Workplace Policy
Last Updated 31 July, 2018
Preamble
This policy covers the Office of the Dean, the Korean School of Theology, and the Graduate Research School.
‘SCD staff’ refers to people employed by SCD as such.
SCD staff are employed under the Sydney College of Divinity Staff Enterprise Agreement 2009 on individual contracts that are mutually agreed.
SCD staff have specific responsibilities based on their respective job descriptions. Each person has a supervisor, who is the immediate point of contact for receiving instructions, reporting, and seeking advice. Staff should work closely with their appointed supervisor as far as possible before having recourse to the Dean or another senior person.
SCD will observe best workplace practice, operating within the budget allocated by Council at any time, having due regard for the Fair Work Act 2009 and in particular the National Employment Standards.
All SCD staff are covered by the SCD Staff Grievance Policy and Procedures. Continued breaches of this policy may lead to dismissal.
1. Workplace Safety
All staff will abide by the provisions of the NSW Workplace, Health and Safety legislation of 2011, 2017, and 2018. Staff will be reminded annually of the key provisions in relation to the local workplace setting, including fire or other emergency procedures.
Any maintenance, repair, or construction work being undertaken on SCD premises must be conducted by a licensed tradesperson. This requirement will ensure that appropriate insurances are in place before work begins and all WHS legislation is followed.
2. Workplace Conduct
Employees will act towards each other with integrity and respect and avoid gossip and factional behaviour.
All SCD students and staff are expected to respect the rights of all other people to freedom from any form of harassment. SCD is committed under the principles and requirements of the NSW Anti- Discrimination Act 1977 and the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to ensuring that any and all matters relating to harassment are dealt with speedily, sensitively, equitably, confidentially, and according to proper processes.
Bullying of other staff members is forbidden at all times. Bullying is understood as verbal or physical aggression against another person that interferes with the person’s performance of appointed duties, demeans the person on any grounds, demonstrates resentment of the person, or causes the person to feel unsafe.
Dealings with staff in the Member Institutions, with students, and with external persons will be courteous and as helpful as possible.
3. Personal Relationships
Persons in a special relationship, such as husband-wife or parent-child, will not normally be employed in an ongoing way in the same workplace. This provision exists in order to avoid actual or perceived conflict of interest in SCD operations and to expedite all-round collegiality amongst the staff without either partiality or dissention that may be associated with the special relationship.
Exceptions may occur if a person has particular expertise that is not otherwise readily available, or if other exceptional circumstances pertain. In such a situation, the two persons concerned will take care to act towards each other and towards others in the workplace as far as possible as if the two of them did not share that special relationship. The relationship will not affect their dealings with each other or with any other staff member in workplace-related matters. Inappropriate conduct on the part of specially related people might include, for example, breaches of confidentiality, attempting to exert undue influence, or bringing undue pressure on another person or persons by resorting to a combined effort.
4. Crisis Management
In the event that a staff member is unexpectedly absent and particular tasks are too urgent to leave till that person’s return or replacement, the following protocols will apply.
(i) The Office of the Dean
The Dean or, in the absence of the Dean, the Associate Dean or the Chief Operating Officer will assess the situation promptly and set in train the appropriate responses.
The work of any support staff member who is absent will normally be undertaken in the first instance by the person’s supervisor, who will prioritize that person’s tasks and his/her own normal duties according to importance and urgency. The work of any Director will be similarly assumed by the Dean or another Director acting on the instruction of the Dean, and the work of the Dean will be similarly assumed by the Associate Dean or the Chief Operating Officer.
In the event that the situation is set to continue for a period beyond what can be dealt with as above, the Dean or, in the absence of the Dean, the Associate Dean or the Chief Operating Officer, will seek the appointment of a temporary replacement, from either commercial or volunteer resources as appropriate.
If the Dean is to be absent for more than four weeks, the Dean, the Associate Dean, or the Chief Operating Officer will inform the President and Standing Committee of Council at the earliest opportunity and they will arrange for the appointment of an Acting Dean.
(ii) The Korean School of Theology
The Dean of Studies or, in the absence of the Dean of Studies, the Deputy Dean of Studies, will assess the situation promptly and set in train the appropriate responses. If these involve the hiring of another person or substantial rearrangement of normal staff duties, the Dean of Studies or the Deputy Dean of Studies will make the situation known promptly to the Dean or, in the absence of the Dean, the Associate Dean or the Chief Operating Officer, who will determine the appropriate measures in consultation with the Dean of Studies or the Deputy Dean of Studies.
If classes are affected, the Dean of Studies or the Deputy Dean of Studies will ensure that prompt information is given to all students concerned. Either a replacement teacher will be appointed within the week or suitable postponement or rearrangement of classes will be established so as to incur minimum inconvenience to students. Any student seeking a refund of fees will be given a refund promptly in line with the Refund and Withdrawal Policy.
If administrative duties are affected, the person’s duties will be assumed in the short term by the person best able to undertake them. If the situation is set to continue, a temporary replacement will be appointed as quickly as possible.
In the event that a crisis arises at one of the remote campuses, the Campus Coordinator or the next most senior person available will inform the Sydney campus immediately and take direction from the Dean or Deputy Dean.
5. Leave
The Staff Enterprise Agreement provides for Annual Leave, Sick Leave, Compassionate Leave, Maternity Leave, Paternity Leave, Jury Duty Leave, and Long Service Leave.
Arrangements for all but emergency leave should be discussed in advance with the person’s supervisor and with the Dean, having regard for operational continuity.
Specific applications for leave should be lodged in advance on the appropriate forms for approval by the Dean or the Chief Operating Officer. The Dean and the Chief Operating Officer approve each other’s leave.
6. Time in Lieu
SCD salaried staff are expected to arrange their work schedules to include any necessary variations of work hours within the normal average. Time off in lieu does not pertain.
SCD waged staff are not reimbursed for overtime by way of monetary payment. Instead, time off in lieu is allowed. Time off in lieu accumulates at ordinary rates of pay but is not reimbursed at the end of employment.
The maximum number of hours of time off in lieu that may be accumulated by a staff member will not exceed the number of hours in the staff member’s ordinary working week. Time off in lieu may not accrued for more than two months and may not be used as an alternative to annual leave. It is subject to the normal provision relating to leave, in that it should be taken at a mutually agreed time and at the convenience of both SCD and the employee.
If for either salaried or waged staff the volume of work or accumulation of deadlines repeatedly becomes unwieldy or repeatedly includes slack hours, the person’s supervisor should be consulted. If the problem persists, a review of the position will be undertaken and appropriate changes will be implemented.
7. Public Conduct
All SCD employees are expected to observe confidentiality with respect to details of the SCD operation except where approved benchmarking is taking place.
All SCD employees will act in public in line with current SCD policies, including observation of SCD’s intellectual property as defined in the Intellectual Property Rule (Part 3).
All SCD employees will speak of SCD in public positively or not at all and will avoid disparaging remarks with the potential to damage SCD’s reputation. As set down in the Communication Policy, the official spokesperson for the Council and the College at all times is the Dean.
8. Other Employment
SCD employees are contracted to work for SCD either full-time (five full days per week) or fractionally (less than five full days per week). Any additional employment undertaken with another entity should be such that it means, at most, a total of six full days’ employment per week.
All SCD employees contracted on a full-time or part-time basis (not sessional) will inform the Dean of any employment undertaken with other entities at the start of their employment and provide prompt updates if changes occur. A register will be maintained in the Office of the Dean. For staff employed within the Korean School of Theology, the Dean of Studies (Korean School of Theology) will collect this data and provide it to the Dean, with updates as they may occur.
All SCD employees will inform the Dean promptly if a conflict of interest arises. In extreme circumstances, it may be necessary for the employee to cease employment with one or other employer.
9. Governance Roles in Other Institutions
All SCD employees will inform the Dean of any current positions, whether paid or unpaid, held on boards or committees for corporate or academic governance in other institutions.
Again, all SCD employees will inform the Dean promptly if a conflict of interest arises. In extreme circumstances, it may be necessary for the employee to cease employment with SCD or cease to hold the external position.
10. Staff Based in SCD Member Institutions
SCD expects that Member Institutions will have workplace policies and procedures that cover all staff employed by them in an equitable way, aligned with the national legislative implements noted above, namely:
The Fair Work Act 2009 and in particular the National Employment Standards
The NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 and the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act 1984
SCD expects that all staff employed by Member Institutions will be subject to fair workload policies and procedures that recognize the need for appropriate professional development opportunities. In regard to academic staff, both permanent and sessional, such recognition will entail reasonable opportunity to conduct and publish research.
See also:
Sydney College of Divinity Staff Enterprise Agreement 2009
SCD Staff Grievance Policy and Procedures
SCD Professional Development Policy