical accompanying with special education service or clinical nurse education because of illness may claim and will be paid for associated preparation time if their supervisor is satisfied the work was undertaken.