Academic Staff - Workloads
Claim
16. Improved academic workloads, including by establishing a joint union–management committee to ensure that academic workload models are fair and consistent throughout the university.
Claim Details
Improvements in workload governance
1.
A faculty-based, formalised committee mechanism staffed by union-nominated representatives from each School and management to review workload policy and its implementation. The proposed committee will identify potential and actual workload breaches and formulate recommendations to ensure institutional compliance.
Rationale
Poor understanding by Heads of School of their legal responsibilities under Workplace Health & Safety legislation.
In many units, Heads of School routinely fail to consult staff about work intensification and do not act to alleviate workload problems.
Clause 15 of EA is unevenly enacted across organisational units. In many units workload allocation is not equitable nor transparent.
Workload policies and weightings are not being reviewed nor updated to take account of changing policy demands:
The Higher Education Support Act (2003) , legislation to protect the human rights of students with disabilities and UQ’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusive behaviours policy obliges the university to ensure that all students are given appropriate academic support. Some 5000 Student Access Plans were approved last year and each SAP requires significant additional intervention from teaching staff to support these students. This is additional workload is routinely ignored
Policies to secure assessment in response to GenAI
Policies to Indigenise the Curriculum,
Introduction of new systems (JAC, BB Ultra)
Workload recognition is stymied by managerial strategies such as gaslighting and criticisms of ‘over-servicing’ instead of recognising and supporting high standards in teaching.
2.
Ensure an EA-compliant, transparent and funded infrastructure of support for academic staff through appropriate workload allocation and remuneration for casual academic staff.
Rationale
Work intensification is proceeding through constructive undermining of EA and other protections such as OHS and WHS laws.
Positions are left unfilled positions and duties and responsibilities devolved onto continuing T & R or casual academic staff.
Poor resourcing of casual staff is leading to a heightened risk of errors in assessing student work, more student complaints and more remediation work for continuing staff
Note: casual academic staff continue to experience challenges to claim for all work undertaken because of complex and opaque administrative processes including discouragement to claim for all hours worked by supervisors and some Heads of School.
3.
Minimum standards for teaching to ensure teaching staff have field-relevant expertise plus minimum specified student contact hours. Minimum standards for teaching ensures pedagogical integrity, institutional accountability and compliance with regulatory and professional bodies.
Rationale
This claim seeks to protect teaching standards, ensuring that student learning meets standards for professional accreditation and meets community expectations
Minimum specified contact hours ensures that in-person learning is not replaced by pre-recorded, static and outdated content and inappropriate AI use.
4.
Workload models for continuing and casual staff must be closely aligned for equity and effectiveness. Providing casual staff with less time for core academic activities such as marking, student consultation and coordination compromises the quality of their work and creates additional work burdens for continuing staff.
Rationale
Parity in workload calculation is essential for teaching standards.
When casual staff are given insufficient time to meet professional standards, workloads of continuing staff are augmented
Recognition of Professional Learning and Teaching Qualifications in Workload Allocation
Recommendation 31 of the Australian Universities Accord proposes that any higher education providers supported by Australian Government funding, should:
a) develop professional learning and teaching standards for academics;
b) encourage minimum teaching qualifications for higher education teaching roles;
c) improve professional development for all staff; and
d) provide opportunities for staff to access training in learning and teaching, research, and management.
If implemented this Recommendation will introduce a mandated requirement for teaching staff to undertake formal professional learning without any corresponding recognition in workload allocation or resourcing. Staff will bear the burden of government-driven reform without appropriate institutional support, undermining both the intent and the integrity of workforce capability initiatives.
Rationale
Equity and Fairness: time and effort for completion of a teaching qualification that is an expectation or condition of employment must be recognised as part of academic workload and not additional unpaid labour.
Investing in workforce capability and sustainability: Developing an academic workforce with skills and qualifications in teaching must not happen at the expense of compromising research or teaching quality.
Institutional Risk: Without formal workload recognition, institutions face compliance and reputational risks if staff are unable to meet government-mandated teaching qualification requirements.
Industrial Significance: The imposition of new professional standards without corresponding workload or remuneration adjustments constitutes a change to terms and conditions of employment. Ensuring that participation in accredited professional learning is properly recognised is therefore an industrial matter of critical importance
Formal recognition is needed within current workload models for participation in accredited professional learning. This could include:
Defined workload hours for participation, assessment, mentoring, and reflective practice.
Provision for study leave or equivalent allocation for extended programs; and
Recognition of credential attainment as evidence of professional contribution and advancement.
Recognition as above ensures fair implementation of Accord reforms and protects staff from uncompensated workload increases.
Yearly surveys of psychosocial well-being in Schools/Institutes jointly conducted with NTEU to ascertain whether university’s workload governance meets WHS responsibilities.
Rationale:
work intensification is placing staff at risk of psychosocial harm.
Management Response
The bargaining team presented this claim to management on 27/5/26. Management indicated they were not in favour of these improvements, but agreed that the new requirements around professional learning and teaching qualifications need to be recognised in workload allocations.