Jo here, writing with an important update on Annualisation and Additional Hours for Education Support Personnel (‘Support Staff’) on the agenda.

You should have received an email from DECYP Payroll outlining changes to additional work and annualisation elections for ‘School Support Staff’ from 2025, including a requirement to complete a new election form to your school business manager no later than Friday, November 29th 2024. DECYP have stated this change is an attempt to make the process more efficient and also make ESP staff know that they have these options if they wish to use them.

• Click here for the letter from DECYP
• Click here for the form you must complete

Here’s a Q&A from AEU Branch President David Genford’s meeting with DECYP last week: 

Question: Can you opt-in to additional weeks any time throughout the year? 

A: DECYP’s reply is that if you are not annualising your salary, then yes you can. If you are annualising your salary, it would need to end that and then be paid ‘normally’ for the remainder of the year.

Question: Have SBMs & Principals been made aware of this form and request?

A: DECYP admit there was a timing error and that ESP staff received an update before principals and SBMs. This wasn’t their intention and the email was sent a day later. They should now have all the information.

Question: Will they put on the payslip what your annualisation covers?

A: DECYP explained that the annualisation covers everything. The breakdown as explained in the email they sent to you and your coworkers outlines that this is a mathematical exercise.

The percentage of your salary removed (between 6.4-14.6%, depending on how many extra weeks you work) is paid out on the weeks you are not working. Per DECYP: “The deductions are then added to your accrued recreational leave, the Christmas closedown days and the Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Years Day holidays with pay, to spread your entire salary and entitlements evenly across the calendar year.”

Question: Why is the two weeks I’m working in January, now being paid in March?

A: This question they took ‘on notice.’ DECYP appeared to understand the situation and the unintended consequences of the change. DECYP made comments supportive of the idea that you work in January, you should be paid in January (for those not annualised). This is one that will be followed up with payroll – we’ll keep you updated.

Question: Why has the option of December payout been taken away?

A: DECYP claim they were not previously aware of this happening.

Their email to you and your coworkers stated: “you don’t have to annualise your salary, and you can continue to be paid as normal, with no pay during school holidays, together with receiving your leave entitlements and Christmas closedown days and the Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day paid at the end of the year.”

We need additional clarification from members: if you have been told something to this effect, or if there was a different December payment please let me know ASAP.

Update on DECYP Laptop Rollout

Your Union Agreement: Laptops for All ESPs  Under the Public Sector Unions Wages Agreement 2022-2025, the Tasmanian Government agreed to provide laptops to all Education Support Personnel(‘Support Staff’) by the end of 2024. All means all: this definition covers teacher assistants, office admin, school business managers, laboratory and library technicians, youth workers and aboriginal education.

DECYP provided data that 820 laptops have been handed out to ESP staff but there are 2,145 yet to be delivered.

DECYP claim they are still intending to meet this deadline, with the latest shipment of laptops leaving the warehouse on November 11th. 

Please click here to let us know if ESPs at your school have yet to receive a laptop, so we can keep track and ensure nobody gets left behind.

Blink and you’ll miss it! Workplace Transfer for Teacher Assistants

Thanks to union members taking action, from 2025 Teacher Assistants can now apply for transfer of duties to a new school. 

All school principals have now been advised on the new process in the November 6th edition of the Principal Matters newsletter – buried in the bottom of the update, so if your principal/SBM has missed the news, tell them to check their inbox!

It’s easy to miss – the new process has the clear-as-mud title, “Teacher Assistant Expression of Interest for Reassignment of Duties.” 

Key info:

• EOIs will be assessed by your region’s HR team, not by your school leadership.
• Applicants are requested to speak with their line manager/principal to advise of their EOI.
• For applications based on medical reasons, ensure appropriate evidence is supplied with your EOI. If you need advice about strengthening your EOI, contact the AEU – details below!
• Transfer can’t be guaranteed, but will be considered based on ‘available vacancies’ and ‘operational requirements.’
• Transfer will commence at the beginning of a school term, barring exceptional circumstances – if you are requesting earlier transfer, ensure you provide appropriate detail/evidence to support your application. 
• DECYP Contact: Learning Services Regional HR Teams – lsnr.hr@decyp.tas.gov.au and lssr.hr@decyp.tas.gov.au.
• AEU Member Support Centre: call (03) 6234 9500 or email support@aeutas.org.au

Get active!

A new agreement is just over the horizon – if you want to see pay parity and an end to unpaid stand down, it’s time for you to step up and get involved in the AEU.

1. Click here to let us know if you’re keen to get union active and we’ll get in touch to discuss options that work for you — whether it’s organising your workplace, sharing your story, speaking to the media, or anything else you’re happy to do! 
2. Click here if you’d be interested in taking an active part in negotiations, in your workplace or higher up!
3. If you’re on Facebook, join our Facebook community to connect with other ESPs, keep up with campaign updates and be ready to take action.