Department of Education overtime data – December 2015 (PDF version)
The PSA conducted a survey earlier this year to assess how many extra hours were being undertaken by SAS staff as a result of the implementation of LMBR.
Ninety percent of respondents worked hours above their normal paid hours. The PSA raised this issue with the Department of Education and requested that they provide us with their data identifying overtime/additional hours paid to SAS staff at 229 schools in 2014 and 2015.
The statistics provided:
The Department provided statistics for 2014 and part of 2015 (around 27 weeks) which identified for each 229 school:
- total overtime/additional hours paid
- a weekly breakdown of overtime/additional hours.
Analysis of the statistics:
An analysis of the statistics by the PSA indicates that:
- 49 percent of 229 schools paid overtime/additional hours to SAS staff in 2015
- 80 percent of 229 schools paid overtime/additional hours in 2014
- The average overtime/additional hours paid per school in 2014 was $5143.07 and for the first 27 weeks of 2015 it is $4,352.25 per school
- The highest amount of overtime/additional hours for a 229 school in 2015 to date is $36,000.
Are you working unpaid hours?
An analysis of the information provided by the Department shows that many of the 229 schools are paying for the overtime or additional hours to SAS staff.
Paid overtime is beneficial to you and the school. Overtime/additional hours provide a record of the amount of extra hours actually required to keep LMBR working. Therefore, by claiming overtime, you are helping the PSA to help SAS staff with work overload problems.
Your union encourages members who work overtime or additional hours to formally claim that extra time. Overtime is an entitlement and a workplace right. You should not feel bad about claiming it, nor should pressure be placed on you to forego this entitlement.
Prior approval will guarantee your overtime payment. You are entitled to overtime payments on any weekday once you have worked seven hours. These first two hours are paid at time and a half and any further hours are paid at double time.
What next?
PSA General Secretary Anne Gardiner is meeting with the Minister for Education, the Hon. Adrian Piccoli on 4 December. At this meeting the PSA will raise the issue of work overload in the current 229 schools. The PSA will report back to members following this meeting.