SAS Staff Workload break through
SAS Staff Workload break through – April 2016 (PDF version)
The PSA regularly receives feedback from members about the increasing amount of unpaid overtime and additional hours worked by School Administrative and Support (SAS) staff in schools.
Workload has always been an issue for SAS staff however the roll out of LMBR has increased demands on many SAS staff to “work for free”.
As a result of this feedback, the PSA has long been focused on trying to secure relief for members experiencing unreasonable workload demands.
One of the remedies proposed by the PSA to the Department was that an instruction or direction be issued to Principals explaining the requirement to pay overtime or offer time off in lieu (TOIL) to SAS staff.
With the end of Term 1 rapidly approaching, the Department responded positively to the PSA’s suggested wording and offered to publish the advice to Principals early next term.
On 30 March, the Department sent us draft wording which in part states:
“SAS staff are not expected to perform work outside of their span of hours and/or in addition to their ordinary hours of work without the appropriate overtime payment or time off in lieu of payment for overtime or the appropriate additional hours payment.
Entitlements for overtime and time off in lieu are outlined in the Crown Employees (School Administrative and Support Staff) Award (the Award) and the Non Teaching Staff in Schools Handbook (the Handbook).
At the 31 March LMBR meeting between the PSA and the Department, the PSA stated that we would provide final feedback to the Department by 1 April 2016.
We also sought clarification on whether the advice would be published in the “Critical Readings” section of SchoolBiz.
Once the advice is published, the PSA will monitor its effectiveness by tracking whether workload complaints from members in LMBR schools decrease by the end of Term 2.
If there is sufficient decrease then we can consider the matter resolved. If not, then we will need to keep pursuing other remedies for this issue.
Is your workload making you sick?
Where members are experiencing issues such as anxiety, depression, or other health conditions as a result of extreme workload, the PSA advises members to lodge an Employee Incident or Injury Notification under the Work Health and Safety Act by contacting the Department’s Hotline on 1800 811 523 (8am to 5.00pm) or by lodging an electronic form via the Departmental intranet.
(This is NOT a workers compensation claim.) Members who do lodge are asked to advise the PSA by emailing us at
Help us track the effectiveness of this advice to Principals during Term 2
Members working in LMBR schools can provide us feedback by completing the LMBR feedback tool HERE
Members in other schools can email us at with information on the workload problem and causes.
Backfilling positions
PSA members should also advise the PSA if SAS staff positions are not being backfilled in accordance with the staffing procedures or the staffing formulae.
